Mental Health America of Lancaster County

08/06/2025

NEW WEBINAR!

For many students, returning to school means more than re-uniting with their friends and classmates, it means navigating environments that may feel overwhelming, uncertain, or unsafe. Whether children have experienced community violence, family instability, climate-related disasters, or identity-based trauma, school can feel unsafe or be a space of healing.

This webinar will explore how parents, caregivers, and educators can help create emotional safety, belonging, and structure for students impacted by trauma. We’ll discuss how trauma shows up in school and offer concrete, age-appropriate strategies to build trust, connection, and resilience.

Join Mental Health America and ASU for a free, 60-minute session where we will:

🔸 Discuss what trauma looks like in school-aged children and teens
🔸 Explore how to create routines and relationships that promote safety and connection
🔸 Provide strategies for building belonging for students marginalized by race, gender, disability, or immigration status
🔸 Review tools to support regulation, engagement, and resilience in the classroom and beyond

Register today: https://mhanational.org/calendar/nurturing-belonging-emotional-well-being-and-safety-in-a-new-school-year/

08/06/2025

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🌟 We’re thrilled to announce the keynote speaker and some of our breakout speakers for the 2025 Su***de Prevention Conference! 🌟 Stay tuned for more
🗓 September 18, 2025
📍 DoubleTree Resort by Hilton, Lancaster

Join us for a powerful and inspiring day featuring these incredible speakers:

✨ Jennifer Storm – Victim advocate, author, and nationally recognized speaker
✨ Anne Williams – Advocate and survivor sharing her lived experience
✨ Joanne Carroll – Trans advocate and President of Trans Advocacy Pennsylvania
✨ Logan Spiewak – Lived experience speaker and passionate mental health advocate
✨ Jami Dumler – Su***de prevention leader, educator, therapist and community connector

Don't miss this impactful day of learning, connection, and hope.

🔗 Register now: https://mhalancaster.org/conference/
***dePrevention

08/06/2025

📝The Power of Universal Screening
Imagine if we screened for trauma like we do for vision or hearing.

🧠 Universal ACEs screening enables us to identify children and families at risk before a crisis occurs. It's a powerful tool that helps professionals respond with care, not punitive consequences.

✨ Benefits of ACEs screening:
✔️ Better detection of childhood adversity
✔️ More timely and appropriate referrals to services
✔️ Increased follow-through by families
✔️ Improved mental health outcomes for children and caregivers

💡 When paired with trauma-informed care, screening becomes prevention, and prevention becomes healing.

Let’s make early intervention the norm, not the exception.
https://www.acesaware.org/learn-about-screening/benefits-of-ace-screening/


If you need help finding support, contact one of our advocates at 717-397-7461 or visit mhalancaster.org.

08/05/2025

💡 Thanks to the generous support of our Snack Partner, Ponessa Behavioral Health, we’re bringing crucial resources and conversations to our community. Join us at the Su***de Prevention Conference: The Power of One! ***de
www.ponessa.com

Want to learn more about the Su***de Prevention Conference? Visit us at www.mhalancaster.org/conference
Want to learn more about Sponsorship Opportunities? Get Connected with Elaine at egilbert@mhalancaster.org

08/05/2025

Make a difference by sharing your tips for using your hobby for mental health and wellness at the Mental Health Fair at Wheatland Middle School.

08/05/2025

A local example of a community providing the Positive Childhood Experiences needed to support our youth. We can all make a difference and make a connection today. The power of even just one positive relationship can help heal and transform a community. Thanks for making a difference, Chris!

It was an honor to play a small role
at CJ’s Hoop for Hope “Fun Day.” Chris Johnson founded the FREE Basketball League in memory of his son Chrishon and other victims of violence in Lancaster. It was great to see all of these kids enjoying the day.

08/05/2025

Why ACEs Education Matters
You can’t prevent what you don’t understand.

🌍 Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) aren’t just personal—they’re public health issues. When parents, educators, healthcare providers, and communities understand the impact of ACEs, we stop blaming behavior and start supporting healing.

🧠 ACEs education shifts the question from:
❌ “What’s wrong with you?”
to
✅ “What happened to you—and how can we help?”

When we educate, we empower.
When we understand toxic stress, we respond with trauma-informed care instead of punishment.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oprah-winfrey-treating-childhood-trauma/

Let’s create a culture where every child is met with empathy, not judgment.

08/04/2025

Watch this video to understand the impact ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) have on our brain, body, and behavior, and how positive supportive experiences (PCES) can buffer the impact of ACES.

Andrea Gonzalez, McMaster University

08/04/2025

Trauma in childhood can shape a lifetime.
ACEs—Adverse Childhood Experiences—include abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. These experiences can change brain development, increase the risk of mental and physical illness, and shorten lives.

🧠 Did you know?

Research shows that individuals with 6 or more ACEs have a 19-year shorter lifespan on average.
These are some of the things observed in individuals with high ACE scores:
-Likely to develop chronic diseases such as diabetes, strokes, cancers, PTSD, and other health concerns.
-Prone to developing mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.

But ACEs are not destiny. Healing is possible.
Education is the first step toward prevention.

💡 Learn more: https://www.cdc.gov/aces/about/index.html

If you are interested in learning more, contact us at 717-397-7461 or visit mhalancaster.org

08/03/2025

🙏 Thank You, St. James Catholic Church!
We’re grateful to St. James Catholic Church for hosting our QPR Su***de Prevention Training as part of our Faith Community Partnership Program. Your support helps us build compassionate, informed communities that are prepared to support those in crisis.

📅 Coming in August:
Introduction to Spiritual Support Groups
Topics include:

-Holy Listening (not therapy)

-The Power of Prayer

-When Prayer Isn’t Enough – Knowing When to Refer

-Addressing Religious Trauma

📞 Want to learn more?
Contact Irma Do at ido@mhalancaster.org or call 717-397-7461.

Stay tuned for event details — we’d love to have you join us!
https://mhalancaster.org/fcp/

08/03/2025

Feeling overwhelmed? Try the 4-7-8 breath.
✨ Inhale for 4 seconds
✨ Hold for 7 seconds
✨ Exhale for 8 seconds
Repeat 3-4 times to calm your mind and body.

This powerful technique helps slow your heart rate, reduce anxiety, and bring you back to the present moment.

💙 Breathe in calm. Breathe out stress.
Learn more at mhalancaster.org

08/02/2025

🌟 Annual Sponsor Spotlight: Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital & Community Services Group - CSG Community Services Group! We’re proud to have you as our annual sponsors. Thank you for your commitment to mental wellness - it makes a real difference. 💙
www.lancasterbehavioral.org
www.csgonline.org

Want to learn more about the Su***de Prevention Conference? Visit us at https://mhalancaster.org/conference/
Want to learn more about Sponsorship Opportunities? Get Connected with Elaine at egilbert@mhalancaster.org