Baxter Health Behavioral Health in Mtn. Home, Ark., is hosting a free community event on Saturday focusing on suicide awareness and prevention.
The event, titled “It’s a Tough Subject: A Conversation About Suicide,” will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Vada Sheid Community Development Center, 1600 S. College St. on the Arkansas State University-Mtn. Home campus. The presentation is open to the public and requires no registration.
The evening will feature Dennis Gillan, founder and executive director of the Half a Sorrow Foundation and a nationally recognized speaker on mental health. Gillan, who lost two brothers to suicide 11 years apart, will draw from his personal experience to offer practical ways to recognize when someone may be in distress.
The presentation will cover how to start conversations about mental health and how communities can work together to reduce the stigma that often prevents people from seeking help. A question-and-answer session will follow the one-hour presentation.
“This is exactly the kind of conversation our community needs to be having,” said Jamie Leach, behavioral health and community relations specialist at Baxter Health. “Mental health is something that touches every family, and we want people to feel equipped to support the people they love. Dennis Gillan has a gift for opening that door in a way that feels honest and accessible, and we are proud to bring him here.”
For more information, contact Leach at 870-508-6465 or jleach@baxterregional.org. To learn more about Gillan and his foundation, visit halfasorrow.org
