Mental Health Awareness Day 2017

(LIMA; May 8, 2017) On Wednesday, May 10, Spencerville High School will partner with St. Rita’s Health Partners’ behavioral health and pharmacy teams to host Spencerville Mental Health Awareness Day – 2017. This is an all-day event that will begin at 7:55 a.m. and last until 2:45 p.m. This event will be held at Spencerville High School located at 2500 Wisher Dr. Spencerville, OH 45887.

The event was proposed by Trevor Osting who is Spencerville’s student council president and a St. Rita’s Volunteen. Osting was impacted by St. Rita’s commitment to suicide prevention. He reached out to Susan Hawk, chief clinical integration of Behavioral Health at Mercy Health and director of operations of the Behavioral Health Institute at St. Rita’s Health Partners, to see if they would help coordinate this event.

“As part of Mental Health Month, it’s important that we build awareness around such an important topic within the communities we serve. This day that Spencerville High School and Trevor have created is truly a reminder that it takes a community to share this message,” said Hawk. “Whether you think you may be suffering from a mental health disorder, or if it’s someone you know, it’s important to know the signs and symptoms and when to get help.”

Throughout the day, 300 students will have the opportunity to attend 14 sessions focused on different mental health topics. Topics include suicide prevention, mental health, the effects of opioid and alcohol abuse, talking to parents and the effects of social media/texting.

Spencerville High School and St. Rita’s have also partnered with other local agencies to present on the different topics throughout the day. Organizations include, Partnership for Violence Free Families, Family Resource Center of Northwest Ohio, SAFY and Crime Victim Services. Along with these organizations, Michelle Falke, assistant to the dean for special programs at the College of Arts and Sciences at Ohio Northern University, will host a college prep session. The keynote speaker for this event will be Mike Schoenhofer, executive director of the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Allen, Auglaize, and Hardin Counties.

“I would like to express our sincere thanks to St. Rita's for providing such a beneficial opportunity for our high school students. Something that started out small has turned into something that should have a major positive impact on our students and staff,” said Kim Ekis, student council advisor at Spencerville High School.

Building mental health awareness is a community effort. By hosting this event, St. Rita’s and Spencerville High School hope students will walk away with a better understanding of mental health and how everyone can play a part in helping those affected.

About St. Rita’s Health Partners
Since 1918, St. Rita’s Health Partners has been providing quality healthcare to the people of Lima and west central Ohio. More people prefer St. Rita's for medical care than any other hospital in the 10-county region we serve. Our comprehensive high-quality medical services include The Henry & Beverly Hawk Vascular & Heart Center at St. Rita's, St. Rita's Orthopaedic Care Center, trauma and emergency, cancer treatment, women's health, mother/baby, pediatrics, sports medicine and rehabilitation, behavioral health services, homecare and hospice.

As a member of Mercy Health, the largest health system in Ohio and one of the largest health systems in the United States, it is our Mission to extend the healing ministry of Jesus by improving the health of our communities. In 2014, St. Rita’s Health Partners invested $42 million in community benefit into the communities where we provide care, most of it targeted to people who are poor and under-served. Together with more than 3,000 employees, physicians and volunteers, we are fulfilling our promise, providing area residents with outstanding health and wellness services and improving the health of the communities we serve. Please visit mercy.com for more information or connect with St. Rita’s Medical Center on Facebook.

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