The 2021 Trauma-Informed Care Conference was held virtually September 22-24, 2021, with more than 430 people attending this year’s event. The theme of the conference was “Building Resiliency Through the Pandemic.”

The conference offered 15 breakout sessions and eight keynotes with a variety of topics all centered around trauma-informed care. Keynote topics and speakers included:

• Mike Veny - Transforming Stigma Into Strength
• Chris Freeze - Why I Promote the Science of Hope
• Gina Brown - Trauma and HIV
• Gloria Morrow - Racial Trauma: Building the Beloved Community Through Cultural Humility
• Russell Lehmann - Triumph: Overcoming the Odds
• Jerrilyn Dixson - Cape Recovery: Unmasking the Protective Nature of Women of Color
• Hollie Jeffery - In My Own Backyard: The Sexual Trafficking and Online Exploitation of Children in Mississippi and Beyond
• Antwone Fisher - The Antwone Fisher Story

“Each year, we are always hopeful that we can exceed expectations from the previous year, and this year was no exception,” said Jackie Chatmon with the DMH Division of Children and Youth. “All of the speakers were great, but we received the most comments on Antwone Fisher’s session.”

Fisher’s story was portrayed in the eponymous  2002 feature film “Antwone Fisher,” which detailed the story of the young sailor who sees a psychiatrist after a violent outburst involving a fellow crewman. During his treatment, he eventually reveals the details of a traumatic childhood and begins a process of recovery and healing.

“His personal story was amazing,” Chatmon said. “He provided more details than portrayed in the movie. He was such a humble and resilient speaker to have for this year’s trauma conference.”

The comments shared by attendees shared similar sentiments. Participants stated that they enjoyed all of the speakers, but particularly those who shared their personal stories. They noted the diversity of the speakers and said there were great sessions for anyone to enjoy.

“I truly enjoyed the abundance of information provided that builds awareness in improving how we address trauma in a culturally appropriate manner,” read one comment.