As part of its ongoing 100 Days of Service project, Baptist Health Corbin staff are hosting a series of special events throughout the month of September that focus on mental health and suicide prevention awareness.
Last Thursday, Sept. 5, a behavioral health candlelight vigil was held in the Trillium Center Circle. The event, which was dedicated to all of those individuals affected by behavioral health challenges such as depression, substance abuse and suicide, featured two guest speakers in Melissa Lawson-Grubb and Sarah Greer.
Grubb spoke about her journey to recovery as she dealt with the aftermath of her daughter, Bethany’s, suicide in 2018. To honor her daughter’s memory, Grubb started the Bethany’s Hope Foundation, which is dedicated to spreading awareness and generally supporting suicide prevention efforts in the region.
Greer spoke about her journey of hope as she recovered from substance abuse, and how she now helps others to navigate through similar struggles.
On Tuesday, which is recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as World Suicide Prevention Day, BHC staff hosted a Chalk the Walk event at the Trillium Center that encouraged participants to decorate the sidewalk with chalk drawings, quotes, memorials and words of affirmation. The event aimed to “foster a sense of community, promote healthy socialization and provide valuable behavioral health resources.”
The special events are slated to continue this Thursday, Sept. 12, with the 5th Annual Behavioral Health Summit at the Corbin Center. Community members, families, clinicians, medical providers and first responders are invited to attend this free event from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Learning how to be more aware of the behavioral health issues that exist within the community will be the main focus of the summit. For more information and to register for the event, e-mail Lrichard2@bhsi.com or Brittany.Marsee@bhsi.com.
On Wednesday, Sept. 18, a Noontime Knowledge educational luncheon will be held at the Corbin Library beginning at noon. This free community event is being sponsored by Beth Davis-Edward Jones and Bluegrass Care Navigators, and will feature a guest speaker who will be discussing their personal experiences with substance abuse. For more information or to register, e-mail BRCmarketing@bhsi.com.
Finally, a mental health first aid online session is scheduled for 9 a.m. on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 24. The online discussion will focus on sharing with employers, police, hospital staff, first responders and faith leaders methods for identifying, understanding and responding to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. Receive more information and register for this event by e-mailing Lrichard2@bhsi.com or Brittany.Marsee@bhsi.com.
Baptist Health Corbin offers inpatient, intensive outpatient, outpatient and virtual care services for both mental health and substance abuse issues. BHC has an intake department that is available 24/7 in the emergency department that can complete assessments in emergency situations. The behavioral resource connection line, available each day between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., is (800) 395-4435.
In case of emergency situations, you should always go to the nearest emergency room or call the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
