NAMI sponsoring wellness symposium in Moultrie

ALBANY — The Albany and Moultrie chapters of the National Alliance on Mental Illness will co-sponsor a “Transforming 2 Wellness” symposium in late April. According to organizers, it will highlight “area resources for people to access the support and care they need to achieve and sustain long-term recovery from mental health challenges and substance abuse.”

The event will take place April 29 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Moultrie Technical College Auditorium, 800 Veterans Parkway North. WALB Channel 10 news anchor Ben Roberts will act as emcee and Charles Willis, 2014 Mental Health America Clifford W. Beers Award recipient, will deliver keynote remarks.

According to Jere Brands, president of NAMI Albany, “’Transforming 2 Wellness’ is a regional recovery symposium for all of Southwest Georgia. The speakers and panel will include individuals from Lee and Terrell counties as well as other surrounding communities. Materials from exhibitors will demonstrate the range of resources for mental health and addiction in this area. There is hope, and recovery is real.”

Seating for the symposium is limited so preregistration is required by April 16. People with Internet access must pre-register online at http://transforming2wellness.eventbrite.com. Those without internet access or who have questions can call 888-978-5512. Preregistration is necessary to receive the event’s complimentary lunch.

The sponsors of “Transforming 2 Wellness” are the NAMIs of Georgia, Albany, and Moultrie, along with the Georgia Council on Substance Abuse, the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network, and the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD).