NAMI Maine will host its fifth annual conference from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, at the Augusta Civic Center on Civic Center Drive.
The conference theme, “Healthier Together: It Takes a Community,” will highlight the various effects of isolation on both physical and mental wellness. The day will include keynote addresses from Dr. Jeremy Nobel, faculty at Harvard Medical School and founder of the UnLonely Project, and Kate Braestrup, author and chaplain for the Maine Warden Service, according to a NAMI Maine news release.
In the morning, Nobel will discuss his work on the UnLonely project — a signature initiative with a goal of broadening public awareness of the negative physical and mental health consequences of loneliness associated with a wide range of living conditions and circumstances while also exploring and promoting creative arts-based approaches to reduce the burden.
He is the founder and president of the Foundation for Art and Healing, an organization that explores and promotes the relationship between creative arts expression and the health and well being of individuals and community.
Closing out the afternoon, Braestrup will lead a discussion around supporting families during crises situations. As the chaplain she provides support to family members in the most tragic time in their lives. The widow of an state trooper killed in the line of duty and the mother of a child with a journey with mental health, Braestrup is a gifted communicator. She has many lessons learned in providing compassionated support and she has dedicated so much of her life to supporting others in their time of need.
Braestrup is a nationally recognized speaker and author of several books, including the bestselling true story “Here If You Need Me.” She also is the recipient of NAMI Maine’s 2018 Lifetime Excellence Award.
For more information or to register, visit namimaine.org.
Copy the Story LinkComments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
