The collaberative Hope and Healing event took place in late on February and was well-attended.

County Prevention and Health departments co-hosts Hope and Healing Town Hall

On February 26th, a collaborative event called "Hope and Healing" Town Hall was organized to promote community wellness. The event was intended to provide parents, young people, and their connections with the necessary tools to recognize grief, learn from community members about their healing processes, and highlight the resources available in our community.

Panelist Christopher Antonio Smith of
Oregon Family Support Network opened the
Town Hall with a traditional song and prayer.

The event, held at the Best Western Plus Hood River Inn, was hosted by partners the Hood River County Prevention Department, the Hood River County Health Department, the Mid-Columbia Center for Living, Lines for Life, and the Oregon Health Authority. It was attended by over 70 people, with an additional 18 attending remotely. 

Hood River County Board of Commissioners Chair Jennifer Euwer gave an introduction and closing remarks.  Al Barton, executive director for Mid-Columbia Center for Living was the master of ceremonies. Alyshan Lacey, the Keynote Speaker from The Dougy Center, delivered a talk on how to help children grieve. The event provided Spanish interpretation services, and emotional support was available from the Trauma Intervention Program (TIP) team of Gresham.

Director Belinda Ballah of the Hood River County Prevention Department summarized the key takeaway from the evening: “We want grief to be in this straight line that takes us from the starting point to the end point where we are better, but grief doesn’t work like that. Grief is complicated and complex and influenced by family, community, and other systems. Grief and how a person deals with it is unique to each individual and there are no acceptable or correct ways to grieve.”

Several agencies provided support and input for the event, including Pacific Source, Oregon Department of Human Services, Hood River County School District, Safe Space, and University of Oregon.

The eight panelists shared what helped them during a crisis and what they wanted the community to know. Panelists were Gabe (Angel) Becerra, HRVHS Senior; Gwen Thomas, LCSW; Kathy Allen, Survivor of Suicide Losses; Shannon O’Brien, LCSW Jessica Vincenzo, LCSW; Francisco Solberg, HRVHS Sophomore; Susan Witt, LCSW; Christopher A. Smith, Oregon Family Support Network.

Round table discussions were facilitated around four questions:

• What is one way you have seen this community’s resilience or strength? 
• What is one example of something our community has done to support youth mental health? Or one that has helped in the middle of our grief?
• What is something our community needs to do better at around youth mental health?
• For young people, what is something you wish the adults in the community would understand?

If you would like to provide input on these questions, please use the QR code provided.

Resource tables included: One Community Health, Survivors of Suicide Loss support group, Sources of Strength (HRVHS), Dougy Center, Oregon Family Support Network, Youthline, Older Behavioral Health, Grief Support facilitators, and HEALTH Media club.

Additional efforts are planned to follow this event. Feedback on roundtable discussions will be analyzed and shared by the University of Oregon, and organizations continue to seek input from youth. Community members can help by looking for ways to become involved in young people’s lives, promoting kindness, seeking out opportunities to support others, and acknowledging people and their worth. Concludes Ballah, “The Prevention Department's follow-up events include Question, Persuade and Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training. We encourage community members to keep an eye out for additional opportunities.”