Goodwill NYNJ and Village Playback Theatre will present “Going Mental: Stopping Stigma One Story at a Time,” an interactive performance to reduce the stigma of mental health on Friday, May 20 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, May 21 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. at The Queens Theatre located at 14 United Nations Ave. S., Flushing, NY 11368.
Individuals with mental illness who are Members of Citiview Connections Clubhouse will dramatize their daily life experience. Citiview is a member-run accredited clubhouse for adults with psychiatric disabilities and operated by Goodwill NYNJ since 1994.
To purchase tickets, please visit http://stoppingstigma.brownpapertickets.com/
Based on fear, misunderstanding or a lack of information about mental illness, stigma may cause people to delay treatment or to experience discrimination in employment, housing and other areas of their lives.
Citiview members began training under the guidance of professional actors from Village Playback Theatre in May 2015. Then, they offered interactive performances for adults with mental illness in shelters, residences, and treatment programs.
This cooperative project to reduce stigma related to mental health in Queens was possible thanks to grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs through the Queens Council on the Arts’ Queens Arts Fund. An anonymous Goodwill NYNJ member provided matching funds for the NEA grant.
The project culminates with these interactive performances for the general public to mark May, Mental Health Awareness Month 2016.
“For nearly 30 years, Goodwill NYNJ has offered Behavioral Health services for adults with mental illness and/or substance use disorders, from housing, home and community based services, peer support, social and recreational activities to employment support services,” comments Katy Gaul-Stigge, Goodwill NYNJ CEO & President. “We collaborate with corporate partners to turn business opportunities into jobs for individuals with mental illness and to create more inclusive communities.”
For information about our Behavioral Health Services, please
Visit www.goodwillnynj.org or call 718 777-5400.