Trunk or Treat - Photo 197831953 © Anna Kraynova

by Kristen Krosa
Contributed article

TOMS RIVER – Looking to help “Scare Away Stigma,” the Ocean County Mental Health Awareness Committee is hosting a Trunk or Treat for a night of fun while recognizing and addressing the barriers of stigma.

The event is scheduled to take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on October 26 on the fourth floor of the Ocean County Parking Garage off Madison and Hadley Avenues in Downtown Toms River.

The Trunk or Treat event is hosted by Ocean County Mental Health Awareness Committee, a coalition of community-based organizations and advocates, along with the Ocean County Department of Human Services. There are also over 20 partners scheduled to participate in the event.


            “This is a wonderful opportunity for our residents to have a chance to visit with stigma-free partners of Ocean County and receive information and resources from them,” said Ocean County Commissioner Barbara Jo Crea, who serves as liaison to the Ocean County Mental Health Board. “It is also a great way for children to have a safe environment to get what everyone looks forward to around Halloween which are the treats.”

Some of the partners include local municipal police departments, the Jersey Shore BlueClaws, Hope Sheds Light, NAMI Ocean, Ocean County College, Ocean County Health Department and Prosecutor’s Office, RWJ Barnabas, as well as local mental health and support organizations.

The Ocean County Mental Health Board is a seven to twelve member public County advisory board responsible for the development of mental health services in Ocean County.

The Board makes recommendations, consistent with the County Mental Health Plan, regarding mental health funding and program development in Ocean County to the Board of Commissioners and the State Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

“Of the 33 municipalities in Ocean County, 28 have formally declared themselves as ‘Stigma-Free Zones,’” said the Director of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners John P. Kelly. “I applaud the Ocean County Mental Health Awareness Committee for continuing to make progress on making our residents aware of the importance of mental health and putting their mental health first.”

  For more information on the event, or the Ocean County Mental Health Awareness Committee, contact Jamie Busch, Assistant Mental Health Administrator, at jbusch@co.ocean.nj.us.

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