Mason families and school staff can attend a free half-day symposium on youth mental health Friday, Nov. 6, at the Mason Municipal Center Community Room.

The 3rd Annual Supporting Youth Symposium, hosted by Mason-based nonprofit Lindner Center of Hope, runs from 8 a.m. to noon at 6000 Mason Montgomery Rd. Doors open at 8 a.m. for breakfast, with presentations scheduled from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Registration is required by Friday, Oct. 23. Capacity is limited.

The event is open to school counselors, teachers, school administrators and families, along with anyone interested in supporting youth mental health. Specific presentation topics and speakers have not been announced publicly.

The symposium has become an annual fixture in Mason. The first event in the series, titled "Supporting a Child with School Needs Symposium," was held Nov. 22, 2024, at the Lindner Center of Hope gymnasium on Old Western Row Road. The second moved to the Mason Municipal Center on Oct. 24, 2025, adopting the "Supporting Youth Symposium" name and the same free, half-day format that returns this fall.

Jennifer Pierson, chief brand and advancement officer at Lindner Center of Hope, described the organization's mission in an April 2026 profile with Mason City Lifestyle. "I was immediately drawn to the idea of being part of something dedicated to offering hope and reducing stigma …" Pierson said.

Lindner Center of Hope has served more than 50,000 patients and families since opening in 2008. The center broke ground on a four-story medical office building and residential unit addition in June 2025, backed by $4 million in state funding, as WCPO reported.

Residents can register for the Nov. 6 symposium through the Lindner Center of Hope website before the Oct. 23 deadline.