UT Tyler to Host 2024 Bilingual Mental Health Matters Seminar Sept. 27

September 25, 2024 | Hannah Buchanan

Event provides professional development for those in mental health professions

The University of Texas at Tyler will host the 2024 Bilingual Mental Health Matters Seminar, which will provide tips and tools mental health professionals need to help empower their clients.

The seminar, in collaboration with Sense of Self Counseling in Tyler, is 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at the UT Tyler Alumni House, located at 3000 Alumni Circle in Tyler. Cost is $35 per person and includes lunch. The event will be conducted in both English and Spanish.

“We are proud to once again partner with Sense of Self Counseling to provide a day of networking, learning and empowerment for our mental health professionals here in East Texas,” said Rich Kenney, UT Tyler professor of practice and Bachelor of Social Work program coordinator. “Not only is the conference a valuable networking opportunity for bilingual professionals in the community, but it is also an opportunity for UT Tyler social work students to learn firsthand how to plan and implement a real-life conference.”

Continuing education credits for professionals are also available. To register, visit
soscounselingtx.com/events/etxbilingualmentalhealth-seminar.

Among keynote speakers will be Ana Barnson, Sense of Self Counseling owner and a licensed professional counselor, who has served the East Texas region for 11 years. She is a counseling-therapy companion on the healing journey for many trauma survivors, families, caregivers, children and professionals in East Texas.

“This event fosters a meaningful space for bilingual professionals to connect, exchange valuable resources, and leave with enhanced self-awareness and strengthened community ties,” said Barnson. “Their work is vital to the mental health and well-being of the Latin community, and this seminar aims to provide them with the tools and network needed to continue making a lasting impact in our community.”

For additional information about Sense of Self, visit soscounselingtx.com/.

UT Tyler’s Bachelor of Social Work program covers such areas as social welfare, human behavior and the rural environment, interviewing techniques, child and family support, group practice, communities and organizations, and critical thinking in social work. For more information, contact Kenney at richkenney@uttyler.edu or visit uttyler.edu/academics/programs/social-work-bsw.php.

With a mission to improve educational and health care outcomes for East Texas and beyond, UT Tyler offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 10,000 students. Through its alignment with UT Tyler Health Science Center and UT Health East Texas, UT Tyler has unified these entities to serve Texas with quality education, cutting-edge research and excellent patient care. Classified by Carnegie as a doctoral research institution and by U.S. News & World Report as a national university, UT Tyler has campuses in Tyler, Longview, Palestine and Houston.