Upcoming forum to educate youth and their parents, and reduce mental illness stigma

Are you concerned about a young person’s substance use and/or mental wellness as they prepare to go back to school? The Talking About Mental Illness (TAMI) Program offers an “Early Intervention Series” of community forums for anyone interested in understanding more about mental health and wellness. This month’s community forum on August 25 explores the topic of Concurrent Disorders: the often co-occurring issues of mental illness and substance abuse.

Come and learn accurate information on the signs, symptoms, and development of both these issues through the use of pop culture examples, and hearing directly from a young person with real-life experience with concurrent disorders.

“The biggest barrier to families needing mental health support is the stigma associated with mental illness,” said Halton Regional Chair, Gary Carr. “TAMI’s community forums work to break down that barrier by helping raise awareness about the realities of those struggling with mental illness and by educating the public that there is support available.”

The TAMI event is open to everyone and will be held on Wednesday August 25, 2010 from 6:00-8:30 p.m., at the Velocity Youth Centre, just east of the Burlington Mall facing Prospect Street. Please rsvp to reserve a seat at cjabalee@schizophrenia.on.ca or call Christina Jabalee at 905-338-2112.

The TAMI Program is funded by Halton Region through the Health Department’s Youth Net program. It is also supported by many community partners, including: The Phoenix Program, Schizophrenia Society of Ontario, Canadian Mental Health Association, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and ADAPT (Halton Alcohol, Drug and Gambling Assessment, Prevention and Treatment Services).

The program aims to:

• raise awareness
• reduce the stigma associated with mental illness
• provide information about local resources
• empower those living with mental illness by delivering youth-friendly educational presentations.

For more information about TAMI or the Youth Net program, or to speak to a Public Health Nurse about mental health support and services, please call the Halton Region Health Department. Dial 311 or 905-825-6000, or visit us online at www.halton.ca/health.

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