Connecting caregivers with information and resources to get through challenges such as mental illness, grief, or substance abuse is the goal of the Parent and Grandparent Summit.
The summit, held Feb. 22 at Fort Collins High School, is a joint effort of the Center for Family Outreach and Poudre School District. The February summit was a blend of a similar summit put on by the Center last fall and the district’s annual spring Mental Health Matters event. Laurie Klith, executive director of the Center, said the summit is designed to “get parents engaged and keep them engaged” in the counseling and wellness resources they can find at school and in the area.
“It’s critical that we all talk to each other; it strengthens us as a community,” she said.
The summit opened with a presentation from professor, author, speaker, and consultant Shari Simmons about parenting today’s generation amid the challenges of a digital world before breaking into morning and afternoon sessions. Attendees could choose from sessions about trauma-informed parenting for resilience and recovery, sleep and youth, substance abuse and addictive behavior in the morning, while afternoon sessions covered suicide prevention and awareness, mental health, and grief support.
The summit also featured a resource fair with 18 booths, each dedicated to a local organization or agency focused on youth wellness and belonging.
While offering fliers and emails about local resources is helpful, PSD Assistant Director of Student Services Whitney Bennett Clear said the summit offers people a chance to speak with community partners in person and build relationships.
“It’s a great opportunity in a low-stress environment to get to know each other,” Bennett Clear said.
PSD would like to thank the committee members who dedicated countless hours to making the summit a success, as well as generous event sponsors Alliance for Suicide Prevention of Larimer County, Embark Behavioral Health, Hot Corner Concepts Restaurants, the Human Bean, Imagine Zero, Jason’s Deli, LaMar’s Donuts & Coffee, Rally 5, Shamrock Foodservice Warehouse, TAC 212, UC Health, and Within.
