To help educate mental health professionals on the unique and urgent needs of military
personnel and their families-and to help veterans and family members learn about resources
available to them to address the demands of military life-a one-day conference titled
"Veterans Services...Mental Health Matters" will take place on Friday, April 24, from 8:30
a.m.-3 p.m. at Drumlins, 800 Nottingham Road, DeWitt.
The event, hosted by the Mental Health Association of Onondaga County, is made possible
through funding provided by Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield and state Sen. John A.
DeFrancisco. Syracuse University's College of Human Ecology, the Hancock Field Family
Program and the National Association of Social Workers are conference co-hosts.
Keynote speaker is Helena Davis, M.A., L.M.H.C., director of training and special projects for
the Mental Health Association of New York State. A panel discussion will address such topics as
the challenges facing families, the reintegration process for families and children, and
mediation and well-being for trauma survivors and veterans.
The conference will also include concurrent breakout sessions on a variety of related topics,
including communication and reuniting and mindfulness-based skills for reducing stress.
Military service members and their families may attend the conference at no cost. Registration
fee for professionals is $25. Advance registration is required for all attendees. For more
information, contact the Mental Health Association of Onondaga County at (315) 445-5606.
The one-day conference complements the College of Human Ecology's
recent announcement
that its School of Social Work has expanded its master of social work (M.S.W.) program in
Watertown to increase the number of trained mental health professionals available to support
returning veterans and their families predominantly in the Fort Drum and northern New York
area. The Watertown program begins this fall.
About the College of Human Ecology at Syracuse University
The College of Human Ecology is dedicated to excellence in professional academic education
and integrates publicly engaged scholarship as a philosophy and method in all of its degree
programs. The college brings together a rich history of academic programs whose signatures of
social responsibility and justice join new and evolving majors reflective of educating global
citizens whose leadership can-and does-change the places and people where they live and
work.
Previously known as the College of Human Services and Health Professions until it was
renamed in 2007, the College of Human Ecology hosts seven departments with strong roots in
SU history: Child and Family Studies; Health and Wellness; Hospitality Management;
Marriage and Family Therapy; Nutrition Science and Dietetics; Sport Management; and the
School of Social Work.
