JFS PEARLS Team Presents at State Conference

During the last week of July, the JFS PEARLS counselors were invited to present at the Minnesota Age and Disabilities Odyssey Conference in Duluth, Minnesota. The conference was attended by more than 1,500 professionals from across the state, all with an interest in addressing the challenges and opportunities faced by individuals living with a disability and individuals who are aging.

The JFS PEARLS team presented “Challenges and Solutions to Mental Health Services for Older Adults” which included topics on mental health access and care for older adults, stigma related to mental health, the JFS PEARLS program, and the expansion of tele-counseling to rural parts of Minnesota.

We also highlighted a new opportunity for other agencies to be trained in the PEARLS program. Two of our counselors went through a six-week training to become master trainers to be able to train other professionals in how to implement PEARLS within their own agencies and programs. We had multiple attendees express interest in hearing more about this opportunity.