County to Host Free Series of Online Mental Health and Community Wellness Conversations Beginning Wed., Dec. 16

Montgomery County will offer residents an opportunity to join free conversations with mental health experts and community partners in a series about mental health and wellness issues affecting the community as the COVID-19 health crisis continues. The virtual series “Wellness Community Events: Healing and Holding On” will begin on Wednesday, Dec. 16, and will continue every Wednesday from 6-7:30 p.m.

Each conversation will feature a panel of mental health professionals discussing the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and well-being of residents of all ages. The conversations can be joined on Microsoft Teams and the series will be live streamed on County Cable Montgomery (cable channel CCM) and on the County’s Facebook page.

Topics in the series will include:

• Health tips for children during the pandemic.
• Stress management.
• Self-care for teleworkers.
• Mental health first aid.
• Family relationships during a pandemic.
• Substance use disorder peer services.
• Signs and symptoms of addiction.
• Destigmatizing mental health in the Latinx community.

The first session will open with a welcome from Rolando Santiago, chief of behavioral health and crisis services in the County's Department of Health and Human Services. The panel in the first session will include Raymond Crowel, director of the county's Department of Health and Human Services; Kiran Dixit, director of the Jewish Social Services Agency’s Training Institute; and Joe Wilson, clinical director at JSSA. The discussion will be followed by a question and answer session.

No registration is required to join the sessions. The first conversation can be accessed on Microsoft Teams at https://bit.ly/wellness-community-1 It can be accessed live on County Cable Montgomery and the County’s Facebook page.

For more information, visit the County’s COVID-19 website and click on mental health resources or email hhsmail@montgomerycountymd.gov.