The documentary ‘Paper Tigers’ provides an intimate look into the lives of students at an alternative school that specializes in educating traumatized youth.

Courtesy photo

Mental health challenges and services in Park County will be explored in a five-part series at the Park County Library in Cody.

The series kicks off Thursday with two free screenings of the award-winning film, “Paper Tigers,” on Thursday at 4:30 and 7 p.m. at Big Horn Cinemas in Cody. The film examines the inspiring promise of Trauma-Informed Communities — a movement showing great promise in healing youth struggling with the dark legacy of adverse childhood experiences and chronic “toxic” stress.

The first session of the series follows on Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Cody library. Identical programs will be presented on five consecutive Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 6-8 p.m.

Titled “Navigating Mental Health Services,” the Feb. 27 session will be led by Cheri Kreitzmann, counselor and owner of Soar Counseling in Cody and vice-chair of National Alliance on Mental Illness-Park County.

On March 5, “A Conversation About Suicide” will be led by a five-person panel including Josh Spinney, licensed professional counselor at Cody Regional Health Behavioral Health Clinic; Peg Monteith, Cody school district student support services director and interim superintendent; Deb Bank, a parent affected by her son’s suicide who supports families who have lost someone by suicide; Dr. Terresa Humphries-Wadsworth, associate project director with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention and Suicide Prevention Resource Center; and Rhianna Brand, who represents Grace For 2 Brothers, an educational organization dedicated to the advocacy of suicide prevention through awareness and education in Wyoming.

A panel on March 12 will focus on “Adolescent Mental Health” and will include Kori Black, counselor at Cody Middle School; Rick Satterthwaite, counselor at Trinity Teen Solutions; Dr. Dina Tassione, school psychologist; and Judson McKee, counselor at Yellowstone Behavioral Health Center.

“Advocating for Mental Health” will be the topic of the March 19 meeting. Warren Murphy, board member of Yellowstone Behavioral Health, will moderate a panel consisting of Dr. Shaun Balch, Clinical Director of Yellowstone Behavioral Health Center; Colin Simpson, former speaker of the Wyoming House of Representatives and long-time advocate for mental health services; Wendy Corr, regional journalist with a background in newspaper as well as radio and TV broadcasting; and Roy Eckerdt, chief of the Powell Police Department and board president of Yellowstone Behavioral Health.

The final session in the series, “Living Well,” will be led by Sara Murray, board chair of NAMI-Park County. Murray will discuss ways of creating social support networks with Christy Schmeiser, yoga instructor; Linda Raynolds, professional artist; Jenny DeSarro, Greater Yellowstone Coalition conservation coordinator and avid naturalist; and Megan Gaspers, owner of Firefly Yoga and Wellness in Cody.

The five-part series is free and open to the public and is sponsored by Park County Public Library and Christ Episcopal Church in Cody.