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Enhancing Mental Healthcare Access: Bridging the Gaps - Practice and Research Initiatives Showcase at Eastern State Hospital

We invite you to learn about the innovative research and practice initiatives that strengthen patient outcomes and staff support here at ESH. The ESH Research Council will host their annual Practice and Research Initiatives Showcase at Eastern State Hospital (PRISE) on April 24th, 2025 from 9AM-4PM EST. This year’s showcase will focus on Enhancing Mental Healthcare Access: Bridging the Gaps.   

APNA KY Chapter Conference 2025

The APNA Kentucky Chapter Conference will be held at The Campbell House in Lexington on March 14th, 2025 from 9AM-4:30PM.  BH WELL will host a table in the exhibit hall. Sarret Seng, BH WELL Graduate Research Assistant, is the APNA Kentucky Chapter President.  The deadline to submit an abstract was Friday, January 31st. Interested in attending as an exhibitor/vendor? Contact Sarret Seng at sarret.seng@uky.edu.

BH WELL Lunch & Learn: Stopping Smoking Mindfully

BH WELL will host a FREE virtual lunch and learn, Stopping Smoking Mindfully,  on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. The training will be led by Dr. Lee Anne Walmsley, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of Wellness and Well-Being at the University of Kentucky College of Nursing. The webinar will include a training video, an example of a mindful breathing activity, and a facilitated discussion.

BH WELL Tobacco Treatment Workshop: Normalizing Tobacco Treatment in Mental and Behavioral Health Treatment Settings

This free workshop will discuss the importance of normalizing tobacco treatment in mental and behavioral health treatment settings. The target audience for this workshop is tobacco treatment specialists, health educators, and other health professionals. We have approval for workshop participants to be eligible for 2 CEs through the Kentucky Board of Nursing and are currently seeking approval for 2 CEs through the Kentucky Board of Social Work. This is a virtual workshop held on Zoom.

BH WELL Open House at Eastern State Hospital

The BH WELL research team hosted an open house event at their new office space in the Eastern State Hospital research suite on November 21st from 11AM-1PM and 4PM-6PM. Dr. Zim Okoli gave a short address at noon.

2024 UK Curiosity Fair

The Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living and Learning (BH WELL) research team participated in the University of Kentucky's Curiosity Fair on November 6th, 2024 from 4:00 - 6:00 PM​ in the Gatton Student Center Ballroom. The event was hosted by the UK Office of Undergraduate Research and Lewis Honors College. The BH WELL table invited participants to take part in a grounding experience of potting plant clippings and learn about the benefits of gardening to mental health.

APNA 38th Annual Conference

The American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA) 38th Annual Conference took place from October 9th - 12th, 2024, at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The theme of the conference was Bringing Connection to Life for Ourselves, Those we Serve, & Each Other.  The Behavioral Health Wellness Environments for Living and Learning (BH WELL) research team attended the conference, presented both platform and poster presentations, and hosted a table in the Exhibit Hall. 

Voices of Hope Peer Support Conference

Voices of Hope (VOH) is a Lexington-based organization with a mission to provide peer support to individuals in the recovery community. VOH hosted a peer support conference for individuals working in the recovery field. The conference focused on using research to educate peers providing services to individuals with co-occurring substance use disorder and mental health challenges.

KY Tobacco Prevention & Cessation Program Meeting

The KY Tobacco Prevention & Cessation Program offers monthly meetings for grantees to continue learning about tobacco cessation resources and related information. At their October 2024 meeting, Dr. Zim Okoli presented virtually about the importance of tobacco treatment in Kentucky's mental and behavioral health settings. The presentation was followed by a time for questions from health department grantees working to promote cessation. This meeting was held via Zoom on October 1st from 9:30AM-10:30AM. 

Recovery Month Celebration 2024

In honor of Recovery Month, an annual health observance celebrating Americans in recovery from substance use disorder (SUD), BH WELL joined members of Kentucky’s recovery community, state leaders, and health officials at the Capitol in Frankfort on Monday, September 16, 2024.