Mental Disorders in the Library: Understanding and Meeting the Needs of Patrons with Mental Disorders

The National Alliance of Mental Illness estimates that one in five children, teens, and adults suffer from a mental illness. With libraries functioning as a hub of the communities they support, library professionals must be prepared to serve patrons struggling with mental health issues. This presentation will provide library professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to address common mental disorders more confidently in users of their libraries. As a second career librarian with 20+ years of experience as a master’s level clinical psychologist, the facilitator is uniquely positioned to assist library professionals in better understanding their role in supporting and serving patrons with mental health disorders.

Learning Objectives
• Understand common mental disorders and presentation in patrons
• Manage challenging behaviors associated with mental disorders
• Improve library policies to better meet the needs of patrons with mental disorders
• Foster a better understanding of the mental health system and barriers to care

Presenter: Dawn Behrend is an Instruction and Outreach Librarian at Lenoir-Rhyne University. She holds a B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Library Science. Ms. Behrend has worked for over 20 years in North Carolina as a Licensed Psychological Associate in addition to her career as an academic librarian and continues to work part-time in private practice. Ms. Behrend provides workshops, courses, and invited talks on issues related to mental health and neurodiversity in libraries and self-care for librarians. Ms. Behrend is currently serving as the President of the North Carolina Library Association. She is also active with the Association of College and Research Libraries for which she has served on several committees.

The recording and handouts will be available on Niche Academy after the live event as well as our library of over 700 recorded sessions. To access Niche, go to: https://my.nicheacademy.com/floridalibrarywebinars

Register here via Zoom for the live event or through the link below.