On Saturday, October 1, a Mental Health Summit will be held at Washington High School. The event aims to encourage students to take control of their mental health and speak out if they, or someone they know is struggling.

The event is provided by the Grace C.  Mae Advocate Center, an organization created to help individuals and families in crisis. During the summit, which is scheduled to run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. students will participate in breakout sessions, they will have the opportunity to win prizes, and they will speak with experienced professionals in the field of mental health. While mental health can be a challenging topic of conversations for teenagers, the goal of these sessions is to help students identify a potential mental health crisis, and feel comfortable talking about it.

High school students from Washington, Keota, Highland, Mid-Prairie, and WACO are invited. A free lunch and “swag bag” will be provided. Students who attend the summit will also earn a silver cord for graduation. Additional questions can be directed to help@advocatecenter.org.