In their first joint effort since partnering together, the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office and NAMI Sauk Area will hold a Community Forum, to discuss how mental illness affects individuals, their families, communities, and Law Enforcement.
The event is free to the public and will be held Thursday, October 25, 2018, at Morrison High School, 643 Genesee Avenue, Morrison, IL. The forum starts at 5:30 p.m., in the auditorium.
Speakers will include an individual living with a mental illness, Chad Brooks, a NAMI-trained, “In Our Own Voice” and “Ending the Silence” speaker. He will share his story of struggle and recovery from a debilitating depression for over six years.
His mother, Tracy Brooks, will also speak. Tracy is a NAMI-trained, Family Support Group facilitator and Family to Family teacher. She will share how mental illness affects the entire family and how NAMI’s family support groups gave them help and hope.
Information on where the support groups are held in the area and additional resources will be made available.
Chief Deputy John Booker of the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office will discuss Law Enforcements role in providing resources, to those suffering from mental illness within the community, and the current plan for adding additional resources and training from the Sheriff’s Office. He will also give a unique perspective to the growing population within correctional facilities throughout the State and what can be done to stop the criminalization of mental illness.