A number of events are taking place this week in Grey-Bruce to raise the profile of mental illnesses.
The Canadian Mental Health Association’s Grey-Bruce chapter is recognizing Mental Illness Awareness Week.
Spokesperson Jackie Ralph says they hosted a kick-off breakfast on Monday morning.
She says local politicians and dignitaries were invited to hear about mental illness, and their concerns about what’s needed in our community, and what has been working so far.
Ralph says they’re hoping to spread their messages further this week, and will even visit Georgian College in Owen Sound on Wednesday.
She says they’ll talk to students about their coping strategies and how to stay mentally healthy under stress.
Then on Thursday, they will reach out to the business community as a host site for the Owen Sound Chamber of Commerce’s Alive at Five series.
Ralph says it’s easy to foster good mental health in the workplace and they will be providing tips on how to do that.
Also on Thursday is a workshop where Ralph says they’ll learn about “PLAN” — a local protocol that’s come into place to help people with small-scale disasters.
Ralph says it’s important to realize that mental illness is a disease like any other, and while there may not be a cure, there are ways to manage it.
She says there are symptoms and treatments, and a key factor is bringing awareness so we can prevent or catch a mental illness in its earliest stages.
