May is Mental Health Awareness Month–a time dedicated to raising awareness about mental health, reducing stigma, and supporting wellness. At Overland Park Convention Center, we regularly host healthcare events, working with health professionals of all backgrounds. Because of our close relationship with people in the healthcare industry, we understand the importance of prioritizing mental well-being.
In this blog, we’ll highlight some of the healthcare-focused events we’ve hosted and share the steps we take to support mental health and well-being of both our staff and our guests.
Whether you’re planning a healthcare event or looking for ways to promote Mental Health Awareness Month in the healthcare space, OPCC is ready to partner with you. Our venue offers mental health and sensory-inclusive resources to help every guest feel supported, comfortable, and included throughout their visit.
Mental Heath at OPCC
At Overland Park Convention Center, we take our employees’ mental health seriously. We foster a culture where employees feel supported, engaged, and empowered–because a healthy motivated team is key to delivering outstanding service.
We want clients to work with people who are excited about what they do, and that all starts with the right mental health practices.
At OPCC, our doors are always open. Employees can talk to any of our team leaders at any time to ask questions. We also prioritize a healthy work-life balance with our flexible scheduling policies.
Providing Resources to Our Employees
For any businesses interested in learning how to promote Mental Health Awareness Month in the healthcare space, your company culture should be the start, but not the end, of prioritizing mental health.
Another way we help our employees get the resources they need is by offering them wellness benefits through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP). This completely confidential service supplies employees with a number of resources, like life coaching, counseling, and other well-being tools.
We also offer employees access to Garner, a healthcare platform that can connect employees with trained medical professionals, including mental health experts.
Garner isn’t just useful for patients interested in meeting with a medical provider. By using Garner’s app, employees can get access to a number of health resources, including:
- Mindfulness exercises, like guided meditation
- Sleep optimization
- Stress management
- Mental health and physical wellness education
- Personalized support
- Contact with trained mental health providers
Modern technology has made it easier than ever for our employees to get the medical assistance they deserve. At OPCC, we want to set an example for anyone interested in learning how to promote Mental Health Awareness Month in the healthcare space.
Working in the Healthcare Space
Most people would say that our team members at Overland Park Convention Center are in the event-planning industry, but we’d disagree—we’re in the people industry.
One of the best parts about doing what we do is meeting so many different people with different careers, specialities, and passions. No matter what you do or who you are, we want to help you hold the best possible event.
And because millions of people work in the United States healthcare field, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we’ve hosted several industry events over the years.
Past Healthcare Events
Events in the healthcare industry can take many different forms.
Whether a healthcare client wants to host a conference, a luncheon, a graduation ceremony, or even a consumer-focused wellness show, we have the spaces and resources to accommodate their needs. Some examples of our past events include:
Conferences & Symposiums
- KC Southwest Ortho & Sports Medicine Symposium
- University of Kansas Health System Conference
- Saint Luke’s Living in Vitality (LIV) Women’s Health Conference
- Kansas Hospital Association Annual Conference
- KC Chapter of the American College of Cardiology
- Cleveland Chiropractic University – Annual Conference
- KC Special Needs Planning Conference
- Aplastic Anemia & MDS International Foundation
Consumer-Focused Health & Wellness Shows
- BioKansas Innovation Festival
- Midwest Ability Summit
Other Health-Adjacent Events
- Community Blood Center Luncheon
- Research Medical Center Graduation
- Research College of Nursing Graduation
- Cleveland Chiropractic University Graduation
Because we regularly host healthcare conferences and wellness events, we’ve prioritized creating a supportive environment for all guests. That’s why we’ve developed specialized spaces like our sensory room, offering a calming retreat for anyone who needs a break from the busy event environment. Let’s explore how OPCC promotes Mental Health Awareness Month in the healthcare space.
A Place to Breathe
It’s always exciting to attend a well-planned event at a venue like Overland Park Convention Center. But spending time around a busy crowd can be overwhelming, especially if an attendee has a condition like autism or PTSD.
If you’re hosting an event and a guest becomes anxious or overstimulated in the crowds, you can recommend a visit to our sensory room for a calming break.
The sensory room at OPCC provides guests with a place to relax and prevent overstimulation if their sensory condition keeps them from comfortably taking part in an event. But what makes this room the ideal place for guests with sensory sensitivities?
The Benefits of Our Sensory Room
Guests should come to our sensory room if they need a quiet place to take a deep breath. A team of medical professionals worked with KultureCity (more on them later), to develop a space that can help overwhelmed guests calm down.
The room has low lighting and noise-reducing walls, so guests can recalibrate on their own. To ensure privacy and to minimize interruptions, guests must request access before using the sensory room.
Guests may use the room for 15 minutes at a time, so they have space to re-center before they rejoin the event.
Sensory Tools
If you’re interested in how to promote Mental Health Awareness Month in the healthcare space, the sensory room might be the resource you need. But it’s more than just a quiet room with dim lights.
We have a number of tangible wall installations, like our visual touch panels and our custom tactile art piece, with a color-changing surface that reacts to touch.
The sensory room also offers special bubble walls, which react to touch with soothing lights and sounds that dampen the sounds coming from outside. We’ve even included relaxing Yogibo bean bag chairs, so stressed-out guests can take a load off while they calm down. Our experts designed every aspect of the sensory room to accommodate an overwhelmed attendee.
Signs of the Times
Our sensory room isn’t the only method for how to promote Mental Health Awareness Month in the healthcare space. We also prominently display signs all over the event center to communicate and direct passing guests.
Some of these signs indicate when guests are entering a quiet area. This helps ensure that the entire center isn’t constantly bustling with noise and activity, giving sensitive guests a reprieve from the action.
Some signs also indicate “headphone zones,” which are busier, louder areas in the space with much higher traffic. If guests need noise-reducing headphones when entering an area like this one, we can provide them with exactly what they need!
Sensory Bags
We don’t just want to offer resources for guests with sensory sensitivities—we want to make the process for obtaining those resources simple and convenient. So, we offer sensory bags for any guests who think they could benefit from some assistance to protect their mental wellness during an event.
Our sensory bags contain a variety of helpful resources. Attendees who borrow a sensory bag can expect to find items such as:
- Noise-canceling headphones
- Fidget toys
- Weighted lap pad
- Verbal cue cards
These resources can make attending an event more comfortable for all attendees, regardless of their sensory sensitivities. Anyone can borrow a sensory bag for free, and we follow strict cleaning protocols in between each use, so the items inside are always sanitary.
Expert Help from Kulture City
While we’re always excited to help event planners learn how to promote Mental Health Awareness Month in the healthcare space, we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish any of this without KultureCity.
KultureCity is a non-profit organization that helps train employees at venues like ours about sensory conditions and disorders. They educated our staff on how to assist guests’ sensory sensitivities and provided guidance on creating a more inclusive, low-stress environment.
We’re proud to work with this incredible organization. Thanks to them, we’re a Certified Sensory Inclusive Venue, and the first convention center on the planet to include a KultureCity-approved sensory room.
Come to OPCC to Learn More About How to Promote Mental Health Awareness Month
When hosting a healthcare event, it’s essential to provide attendees with resources that support their well-being—and to partner with a venue that shares your commitment to care.
At OPCC, we think everyone deserves to enjoy their event, no matter what that event may be. To plan a healthcare gathering at our venue, contact our team or use our free estimate tool to get the information you need. You care about your guests, so schedule your next event at a venue that cares too. Reach out to our team of experts to get started.
