When an act of mass violence or a natural disaster happens, frightened parents are left wondering how to help their children cope with the tragedy. Marshfield Clinic, with support from Mike's Run in Marshfield, will host the 2015 Behavioral Health Community Conference on managing fear in times of crisis.
Joseph Napoli, M.D., co-director of Resiliency LLC, will present "Managing Your Fears and Caring for Children in a Dangerous World," on April 23 at Marshfield Clinic Laird Center for Medical Research, 1000 N. Oak Ave., Marshfield.
Check-in and refreshments begin at 6 p.m.; the program begins at 6:30; and a question and answer session will follow.
There is no cost to attend. Pre-registration is recommended. To register, call 715-387-9081.
For directions and maps, go to www.marshfieldclinic.org, select "Locations" (Find a location), type in "Marshfield" and select "Marshfield Center."
Research has demonstrated children do better if their parents and other caretakers are doing well.
"In a dangerous world of mass violence, natural and man-made disasters, pandemics and terrorism, we can be frozen by fear or face our fear and take action," Dr. Napoli said. "We can learn how to manage our fear in order to help children manage theirs."
Napoli, along with Elizabeth Dexter-Mazza, Psy.D., will present at the 2015 Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Conference being offered April 23-24 at Marshfield Clinic for health care providers, school psychologists, guidance counselors, social workers and other professionals.
The professional conference will address mental health readiness, response and recovery when disaster strikes and treating clients using dialectical behavior therapy. For more information, visit https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/education/continuing-education#conferences and select "Psychiatry & Behavioral Health Conference."
Marshfield Mayor Chris Meyer will sign a proclamation identifying May 7 as Children's Mental Health Awareness Day at 12:15 p.m. on April 23 during the professional conference.
On May 16 from 1-4 p.m., there will be a free community event with family activities celebrating Children's Mental Health Awareness Day at Oak Avenue Community Center, 201 S. Oak Ave. The event will highlight the important connection between children's mental health, physical health and overall wellbeing.
Mike's Run is an event organized by Marshfield Clinic and the family and friends of Mike Hackman. Mike, who lived in Marshfield, committed suicide in 2010 after a long battle with mental illness. Proceeds from the event fund mental health services.
This year's event, which includes a 5-mile run and 2-mile walk, will take place June 20 at Hackman Field in Marshfield. To learn more about Mike's Run and to register, visit https://www.marshfieldclinic.org/giving/running-cycling-events/mikes-ride-run.
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Marshfield Clinic provides patient care, research and education with more than 50 locations in northern, central and western Wisconsin, making it one of the largest comprehensive medical systems in the United States.
