Aimed at breaking the stigma surrounding teen mental health, the fourth annual BRAVE Summit is coming March 27 to the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. The free event is hosted by UF Health St. Johns and is open to all high school students statewide.
The BRAVE Summit offers a safe place for teens to talk with other high school students and support professionals about mental health topics while normalizing conversations about mental wellness. This year, the event will feature nationally recognized music artists Nicky Youre and Crash Adams, and guest speakers Kevin Hines and Odd Rod, both of whom are advocates for mental health.
“In just four years, the BRAVE Summit has become an important means of outreach to youth, not only in our community, but across the state,” said Carlton DeVooght, president and CEO of UF Health St. Johns. “It is rewarding to see this event grow year over year and to witness the impact it is having on making tough conversations about mental health more accessible.”
There will be free food and drinks, prizes, giveaways, a photo booth, interactive games, a skate demo, art and poetry contests, and more.
Students from St. Johns County can earn community service hours for attending.
“The growth of the BRAVE Summit over the past three years has been inspiring,” said Paige Stanton, the event’s founder and executive director of UF Health St. Johns Care Connect. “We had more than 1,000 youth attend last year and are expecting even more this year. To reach as many young people as possible and to let them know about the resources available to them is our goal.”
Founded in 2019, BRAVE (Be Resilient and Voice Emotions) has made progress in connecting high school teens to mental health resources. Prior to BRAVE’s implementation in St. Johns County Schools 35 percent of students who were referred to mental health providers were seen by a medical professional; with the BRAVE program, that rate has increased to 90 percent.
Since its founding, BRAVE has expanded into more school districts, including Clay, Nassau, Putnam, Okaloosa and Volusia counties, with the ability to assist more than 200,000 students.
The BRAVE Summit also has programs available for parents, caregivers and guardians from 3 to 7 p.m. at The Elks Lodge to provide resources for successful and productive conversations about mental health with teens. There will be speakers to discuss fostering mental wellness and to understand how to talk to teens.
Participants will be provided with new tools and tips on how to talk to teens and learn about what it's like for teens today to deal with the ever-changing landscape of managing their mental health. This is a free event open to any parent or guardian interested in learning about these resources.
Visit linktr.ee/bravesummit2024 to learn more or register for the BRAVE Summit.
