/R E P E A T -- Celebration of Mental Health Week May 6 - 12, 2013/

Open House at Potential Place May 10, 2013

CALGARY, May 7, 2013 /CNW/ - In Celebration of Mental Health Week this week, Potential Place Society is hosting an Open House on Friday May 10^th from 2pm to 6PM.

Frank Kelton, Executive Director stressed that the purpose of the Open House is  to raise awareness of Mental Illness, to reduce stigma and importantly, to hear the voices of Members who are working on recovery from their mental illness.

Mr. Kelton indicated that "One in five people in Alberta will experience a mental illness in his or her lifetime. Mental illness affects people of all ages, in all kinds of jobs and at all educational levels. Due to stigma, the typical reaction encountered by someone with a mental illness is fear and rejection. Some have been denied adequate housing, loans and jobs due to their history of mental illness".  He added: "We can battle stigma when we have facts. We all have times when we feel depressed, get unreasonably angry or over-excited. We even have periods when we think that everything and everybody is out to get us and that we can't cope. For someone with a mental illness these feelings become overwhelming"

The support of family, friends and employers is critical to recovery. Potential Place Clubhouse is also such a support. As a voluntary, caring community that offers a place of hope, dignity, and psycho-social rehabilitation to members who have a mental illness Potential Place is defined by values of acceptance without stigma, empowerment and egalitarianism.

In addition to Member testimonials, Keynote speakers at the Open House will include Christine Cusellani, MLA for Calgary Currie, Dr. David Swann, MLA for Calgary-Mountain View and Dr. John Rook, CEO of the Calgary Homeless foundation.

SOURCE: Potential Place Society

Allison McCallum at 403-216-9250 or via e-mail at [email protected].  To learn more about Potential Place Society, visit www.potentialplace.org.