In honor of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month in September, the Lancaster Suicide Prevention Coalition and Mental Health America of Lancaster County will host a conference where attendees will be able to explore how resiliency may support suicide prevention. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 8, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Eden Resort, 222 Eden Road, Lancaster, and is open to the public.

The theme of "Seeking Resiliency for Our Community" will be woven throughout two sessions. Session 1 will begin at 8 a.m., with registration and breakfast to open at 7:15 a.m., and Session 2 will begin at 1 p.m., with lunch at 12:30 p.m.

Session 1 will be available in person and virtually. The focus of the morning will be "Resiliency Through Mental Wellness." This portion of the event will be offered in three parts, beginning with a presentation by keynote speaker Sally Spencer-Thomas. Spencer-Thomas, a lead author on the National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention, will discuss "Up on the High Wire: Cultivating Mental Resiliency to Get Us Through Tough Times."

The session will continue with speaker Heidi Bryan, a survivor of an attempted suicide and the founder of Feeling Blue Suicide Prevention Council, now Prevent Suicide PA. Bryan will discuss "Resiliency Through Hope." Bryan has served on the board of directors for the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention and as vice chairman of the board for SPAN-USA.

"Resiliency Through Education" will conclude the morning session, where attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a moderated discussion with a variety of Lancaster's mental health educators about the topics of suicide prevention and related community educational needs.

Session 2 will consist of an evidence-based suicide prevention class titled QPR: Question, Persuade, and Refer. This training is designed to help anyone learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade, and refer someone to find help. Session 2 will be in-person only.

There is a fee for each session. With questions about the event, write to Caryn thompson at cthompson@mhalancaster.org. Readers may register for the event at https://mhalancaster.org/event/seeking-resiliency-a-lancaster-suicide-prevention-coalition-conference.