CAHS’ Director of Training and Professional Development Joi Plain, LCSW, and CAHS Prevention Project Coordinator Ricki Davis Robinson participated in a mental health fair that was hosted Nov. 8 by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Louisiana Chapter.
NAMI Louisiana serves residents with free mental health support, online groups, resources, and education to improve the lives of persons who have a mental illness.
Plain was a featured speaker at the event, leading a conversation about “toxic positivity,” the concept that a person should maintain a positive mindset no matter how difficult, hurtful, or challenging a situation might be.
“Toxic positivity basically dismisses a person’s real emotions, which can lead to internal conflicts, fake behaviors, and failure to address real mental health challenges that are occurring,” said Plain. “It’s important that we allow people to be truthful about their emotions and experiences, so we can deal with reality, not a false sense of being.”
Robinson updated attendees about CAHS’ wide range of services that include mental health, addiction recovery and treatment, assistance for developmental disabilities, and prevention initiatives that promote medication safety and healthy choices.
Robinson also distributed free kits of Narcan, the life-saving medication that reverses the deadly effects of overdoses from opioids, and talked about the risks of opioids, fentanyl, vaping, tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs.