This session delves more deeply into strategies to work productively with individuals experiencing mental health challenges. What are good policies to have in place? How to de-escalate (talk down) someone in a crisis? What should we never do when encountering someone experiencing a delusion? How to ensure staff safety and compassion towards library users? These issues and others will be discussed.
Presenters: Josh Berk is the Executive Director of the Bethlehem Area Public Library. A library professional for over 20 years, he authored "Mental Health Training in Public Libraries" (Public Libraries Magazine), developed the curriculum for the Infopeople course "Serving People with Mental Health Challenges at Your Library," and is a past director-at-large of the Pennsylvania Library Association. He holds an MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh and has published several books for children and young adults.
Kelly Berk (MPH, BSN, RN) is the Network Director of Maternal Child Health Initiatives at St. Luke’s University Health Network in Bethlehem, PA where she oversees the Nurse Family Partnership and VNAC (Visiting Nurse Advocate for the County) programs. She is also an adjunct faculty in Health Sciences at Cedar Crest College and is a passionate advocate for the health and well-being of women, infants, children and families.