“Half-a-million Arkansans – adults and children alike –experience some form of mental illness, and these fellow Arkansans also struggle with the stigma attached to mental illness. Many others go undiagnosed and untreated. We must work together to help bring more awareness and understanding of the impact of mental illness on families and, ultimately, lessen its stigma.”
First Lady Ginger Beebe
In 2007, the First Lady traveled the State listening to families whose children suffer from mental illnesses. Information gathered from that tour was presented to the Children’s Behavioral Health Care Commission, which is charged with developing a system of care for Arkansas’s Children and Youth. The commission continues to conduct studies of mental-health patients, practices, and care providers to create the best possible environment for the treatment of individuals and families affected by mental illness.
Mrs. Beebe is also involved with the Arkansas division of NAMI—the National Alliance on Mental Illness—and has been the honorary chair for NAMIWalks for the past three years.
Combining her love of art with her dedication to helping those who suffer from mental illness, the First Lady currently serves on the Art Advisory Board for the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute. This group makes recommendations about the art that is displayed in the Psychiatric Research Institute. The board’s ultimate goal is to aid in selecting art that fosters a soothing and healing environment for patients of the PRI.
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