OXFORD, AL — Mental health professionals, advocates, community leaders and service providers gathered at the Oxford Civic Center on Sept. 1 for the eighth annual Out of the Shadows Mental Health Summit, an event centered this year on the theme “Stronger Together: Collaboration, Connection, and Care.”
The summit brought together participants from across the region for presentations, breakout sessions, networking and discussions focused on mental health treatment, recovery, advocacy and community support.
Fred Smith, vice president of community engagement for the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama, served as master of ceremonies. Smith said he has been involved with Out of the Shadows since the event began eight years ago and recognized both longtime attendees and those participating for the first time.
“We’re still here, and we’re here because of the testament of like-minded individuals, such as yourself, that has availed yourself to be a part of the work of advocacy and mental health treatment,” Smith told attendees.
The opening portion of the program included a welcome from Oxford Mayor Alton Craft, as well as updates from Jacksonville State University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Dean Maureen Newton and Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama President and CEO Matt Holdbrooks.
The program also featured Aubree Ford, Miss East Alabama Volunteer, who spoke about the relationship between mental and physical health and her service initiative, “Thrive Together.”
Ford, a senior at Jacksonville State University studying exercise science, shared her own experiences with depression and anxiety and discussed how those experiences influenced her interest in mental health advocacy.
“Our mental and physical health don’t exist separately,” Ford said. “When one is struggling, so is the other. And when we learn to care for both, we give ourselves a much better chance, not just to get through life, but to thrive.”
Ford said her experiences led her to focus particularly on conversations surrounding the mental health of children and young people. She encouraged earlier discussions about anxiety, stress, social pressures and other challenges young people may experience before they have developed the vocabulary to explain what they are feeling.
The summit’s keynote presentation, “From the Outside Looking In: How Connection Breaks the Cycle,” was delivered by Jared Wilson. According to the event program, Wilson is an ordained pastor, former counselor and former recovery program manager at The Foundry Ministries who has spent more than 15 years working in addiction recovery and workforce development in Alabama.
Wilson’s presentation focused on his firsthand experiences with substance abuse and mental health challenges and the role that human connection, treatment and community support can play in recovery.
In addition to speakers and educational sessions, attendees were encouraged to visit exhibitors throughout the day. Continuing education opportunities were also available for eligible professionals attending the summit, with breakout sessions addressing various areas of mental health and related services.
The annual Out of the Shadows event is designed to bring together individuals and organizations working in mental health, behavioral health, recovery and community advocacy while encouraging collaboration among those providing services throughout the region.
