Mental health will take centre-stage at a two-day conference this week.

The Bermuda Mental Health Foundation will sponsor the event, Moving Forward Together, which will be held on Thursday and Friday.

The first day of the conference will be virtual and the second will take place at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.

Annie Richardson, from BMHF’s board of directors, will open both days of the summit at 11am, by discussing the charity’s mindful employer certification programme.

This initiative ensures employers are following proper legislation and encourages them to implement or strengthen mental health policies.

The Thursday session, led by Vaughn Mosher, associate director of Benedict Associates, and licensed professional counsellor Vaughn Gay, will centre around reducing the stigma surrounding men seeking help for mental health challenges.

Steven Hancock, another psychologist, will then talk about the data and evidence-based practices that are leading to improved mental healthcare outcomes.

Attendees can also learn about qualifications needed to work in the mental health field, as well as opportunities for growth in the industry, from Latisha Lister-Burgess, executive director of the Employee Assistance Programme.

During another virtual session, nurses Karen Grant-Simmons and Rebecca Fisayo will discuss obstacles people face in receiving proper mental health treatment and how those barriers can be removed.

Angria Bassett, another nurse, will then talk about how mental health challenges can affect families and the importance of early intervention.

Sandy De Silva, executive director of Family Centre, will close Thursday’s conference with a presentation on how technology and social media affect young people’s mental health.

Psychologist Jennifer Card, mental health counsellor Dayla Burgess and Brenda Dale, head of wellness at BF&M, will talk about mental health in the workplace on Friday.

This will be followed by PhD student Daniel Cavanagh and research supervisor Shawnee Basden sharing recent developments in adolescent mental health.

The two will then discuss educator mental health with psychologist and neurosurgeon Adrienne Berkeley during another panel.

Laurie Shiell, director of the Centre Against Abuse, and clinical mental health counsellor Sherrie Lynn Lilley will provide tips for creating a healthy and supportive home in another session.

Dr Card will join Christiana Sampson, another psychologist, as well as addiction counsellor Darlene Simons to talk about the mental well being of mothers.

Similar to Dr De Silva’s session, Chardonae Rawlins’s talk will focus on technology’s impact on mental health.

Carika Weldon, founder and chief executive of genetics research company CariGenetics, will close this week’s event with a presentation about how pharmacogenetics is changing mental health treatment.

To register or learn more about the free conference, visit bmhf.bm.