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National Coalition of 100 Black Women Greater Omaha Chapter hosts mental health summit

Posted at 6:50 AM, May 07, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-07 07:50:18-04

The Greater Omaha Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women is working to end the stigma associated with mental illness.

The nonprofit hosted its second annual mental health summit at UNO Monday.

Hundreds listened with open minds and mental health experts shared key information on how to recognize mental illness.

"It's up to us pay attention to how we feel, knowing when we may need help .. to challenge the notion that being depressed or even having psychosis is a stigma, and go get help from your health care provider," Community Psychiatrist Dr. Janet Taylor Said.

Dr. Janet Taylor was this year's keynote speaker.

"Everyone gets depressed no matter what your ethnicity or skin color is," she said. It's treatable, go and talk about it because it's really about optimizing your functioning and living as long as you can."

Dr. Taylor says self care is vital to mental health.

"It's really important and critical that if you're taking care of other people, (family members, people in the community) that you pay attention to what your own needs are," Dr. Taylor said. Make sure you go to your own physical checkups, you know check your own pulse so to speak and really take care of yourself."

Mental health treatment, anger management, and domestic violence were just a few of the topics discussed.

President of the Omaha chapter Dr. Idalene Williams says, they hope to educate as many people in the community as possible,

"The purpose is to design a plan and get the community partners in a conversation together on how we can bring an awareness and identify the resources, and give the resources to overcome mental [illness]."Dr.Williams said.

Williams also says she hopes more people (especially those in African American communities) will seek help as mental health awareness month continues.