The First Annual Veterans and Community Partners Wellness Summit

In the first of its kind, the Veterans and Community Partners Wellness Summit will serve as a one-day conference to provide opportunities for continuing education and networking to service providers working directly with veterans, primarily those working within the healthcare space in Pennsylvania. The main objectives of the summit is to (1) promote partnership-building among public and private entities as well among community organizations; (2) improve communication among veteran-serving programs and healthcare providers; and (3) provide continuing education on the emerging needs that focus on veterans’ wellness and mental health.

Intended audience: This event was created to educate and connect health care professionals, veteran advocates, caregivers, family members, and community leaders.

FULL AGENDA

8:00AM – 5:00PM

8:00AM Doors Open: Check in, breakfast, networking

9:15AM Opening Remarks

10:00AM – 11:00AM Panel Discussion - Lethal Means Safety: Dispelling the Myths of Veterans, Gun Ownership, and Mental Health

11:15AM – 12:15PM Breakout Training Sessions – select 1 of the 3 offerings

1) Coping with loss of a Client - Denise Carey, Director of the Scranton Vet Center and Earl Granville, Owner of Earl Granville, LLC and Public Speaker

2) S.A.V.E. Training – Angelique Cortez, Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center Suicide Prevention Coordinator

3) Overview on the VA Health-Related Program - Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center Social Work Staff

12:30PM – 2:00PM Lunch Panel: Both Sides of the Fence

2:00PM – 3:00PM Networking and Information Resource Exchange Event

3:00PM – 4:00PM Breakout Training Sessions – select 1 of the 3 offerings

1) Grounding and Breath Techniques Training - Tom Tice, Founder of WarriorStrong, Inc.

2) Accessing Critical Veteran Resources, Panel Discussion – moderated by Jennifer Spitler, PA Department of Military and Veteran Affairs

3) The Deadly Recipe and Introduction to Trauma-Informed Care – Larissa Kimmel, Carbon-Monroe-Pike MHDS and Eric Darling, Valhalla Veteran Services

4:15PM – 4:45PM Closing Remarks of Event

Host or Publisher The Wilkes-Barre VA Community Partnership Committee