The Village of Forest Park, in partnership with the Proviso Township Mental Health Commission, has organized a Mental Health Expo in the Western Suburbs for the tentatively scheduled May 6th Mental Health Expo at the Mohr Community Center at 7640 Jackson Blvd. and social service providers.
The purpose of the fair is to educate Forrest Parker and other West Suburban residents about the resources already available in the community. The organizers also want to do their part to defuse stigma around mental health issues and encourage people to view it the same way they view other health issues. are looking for, but want to attract as many organizations as possible to cover as many demographics as possible.
Public Health and Safety Commissioner Maria Maxam said the fair came out of discussions with Public Health and Safety Director Steve Glinke and Mall Community Center Director Karen Dilwski. rice field. The village does not have a mental health department, nor do they have the resources to set one up, but it was still something that affected the village. Individuals dealing with health issues often visit community centers.
“Me We have a long way to go, to understand that it’s okay for people to ask for help, and not to see it as a bad thing, but to have some kind of grace when talking about problems. to understand.
Maria Maxam, Commissioner for Public Health and Safety
Three officials contacted the Oak Park Township Community Mental Health Board for advice, and officials suggested they contact the Proviso Township Mental Health Board, Maxam said.
The Commission uses its own property tax to support social service nonprofits throughout Proviso Township. We also share information about these providers to raise awareness about mental health issues in our community, including substance abuse.
Maxam said he didn’t even know the committee existed until that meeting.
“Historically, I don’t know if this village has had a really good relationship with the proviso township mental health board,” she said. “We probably never reached out to them.”
The trio turned to executive director Jesse Rosas, along with village administrator Moses Amidei and mayoral secretary Rachell Entler. Forest Park and the proviso committee agreed to cooperate. One of the first things they did was look at what was already there. This will allow Forest Park to create a list that can be used to refer residents in need.
“We are putting together a list of community resources for people struggling with mental health issues, food insecurity, housing insecurity, and substance abuse,” Maxham said. will be summarized.”
She said she wants to make sure the resources are useful to different groups, including youth, veterans, seniors and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Forest Park and the Proviso Commission also agreed to host a mental health expo to bring these providers together in one place and let residents see what they have to offer. Maxam said some progress has been made in removing the stigma of mental illness, but it’s still something that needs to be addressed.
“I think we have a long way to go to help people understand that it is okay to ask for help, that it is not a bad thing to do, and that it is okay to speak with dignity when talking about this issue. “I think we have a long way to go before we can do that.” “We said we wanted to do this healthcare with PMHC. I did.”
Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, it makes sense to schedule at the beginning of the month, says Maxham. She hopes to bring people together not only from Forest Park and other Proviso Township municipalities, but also from Oak Park, River Forest, and other “neighboring communities.”
Maxham said it is still looking for a vendor. Anyone interested in participating should contact Entler at rentler@forestpark.net.
