The fifth annual BRAVE Summit, a vibrant event dedicated to dismantling the stigmas surrounding teen mental health, is set to take place on Wednesday, March 26 at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre. Organized by UF Health St. Johns, the event is free and open to all high school students across Florida.

Attendees can enjoy free food and drinks, enter to win prizes and giveaways, pose in a photo booth, explore art and poetry displays, and play interactive games, among other activities. The Summit will feature performances by musical artist Paul Russell, along with inspiring presentations from prominent mental health advocates Emma Benoit and Charles Clark. Additionally, students from St. Johns County can earn four hours of community service for participating.

“Each year, it’s heartening to see the important work being done at the BRAVE Summit to create a welcoming and safe space for teens to discuss mental health,” said Kerry Watson, Interim CEO of UF Health St. Johns. “Creating a path for a generation that prioritizes mental health as a vital aspect of overall well-being supports our commitment in creating healthier communities.”

The Summit offers students a safe environment to openly discuss mental health topics alongside their peers and mental health professionals. By fostering these conversations, BRAVE strives to normalize conversations about mental wellness and empower students to seek help and support when needed.

“Last year, we welcomed almost 2,000 high school students from 21 school districts participate, and we are eager to enhance this year's Summit even more,” said Paige Stanton, the founder of the event and executive director of UF Health St. Johns Care Connect. "Our focus is to reach as many teens as possible and raise awareness about the mental health resources available to them. It’s incredibly rewarding to help them understand they’re not alone in facing these challenges; many of their peers are navigating similar experiences."

The BRAVE Summit is a centerpiece event of the BRAVE program. BRAVE, which stands for Be Resilient and Voice Emotions, was founded in 2019 and has already made significant progress in connecting high school teens to mental health resources. Before BRAVE’s implementation in St. Johns County Schools, only 35% of students who were referred to mental health providers were seen by a medical professional. With the BRAVE program, that rate has increased to 90%. Since its founding and despite the pandemic, BRAVE has expanded into 10 school districts across the state, with the ability to assist nearly 300,000 students. Visit https://www.careconnectplus.com/programs/brave/brave-summit/ to learn more or register for the BRAVE Summit

About UF Health

UF Health is a world-class academic health center that combines leading-edge research at campuses around Florida with outstanding clinical care at a network of hospitals throughout the state. The flagship is UF Health Shands Hospital, part of Florida’s preeminent health system.

With main campuses in Gainesville and Jacksonville as well as satellite sites in Central Florida and several other locations, UF Health provides quality health care to patients across the nation’s third-most populous state. UF Health consists of six health colleges, 10 research centers and institutes, 12 hospitals — including two teaching hospitals and five specialty hospitals — and a host of physician medical practices and outpatient services.

About UF Health St. Johns

UF Health St. Johns, a regional division of UF Health, is dedicated to building healthier communities throughout Northeast Florida. The region includes UF Health Flagler Hospital, with a 130-year legacy of caring for the community, and multispecialty practices at UF Health Nocatee and UF Health MuraBella as well as primary care and specialty practices in neighborhoods throughout St. Johns County and beyond.

UF Health Flagler Hospital has earned the Gold Seal of Approval™ from The Joint Commission for primary stroke care centers, national accreditation for its total hip and total knee replacement programs, accreditation from the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer, and accreditation for its bariatric surgery program. Learn more at  https://www.careconnectplus.com/