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Michigan's 46 Community Mental Health Services Programs are hosting "Walk-a-Mile In My Shoes", a rally at the state Capitol, Wednesday, May 14, and Tuscola County residents will be on site supporting this effort to combat stigma.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards (MACMHB) and Tuscola Behavioral Health Systems (TBHS) are encouraging mental health and developmental disability supporters and others to attend the fourth annual event, designed to raise awareness of mental health services in Michigan and combat stigmatization among the public and policymakers regarding mental health and developmental disability disorders.
The rally starts at 1:30 p.m. on the front lawn of the Michigan Capitol. More than 1,500 advocates are expected to participate this year.
Susan Rickwalt-Holder, director of Marketing and Training Services at Tuscola Behavioral Health Systems, said the rally helps showcase the importance of addressing issues facing people with mental illness, developmental disabilities and those with addictive disorders.
"We have marched in the rally since its inauguration in 2005. We took part in the successful rally in 2006 and 2007. We are excited to become a part of the impressive 2008 Walk a Mile in My Shoes Rally, and we are eager to once again join advocates from across the state to bring our message to the public," Rickwalt-Holder said. "There is a compelling need to continue to work and understand the realities of mental health and illness, in order to make improvements in our current system."
In Michigan, one in 5 adults will experience a mental health disorder at some point in their life, yet many of them cannot access the treatment they need.
This fourth annual rally will feature representatives from Michigan's 46 Community Mental Health Services Programs, and advocates from each of Michigan's 83 counties, who want to promote a higher awareness of mental health issues among the public, media and legislators, will walk a symbolic mile from the 4 corners of the Capitol front lawn and converge on the front steps of the Capitol.
Mental health supporters will provide statements on mental health disorders and developmental disabilities in an effort to bring attention to the wide range of the Michigan population who are affected.
The event is slated to run until 3 p.m., after which attendees are encouraged to visit the offices of state lawmakers to promote important mental health and developmental disability issues such as insurance parity and the necessity of state budget support for mental health programs and local community mental health facilities.
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