OHI plans activities for Mental Illness Awareness Week

BANGOR – Oct. 5-11 is Mental Illness Awareness Week. Beginning Oct. 1, OHI, an agency offering a variety of services, will provide activities connected to the awareness week. The schedule is:

. Oct. 1-31, daily: Display of Art Brut, art by local people with mental illness, at Lecture Hall, Bangor Public Library.

. Oct. 5, noon: Mental Illness Awareness Walk. Registration begins at noon and the walk starts at 1 p.m. at the OHI parking lot, 250 Twin City Plaza, Brewer.

. Oct. 6-9, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.: Educational and informational booths at Wal-Mart Supercenter in Brewer and Sam’s Club in Bangor.

. Oct. 6, 10:30 a.m.-noon: The Importance of Work for People with Mental Illness, with Lee Russell, licensed clinical professional counselorof OHI, at OHI, Brewer.

. Oct. 6, 2-4 p.m.: Resources for People Who are Homeless, at OHI, Brewer.

. Oct. 6, 6:30-8 p.m.: Homelessness in Your Community, with a panel of community leaders and mental health providers, at OHI, Brewer.

. Oct. 7, 9 a.m.-noon: Hearing Voices: A Simulation with Brenda Leavitt, at OHI, 250 Twin City Plaza, Brewer. Active simulation; participation limited. To ensure space, call Bev Uhlenhake at 848-5804 ext. 113.

. Oct. 7, 1-4 p.m.: Family Education Workshop with Nancy Grimes, NAMI Maine, at Community Health and Counseling Services, 42 Cedar St., Bangor.

. Oct. 7, 3:45 p.m.: Story hour for children, stories about people with mental illness, Bangor Public Library.

. Oct. 8, 10-11 a.m.: Dementia, by Barbara Herman, University of Maine, at OHI, Brewer.

. Oct. 8, 2-3:30 p.m. Walk a Mile: Working with Families of Children with Mental Illness with Sue Amero, Wings for Children and Families, at OHI.

. Oct. 9, 10 a.m.-noon: Working with Law Enforcement Professionals and the Legal System. Panel discussion at OHI.

. Oct. 9, 3-5 p.m.: Benefits Available for People with Disabilities, with Gary McClaughlin of Alpha One at OHI, Brewer.

. Oct. 9, 6-7 p.m.: Seasonal Affective Disorder: What Is It, Why Does It Occur, and What Can We Do About It? With Nina Boulard, University of Maine, at OHI, Brewer.

. Oct. 10, 3-4 p.m.: Children and Social Development, with Betsy Shepherd, University of Maine, at OHI, Brewer.

All activities are free unless otherwise indicated. OHI encourages participants to wear the silver ribbon throughout Mental Illness Awareness Week to show support.

To obtain information, contact Bev Uhlenhake, OHI, at 848-5804 Ext. 113, or Diane Nelson, CHCS at 947-0366 ext. 263. To obtain a silver ribbon, call 989-4007.