Early bird registration open for annual Mountains of Courage conference
Gallatin Valley Circle of Compassion (GVCC) invites community members to participate in its annual Mountains of Courage conference, “When Someone Dies: Dialogues with the Living about Death and Dying.” The one-day conference is designed to explore the end of life journey by providing a relaxed setting for individuals and caregivers to discover available resources, tools and information.
The conference will be held on Saturday, March 7th, at the Best Western Plus GranTree Inn, 1325 N 7th, from 9am–4pm. GVCC is pleased to announce reduced admission fees courtesy of additional event sponsors. Early registration is encouraged as space is limited. Registration includes lunch. Online registration available through EventBrite. Check-in begins at 8am the morning of the event.
Presenters and panelists will include health professionals, spiritual counselors, social workers, community support services and caregivers. Participants will have the opportunity to explore practical issues, emotions, myths and traditions and learn how to shift the current paradigm. They will learn about practical tools and resources to assist in making informed decisions when faced with end of life issues. A full list of topics and presenters can be found on the organization’s website.
Keynote speaker, Karen Wyatt, MD, is a family physician who has spent her 25-year medical career working with patients in challenging settings, such as hospices, nursing homes and indigent clinics. She has founded a free medical clinic in a homeless shelter, accompanied three medical mission teams to Honduras, and led a non-profit clinic for the uninsured in its growth from a 4-hour per week all-volunteer operation to a full-time, full-service medical center. She has twice testified at Senate briefings on the cutting edge model of integrated medical care, combining physical and behavioral health, which she helped create and implement in her clinic for the uninsured. Also an author, Dr. Wyatt has written: What Really Matters: 7 Lessons for Living from the Stories of the Dying, A Matter of Life and Death: Stories to Heal Loss & Grief and the ebooks Loss and Grief Survival Guide and Coping with Life-Threatening Illness.
Conference host Gallatin Valley Circle of Compassion is a volunteer group of local community members who are professionally and/or personally touched by the human experience of death and dying. Their mission: “Connecting, educating and supporting our community on matters related to death and dying”. GVCC’s intention for the conference is that participants will feel empowerment, courage, a sense of calm and confidence, and the ultimate realization that one does not have to be alone on this journey.
Conference fees are $30 with early bird registration through February 25th, $40 general admission thereafter, or $50 at the door. Students and veterans enjoy a special rate of $10. Lunch is included. CEUs are available. Conference details, tickets and downloadable registration forms are available at www.gallatinvalleycircleofcompassion.org. Flyers and registration forms are also available at Dahl Funeral & Cremation Service. For additional information, please call (406) 223-4707. •