Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications; barbara@eafocus.com; 248.260.8466; Kelly Kinnear, Judson Center; Kelly_Kinnear@JudsonCenter.org; 248.837-2030
Royal Oak, Mich. --- May 10, 2021---Judson Center, a multi-county human service agency and designated Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC), provided life changing behavioral health services to more than 1,100 individuals in 2020, despite the challenges presented by the pandemic. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders. During the pandemic, about 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. have reported symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorder, a share that has been largely consistent, up from one in ten adults who reported these symptoms from January to June 2019. Melissa Peters, MA, LPC, NCC, Judson Center Director of Behavioral Health, said the organization responded creatively to those in need.

“We offered both in-person and telehealth mental, emotional, and behavioral health services last year. Once patients felt comfortable with the online format, it truly proved to be a critical communication option for those experiencing mental health issues brought by the pandemic or just the challenges of daily life,” Peters said.

Judson Center, which is a nearly 100-year-old organization, has offered behavioral health services since 1996 and counsels individuals of all ages along the continuum of mental health diagnosis, from anxiety and depression to substance use disorder, self-harming behaviors, and suicidal thoughts. It offers these services either individually or through Judson Center Family Health, an integrated primary care and behavioral health clinic providing whole person care at Judson Center’s Warren location.

Braylon Edwards lends a hand to destigmatize mental health treatment
For May’s Mental Health Awareness Month, University of Michigan standout and NFL player Braylon Edwards will be participating in Judson Center’s free Community Health Fair, to be held Sunday, May 23, 2021 (rain or shine) from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the parking lot of the Warren Seventh-Day Adventist Church at 12100 13 Mile Road in Warren, adjacent to Judson Center - Warren. The event will offer giveaways, healthy snacks, demos, health screenings, and mental health information. Edwards will be in attendance from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and will be available for photos and a signed giveaway
Edwards has openly dealt with his addiction and recovery following the end of his NFL career, and advocates for dialogue to encourage treatment on mental health issues and substance use disorder. He is the author of Braylon Edwards: Doing it My Way: My Outspoken Life as a Michigan Wolverine, NFL Receiver, and Beyond. Mr. Edwards appears courtesy of The Sports Marketing Agency.
“Having Braylon Edwards’ support at the Community Health Fair will help us to reduce the stigma of receiving mental health treatment and reinforce the message that Judson Center is a safe space for nonjudgmental services to help people reach their personal goals to be happy and successful with their lives,” Peters said.

A walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinic will also be offered onsite at the Community Health Fair.

In addition to Braylon Edwards, other community participants/highlights include:
· The Salt & Sugar Co. Food Truck of Clawson will be selling natural and organic food options
· Judson Center Behavioral Health Services – information and giveaways
· Judson Center Family Health -primary care health screenings: blood pressure, body composition, pre-diabetes, diabetic nutrition, R-Team-pediatric and adolescent healthy living
· Judson Center AFPRR Program - foster parent recruitment and information
· Judson Center Autism Connections - sensory fun table
· MSU community information table, with information from MSU Extension on nutrition
· Early Head Start Macomb Community Action – information table
· Families Against Narcotics (FAN), Macomb County - NARCAN Training
· Harbor Oaks Hospital, New Baltimore
· Live Rite Structured Recovery Corp.- Roseville
· Macomb County Community Mental Health – MyStrength App
· Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) - Lead & Environmental Safety Programs
· National Alliance on Mental Illness/Traffic Safety Association of Macomb
· Simple Movements, Clinton Township— therapeutic dance demos
· Transcendental Meditation – Troy
· Warren Fire Department
· Warren Seventh-Day Adventist Church – grief counseling, plant-based cooking information, chair massages
· Yoga Shelter – Grosse Pointe, yoga demonstrations

COVID-19 protocols, including masks and social distancing, will be practiced and enforced.
For more information, and to inquire about participating as a vendor, contact Irene Salem at 586.573.1882 or irene_salem@judsoncenter.org.

About Judson Center
Judson Center, trusted by Michigan families for more than 97 years, is a non-profit human service agency that provides comprehensive services that strengthen children, adults and families impacted by abuse and neglect, autism, developmental, behavioral, and physical health challenges so they can achieve whole health, well-being, and maximum potential. Judson Center also offers integrated primary healthcare for all through Judson Center Family Health in
Warren and is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). Since opening its doors in 1924, Judson Center has grown to change the lives of over 12,000 children, adults, and families each year. Judson Center has offices in Genesee, Macomb, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties. Headquarters are located at 30301 Northwestern Highway, Suite 100, Farmington Hills, MI 48334-3277. Learn more at https://www.judsoncenter.org/.
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