Health & Safety

Community Event Examines Mental Health Issues in the Triad

By Keri Brown

Published February 25, 2013 at 4:38 PM EST

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut and other recent shootings have spurred a panel discussion about mental illness in Winston-Salem.

Approximately 54 million people in the US suffer with mental illness. The number one reason for hospital admissions nationwide is psychiatric disorder, according to the Foundation of Hope for the Research and Treatment of Mental Illness.

Andy Hagler is the executive director of the Mental Health Association in Forsyth County. He says one in four adults and one in five children suffer from mental illness in the Triad community. Hagler spoke with WFDD's Keri Brown about a community event Tuesday night in Winston-Salem, which will help raise awareness and provide education about the illness.

The program called "Mental Health as a Public Health Issue", will take place Tuesday, February 26, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 520 Summit Street in Winston-Salem.

To hear more about the event:

Tags

Health & Safety The Mental Health Association in Forsyth County

Keri Brown

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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Community Event Examines Mental Health Issues in the Triad

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