Event Brings Awareness to Mental Health Support in Community

Artists, mental health advocates, residents and Prince William Community Services staff recently gathered at the Dr. A.J. Ferlazzo Building in Woodbridge for the county’s 15^th annual Mental Health Awareness Event.

Some were there to share their stories of coping with mental health issues. Others were there to learn. Some came to raise awareness of the services the county and its partners can offer to those touched by mental health issues.

Program Manager for Prince William Community Services Clinical Behavioral Health Program Tina Kabarligos said Community Services holds the event every year to recognize people who are recovering from mental illness and thriving and to dispel the harmful misconceptions people have about mental health.

“The importance of today’s event is to fight the stigma against mental health; and to educate the public, to celebrate the individuals that we serve, and to teach about recovery and resources available for individuals with mental health issues,” Kabarligos said.

Artists came to the event with landscape, still life and abstract paintings, pen-and-ink drawings, handcrafted scarves and dolls, hand-painted rocks and more.

Poet Josue Rios was one of the artists who attended the event with his book “Rosita: Little Rose,” which examines his own bout with depression. The writing helped Rios recover.

“I entered a state of depression. I stopped writing completely. I stopped reading, and then one day, I was inspired to start writing poetry in 2020, and that has been my best helping mechanism for helping cope with my symptoms,” he said.

Rios hopes that his book can help people battling mental health issues know that they can fight and win.

 “When people are reading my poetry, I want them to feel inspired. I want them to know that they’re not the only ones going through depression. This helps us coexist, I believe, and helps us relate to each other,” Rios said.

Jacob Moore, CEO and founder of Five Bridges, a wellness education company, and No Stigmas, a mental health non-profit organization, gave the keynote speech at the event and told the attentive audience that communicating about mental health is one of the most effective ways to help.

“The number one thing people can do to combat stigmas is to talk about mental health, talk about suicide; the things that often stigmatize go away when we shed a light on them. We do that by sharing our stories, by advocating,” said Moore, who lost his father to suicide when he was six years old, which led to bouts of severe depression later in life. “I think it’s really important for people to feel a sense of community. When they see others coming together, talking about mental health, looking for resources, seeing that there are support workers here, it helps them understand the problem. It helps them experience peer support and generally provides resources to connect them to support.”

During the event each year, the county recognizes someone who contributed to the mental health of area residents. This year’s award recipient, Pat Victorson of the National Alliance on Mental Health-Prince William, is a former teacher, librarian and college administrator who has volunteered with the alliance for more than a decade. She is a member of an interfaith group that advocated for the newly established Prince William Crisis Receiving Center.

“Pat has also been a volunteer of the mental health awareness event since its inception and is backbone and guiding star to many professionals and non-profits in the community,” said Georgia Bachman, Deputy Director of the Prince William Community Services.

Victorson reiterated the mission of the event.

“Today’s program allows us, and by that, I mean the greater Prince William community and all of the organizations – the county organizations, the non-profits and other groups – to bring awareness about the importance of supporting those with mental health conditions and their families,” Victorson said.

Prince William County Executive Chris Shorter also recognized the importance of the mental health awareness event.

“I am proud to be a part of a county that brings together community to help people and their families who are dealing with mental health issues. Mental health awareness can get us to the place where we feel comfortable talking about mental health concerns. Talking is the first step toward the health of the community. Talking can result in knowing and knowing can lead to healing,” said Shorter.

Visit the Prince William Community Services webpage for more about the available resources surrounding mental health services and support.  

See a video about the event here.