DECATUR – April 1, 2016 – Joseph Bona, MD, was named honorary chair of NAMI DeKalb’s Candlelight Vigil to take place on Friday, May 6, 2016 at 7:00pm at the Downtown Decatur Square Bandstand. Dr. Bona is the Chief Executive Officer of the DeKalb Community Service Board and also serves as an Adjunct Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at the Emory University School of Medicine.

This year’s NAMI DeKalb Vigil will take place in conjunction with National Mental Health Month. The Vigil is a free event designed to raise awareness about the impact of mental illness in our community. The event will include live music, street theater performances, informational booths featuring local mental health service providers and a powerful program honoring our friends and loved ones with a mental health condition as well as their caregivers. Attendees are encouraged to wear green, to demonstrate their commitment to ending the stigma surrounding Mental Illness.

“I was humbled to be asked to serve as Honorary Chair of NAMI DeKalb’s Candlelight Vigil,” stated Joseph Bona, MD. “The Vigil reminds us that while we have made some progress in “bringing light” against the stigma of mental illness, there is still much work to be done. It also reinforces that together we can be powerful advocates for the rights of individuals who suffer from mental illness.”

NAMI DeKalb and DeKalb CSB share goals of improving the quality of life for all of those affected by mental illness. The agencies have enjoyed a rewarding partnership for over two decades, including sharing representation on each other’s Board of Directors.

“Our work in the DeKalb community has led us to work with Dr. Bona,” stated Cynthia Moorer Co-President of NAMI DeKalb. “He is a fierce advocate for those living with mental health conditions and this is why we have selected him as our 2016 honorary chair.”

For more information about the Candlelight Vigil visit http://namidekalb.com.

Download the NAMI DeKalb Candle Vigil Announcement

DeKalb CSB is a public, nonprofit organization that provides a wide range of evidence-based behavioral health and developmental disability services.  Through more than 20 locations across DeKalb County, DeKalb CSB serves more than 12,000 children, adolescents and adults annually to help them recover and resume productive lives.  DeKalb CSB employs more than 500 staff, and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).   Learn more about DeKalb Community Service Board at www.dekcsb.org.

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