In conjunction with the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Mental Illness — No Discrimination Movement, The University of Toledo will screen “Silver Linings Playbook” to raise awareness and fight discrimination of mental illness.
The screening will take place Wednesday, April 16, from 6 to 9 p.m. in Health Education Building Room 100 on UT’s Health Science Campus.
The 2012 Oscar-nominated movie is about a man with bipolar disorder who is released from a psychiatric hospital and moves back home with his parents.
The event is sponsored by the MIND (Mental Illness — No Discrimination) Movement, a collaboration of Ohio agencies, organizations and individuals joining together in the fight to end the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Following the film, there will be a discussion about the perceptions and realities of mental illness led by Dr. Daniel Rapport, associate professor in the UT Department of Psychiatry.
“Dr. Rapport is an expert in this field, and I think it will be a great educational opportunity and experience for those who attend,” said Dave Kubacki, department administrator for the UT Department of Psychiatry.
Also speaking at the event will be Larry Wanucha, UT graduate and mental awareness advocate. Wanucha received his associate’s degree in business management and his bachelor’s degree in education from The University of Toledo. He went on to earn his master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Bowling Green State University in 2008.
Wanucha will share his story about living with schizophrenia and the challenges and discrimination individuals with mental illnesses face.
“Events like this create awareness for mental illness,” said Adrianne Chasteen, a board member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “They also ensure individuals are free of discrimination and are actively seeking treatment and recovery.”
For more information or to RSVP for the free event, contact Chasteen at visualimpairmentfamilies@gmail.com.
