Guilford County’s coming new mental health center isn’t going to be open anytime soon, however, in the meantime, plenty of existing area nonprofits are doing what they can to help residents with mental health challenges.
For instance, this week, Mental Health Greensboro – a nonprofit organization formerly known as the Mental Health Association is offering night and weekend classes on dealing with grief and anger. That move is meant to help those who work during the day and can’t make it to the classes offered during regular business hours.
The new classes are part of Mental Health Greensboro’s “Wellness Academy,” which is one of the organization’s free support services for those who need to deal with mental health challenges. The two classes are “Grief and Loss” and “Anger Management.” The class meant to help people handle grief will meet weekly from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday nights, starting on Monday, Feb. 3. The anger management class, which is court-approved, will be offered weekly on Saturdays from noon to 1:30 p.m., beginning on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Suzanne Stafford, the director of communications for Mental Health Greensboro, stated that it’s vitally important for everyone to guard and nurture their mental health and seek help when needed.
“Mental wellness is equally as important as physical health,” Stafford stated in a press release announcing the new classes. “You can be as fit as a fiddle, but, if you’re not mentally well, you’re not healthy.”
She added that mental health problems are pervasive in today’s society.
“One in five American adults experience mental illness in any given year,” she said. “Literally everyone knows someone who has dealt with mental health challenges. By expanding the hours of our support services, we expand our accessibility to our community and to those wanting help in dealing with their mental health issues.”
Mental Health Greensboro’s Wellness Academy classes are free – however, a brief orientation is required of all participants before services begin. Orientation sessions can be arranged by calling 336-373-1402. People who wish to learn more about the classes can visit Mental Health Greensboro’s website at www.mhag.org.
Mental Health Greensboro, which has been operating under one name or another in Guilford County for eight decades, also provides other services and programs that promote mental health and that support recovery from mental illnesses.
