You’re Invited to Attend the First dsm Lifting The Veil Event of 2021 - Moms on the Edge!

Through six events dsm’s “Lifting The Veil” will be exploring how the lives and mental health of Iowa families have been indelibly changed by the pandemic. This year’s series will focus on parents, children and families, and also shine a light on those in our community who support them, including teachers, mental health and health care professionals, and childcare providers.

These events are virtual talk-show style, with dsm guest contributor and Iowa business leader Deidre DeJear leading candid conversations with mental health leaders responding to questions from viewers.

Moms on the Edge: April 15, 2021; 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm

This month’s “Lifting the Veil” event focuses on moms as parenting responsibilities have fallen disproportionately on women during the pandemic. Stress, anxiety, and burnout have become chronic for many moms trying to manage it all, while others have elected to leave the workforce to find balance and focus on their family. Aimed at mothers, but appropriate for all parents, partners or employers who support women and families, this program will focus on how the events of the last year transformed women’s mental health, plus provide useful advice and steer viewers to resources. It’s FREE to attend the event, but registration is required. Find registration information here.

Featured Panelists:

Sharaine Conner is a mental health and addictions therapist in private practice at Thriving Families Counseling Services in Greater Des Moines and an adjunct instructor for the University of Iowa, Grandview University, and Simpson College. Her expertise includes working with addictions concerns, anger management and domestic violence offenders, corrections and re-entry work, couples and non-traditional relationships, sexual health, wellness, and dysfunctions.

Amy Shriver, M.D., is a general pediatrician at Blank Children’s Pediatric Clinic and an assistant professor of specialty medicine at Des Moines University. She is the medical director of the statewide nonprofit Reach Out and Read Iowa, which partners with pediatric primary care providers to give books and shared reading guidance to children and families at health maintenance visits.

Christina Smith is the president and CEO of Community Support Advocates, a local not-for-profit supporting 1,900 individuals and families living with disabilities and mental health issues within Central Iowa. She founded CSA’s Momentum art program, which offers free art programming to individuals with disabilities and mental issues at their local art studio and gallery, located within Mainframe Studios in Des Moines.