May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Willowbrooke at Floyd is sponsoring events that will offer insight into mental health as a critical part of overall health. The public is welcome, events are free of charge and no reservations are needed.

 

A healthy lifestyle can impact the progression of mental illness as well as chronic medical conditions like heart disease, diabetes and obesity. People with untreated and under-treated mental illnesses lose an average of 10 productive years of their lives. Starting the conversation about mental health helps people seek treatment and reduces the stigma surrounding mental illness.  

“Mental illnesses are common and treatable. If we can help people understand that mental health means brain health, we may also be able to help people focus on mental health as integral to overall health,” stated Kenneth J. Genova, M.D., a psychiatrist with Willowbrooke Behavioral Health.

On May 23, Richard Blackwell will speak from noon – 1 p.m. about teen suicide prevention. “When Love Isn’t Enough” will take place at the Stuenkel Conference Center on the first floor of Floyd Medical Center, 304 Turner McCall Blvd. Blackwell, who has appeared in events across the state, knows first-hand the impact teen suicide can have on a family. His daughter, Alex, took her own life when she was just 16 years old. The event will include a panel discussion.

On May 28, “In Our Own Voice – A Model of Hope and Recovery” will be offered from noon-1 p.m. in the Stuenkel Conference Center on the first floor of Floyd Medical Center.  On May 29 “In Our Own Voice” will be offered again from 2-3 p.m. at Willowbrooke at Floyd Conference Room, 306 Shorter Ave NW. This compelling presentation offers participants insight into how the more than 58 million Americans living with mental illness cope and reclaim rich and meaningful lives. Discussion follows the presentation. 

For more information contact Katherin D. Weiss, Director of Nursing, Willowbrooke at Floyd, 706.509.3505.