A NIGHT DEVOTED TO MENTAL HEALTH

Mental Health Banquet: How it All Started

What started off as an enthusiastic conversation about mental health over coffee has turned into an annual event to open conversations surrounding mental health. On March 30th 2019, Active Minds UAlberta executed its first ever project. In collaboration with the Undergraduate Psychology Association, we hosted the Mental Health Banquet to start off our journey by having an open conversation about mental health. At the Mental Health Banquet, we discussed different dimensions of mental health to establish its universality. The Mental Health Banquet had an unexpected attendance of 106 people. We reached out to psychologists, psychiatrists, representatives of organizations both in the community and on-campus (Community Social Work Team, Health and Wellness team), as well as people experiencing mental illness. The night was full of information, personal stories and open conversations about mental health. We hope to establish this event as an annual tradition to ensure the longevity of an essential conversation. Together lets work to change the conversation surrounding mental health.