We welcome all people to attend the inaugural Southeastern MN conference on mental health and awareness. This conference is a collaborative effort to raise awareness, provide education, and reduce the stigma of mental illness in all segments of the Southeastern MN region. With generous support from Blue Cross, the conference is free and open to everyone.

The conference will place a special emphasis on the voices of those with lived experience. The keynote speaker is Nate Cannon, BA, MFA, CDP, a nationally recognized speaker and author. Nate will share his experience as a transgender man living well in recovery with both a mental health diagnosis and an unseen physical disability. Nate will explore the role that perseverance, resilience and fortitude have played in managing and navigating his mental health. Breakout sessions will include training on suicide prevention, nature therapy, creating calm - mindfulness for busy minds, NAMI’s “In Our Own Voice,” and reducing stigma. The conference will close with a presentation by Minnesota’s own Evan Hansen who portaged his canoe over three hundred miles in Southern Minnesota to raise awareness of suicide prevention. His message for those who have faced suicidal thoughts or have lost someone is “you’re not alone, you’re not a burden and you are loved.”

We all find ourselves on the continuum of mental health and wellness. This conference is an opportunity to come together and learn about how we can be resilient and support one another.

Event Flyer