MENTAL ILLNESS AWARENESS National group plans candlelight vigil

YOUNGSTOWN -- National Alliance for Mental Illness, Mahoning Valley, will host the sixth annual Candlelight Vigil for Mental Illness Awareness at 7 p.m. Thursday at Richard Brown Memorial United Methodist Church, 1205 Elm St.
Mental Illness Awareness Week is Oct. 2-8.
People with mental illness, their families, friends, support people, and community and private mental health service providers, along with the public and governmental officials, and all who have concern for people with mental illness, are invited to the vigil.
"The vigil represents a commitment to publicly recognize that mental illness does exist and that our community has and will continue to make substantial commitments to address and assist persons with mental illness and their families," Dianna R. Mason, vice president of NAMI Mahoning Valley, said.
Common illness
One in five people suffers from a mental illness, according to NAMI.
NAMI Mahoning Valley offers support, information, awareness and advocacy for families of the mentally ill, plus an intensive no-cost Family-to-Family Education Program, Mason said.
The Evening Support Group meets the second Tuesday of each month at the D & amp;E Counseling Center, 142 Javit Court, Austintown, from 7 to 9 p.m. The Daytime Support Group meets the second Thursday of each month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Girard Library. Other support groups and education programs are available, Mason said.