Festival of Hope: Focus on Mental Health, Depression and Suicide Prevention -- THIS Saturday at Chilton
Published on September 13, 2018
No More Whispers About Mental Health Issues in Stigma-Free Morris County
(JPG, 29KB)You still have time to Register now for a FREE community event -- a Festival of Hope -- to be held this Saturday to promote education about mental health, depression and suicide prevention, and to learn about the importance of access to mental health care.
The Festival of Hope is sponsored by Chilton Medical Center and Atlantic Behavioral Health in Pompton Plains.
(JPG, 144KB) Keynote speaker Kevin Hines survived a suicide attempt from the Golden Gate Bridge.
The special guest speaker will be Kevin Hines, who survived a suicide attempt made at the Golden Gate Bridge. He is traveling the country, bringing his unique firsthand perspective to the subject of suicide prevention, to foster hope and understanding between those caught in the throes of despair and their loved ones.
Atlantic Health System's No More Whispers Campaign is focused on getting people to talk openly about a condition that affects the lives of one in six adults in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
The free event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Chilton Medical Center, 97 West Parkway, Pompton Plains. To register, visit: AtlanticHealth.cvent.com/festivalofhope or email nomorewhispers@atlantichealth.org
It will include displays and educational materials from Attitudes in Reverse®, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Mental Health Association and other partners.
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Other event highlights:
Pet therapy dogs
Community partners including the National Alliance on Mental Illness Healing Through Art Campaign, who will also present mental health education.
In Their Shoes„¢ Exhibit: Unless you have walked IN THEIR SHOES„¢ you would never know the overwhelming feeling of sadness, anxiety & hopelessness that cause hundreds of young people to end their lives. The exhibit will consist of 269 pairs of shoes to represent New Jersey youth, ages 10 through 24, who lost all hope and ended their lives in the years between 2013€“2015.
Butterfly Release will be held in honor friends and family members who were lost too soon.
The Festival of Hope takes place during Recovery Month in Morris County,'' as proclaimed by the Morris County Board of Freeholders. It is part of a national observance held each September to educate all residents that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable persons dealing with those problems to live healthy and rewarding lives.
(JPG, 212KB)An important aspect of Recovery Month efforts is to reduce the stigma associated with addiction and mental health disorders.
The countywide goal of the Morris County Stigma-Free initiative is to disseminate information and foster a stigma-free environment where people are free from judgment and can get the help they need to recover from addiction and mental illness. Residents are urged to make the Stigma Free Pledge: https://morriscountystigmafree.org/take-the-pledge/.
For more information on the county's Stigma Free campaign, please visit: https://morriscountystigmafree.org/
For more information on mental illness, visit www.nami.org and for more information on NAMI's national Stigma Free effort, visit: https://www.nami.org/stigmafree
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