McHenry County suicide prevention conference set for Sept. 9 at MCC

The sixth annual McHenry County Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Recovery Conference will feature a keynote address by a clinical psychologist on why storytelling matters in suicide prevention.

The conference, hosted by the McHenry County Mental Health Board in collaboration with the McHenry County Suicide Prevention Task Force, will take place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 9 at McHenry County College in Crystal Lake. This event is open to school staff, parents, first responders, public officials and faith communities at no charge.

Advance registration is required.

Keynote speaker Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas will present “The Eye of the Survivor: Why Storytelling Matters in Suicide Prevention.”

She is a clinical psychologist, inspirational speaker, podcaster and “impact entrepreneur,” according to a news release. She began her work in suicide prevention after her brother died of suicide.

Known as an innovator in social change, Spencer-Thomas has helped start multiple large-scale, gap-filling efforts in mental health, including the award-winning Man Therapy campaign and the National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention. She currently serves as executive secretary for the American Association of Suicidology and president of United Suicide Survivors International.

Multiple breakout sessions are offered with topics such as Diverse Identities and Mental Wellness, Running a Grief Support Group, Suicide and the LBGTQ+ Community, Supporting Youth Voices, Innovation in Men’s Mental Health, Ensuring Resilience — Guiding Others through Trauma while Caring for the Self, Relationship between Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health, as well as other topics.

Tom Farley, the brother of the late actor and comedian Chris Farley, will present, “The Value of Connection in Substance Use Disorder Recovery.”

From 1999 to 2012, Farley ran The Chris Farley Foundation, and in 2008, he wrote “The Chris Farley Show,” a New York Times bestselling biography of his brother. He works for Rosecrance Health Network as the community relations coordinator for Wisconsin and as a motivational speaker.

For more details and registration, go to MC708.org.