A half-dozen local organizations have partnered to bring an emotional documentary regarding mental health and suicide prevention to Carroll this coming weekend. Terry Plocher, pastor at First United Methodist Church of Carroll and a part of the Carroll County National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) chapter, says the feature-length film highlights a teenager’s mission to help others following her own suicide attempt.
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The screening begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 2 at the Carroll High School auditorium with no charge to attend. Carroll County received NAMI accreditation near the end of 2020, and this film is the latest in their effort to improve the public’s understanding of mental health. The locally-led effort has hosted support groups, informational sessions and more. Plocher says this is just their latest attempt to get people more comfortable talking about a difficult subject.
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Plocher adds they do not have a specific target audience for the film. However, some of the documentary’s content is sensitive, so some parental discretion is recommended.
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After the documentary, bags with treats, soda and additional literature about mental health will be handed out to attendees. Funds to cover licensing fees for “My Ascension” and other expenses were provided by First United Methodist Church, Carroll County NAMI, Plains Area Mental Health, St. Anthony Regional Hospital, Community Partnerships for Protecting Children (CPPC) and New Opportunities.