Mental illness and the journey to recovery: Insights from a brother, caregiver and physician

Gary Rhule, MD, will give a free talk based on his personal and professional experiences in coping with mental illness. In his recently published book, Sailing on Broken Pieces: Essential Survival Skills for Recovery from
Mental Illness, Rhule offers hard-earned insights from the triple perspective of emergency room doctor, sibling, and caregiver of a brother with severe mental illness.

The event will take place from 7:30-9:00pm on Thursday, April 14, 2016 at Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Rd., Greenwich, Conn.

At the April 14 event Dr. Rhule will discuss:

* How he learned to cope with the pressure of 12-hour ER shifts while caring for his brother
* How communities can best support families coping with mental illness and the urgent need to close gaps in health disparity
* Stigma and its toll on individuals, families, and communities

Dr. Rhule is an author, physician, and healthcare management consultant who worked as an emergency room doctor and a medical director at Aetna. He has recently been appointed director of health and human services for the City of Hartford. A graduate of Amherst College, he has a medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine, a masters degree in public health from Johns Hopkins University, and an MBA in finance and healthcare management from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.

Hosted by the Southwest CT affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the presentation is free and open to the public. Call 203 -388-1603 for information.

NAMI is a national, grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with mental illness and their families. NAMI Southwest CT serves the towns of Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk, Redding, Ridgefield, Westport, Weston, and Wilton.