Free program offers facts on mental health

June 22--Families with a loved one who has mental health issues, or who wrestle with substance use, may sometimes feel like there is no place to turn.

Informational meetings in Otter Tail County this year are designed to provide people with facts about mental health and chemical dependency -- and with hope for the future. The first meeting will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Fergus Falls YMCA Community Room. The program is free and open to anyone.

About one in five American adults experiences a mental health issue in any given year, and about one in 25 encounters a mental health problem serious enough to cause significant problems at work, at school or with the family, according to a press release.

Almost 1 in 10 Americans each year have a problem with chemical use. Most people don't receive treatment for either type of disorder.

The program called, "Hope: Facts for Individuals and Families Touched by Mental Health and Substance Use," is designed to provide useful information about mental health and substance use issues, including how families can help their loved ones, and how individuals can find effective treatment.

In addition to the June 28 session in Fergus Falls, programs are planned for summer and fall in Battle Lake, Pelican Rapids, Erhard, Ottertail, Henning, Perham, Vergas and Parkers Prairie. The programs are produced by Lakeland Mental Health Center with a grant from the BCOW Adult Mental Health Initiative. BCOW stands for the counties of Becker, Clay, Otter Tail, Wilkin.

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