Your Voice: Please come to mental health forums this fall

To Our Community:

We need to talk about Mental Health. In fact, I am going to be so bold and call it "mental illness" because that is what it is.

Please mark your calendar for a series of mental illness educational events taking place in Dover, at the new high school, starting in October.

I want you, your families, your neighbors, your co-workers to join Community Partners and the Public Health Network as we host several opportunities to learn about mental illness, the stigma attached to mental illness, how mental illness and substance misuse is connected and understanding the five signs of mental illness,

Normalizing the conversation about mental illness, bringing mental illness out of the shadows and into the light is vital. The more we talk about mental illness, the better folks will feel able to get treatment and not feel like it's a dirty little secret.

Consider this note the "SAVE THE DATE" and mark your calendar to attend. Join us for one or all of these events about mental health including:

* Thursday, Oct 11 @ 6:30pm at the *new* Dover High School. Hear from the former NH Supreme Court Chief Justice John Broderick about his near death by a family member and their story of mental illness and resilience.

* Thursday, Nov 8 @ 5:30pm in the library of the *new* Dover High School - A Community Conversation, hosted by Dover Listens because YOU MATTER.

* Monday, January 28 (time and location to be announced) - A storytelling workshop hosted by Dover Listens and Community Partners and facilitated by professional story teller, Michael Lang.

Everyone has their own story about challenges and resilience. What's yours?

Please help us spread the word. Our community needs this information!

Thank you and hope to see you on Oct 11!

Suzanne Weete, Community Partners

suzanneweete@communitypartnersnh.org

Ashley Ciampa, Goodwin Community Health/Public Health Network

aciampa@goodwinch.org