Outreach follows Bernardsville tragedy – Recorder Community Newspapers: Bernardsville News.

Jacob Perry does a good job interviewing myself and Lauren Luik about our activities in the Healthy Outcomes Partnership to raise awareness in our community. The article made the front page of the March 10, 2011 edition, and has a been recently uploaded to the paper’s website.

HOP will be hosting its second annual Mental Health Week, a week-long information event focusing on mental health, from May 9 to 13 at the YMCA at 140 Mount Airy Road. The event will include numerous talks, workshop and exhibits.

“A tragedy like this is shocking to all of us,” said Lauren Luik, HOP’s Steering Committee chair and a member of the YMCA Board of Directors. “It shakes our core, especially in a community like ours where there is a general appearance of well-being and happiness.

“Asking for help in times of distress can be very difficult, and that’s why the HOP coalition is rolling out programs to support the community by making that first call for help as easy as possible,” she said.

HOP is also launching a mental health first aid program in which two Y employees will receive 40 hours of training. The two employees, in turn, will offer a 12-hour training course to the general public.

Kimzey expressed hope that many people will pursue the training. He said that when an individual slips into a depression, the only ones in a position to see the change are those in day-to-day contact with the individual, such as co-workers, close friends or family members.

The paper editorialized, as well, on the tragedy, and mentioned our efforts at HOP.

Related: Susan Visser and Sue Diebold have just completed the Mental Health First Aid instructor training. “The MHFA movement is so much bigger than I even thought it was,” Susan said in an email today, “and I am excited to be one almost 1,000 instructors nationwide.”