Mental Health Summit
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Mental Health Summit
November 22, 2025
Manchester Community College
9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Explore ways to improve mental health at upcoming summit
Join us for a special day of self-care, connection, and empowerment at our Mental Health Summit in partnership with Catholic Medical Center! This engaging and supportive event empowers youth grades 2-12 and adults to explore mental wellness through a series of fun, age-appropriate, hands-on workshops. Participants will work towards mental health patch for their age level.
Attendees in grades 2-5, will participate in activities to earn the mental health patch for their age level. Attendees will enjoy hands on activities in small groups, debriefing with adult volunteers and a chance to try yoga! Attendees in grades 2–3 will earn the Resilient, Ready, Strong Patch. Attendees in grades 4-5 will earn the Knowing My Emotions patch.
Attendees in grades 6-12 will participate in training to be able to assist with facilitation of mental health patch program with younger troops in their community. Attendees will participate in sessions to learn the patch curriculum, learn facilitation and group management skills, better understand how to handle questions and conversations that may emerge and practice leading an activity with younger attendees. After the conference, we will support attendees in scheduling time to present programs to troops in their community. All participants will be expected to facilitate at least one troop meeting of approximately and hour with the support of troop leaders. All materials needed to lead the patch program will be provided. Additional virtual sessions will be offered to answer questions and prepare for troop facilitation. This is a great way to earn service and leadership hours that can be applied towards Girl Scout awards and school service requirements.
Adults will participate in workshops to build their knowledge and skills in supporting youth mental health. Topics will include creating inclusive spaces, youth suicide prevention, teaching coping skills to youth, facilitating Girl Scout mental health curriculum and a chance to relax with a yoga session.
Lunch will be provided for all participants.
Workshops will be facilitated by GSGWM team members, volunteers and experts. This event is designed for troops or individuals with an adult chaperone. Fun patch provided for attendees in grade 2 to 5. Girl Scout membership is not required to participate – we invite those new to Girl Scouting to join us for the day to experience the program and learn more about our mental health curriculum.
Sample Schedule of Events
| Check in | 9:00-9:15 a.m. |
| Welcome and Keynote speaker | 9:15-10:00 a.m. |
| Workshop Session 1 | 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. |
| Lunch and resource fair | 12:00-1:00 p.m. |
| Workshop Session 2 | 1:00-3:00 p.m. |
| Wrap up and good byes | 3:15-3:30 p.m. |
Keynote Speakers and Workshop Presenters 
Susan J. Barnes, APRN
is a board-certified Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatric and
Mental Health with over 30 years of experience in mental health care.
She currently serves as a Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorder Liaison
Consultant at Catholic Medical Center Behavioral Health Services in
Manchester, NH, where she supports individuals navigating complex mental
health and addiction challenges.
Susan’s career has focused on improving access to compassionate, evidence-based treatment for depression and substance use disorder. She has held clinical and consulting roles across New Hampshire, contributed to research on antidepressant efficacy, and served as a speaker for leading pharmaceutical companies. As a mentor to future psychiatric nurse practitioners and a former member of the New Hampshire Board of Nursing Liaison Committee, Susan brings both expertise and advocacy to her work. Her commitment to mental wellness, education and advocacy makes her a powerful voice for youth mental health
Susan’s career has focused on improving access to compassionate, evidence-based treatment for depression and substance use disorder. She has held clinical and consulting roles across New Hampshire, contributed to research on antidepressant efficacy, and served as a speaker for leading pharmaceutical companies. As a mentor to future psychiatric nurse practitioners and a former member of the New Hampshire Board of Nursing Liaison Committee, Susan brings both expertise and advocacy to her work. Her commitment to mental wellness, education and advocacy makes her a powerful voice for youth mental health
Morgan Barry
is a senior at Nashua High School North with a passionate dedication
to youth mental health advocacy. After winning the People’s Choice Award
in NAMI New Hampshire’s 2024 Magnify Voices Expressive Art Contest, she
deepened her involvement by volunteering with YouthWell New Hampshire.
Her leadership led to the founding of YouthWell Voices, and she now
serves as a director on YouthWell New Hampshire’s Board of Directors.
Morgan is also a prominent leader in the Connor’s Climb Foundation Youth
Ambassador Program, a member of the Magnify Voices Planning Committee,
and the President of the Mental Health Club at her high school.
Following graduation, she plans to pursue a career in clinical child
psychology, continuing her mission to uplift others, combat stigma, and
advocate for youth mental wellness.
Avah Fiske is a sixth-grade Cadette who was part of Loudon, NH, Troop 60180 and now Troop 58710 in Bow, NH. She earned the Bronze Award as a Junior Girl Scout for her work educating people about suicide and the help available for anyone thinking of suicide or dealing with its aftereffects. When she was 6 years old, she lost her older brother, Ryan, to suicide. She created radio PSAs and flyers to advocate for mental health and suicide prevention, has spoken about it on a radio interview show, and presented information to a variety of community groups. She helped her mother advocate for gun safety legislation in Vermont and volunteers at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and is involved in the Out of the Darkness Walk.
Patricia K. Mellor is the CEO of Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains, the council serving girls across New Hampshire and Vermont. She has led the organization since 2006, meeting its mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. She is a Gold Award Girl Scout, having earned Girl Scouting's highest honor as a girl. Prior to her time with Girl Scouts, Mellor was an attorney with Merra, Kanakis, Creme & Mellor, and with Sullivan and Gregg. She is a graduate of Rivier College and the George Washington University Law School. Mellor has dedicated her life to the betterment of children and animal welfare.
Sarah H. Gould, M.Ed has over 15 years of experience working with and on behalf of children and families. Prior to joining Connor’s Climb Foundation, Sarah worked in both non-profit and public schools, spending ten years as a school counselor. She is a certified Youth Mental Health First Aid and QPR instructor. She has facilitated training on a variety of topics, including family engagement, self-care, and all aspects of youth mental health. She has also been at the forefront of creating and revising suicide prevention policies for districts she has worked in. In her current role, she offers technical assistance to schools looking to develop, review, or modify their suicide prevention policies. She finds all aspects of suicide prevention rewarding, but facilitating training is her passion. She loves the “aha” moments when participants make connections through the information. She also enjoys making her own connections with participants and hearing their stories.
Amanda Powell is a Community Membership Lead for Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains and has been a member of the council staff since 2017. She has a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Colby-Sawyer College in New London, NH. Amanda has over ten years of experience in the human services field supporting diverse populations of youth, families, and adults with disabilities in a variety of settings. Amanda is passionate about mental health and inclusion, and has used her experiences to facilitate trainings on a variety of subjects ranging from PBIS to working with youth with ADHD and anxiety. She is also a nationally certified trainer for Youth Mental Health First Aid.
Maureen Tracey is a civil and disability rights lawyer who works for Four Seasons Behavioral Solutions and Individual Advocacy Solutions. She advocates for families in the areas of education and behavior in schools; funding for disability services; Prader-Willi syndrome – a genetic condition that leads to physical, mental, and behavioral problems; and restraints, seclusion, and discipline. She was a clinical care coordinator for NFI North, an adjunct professor at Franklin Pierce University, a district coordinator for the Laconia School District, an education consultant for the University of New Hampshire Institute On Disability, and a consultant for the state of New Hampshire on education surrogate parents who are the parent voice for the IEP process for children in foster care.
Adult Workshops
Resource Fair Participants
Thank you to our sponsor!
