Albany, NY – An Orange County community organization -- Voices United 4 Change -- has been honored at the New York State Office of Mental Health’s ‘What’s Great in our State 2017’. The annual event, held May 2 in Albany, celebrates the people and programs making a difference in the field of children’s mental health.

Voices United 4 Change (VU4C) provides mental health advocacy, education and support to the Orange County community. The program was recognized for its extraordinary commitment to reduce stigma and engage families in the region.

“The people involved in the Voices United 4 Change program are making exceptional strides to bring children’s mental health awareness to the forefront of the healthcare discussion, and to reduce the stigma surrounding behavioral health concerns,” said New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Marie T. Sullivan. “We thank Voices United 4 Change and each of our five honorees for their hard work and commitment to children’s mental health.”

VU4C offers support groups for youth, families and caregivers in multiple locations across the county. The program also organizes a Youth and Family Summit annually, providing mental illness education with programming specific to parents, youth and bilingual families. In 2016, the program reached almost 30% more families than the year prior, due to its extensive community outreach efforts.

“Voices United 4 Change is honored to be recognized by New York State and its partners for the efforts we make to reduce mental health stigma in Orange County,” says Anne-Marie Freitas, Program Coordinator of Voices United 4 Change. “Our team is passionate about reducing the stigma often associated with mental illness and are always finding new innovative ways to spread this message. There is a reason our mascot is a giant green elephant named Stiggy. He represents mental illness, the ‘elephant in the room’ that no one talks about. It’s time to change that view on mental illness and we are so proud to be recognized for our commitment to the cause.”

 For more information about Voices United 4 Change, visit http://www.voicesunited4change.org/

‘What’s Great in Our State’

 ‘What’s Great in Our State’ is an annual event hosted by the New York State Office of Mental Health, the New York State Council on Children and Families, and a number of children’s mental health advocacy organizations in order to celebrate the individuals and programs that are successfully advancing the cause of children’s mental health in New York State. The event features a reading of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s announcement proclaiming the week as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, a ceremony recognizing our honorees, and an art show featuring artwork created by children receiving services from New York State’s mental health system. This year’s event will also feature two keynote speakers and a moderated round-table discussion featuring the awardees.

The event coincides with Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, a national movement that seeks to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health and to show that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development from birth.

For more information on the partners involved with this year’s ‘What’s Great in Our State’ event, visit http://conta.cc/2ou2Cr2.