Update Aug. 7: Due to weather, the community mental health resources night has been postponed. The event has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 6p.m.
Fayetteville-Manlius School District partner and local mental health care provider Melissa Carman, Ph.D, LMHC, along with F-M High School graduate Michael OuYang are working to educate the community about mental health resources that are available in Central New York.
A community mental health resources night, organized in part by Carman and OuYang, will be held in August in conjunction with the Village of Manlius Summer Concert Series.
The event aims to make mental health support more accessible by providing an opportunity for individuals to connect and engage with local organizations, businesses and resources to gather information about the services and programs that are available. F-M counseling department faculty members, the district’s mental health educator William DeSantis, as well as student members of F-M High School’s Suicide Awareness for Everyone (SAFE) Club, a group that works toward ending the stigma surrounding mental health, and Hold on Pain Ends (HOPE) Club, a group that provides support and resources for students affected by exercise and eating disorders, will be in attendance providing outreach.
“We want everyone to know who to reach out to and how to seek help if they need it,” said Carman.
In 2021, the district entered into a partnership with Carman to provide mental, emotional, social and behavioral health services to F-M students in grades K-12.
OuYang is a 2022 graduate of F-M High School and has addressed the Fayetteville-Manlius School District Board of Education as an advocate for students’ mental health. He is also the founder of No Empty Seats, a non-profit organization focused on destigmatizing mental illness.
The event will take place on Tuesday, August 8 at 6 p.m. at the Village Amphitheater, 1 Arkie Albanese Way, Manlius, NY. It is open to the community, including students, staff and their families and is free to attend.