UK Prevent Community-Engaged Alliance

Don’t miss this upcoming FREE webinar from CAMS: Delivering Suicide-Focused Care in Rural Communities

Building Bridges co-investigator Dr. Paul Norrod will be presenting this session which will explore the unique challenges of providing su***de-focused care in rural settings—along with innovative, real-world solutions using the CAMS Framework®.

🗓 Friday, May 15
⏰ 1 PM EST
💻 Virtual | 1-hour session
🔗 Register here- https://cams-care.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_tu0SsvyrRDO7lGZdgK5JrQ

A great opportunity to learn and strengthen approaches to rural mental health care—be sure to check it out!

The Building Bridges team participated in CODE RED, a universal safety planning training, yesterday through the PREVENT Alliance.

Developed at the University of Kentucky by Dr. Julie Cerel, CODE RED is an evidence-based approach that encourages people to create a simple, customized plan they can access during a crisis. The training was hosted at the Fayette County Extension Office, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to continue strengthening su***de prevention skills across our team.

Community Health Worker Program: Building Bridges to Farmer Mental Health is a community-engaged initiative focused on strengthening mental health literacy, su***de prevention, and help-seeking pathways within agricultural and rural communities in Kentucky. The program emphasizes farm-community specific education, peer-led...

Our PREVENT team has had so much to celebrate — and today, we’re spotlighting Dr. Abeni El-Amin, a program coordinator for the Empower KY project!

Dr. El-Amin was recently recognized with TWO awards for her dedication to advancing community health:
🏆 The 2025 Sarah Bennett Holmes Staff Award from the UK Women's Forum
🏆 The 2025 Dr. Rice C. Leach Public Health Hero Award from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department

Join us in celebrating Dr. El-Amin and the impact she continues to make across Kentucky and beyond!

You can learn more about the Sarah Bennett Holmes Awards here: https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/uk-women-s-forum-announces-31st-annual-sarah-bennett-holmes-award-winners

You can learn more about the 2025 Dr. Rice C. Leave Public Health Hero Awards here: https://www.lfchd.org/2025publichealthheroaward/

Our director, Dr. Melinda Ickes, leads with heart, vision, and a deep commitment to community-engaged work. So it’s no surprise she was recently honored with a Mentor Recognition Award at the 2025 University of Kentucky Center for Clinical & Translational Science Spring Conference!

Whether mentoring students, staff, and faculty in the UK College of Education, or advancing community-driven research, Dr. Ickes inspires all of us to pursue work that truly makes lives better. Join us in celebrating her award and the difference she’s making every day!

You can learn more about her award and the CCTS conference here: https://www.ccts.uky.edu/news/20th-annual-spring-ccts-conference-largest-ever-1150-participants

Congrats to Raphael Adesiyan, a doctoral student and PREVENT member, who was recently recognized by the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) for his commitment to advancing health! Raphael was one of two recipients of the 21st Century Student Scholarship. The award provided support for him to attend the SOPHE's annual conference in Long Beach, California, in April.

You can learn more about Raphael and his recognition here: https://uknow.uky.edu/professional-news/uk-health-promotion-doctoral-student-receives-21st-century-student-scholarship

Do you have a way with words, or do you enjoy poetry and spoken word? Come share your experiences during the open mic night at EPIC – An Annual Urban Art Hop Celebrating Community Voice!

📅: Friday, February 21, from 5:00 - 7:30 PM
📍: LexArts (161 N Mill St., Lexington)

Youth and adults are invited to share original poetry/prose pieces that reflect their experiences with to***co marketing, social influence, and opportunities to support health for all in their communities. This event will also feature a powerful performance by Taca Hollis, spoken word artist and 2024-25 Project Ricochet Artist-in-Residence.

EPIC and the Champions of Change Open Mic Night are presented by Empower KY, Project Ricochet, and the Urban Art Collective. Learn more here: https://uknow.uky.edu/uk-happenings/uk-to***co-prevention-initiative-hosts-open-mic-night-inspire-change