ONLINE: Muslim Mental Health Symposium

press release: According to a recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry, Muslims in the United States are two times more likely to attempt suicide compared with other religious groups. You can help change this statistic.

"Mental health is talked about very seldomly within the Muslim community, and there is a need for cultural competency around American Muslim nuances for educators and mental health providers outside of the community. These events will provide a bridge between mental health basics and the nuances of American Muslim context," said the event planning team. The Muslim Mental Health planning team are Kelly Saran, Maryam Ahmed, Haroon Zahid and Dania Shoukfeh, with planning support from Madison Public Library and funding support from Madison Public Library Foundation.

Muslim Wellness Day, 1:00pm-4:00pm, March 6, Central Library, 201 W. Mifflin St.

Muslim adults and families will be able to learn about the signs of depression and how to support your loved ones who are struggling. Come learn from a licensed Muslim mental health professional about resources and tools you, or a loved one, may need. Event includes:

1-2 pm 

Choose an activity: Women's stretch and mindfulness activity, Men's networking and mental health discussion, Depression and suicide discussion with teens. A mental health professional will be onsite to help guide discussions.  

2:00-3:30 pm 

Mental Health and the Muslim Community with AbdulAziz Syed.  Syed, a licensed clinical social worker at the Khalil Foundation in Chicago, will give a speech on the topic of mental health in the Muslim community. The discussion will cover a broad spectrum of family needs from young adults to older community members. 

3:30-4:10 pm

A panel discussion on mental health that will be an informal discussion taking questions from the audience on topics of mental health.

Muslim Mental Health Symposium

March 7, 10:30am-1:00pm

Online event

This event is intended for therapists, counselors and other professionals. Attendees will be able to earn continuing education hours while learning about the unique needs and experiences of Muslim clients in order to better understand and serve them. This session will be led by a professional from The Family & Youth Institute in Detroit, MI. Registration is required for this event, register online at madpl.org/muslim-mental-health to receive a link to the session.

About Library Takeover

Library Takeover began in 2017 as a way to do community programming differently. The goal is to empower individuals who may not have a lot of event-planning experience to bring their ideas for enriching their community to life. Madison Public Library provides the space, time, and resources for community members to host their own events, which sets the stage for future library programming that involves and reflects all of Madison. Applications for the third round of Library Takeover opened in September 2021 and three teams were selected to go through the event planning course and launch their own events hosted at the library in Spring 2022. Meet the teams here: https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/new/library-takeover-teams-announced  All events are funded by Madison Public Library Foundation.

About Madison Public Library

Madison Public Library’s tradition of promoting education, literacy and community involvement has enriched the City of Madison for more than 145 years.  Visit the library online at www.madisonpubliclibrary.org, madisonpubliclibrary on Facebook, @madisonlibrary on Twitter, or @madisonpubliclibrary on Instagram.