Special Programming for Mental Health Awareness Month

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month in May 2020, NAMI High Country (The National Alliance On Mental Illness) began a partnership with Watauga and Ashe County Public Libraries to host an initiative called ‘A Reason to Grow.’ The goal of the initiative is to broaden our communities’ commitment to inclusivity through reading and discussion. Inclusivity is the practice of welcoming people into a community who may otherwise have been excluded or marginalized.

“Inclusivity is a big circle with many dots, welcoming diversity and embracing different perspectives uncritically, with acceptance and sincerity. And that’s what NAMI does better than any other organization through its many programs for peers and family members,” says Karen Gross, contact for the grant. “NAMI is the quintessential inclusivity organization.”

Progress toward increasing inclusivity requires champions: people and organizations that identify it as a fundamental need and continue pressing for change because they understand communities have the potential through increased awareness to heal hearts and transform destinies.   Inclusivity is a feasible alternative to inactive and isolated lives and is often described as a medical necessity. “People don’t need more referrals to mental health services; they need referrals to life and community.” (Well Together – A Blueprint for Community Inclusion, http://www.tucollaborative.org/sdm_downloads/well-together/ )

Information on available books, Let’s Talk virtual book discussions, and play-shop interplay activities can be found on the libraries’ websites. These activities are designed to connect participants to creative movements which teach us that we can learn to play, not struggle, with our experiences, and thereby help to foster inclusivity in our communities. Additionally, we are scheduling some author interviews on the topic of inclusivity as well as offering an internet class on self-determination which when completed will qualify participants for a certificate.

To support this initiative, books, ebooks, digital audiobooks, DVDs, and a limited number of Spanish language titles are available through the libraries. Some of these titles are available to be mailed to your home while others are available for curbside pickup at the libraries. You must call ahead to reserve a copy. Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me: A Graphic Memoir by Ellen Forney, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain, and Everything Here Is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee are all recommendations included in Oprah’s Mental Health Awareness Month book list. Little Panic by Amanda Stern, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb, and Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker are all recommended by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine.

The first author talk, by Dr. Xavier Amador, will take place at 4:00 p.m. on June 16 via Zoom. Dr. Amador is an internationally renowned clinical psychologist, forensic expert, and sought-after speaker. He is also a family caregiver of two close relatives with schizophrenia and another with bipolar disorder. He will be sharing information from his book I Am Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help! The primary reason millions of people with serious mental illness refuse treatment is because of anosognosia—a neurological symptom that renders a person unable to understand that they are ill, resulting in conflict, isolation, and treatment refusal. They don't think they're sick, so they don't accept treatment. Without treatment, symptoms can worsen, the mind can deteriorate, and the results can be devastating. Learn how to create trusting relationships with people who have serious mental illness that can lead to treatment and recovery. We welcome you to join this conversation by contacting Karen Gross, karengross@skybest.com, for a link to this virtual event.