AAPHC’s first ever Mental Health Expo to be held tomorrow

The event will be on Saturday, April 29 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Albany Civic Center.

ALBANY, Ga. – It’s a big weekend for Albany Area Primary Health Care, as they’re getting set to boost their first Mental Health Expo, here at the Albany Civic Center this Saturday.

Albany Area Primary Health Care social worker, Sheneka Riggins is the one who put this event together and she says that in a post-COVID environment, a focus on mental health is just as important as physical health.

“We know it’s important when we have any physical diagnoses, as far as things like hypertension and diabetes, we know that we have to take our meds in order to decrease these issues. Mental health is the same,” said Sheneka Riggins, Social Worker, Albany Area Primary Health Care.

While this is a first time ever event for primary care to kick off Mental Health Awareness Month, they want to stress that mental health isn’t something people should just brush off.

“We can’t ignore there’s anxiety, PTSD, and depression which affects our day to day life, and just ignore it, not receive therapy, medication management, or any other intervention to decrease, or diminish the issue,” said Riggins.

The mental health expo is a brand new event that Albany Primary Health Care is putting on for the Dougherty county area.

And, they’re partnering with more than 30 groups to provide proper resources.

“Some of the resources available we’ll have are PeachState, we’ll have AmeriGroup, CareSource, the Albany Police Department, we’ll have Albany Tech there, we’ll have Mt. Zion mental health ministry there as well,” said Riggins.

But, according to Riggins, in an age where mental health still has a stigma against it, she wants to get one message across no matter how many times it’s been said.

“One of the important reasons is the stigma that comes along with mental health. The second important reason is the pandemic that we experienced with covid. So we have a lot of people who are experiencing a lot of mental health issues from COVID, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and also just to help the community understand that it is okay to address your mental health issues,” said Riggins.

As Albany Primary Health Care and their partners get set for this weekend’s Mental Health Expo, they’re not only hoping for a large turnout from the community, but that those in attendance leave with a little more mental clarity.

The Mental Health Expo will take place tomorrow, April 29th at the Albany Civic Center from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. This event will be free and open to the public.

Brian Roche reporting.

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