Pre-Symposium Webinar – Open To All

This pre-Symposium webinar is a bonus to Symposium registrants. It is open to all regardless of registration for the Symposium. There is no cost to attend, and participation is welcomed and encouraged.

Promoting Resilience and Fighting Loneliness: Building Men’s Sheds in Vermont

“Promoting Resilience and Fighting Loneliness: Building Men’s Sheds in Vermont.” Older people who identify as male are at higher risk for adverse health and mental health outcomes. In Vermont, these risks are mainly related to social isolation experienced by middle-aged and older individuals, particularly in rural areas. This presentation will describe an approach to promoting mental health in older individuals by engaging them in social activities structured as specific projects called Men’s Sheds or Sheds.

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Trainers

Tom Delaney, PhD, is based in the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program in the Department of Pediatrics at the UVM Larner College of Medicine. He earned a PhD from the University of Denver where he did research on adolescent development and the brain. He has been involved with research and program evaluation in the area of suicide prevention since 2009, and teaches in the areas of statistics, mental health and public health at UVM.

April Metzer, M.S.W., has been a Social Worker since earning her bachelors in social work in 2014 and is currently the Statewide Remote SASH Support Coordinator. As a member of the SASH Administrative Team April oversees multiple grants including the Men’s Shed Project and other grants related to mental health and virtual program delivery. Additionally to her grant work, April provides remote SASH Coordinator services statewide when there are vacancies. April has served on employee wellness committees throughout her Social Work career and is the co-chair of Cathedral Squares wellness committee. In her spare time she enjoys walking with friends, spending time with her family and their eight chickens.

For information and to register for the Vermont Suicide Prevention Symposium September 2022: From Hope – To Prevention – To Connection please visit HERE!