Rock N’ Resources promotes addiction, mental health awareness in Warren

Halmich Park was the spot for Saturday afternoon’s Celebrate Life; Keeping Kids Safe event presented by Rock N’ Resources. The purpose of the event was to offer resources for families struggling with addiction and issues assoiced with it such as suicide prevention and mental health resources.

State Rep. Lori Stone was with Adrienne Gasperoni of CARE of Southeastern Michigan to increase awareness of the services CARE offers and to talk about the Warren-Centerline Prevention Coalition. The Coalition seeks to bring parents, educators, government, law enforcement and religious leaders together to offer community support for people struggling with addiction and other mental health issues.

“We want to provide support across the community to help kids and families that might be impacted by these kinds of issues,” said Stone. “We are really trying to grow our coalition and offer services and support that are very much needed.”

The Coalition is working to educate teens about marijuana, especially because it is legal and more readily available than it used to be, Stone said.

“We want them to understand that just because something is legal doesn’t mean it is healthy,” said Stone. “Some of these kids are at the age when they are going to be going out and looking for jobs and if they are using marijuana, that could affect their ability to get hired.”

Gasperoni says people who often have struggled with addiction in the past can be the most helpful to those who are currently trying to navigate a similar situation.

“We can meet people where they are,” said Gasperoni.

Several different organizations were present at the event all with the goal of starting the conversation about mental health and addiction and eliminating the stigma of both.

Pablo Fox and Colleen LaFleur of Roseville’s Live Rite talked about the importance of giving people the tools they need to manage trauma, reduce stress and in some cases, just to live day-to-day.

“We have a food pantry and a boutique and offer a lot of assisted outpatient therapy,” said Fox “We are trying to help people bridge the gaps in their lives and help them deal with addiction as well as the trauma or problems that may be contributing to those issues.”

Unfortunately, trauma, addiction and mental health issues can sometimes cause people to consider ending their lives. The American Foudation for Suicide Prevention / Michigan Chapter offers a vast amount of services for people struggling with suicidal thoughts as well as those who have lost someone due to suicide.

“There is a need to take the stigma away from mental health issues,” said AFSP volunteer Niky Komlosan. “It is so important to just start the conversation because if you don’t talk about it, you can’t address it.”

The AFSP hosts an annual walk for suicide prevention, which this year will be at Stony Creek Metropark on Sept. 19. A record number of participants have registered for the event, according to Komlosan, but walk day registrations are welcome. For more information visit afsp.org/chaper/Michigan

For more information on Rock N’ Resource go to rocknresource.com. Visit the Warren-Centerline Prevention Coalition at wcpcmi.com and Liv Rite at liveritestructuredcorp.com.