PINE BLUFF, Ark. — The D’Andre Seals Suicide Prevention Outreach Project is a grassroots organization that started in Pine Bluff five years ago.
They work to remove the stigma around talking about mental health by providing resources for families and individuals in need.
The nonprofit held its first mental health wellness and suicide prevention summit on Saturday, where people of all ages broke into small groups and were able to ask mental health experts questions.
Experts also provided people with information on where they can get help if they or their loved ones are in need.
One expert told us that she hopes people in attendance walked away feeling empowered.
"That we've educated them that we've given them some tips to live by," said Bessie Lancelin with the Southeast Arkansas Behavioral Healthcare Systems. "I'm hoping more so that they share with someone else because that is the key if we can get the word out."
The event was months in the making and going forward, the nonprofit hopes to have more like it.