NATCHEZ — The National Alliance on Mental Illness Four Rivers Chapter is holding a Suicide Awareness Forum from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Natchez Community Center at 215 Franklin Street.

Although the topic is suicide awareness, organizers said other mental health issues facing the Miss-Lou would be included in the program.

“It is open to any one who would like to attend,” said Emily Fox, president of NAMI Four Rivers.

The forum will include a presentation by Ja’Quila Newsome of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health and will focus on the stigma related to mental illness, warning signs for suicide, what to do and not to do when someone has thoughts of suicide and where to go for help or information.

A question and answer period will follow the presentation, Fox said.

Other mental health issues facing the Miss-Lou community, said volunteer Arrick Rice, are bi-polar, clinical depression and schizophrenia.

Also on the agenda will be a presentation from Rice on the issues of mental illness in the community, and the mother of a suicide victim will speak about her experience and warning signs of suicide.

The event also will share information on support groups in the area, including Miss-Lou Suicide Survivors, who meet at 6:30 p.m. the first Monday of each month at Grace United Methodist Church and the NAMI Family Support Group that meets from 6 to 8 p.m. the third Thursday of each month in the Magnolia Room of Merit Health Natchez.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, call Fox at 662-801-8700 or Rice at 601-951-0887.