CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa will host its annual PTSD Awareness & Suicide Prevention Conference on Wednesday, March 26, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Maucker Union Ballrooms on the UNI campus. This free event is open to military members, veterans, their families and friends, community members, professionals, students, staff, and faculty. Lunch will be provided for all attendees.

Those seeking continuing education units (CEUs) for social work, mental health, or Iowa Board of Certification educational credits may receive an estimated five credit hours for a $40 fee. More details, registration and payment information can be found at wellbeing.uni.edu/conference.

The conference will feature Loneshia Shelton, M.DIV, JD, founder and executive director of Empowerment Legal Services, as the morning keynote speaker. Shelton will discuss “Living with PTSD & Life After the Military: Transitioning to the Civilian Sector with a Disability.”

For the lunch keynote, Buffy Peters, director of Hamilton’s Academy of Grief & Loss, will present on “Grief of Suicide and Talking with Those Affected.”

In addition to the keynote presentations, the conference will offer a variety of training sessions, workshops and informational breakout sessions, including:

• VA Programs & Resources for Women Veterans
• QPR Suicide Prevention Training
• Self-Compassion and PTSD
• Suicide Prevention in Older Veterans
• Counseling Against Lethal Means (CALM)
• Assessing Risks in Health Care and Safety Planning
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 'Be Real' Program
• VA - S.A.V.E. Training for Veteran Caretakers
• Kevin Hines' “The Ripple Effect” Movie Showing & Discussion

This conference is hosted by Military and Veteran Student Services, the UNI Veteran Association, and Student Wellness Services at UNI.