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Mental Illness Awareness Week with a Special Program10:03AM / Tuesday, September 29, 2009
PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Children's Behavioral Health Initiative in Berkshire County and Annual Candlelight Vigil to be held at Berkshire Community College.
Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is October 4-10, designated by Congress to promote public education about serious mental illnesses such as major depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. “Mental illnesses are medical illnesses,” said Bonnie Brace, Executive Director of NAMIBC, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, "and stigma is a major barrier to people seeking help when they need it. That’s why education is important."
To recognize MIAW this year, NAMI will sponsor an overview of the Children's Behavioral Health Initiative (CBHI-formerly known as Rosie D. class action lawsuit) and the rollout plan for service delivery on Wednesday, October 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Small Theater-K111 of Berkshire Community College. Panelists will explain how the initiative is being implemented in Berkshire County with a segment on wraparound and a discussion about mobile crisis intervention as part of the new system of care for children and adolescents with MassHealth insurance.
Presenters will be Jim Mucia, LICSW, who is Division Director for the Child Adolescent Division of the Brien Center; Amber Besaw is the Senior Care Coordinator at Brien and is considered an expert in the area of Wraparound; Chris Haley, LICSW, is Division Director of Acute Services at Brien. She has oversight of the crisis team, adult crisis stabilization unit, DMH Transition Bed Program, and Urgent Care.
Mary Rowland, Child/Adolescent Specialist and moderator for the evening encourages everyone in the community to attend this free program and then to join NAMI for its 25th Anniversary Candlelight Vigil and refreshments immediately thereafter in the quad area outside the Small Theater-K111 of Berkshire Community College. Certificates of participation will be available. “This is what NAMI is about... taking a step forward to educate our community,” said Mary.
For more information contact NAMIBC (413) 443-1666, email: namibc@namibc.org or www.nami.org. |
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