The Department of Life, Dignity and Justice offered its annual Behavioral Health Conferences throughout the month of May. St. Catherine of Alexandria parish in Riverside hosted the Riverside Vicariate conference on May 15; St. Christopher parish in Moreno Valley hosted the Hemet Vicariate conference on May 22, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in Indio hosted the Low Desert Vicariate conference on May 29.
The theme of the 2025 conferences was, “Community- Key to Resilience and Mental Wellness and Health.” Riverside County Supervisor Manuel Perez made a surprise visit to the Indio conference, where he spoke briefly to the group and had time to listen to one of the presentations.
Father Benedict Nwachukwu-Udaku gave the keynote address, focusing on the impacts of strong social connections and community on mental health and wellness. The other speakers were Dr. Mario Martinez, Maria Magdalena Cantu-Romo, Father Juan Sandoval, and Ernelyn Navarro. Dr. Martinez focused on the impacts of unstable family situations on the mental wellbeing of children, youths and young adults. Cantu-Romo’s topic was a look into bullying and physical violence in schools and society in general. Fr. Sandoval’s topic was exploring the relationship between mental health stigma and the increase in mental health-related challenges. Lastly, Navarro’s workshop was about understanding migration trauma and its psychological impact on migrants.