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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2019
Media Contact: Jill Schacter jschacter@cityofevanston.org
Phone:  847/448-8628

Mental Health and Wellness Fair Returns to EPL

For a person to be healthy and whole, mental health plays a vital role. As an information provider, the Library has the ability to bring mental health issues to the forefront and offer the community access to local mental health providers. To that end more than 25 local mental health organizations and practitioners with resources for adolescents through older adults will be available at the Evanston Public Library for interested community members on Saturday, September 14. Attendees will have the chance to connect directly with these resource providers and learn more about mental health and wellness.The Mental Health and Wellness Fair will also offer hands-on creative arts therapy, education sessions, light refreshments, and door prizes.

There will be breakout sessions on mental health topics such as:

• Teen suicide prevention and awareness
• Caregiver stress, support, and self-care
• Principles of Harm Reduction
• Personal recovery stories

"Interwoven in the spirit of this event is breaking down the barriers of stigma and isolation around issues of mental health in order to help people reach their fullest potential,” says Jill Skwerski, EPL’s Engagement Services Manager.

The Mental Health and Wellness Fair will feature such participants as the City of Evanston Health Department, the Institute for Therapy Through the Arts (ITA), Amita/Presence Behavioral Health, In-Home Counseling, NAMI Cook County North Suburban, Chicago Behavioral Hospital, Mental Health
America of the North Shore, Connections for the Homeless, SIR Management, and Hope for the Day,
among many others.

The Mental Health and Wellness Fair will take place at the Main Library, 1703
Orrington Ave., on Saturday, September 14, 2019, from 1:30 to 4:30 pm. All are welcome.
For more information, contact the Library social worker, Christina Mendez, at 847-448-8659.

About the Evanston Public Library

For more than 140 years, the Library has provided educational, culturally-rich resources for all residents, helped children prepare for school through the joys of reading and learning, celebrated Evanston’s diversity, and helped residents find information they seek. The Library is more than a building of books; it is a place to meet, connect, learn and explore. To learn more, visit www.epl.org.