
Nearly 1,000 students attended the third annual BRAVE Summit at the St. Augustine Amphitheater. Attendees came from throughout the state, coming from as far as Miami. The event, hosted by Flagler Health+, was open to all high school students throughout Florida.
The Summit was part rock concert, part peer-to-peer support system, part education focused on encouraging youth to take charge of their mental health.
“Seeing this many young people participate in this year’s BRAVE Summit is very rewarding,” said Paige Stanton, event organizer from Flagler Health+. “It is our hope that they leave here knowing that there are people who care about their mental health and that there are resources available to help them should they ever need it.”
There was also a separate summit for parents, caregivers, and guardians to provide them with the resources needed for successful, productive conversations about mental health with their teens. There were 50 adults who attended in person, with another 20 participating in the summit via Zoom.
The BRAVE Summit is a centerpiece event of the BRAVE program. BRAVE, which stands for Be Resilient and Voice Emotions (BRAVE), was founded in 2019 and has made significant progress connecting high school teens to mental health resources.
Want to get involved? Contact Jennifer Wills at jennifer.wills@flaglerhealth.org.Follow us on Instagram! @brave.mentalhealth
“Because of the help of Care Connect and the BRAVE Program there is ending in sight to our struggling. There is a light at the end of the tunnel now.”
- Terrance
“I am also grateful that the BRAVE program was able to assist our family with funding for therapy...with three young children, expenses are always tight, and the cost of therapy for [our son] was a definite concern for us.”
- Sara