Hope, resilience, themes of suicide prevention event

May 12--NORMAL -- Hope and resiliency help people who are having thoughts of suicide. That's why giving hope to others and building resilience are themes of an upcoming Suicide Awareness and Prevention Event.

"Having hope and being able to bounce back after something difficult happens are protective factors against suicide," said Meghan Moser, crisis program manager with Center for Human Services, McLean County's mental health agency.

"We are trying to build the community's hope and resilience," she said Tuesday.

The event will be 2 to 5 p.m.May 23 at the conference center at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, 1304 Franklin Ave., Normal. There is no charge for the event, which includes an art show and a 3:30 p.m. panel discussion with mental health professionals.

The event is sponsored by CHS and is supported by a $2,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Public Health in cooperation with BroMenn. IDPH has designed May 23 as Mental Health & Wellness Day, Moser said.

Renee Donaldson, BroMenn administrator for behavioral health services, said BroMenn is cooperating as part of the ongoing collaboration to educate the community about mental health.

"We want to create opportunities for people to know that there is hope," Donaldson said. "When people are feeling depressed, we want them to know that there is support, they aren't alone, people care. There are alternatives to suicide."

Of 2,599 calls to the CHS crisis team between July 1, 2014, and March 31, 49.7 percent were from people whose primary reason for the call was that they were considering suicide, Moser said.

"We work with people contemplating and attempting suicide," Moser said. "But we also want to help people with prevention."

Painting, photography, sculpture, music, film, poetry and other art help people to express emotion and cope with life's struggles. CHS is accepting -- for the art show -- art that shows hope and resiliency, Moser said.

McLean County youth and adults who have art that they would like to be considered for the show should contact Moser or Joe White at 309-827-5351 or at awareness@mcchs.org by Friday.

Follow Paul Swiech on Twitter: @pg_swiech

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