Friday, August 5 is Mental Health Day at the Ohio State Fair

(COLUMBUS, OH)  —  Mental health and wellness will take center stage this Friday (Aug. 5) as part of RecoveryOhio’s Mental Health Day at the 2022 Ohio State Fair. Fairgoers will be greeted at the north entrance (Cardinal Gate) by staff from a number of state agencies, including Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s RecoveryOhio initiative, the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the Ohio Department of Insurance.

The first 2,500 guests will receive a free bag with educational information and promotional items. Directors from each agency will also be on hand to greet fairgoers, tour mental health-focused exhibits, participate in afternoon story time with children, and serve as honorary grand marshals of the daily parade. Any Ohioan in recovery from mental illness or a substance use disorder -- or who works in behavioral health care or a related field -- is invited to join in as the parade moves through the fairgrounds. The parade will begin at 4:00 p.m. just north of Natural Resources Park and will continue up the Food Highway, ending just north of 17th Avenue.

Fairgoers will want to be sure to stop by the Marketplace Building to visit the OhioMHAS, ODI and Beat the Stigma booths. Representatives from each agency will be on hand to answer questions about services and benefits, pass out literature and provide guidance on how to connect with community resources throughout Ohio. ODI staff will showcase the department’s new Mental Health Insurance Assistance Office and share resources for employers and individuals. At the Beat the Stigma booth, fair patrons can step into a replica of the gameshow booth featured in campaign PSAs currently airing on TV stations throughout Ohio to challenge their knowledge of mental illness, addiction and stigma.  

If you or a loved one are struggling with mental illness or substance use, there are many ways to reach out for help and information. Get free, confidential emotional support from a trained counselor by calling the Ohio CareLine at 1.800.720.9616. You can also reach out through the Ohio Crisis Text Line by texting the keyword 4HOPE to 741 741. If you are in immediate crisis, you can call the new 988 Crisis & Suicide Lifeline. See attached for more resources.

The Ohio State Fair is one of the largest state fairs in the country and runs through Sunday, August 7.

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