sachiparkeryx: Mental Health Fair Oct. 1 at CherryVale Mall

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Mental Health Fair Oct. 1 at CherryVale Mall | The Rock River Times

Staff Report

The second annual Mental Health Fair will be at CherryVale Mall in Cherry Valley from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, in recognition of National Mental Illness Awareness Week.

The event will feature heath-conscious sponsors and vendors showcasing health benefits, services and products to the community in a free-to-the-public setting.

The fair will include products and information from local and national businesses, and is designed to build a more mental health-conscious community.

The fair will be held throughout the main level of the mall. A variety of 30 vendors will be present, promoting the philosophy that there is no health without mental health.

Media sponsors include WNTA, WIFR, The Rock River Times and the Rockford Register Star.

This is the only mental health fair in the greater Rockford area. The event will provide a platform for clinical and complementary medicine, health care outlets, and products and services available in northern Illinois.

In 1990, the U.S. Congress established the first week of October as ?Mental Illness Awareness Week? in recognition of the National Alliance on Mental Illness? (NAMI) efforts to increase understanding about brain disorders. Real recovery from mental illness requires community action, understanding and teamwork.

Recovery is possible because of improved science, better community supports and reduced stigma. Barriers to mental health treatment still exist. Services are at risk, insurance can be insufficient, and stigma still is prevalent.

By hosting the mental health fair, the community will be better informed of access to services and products, and educated about recovery and resiliency.

Contact Mary Gubbe Lee at (815) 720-5097 for details.

From the Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2011, issue