Join us online for 320 Festival’s online event May 8 to 10 to help end stigma and support those with mental health conditions. We’re thrilled to be an event partner and to have staff members signed up to be panelists.
Erin Raftery Ryan, our Executive Director, will speak on the prevention panel at noon. “With prevention and early intervention we can shift the mental health narrative for the next generation. Education is the catalyst for change,” she says.
Elizabeth Stephens, our Outreach/Operations Coordinator, will be part of a panel at 1 pm to discuss the unique and specific pressures faced by members of the LGBTQ+ community. “Members of the LGBTQ community with mental health conditions may find themselves fighting a double stigma, based on their sexual orientation/gender identity, as well as the stigma associated with mental health conditions,” she said. For Elizabeth, her journey with both her sexual orientation and mental health condition requires courage, vulnerability, and self-acceptance. She was able to find a strong sense of community with the support of NAMI WLA and has shared her story for Ending Silence Presentations and in the peer space.
Find out more on the 320 Festival website.