Berkshire County - The Berkshire County Chapter of The National Alliance on Mental Illness will gather at the Recovery Connection Center on Wednesday, August 5, at 6:30 p.m. Lisa Forestell, Berkshire Coordinator of the Recovery Learning Community will welcome NAMI-BC at its newly opened satellite facility. Located at 152 North Street, Suite 115, Pittsfield (between The Garden and Panchos - beneath the Panchos awning.) 

The Western Massachusetts Recovery Learning Community (RLC) supports individuals in finding their own paths to mental health recovery within the communities of their choice by offering trauma-sensitive peer supports and through the development of a regional peer network. The Western Mass RLC is entirely peer-run and is active in all four counties - Hampshire, Hampden, Berkshire, and Franklin - of Western Massachusetts. As a peer community, every program and activity is based upon the voiced needs of its friends and neighbors.

Bev Milenski, a local realtor, and PCTV talk show host, located the space for the group, and since then volunteers have been working tirelessly to create an inviting, community  space. Equipped with a computer lab, a library, and several areas for both one-to-one and group activities, the RCC is utilized by peers to offer one another support, education and advocacy as per the design of the community itself. Among the activities that will be held at the new RCC space are peer-led groups, yoga, UR an Artist Series, Movie Nights, Wii Nights, Potlucks and Drop-In Hours. A volunteer training will be held in the following weeks along with a boundaries training, Back-to-Work for those receiving Social Security Benefits and the long-awaited Grand Opening Celebration! For more information about the RLC/RCC activities, feel free to contact Lisa at 413-236-5888.

"We are delighted to work in collaboration with the RLC. NAMI is focused primarily on working with families while the RLC works directly with individuals living with mental illness. Together we all share hope for recovery and an end to stigma," said Molly Boxer, President of NAMI-BC.

This event will be held as the regular monthly education meeting of NAMI-BC which is offered to its members and the general public in order to increase understanding of what mental illness is and to raise awareness of resources available to all those whose lives are affected by mental illness. For further information about this and other NAMI-BC programs please contact Bonnie Brace, Executive Director, at (413) 443-1666, e-mail: namibc@namibc.org, or visit www.namibc.org.