CAZENOVIA — This May, the Madison County Rural Health Council (MCRHC) is recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month with “Just Walk!,” a series of Walk with a Doc (WWAD) programs at Lakeland Park in Cazenovia.

Started in 2005 by a cardiologist in Columbus, Ohio, WWAD is a national non-profit organization aimed at encouraging healthy physical activity in people of all ages and reversing the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle with the goal of improving the health and well-being of the country.

According to MCRHC, the program has a proven track record of helping people commit to a healthy lifestyle through the encouragement of physicians/other licensed healthcare professionals and interactions with others interested in improving their health.

The aim of MCRHC’s “Just Walk!” initiative is to promote physical activity and mental health awareness by bringing together licensed mental health professionals and community members to learn something new and take a walk.

“Given the impact of the ongoing pandemic, we wanted to focus on providing mental health information to the community through the WWAD program,” said MCRHC Deputy Director Stephanie Henry in an April 25 press release announcing the initiative.

According to the press release, one in five American adults experiences a mental illness each year and one in six Americans ages 6-17 experiences a mental health disorder each year.

The WWAD programs will be held on the first three Saturdays in May from 10 to 11 a.m.

Each event will be facilitated by a different mental health professional, who will give a brief presentation on a current health topic and then lead participants on a one mile walk through the village at their own pace.

According to MCRHC, increasing exercise, even moderately, reduces the risks of many diseases, including coronary heart disease, breast and colon cancer, and Type 2 diabetes.

“Research has even shown that you could gain two hours of life for each hour that you exercise regularly,” the MCRHC press release states.

The American Heart Association also found that walking as little as 30 minutes a day can improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels, help maintain a healthy body weight and lower the risk of obesity, enhance mental well-being, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

On May 7, Marla Velky-Reger, LCSW-R, will kick off the series with an informal discussion on the benefits of exercise on mental health.

Velky-Reger is a licensed clinical social worker with a private practice in Cazenovia. She also works with the Cazenovia Central School District as the mental health coordinator and is co-owner of Cazenovia Community Fitness.

“The MCRHC connected with me to discuss the program, [and] I was very interested to be a part of the dialogue with community members to discuss ways in which we can improve our mental health,” said Velky-Reger. “We have all been impacted by the last two years and this forum is an opportunity to discuss tangible strategies for improving our mental health. . . I also hope people realize that taking care of our mental health is essential and is as important as addressing our physical health needs.”

On May 14, Breyanna Locke, LMFT, will share information to help people understand the biology of stress reactions within the body.

Locke is a licensed clinician and resident of Cazenovia. She was clinically trained in Syracuse University’s marriage and family therapy program and has worked in the mental health field since 2010. She has dedicated much of her career to The Salvation Army in Syracuse, implementing behavioral health treatment interventions to children and families. In partnership with the director of child welfare services at The Salvation Army, Locke developed and implemented a new behavioral health program for children with mental health needs across Onondaga County. She also trained over 200 staff and community members in the Community Resiliency Model® (CRM). Currently, she has a full-time private practice in Manlius. Locke is also certified in the Functional Family Therapy Model, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and the CRM. She specializes in working with children and adults with trauma using neuro-biologically based trauma treatment interventions. She also enjoys working with couples, families, and other relationship dynamics.

“[During my presentation,] I’d like to share a few specific skills that anyone can use to return the body, mind, and spirit to balance after experiencing highly stressful situations,” said Locke. I hope participants learn skills and connect with each other during the program to have more useful tools for understanding the mind, body connection and bringing our bodies back to balance after experiencing physical and emotional adversity.”

On May 21, Anne Reagan, Psy.D., will explore mental wellness in children and teens.

Reagan is a pediatric psychologist/assistant professor at Golisano Children’s Hospital Department of Pediatrics. After graduating from Fayetteville Manlius High School in 2004, she attended the University of Massachusetts, where she studied psychology and early childhood education. Reagan went on to complete her doctorate in clinical psychology at Wright State in Dayton, Ohio, focusing on pediatric psychology, with a fellowship at Akron Children’s Hospital. She returned to Syracuse with the aim of integrating mental health resources into medical care settings and helped establish the Pediatric Psychology Consult service and Behavioral Health Clinic through Golisano Children’s Hospital.

All three events are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not required.

For more information on “Just Walk! Powered by Walk with a Doc,” call MCRHC at (315) 313-4399 or email [email protected]. For updates, follow MCRHC on Facebook or Instagram @mcruralhealthcouncil.

Mental Health First Aid trainings

MCRHC is also part of a national initiative to increase mental health literacy.

This spring, the organization is bringing Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings to Madison and Chenango Counties.

The skills-based course gives people the tools to identify, understand, and respond to someone who might be struggling with a mental health or substance use challenge and, when necessary, connect them with the appropriate support and resources.

MHFA trainees learn a five-step action plan that guides them through the process of reaching out and offering appropriate support.

MCRHC offers the following MHFA trainings: teen, youth, adult, fire and EMS, and public safety.

This spring, MCRHC is offering several virtual Youth MHFA trainings, which teach adults (18+ years old) how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among children and adolescents ages 6-18.

The training will be offered on May 4, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., May 12, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., June 15, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., July 20, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Aug. 2, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Aug. 17, from 3 to 7 p.m.

This summer, MCRHC is also offering a virtual Adult MHFA training, which teaches adults to recognize signs of mental health or substance use challenges in adults ages 18 and older, how to offer and provide initial help, and how to guide a person toward appropriate care if necessary. The training is scheduled for July 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“Through grant funding and a partnership with Madison County Behavioral Health, we are able to offer the MHFA training(s) at no cost,” said Henry.

To participate in an upcoming training, call MCRHC at (315) 825-9233 or email [email protected].

MCRHC is a non-profit organization established in 2013 with a mission to advocate, inform, and coordinate efforts to improve health in Madison County communities. For more information, visit mcruralhealthcouncil.org.