Helen Ross McNabb Center will host a free community awareness event recognizing National Recovery Month and Mental Illness Awareness Week. The event will take place on Monday, Sept. 30, at Chattanooga’s Miller Park Pavilion from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
A community information fair will begin at 11:30 a.m. and will provide information from community partners and organizations on mental health and addiction resources as well as self-care and overall wellness information. The event will feature a short program, highlighting an individual’s recovery journey and speak to the importance of destigmatizing the topics of mental health and addiction.
“We believe providing information and resources to the community and continuing the conversation about mental wellness will begin to break the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction,” said Gayle Lodato, senior director of Greater Chattanooga Area services. “Helen Ross McNabb Center is committed to engaging in the community, bringing awareness to these topics, and improving the lives of the people we serve.”
Each September, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration sponsors National Recovery Month. The goal is to increase awareness and understanding of mental and substance use disorders and celebrate the people who recover. The theme for 2019 is Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Are Stronger.
Mental Illness Awareness Week is typically recognized by the National Alliance on Mental Illness during the first week of October. During this time, the goal is to educate the public, fight stigma and provide support.
For more information, visit www.mcnabbcenter.org or call (865) 637-9711.