Exhibition to Raise Awareness About Mental Illness

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Western Wyoming Community College will host an exhibition dedicated to raising awareness about living with mental illness February 26th through March 2nd in the Atrium, with a panel discussion and open mic session Tuesday February 27th at 6:00 p.m.

The exhibition will feature original photography and artwork that portrays what it is like to live with mental illness. It will be on display in the college’s atrium throughout the week. The open mic serves as an opportunity for people to share their perspectives and experiences regarding mental health. On Tuesday February 27th, the first open mic session will be from 6:00-6:30 p.m., followed by the panel discussion, and the second open mic session will be from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.. Speakers are invited to share poetry, music, and stories related to mental health in our community.

“This exhibit and affiliated events is inspired by the statistic that one in five Americans suffer from some type of mental illness. The aim is to bring home the reality of how many people in our community are affected by this issue, and provide direction on how to provide them with support,” said Ethan Morin, Honors Program student at WWCC.

The panel discussion titled “Mental Health in Western Wyoming” will feature the following speakers: Cassandra Crumpton, Sublette County Treatment Court Coordinator and Certified Suicide Prevention Trainer; Reverend Dr. Bernadine Craft, Sweetwater County BOCES Director, counselor, and Former Wyoming State Senator; Amy Galley, former member of YWCA Big Brothers Big Sisters, licensed Clinical Social Worker at Sweetwater County School District #2, and a member of the Wellbeing and Accessibility staff at WWCC; and Don Martinez, mental health and suicide prevention advocate, and suicide-attempt survivor.

“The WWCC Honors Program students wanted to promote mental illness awareness to try to end the negative stigma that surrounds those with mental illness. We hope to bring to light the true ‘faces’ of mental illnesses,” said Stephanie Webster, Honors Program student at WWCC

This event is created by the WWCC Honors Program. It is free and open to the public. The community is encouraged to attend and participate. For more information regarding this event, please contact Hayden Rawlings at 307-871-7295.