BREVARD COUNTY — Local organizations are highlighting the importance of a healthy mind through guest speakers during separate events at Suntree United Methodist Church and One Senior Place.
SUMC will return with its annual Mental Health Fair, which will be conducted virtually, from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2 via Zoom.
Attendees can register by emailing deanad@suntreeumc.org or calling (321) 242-2585.
At One Senior Place, Dr. Anthony LoGalbo will discuss “Diagnosis: Lewy Body Dementia” and its latest findings and treatments.
This in-person discussion is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 4 at One Senior Place, 8085 Spyglass Hill Road, Viera. Masks are required and an RSVP helps secure a spot by calling (321) 751-6771.
The theme for this year’s Mental Health Fair is titled “The Ripple Effect,” referencing the unintended consequences of a system that fails to address issues of mental health.
There will be two sessions, the first discussing “Suicide Awareness and Prevention” with a panel including Lyn Cline, parent and founder of Hannah’s Heroes; Janean Knight, student services department of Brevard Schools; Dr. Caroline Griffin, Doctor of Nursing Practice with Circles of Care; and Tonya Dix, BSN, RN, LHRM, vice president of quality and clinical operations with Circles of Care.
The second session will cover “Preventing the Criminalization of Mental Health Conditions” with Stanley Brizz, Eckerd Connects and Brevard Prevention Coalition; Dana Eliot, NAMI Brevard County and Crisis Intervention Team Trainer; Judge Morgan Reinman of Brevard Courts; Lt. Joanna Seigel and Agent Cory Jackson of Brevard County Sheriff Office.
Retired Pastor and former State Director of Mental Health in North Carolina Rev. Dr. John Baggett said the untreated and undertreated mental health conditions touches almost everyone in Brevard County.
He explained, “Families who have loved ones with mental illnesses and addiction challenges often exhaust themselves physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially, while attempting to provide the care that is missing due to inadequate funding for mental health services, discrimination in insurance coverage, and the shortage of psychiatrists and other mental health professionals in Brevard County.”
At least one-third of the men, women and children who are homeless in Brevard suffer from untreated mental illness, while another third suffer from untreated alcohol and drug abuse, Dr. Baggett said.
As mental health is a subject more often talked about since the pandemic began, more services to treat mental health are coming to Brevard, however, Dr. Baggett added that there is a severe shortage of psychiatrists to help.
“We want our participants to gain an accurate understanding of the crisis in mental health care that is manifested in the current suicide epidemic and the tragic pattern of criminalizing mental health conditions,” Dr. Baggett said.
“When we think about prevention in healthcare, we usually focus on wellness activities that help ward off illness, but in this year’s Virtual Mental Health Fair we will be focusing on preventing the tragedies that often result from our society’s failure to provide appropriate treatment for persons who have mental health conditions,” he continued.
Ultimately, the organizers behind “Virtual Mental Health Fair” want people to understand that ‘Treatment is Prevention.’
Resources are available to help, such as 2-1-1 Brevard, The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255), The Crisis Text Line (text“10-18” or “SCRUBS” to 741741), or www.counselorsforchange.org/resources.
Following the weekend’s mental health discussions, One Senior Place will provide a look at dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
According to a press release, Lewy body dementia is the second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s disease.
“Lewy Body Dementia is often misdiagnosed as a psychiatric disorder or as another form of dementia,” said Barbara Fradkin, director of One Senior Place. “Lewy Body dementia affects an estimated 1.4 million Americans.”
Lewy body dementia is caused by protein deposits that develop in nerve cells within the brain’s regions of thinking, memory and movement. It is common in men over the age of 60.
Dr. LoGalbo teaches graduate classes at Florida Institute of Technology and specializes in the assessment and treatment of patients with memory disorders.
To learn more about One Senior Place, visit www.oneseniorplace.com.
# # #
About One Senior Place– Now in its 15th year, One Senior Place, The Experts in Aging, is a marketplace of resources and provider of information, advice, care and on-site services for seniors and their family caregivers in Central and East Central Florida. Completely unique, One Senior Place at 8085 Spyglass Hill Road in Viera is a one-stop information hub and mini-mall “revolutionizing the way America shops for elder care and services.” One Senior Place is home to a wide variety of senior-focused businesses, a resource library and is the site of educational seminars and presentations for seniors. In 2008, One Senior Place was named Florida’s Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. In Brevard, they were honored as Business of the Year by the Melbourne Regional Chamber of Commerce. A second location, One Senior Place Orlando, opened in Altamonte Springs in December of 2011. More information about One Senior Place and One Senior Place Orlando can be found on the company website at OneSeniorPlace.com or by calling 321-751-6771.
