Parsippany Psychiatric Hospital Holds 'Stigma Free' Open House

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Greystone Park State Psychiatric Hospital will hold an open house designed to help reduce the stigma of mental illness and addictions on Friday, Oct. 14. Atteendees will participate in a morning of educational activities, listen to current and former patients tell their stories, and tour different areas of the hospital.

The Morris County Board of Freeholders designated Morris County as a Stigma Free community in April. This is a county-wide program that works to eliminate the stigma — defined in the dictionary as "a mark of disgrace associated with a particular circumstance, quality, or person" — often associated with mental illness and substance use disorders.

Morris County strives to raise awareness of these illnesses, and create an environment where these individuals are supported throughout their recovery.

“Stigma-Free Communities aim to inspire public interest and open dialogue about stigma, and raise awareness of mental health and substance use disorders,’’ saidFreeholder Hank Lyon. “They create a culture in which residents with mental health and substance use disorders feel supported by their community and neighbors, and free to seek treatment without fear of stigma.’’

The Greystone Open House will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon on Friday. The program will begin in the auditorium at Greystone at 59 Koch Avenue, Morris Plains, N.J. 07950. A tour will be given of the following program areas: Art, Music, Vocational Rehabilitation, Recording Studio, Gym, Pool and the Woody Guthrie Self-Help Center.

To participate, register by contacting Bill Chepiga (609-777-0709 or bchepiga@dhs.state.nj.us) or Rosalind Stewart (609-777-0525 or Rosalind.Stewart@dhs.state.nj.us). You must bring a photo ID to gain admittance on the day of the event.

The open house is sponsored by the New Jersey Governor’s Council on Mental Health Stigma and the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction.

For more information on efforts to deter stigma, check out these sites: http://morriscountynj.gov/hs/stigma-free/ or https://www.nami.org/stigmafree.

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