National Alliance of Mental Illness of Mercer is set to commemorate Mental Illness Awareness Week with its sixth annual Harvest of Hope wellness conference.
The conference, sponsored in part by a grant from the Lawrence Township Community Foundation, is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville. The education event is open to consumers, their families, and the general public.
This year’s theme is Recovery through Discovery.
Iranian-American activist, attorney, and award-winning author Melody Moezzi is set to deliver the keynote address: From Restraints to Recognition: Realizing Recovery through Advocacy. Her latest book, Haldol and Hyacinths: A Bipolar Life, is a critically acclaimed memoir that interweaves her experiences with both clinical and cultural bipolarity.
Following the keynote address, attendees will have a choice of wellness workshops, with one session in the morning and another during the afternoon.
Workshops are designed to provide a variety of interactive and hands-on wellness experiences. Topics include memory and the brain, an introduction to WRAP, physical fitness, EFT tapping therapy, international folk dancing, chair yoga, navigating the mental health system, a 12-step program for recovery, sensory modulation, mental illness and the family, and art therapy . Dr. Mark Komrad, last year’s keynote speaker, is set to host two “ask the doctor” sessions.
In addition to the workshops, conference participants will come together for two musical experiences. After lunch, Kevin Toft is set to lead a motivating group sing-along. The conference closes with a drumming circle conducted by Ange Chianese.
Registration is $10 and includes lunch. Although membership is not required, NAMI Mercer is offering an incentive price of $35 to join the organization and attend the conference.
Registration for the conference opens is scheduled to open Aug. 15 and close Oct. 3.
NAMI Mercer, based in Lawrenceville, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness through education, mutual support, and advocacy.
More information, including registration, is online at namimercer.org.
