Harvest of Hope at Home

We hope you will join us for NAMI Mercer’s annual Harvest of Hope Wellness Conference. Though we are hosting the conference ONLINE this year, our goals remain the same. We seek to promote well-being, raise awareness about mental health challenges, and transform the way people view mental illness in order to foster more inclusive communities where everyone belongs and everyone can thrive.

The conference will launch on Sunday evening, October 4th at 7:00 pm with an interactive cooking demo by chef Christina Covello, followed by an entertaining improvisational comedy performance by The Dreamcatchers Repertory Theater.

The keynote presentation, Creating Mental Harmony in Times of Uncertainty, will be delivered by actress, author, and mental health advocate Mariel Hemingway on Monday evening, October 5th at 7:00 pm.

On Tuesday evening, October 6th at 7:00pm Dr. Susan L. McElroy will discuss new developments in the pharmacotherapy (drug treatment) of serious mental disorders and will cover the implications of recent data showing that most mental disorders are genetically related to one another and co-occur in a 50 minute session. Then at 8:00pm Dr. Sonia Waters will discuss spirituality and mental illness in another 50 minute breakout session.

The following day, Wednesday October 7th at 7:00pm, Dr. Joel Friedman will host a 50 minute workshop for those with an interest in the complex issues surrounding the substantial increase in the number of individuals with significant mental health treatment needs who have had interactions with the criminal justice system. At 8:00pm Dr. Mark Komrad will host a 50 minute workshop on approaches for convincing someone to seek professional medical help.

The program will conclude on Thursday October 8th starting with a workshop at 7:00pm with Dr. Matthew Carter who will discuss what happens when we sleep and will offer a sleep scientist’s definition of “a good night’s sleep.” He will also discuss the impact of a good night’s sleep on physical and mental health. At 8:00pm Diane Mintz will share insights from a 24-year marriage to a man with schizoaffective disorder while she maintained long-term recovery from addiction and a bipolar disorder. This presentation is especially relevant for friends and family members of someone with a mental illness but will also be informative for those living with a mental illness and for clinicians interested in long-term recovery.

The wonderful benefit of having this event online is that all attendees will be able to participate in any or all sessions and will receive access to this content after the conference ends.

Go to https://www.accelevents.com/e/HarvestofHope#Agenda to register and see the day to day schedule.