ATLANTA – The Pi Alpha Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., hosted its first daylong forum on mental health this past weekend.
The theme for the event, which was held at the Andrew & Walter Young Family YMCA, was “The Underlying Truth” #NoShameNoStigma.
“Partnering with the Andrew and Walter Young Family YMCA was critically important,” said chapter president Francine Greer. “We wanted to make an impact on our neighborhood and our community at large and the YMCA is the place where people come to be active, learn and get support.”
Kristie Elmore, the vice president of the chapter and overall program chair, said the event is part of Pi Alpha Omega’s effort to provide more services in the community.
“AKA’s international program theme for 2014-2018, is ‘Launching New Dimensions of Service’and that includes the areas of educational enrichment, familystrengthening, environmental ownership, and global impact,” she says.”With 265,000 members in 986 chapters, we are able to meet the needs through those target areas. And we do that through initiatives and programs like the mental health forum that will empower members of the community with knowledge and resources.”
Dr. Indigo Triplett, one of the organizers of the event, is a U.S. veteran and has been diagnosed with a
condition herself. She says having a personal stake in advocacy and awareness is key.
“I have a nonprofit called Indigo Insights that talks about changing theconversation from mental illness to mental wellness,” she said. “I really believe that we have to have a conversation and that themore conversations we have around mental health, the more we are going tobe able to move the meter from mental illness to mental wellness.”
Triplett recently completed her book Dueling Dragons: a Bipolar Journey from the Darkness Into The Light, which chronicles her roller coaster ride with mental illness.
During the event, attendees learned about everything from how to center their emotions with physical fitness and Tai Chi to how to recognize the signs of mental illness and where to get assistance for those who are affected. The event was so well received that people in attendance are hoping it becomes an annual event at the YMCA.
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