An event called Mental Health Matters will be coming to Corcoran's Gateway Park Saturday, May 27, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., promoting mental health awareness for Kings County residents.
The effort is a collaboration between the Mental Health Task Force of local non-profit Kings Partnership and Fresno-based non-profit California Health Collaborative.
“We’re working with the Mental Health Task Force with the California Health Collaborative to bring something that’s really needed to Corcoran, especially with the flooding and the circumstances that are going on over there,” said Kings Partnership Office Administrator Aliyah Ortiz. “We really wanted it to be in Corcoran. We’re bringing a panel to Corcoran to discuss mental health awareness, education in work and everyday life.”
The panel is expected to consist of four to five local representatives or experts in mental health education, although the panelists have not been finalized.
Ortiz says some mental health resources available to residents of Kings County and other nearby counties will be at the event. Exercises and resources at Mental Health Matters will teach participants about things ranging from what mental health resources they can find to self-care and breathing techniques.
A flyer advertising the Mental Health Matters event says it will also include activities and games.
“I think it will be a great opportunity for people to come out and learn what is out there for them,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz is hoping for 100 to 150 participants to show up throughout the day.
“I might be shooting low for that, but I’m hoping for at least 100,” Ortiz said. "That’s enough to impact a small amount of people, but I think we can get more.”
May is considered Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, May was first declared Mental Health Awareness Month in 1949.
The administration's website also adds that the month is recognized by the government agency each year to "increase awareness about the vital role mental health plays in our overall health and well-being."
“This is the first year we’re having Mental Health Matters,” Ortiz said. ”We’re hoping that it becomes a continuous event once a year during this month, and hopefully even bigger.”
“It’s an important topic,” Ortiz added. “We really wanted to break the stigma and let people know about the resources that available for them.”
