Walking Whales teamed up to support mental health

The Department of Psychiatry headed up the NEOMED Walking Whales team in the 2023 NAMIWalks Summit County.

The Walking Whales came together as a community to walk on Oct. 14 at the University of Akron’s Stile Fieldhouse and raised over $1,200. The theme of this year's walk was "Mental Health for All" to stress the importance of education and advocating for all since mental illness can affect persons of any age and occur in any family. The annual event supports and promotes awareness and raises funds for NAMI’s free mental health programs.

Ruth Simera, Harry Sivec and Lucky Tisch from the psychiatry department participated as well as networked with participants to showcase the Best Practices in Schizophrenia Treatment Center and the training provided to mental health clinicians throughout the area.

NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

-- Submitted by Lucky Tisch