GREAT FALLS – NoMore Violence Week continued with a keynote speaker who is a child and adolescent psychologist.
Dr. Eric Arzubi spoke to a crowd at Great Falls College MSU about mental health and how trauma can impact it.
Arzubi works for the Billings Clinic as the department of psychiatry chair.
“Part of the reason we are here is because mental health continues to be an issue, if not an issue, really a crisis in Montana,” Arzubi said.
Arzubi says there is not enough health care providers to solve the problem so we must incorporate other aspects.
“Trauma can be exposure to abuse and neglect in childhood and the impact it has throughout the life span, that’s a huge piece. And a topic we don’t talk about enough,” Arzubi said.
During his presentation he talked about innovative ways to work with mental health, whether that be using technology or changing the work flow of an office.
Arzubi says many times people think mental health does not affect them.
He says two thirds of people have been exposed to at least one adverse experience in their life and one in eight have been exposed to four or more traumatic experiences.
“There are about 13-15 people that come to our emergency room every single day in a psychiatric crisis,” Arzubi said. “The more we can start talking early about what exposure to abuse and neglect does to people, not only from the mental health perspective but a physical health perspective, I think the better,” Arzubi said.
You can attend a free seminar with Dr. Arzubi on Friday. The training session is called Integrating Trauma Informed Approaches into Practice. You must register to attend. You can do so by clicking here.
Reporting by Elizabeth Transue for MTN News
