Monday, Oct. 3 marks the beginning of Mental Illness Awareness Week presented by the Delta branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association.
"The week's events are aimed at not only bringing awareness to our community regarding mental health and mental illness, but to also invite the public to visit our resource centre at our new location," says executive director Lynn Turner.
The branch is offering a free depression/anxiety screening test with on-site clinicians available to discuss the results.
Visitors can also learn about the branch's various programs, attend its annual general meeting, provide feedback to a mental health advocate regarding experiences with the mental health care system or add to its community art project, the Expression Train.
A four-day open house will kick-off Monday and run daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. through to Wednesday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday. It will be held at the branch's resource centre, 4871 Delta St., Ladner.
The AGM is slated for Tuesday at 2 p.m. New board members or committee volunteers are welcome.
The featured support group for the week is one that deals with obsessivecompulsive disorder, which meets Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. at 11715-72nd Ave., North Delta.
For people with OCD and their family and friends, this is the only OCD support group in Metro Vancouver offering educational, therapeutic and social support.
Thursday is Depression Anxiety Education & Screening Day. Members of the public are invited to drop in to the resource centre between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. to take a free, anonymous, confidential short self-test or to complete a questionnaire about a loved one. People can meet with a clinician to discuss the results and learn about treatment and support options for mood and anxiety concerns.
The day also provides opportunities to meet community leaders, representatives of the Delta Police Victim Services and Mark Stephens, the Canadian Mental Health Association B.C. representative for the National Consumers Advisory Council. He would like to hear from anyone who has found it necessary to seek assistance from the mental health care system for any reason.
For more information on Mental Illness Awareness Week events, visit www. delta.cmha.bc.ca or call 604-943-1878.
