Back in December 2019, I started presenting my session on mental health with lots of fear as to how the community was going to take my openness to the subject. I was pleasantly surprised that in the three-plus years so far I’ve only had one person say bad things to me, well indirectly on feedback form handed to the organizers at an event. Now run across the subject in my personal life and in my volunteer work with foster children and with advocate work with Disability Rights of North Carolina. So, I have a lot of hands-on life experience with it, good and bad. Since then, more community members have started presenting on various topics around mental health and wellness in the community. It has been wonderful to see the community come together around this topic.
Two years ago the WIT Virtual Group started a Mental Health and Wellness Virtual Event which has become my favorite event of the year. This year the DEI Virtual Group I lead is helping out. Eight to ten hours of content on the subject near and dear to my heart. I’m sure we will have enough speakers for the event but what if we could run two or three tracks this year and have an even bigger event? I know I’m dreaming big, but I love the subject so much and love the amazing stuff the community has to share. But I know I lot of you have things to share, important things to share. Examples of topics include:
- Coping with job loss
- Finding new career paths
- Gender/LGBTQ-related challenges
- Being a person of color
- Neurodiversity related challenges
- Worry/Anxiety/Depression and other mental health challenges
- Dealing with sensory and physical handicaps
- General health and well being
So if you have a story to tell about any of the subjects how about putting together a presentation, it can be a lightning talk or a panel discussion on the topic. Or another topic we didn’t think of. The CFS page is here and closes April 14th and the event is the day before my birthday May 5th, so bonus it can be like an early birthday present to me if you present. If you don’t submit please mark your calendars to attend and see this wonderful content.
