The approaching holidays bring families together to celebrate and spend time together, but those family gatherings also can place undue pressure and stress on those who also may struggle with mental health and substance abuse issues.
Melanie Griggs, a behavioral health clinical counselor at Granville Vance Public Health, said two upcoming listening sessions are designed to provide resources and information about services in the community.
“It’s a big, big problem,” Griggs said of individuals who find themselves in a mental health or substance abuse crisis.
Above and beyond those modern-day stressors that creep into people’s lives from time to time, other people experience anxiety, depression, loneliness and even suicidal thoughts.
“It affects the family, employers, our entire community,” Griggs said. “All of us are touched by someone who struggles with either of these issues on a day-to-day basis,” she said.
GVPH is one of the partners hosting the discussions.
The Vance County forum will be held Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 6 p.m. at the Spring Street Missionary Baptist Church, 511 Orange St., Henderson.
The Granville County forum will be held Thursday, Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. at Cornerstone Christian Community Church, 3237 Knotts Grove Rd., Oxford.
“We’re going to talk a lot about access and where in our communities…you can go to get more information and support to address (people’s) particular concerns.”
Provider booths will include those that specialize in medications for Opioid Use Disorder (e.g., Buprenorphine, Methadone), individual and family counseling, medication management, crisis management, intensive outpatient services, and residential treatment.
“We want to make sure that people in our community know what’s out there…making sure they know where to go to get these services.”
Griggs said the community has access to a mobile crisis management unit, accessible by phone 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at 1.844.709.4097.
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