Prairie St. John's 2026 Fall Conference: Pathways to Flourishing

Pathways to Flourishing: A Systems-Based Approach to Family, Community, and Mental Health Featuring Benjamin Kohls & Helena Stevens Pathways to Flourishing: A Systems-Based Approach to Family, Community, and Mental Health Mental health providers are increasingly navigating complex, interconnected systems that shape the well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Additionally, working in rural contexts where resources may be limited and access to care is often constrained, providers can experience high demand and professional isolation. This full-day (6 CEU) training equips professionals with a systemic oriented, wellness-focused framework for understanding and addressing contemporary mental health challenges collaboratively across the lifespan. Grounded in evidence-based practice and guided by a holistic understanding of wellness, this interactive workshop explores how family systems, educational environments, healthcare structures, and digital ecosystems (including social media and artificial intelligence) intersect to influence mental health outcomes. Special attention is given to anxiety-related concerns, school avoidance, intimate partner distress, and the broader impact of technological and cultural shifts on both youth and adults. Participants will engage with a longitudinal, family-based case study that evolves throughout the day, allowing for application of concepts across developmental stages and relational contexts, including children and adolescents, caregivers, and intimate partners. Emphasis is placed on interdisciplinary collaboration, trauma-informed care, and practical strategies that providers can implement within their unique professional settings. Designed for mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses, educators, and allied professionals, this training balances big-picture systems thinking with actionable tools to empower attendees to serve as agents of change who promote resilience and flourishing within the individuals, families, and communities they support. Learning Objectives By the end of this training, participants will be able to: 1. Contextualize mental health concerns within a systems framework that integrates family, educational, healthcare, and digital environments, particularly in rural contexts. 2. Apply the Indivisible Self Model of wellness to assess and promote holistic functioning across individuals, couples, and family systems. 3. Evaluate the impact of social media and artificial intelligence on mental health, with a special emphasis on anxiety-related concerns. 4. Identify and implement evidence-based, trauma-informed strategies to address school avoidance and related child and adolescent behavioral health challenges. 5. Integrate systemic and relational approaches to support healthy intimate partner relationships and family functioning. 6. Implement collaborative strategies for interdisciplinary care that reduce service fragmentation and improve outcomes in rural communities. Instructional Methods This training utilizes a dynamic and engaging instructional approach, including: ● Didactic presentation of evidence-based concepts ● Longitudinal case study application ● Small-group discussion and consultation at participant tables ● Interactive polling and Q&A via Mentimeter ● Guided reflection and action planning for clinical and systemic implementation