Worry and distress are feelings that many people feel occasionally when faced with potential harm.  Others may live with more chronic anxiety about upcoming events in their lives by feeling tension and ongoing nervousness. Anxiety can cause distress and un-ease in dealing with everyday life.  Many different ways exist to gain more ease, improve anxious feelings and/or even prevent anxiety. 

Registration link:  https://moodle.publichealth.arizona.edu/course/view.php?id=254​

Guest Speaker:  Mestisa C. Gass, PsyD ,​Program Director of Mental Health America of Hawai‘i

Dr. Mestisa C. Gass, PsyD, is the Program Director for Mental Health America of Hawaii. She graduated with a Master’s and Doctorate degree, in Clinical Psychology, from Argosy University. Her education and experience has been focused on diverse populations including inpatient acute adolescent care, community mental health, and military mental health. Her training and work has emphasized diversity and trauma focused care. She is a certified trainer for the MHAH’s Youth Suicide and Bullying Prevention Training for Trainers (T4T) curriculum. She worked as a clinician/therapist for the past fifteen years in the South and now in Hawaii. She has been in Hawaii since 2006, being originally from the Appalachian Mountains. She is passionate about bringing education, support, and resources to all communities, especially rural areas like those in which she was raised.

Continuing Education:  1.5 CNEs for RNs, 1.5 CECH for CHES.

This activity is co-sponsored with the University of Arizona’s College of Nursing CPE Unit for 1.5 contact hours. The University of Arizona Continuing Professional Education is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Continuing Nursing Education Group, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Learning Outcomes:

  1. Review the definitions of anxiety, stress, and trauma.
  2. Examine the symptoms of anxiety including the impact of anxiety on health and the factors that can affect stress.
  3. Identify assessment and screening tools for anxiety with linking referral resources for support and treatment
  4. Evaluate the importance of self-care and how to use self-care tips to mediate stress.

Webinar originally recorded: Friday, July 12, 2019

Additional Information