Art Auction to Benefit Association for Mental Health and Wellness

An art auction in West Sayville – offering works by local creative arts therapists – will benefit the Association for Mental Health and Wellness (MHAW), Suffolk County’s leading provider of mental health-related services and programs.

Titled “The Beautiful Synchronicity of Art and Mental Health,” the auction takes place Saturday, February 22 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm at South Shore Dive at 65 Main Street in West Sayville. Artwork will be on display and for sale from 3:00pm to 7:00pm.

The benefit auction is spearheaded by Theresa Parker, an East Islip resident who is both an artist/muralist and a Board-Certified and New York State Licensed Creative Arts Therapist. Ms. Parker, who maintains a therapy practice in Bay Shore, is also affiliated with Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital in Greenport.

The principal of Therapeutic Murals, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Fine Art/Archaeology and a Master’s degree in Creative Arts Therapy. Theresa Parker has served patients and clients in inpatient psychiatry units, substance abuse treatment facilities, detox centers, pediatric units, and other clinical settings.

The auction will also feature the artwork of creative arts therapists Jessica Montalbano and Kat Haggerty.

“Beyond its aesthetic value, art is proven to carry the empathetic power to improve people’s lives,” Ms. Parker said. “My fellow artists and I are delighted to extend support to the vital work of MHAW, which offers valuable assistance to some 10,000 Long Islanders every year.”

“MHAW professionals regularly leverage creative arts therapy as an indispensable tool in overcoming mental health challenges,” said Michael Stoltz, LCSW, chief executive officer of MHAW. “We’re grateful to Theresa Parker, Jessica Montalbano, and Kat Haggerty for supporting our work.”

Proceeds from the auction of art by the three featured artists will benefit the mental health services that MHAW provides to Suffolk County residents.

For further information about “The Beautiful Synchronicity of Art and Mental Health” auction, contact (631) 704-2756.

About the Association for Mental Health and Wellness

The Association for Mental Health and Wellness (MHAW), a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation based in Ronkonkoma, NY, provides programs, services, and advocacy for people facing mental health challenges with an enhanced focus on serving military Veterans.

MHAW dates back to 1955 with the incorporation of the Mental Health Association in Suffolk County (MHA Suffolk). In 1990, Clubhouse of Suffolk was launched, providing a wide array of vocational rehabilitation services and recovery programs. With the growing need to provide services for Veterans with PTSD and other battle-related brain injuries, Clubhouse merged with MHA Suffolk and Suffolk County United Veterans in 2014 to form the Association for Mental Health and Wellness.

MHAW is committed to the core practice values of empowerment, hope, opportunity, and cultural competence. All of the agency’s direct service workers are trained in the importance of addressing health from trauma-informed and whole person perspectives with enriched understanding of the social and economic conditions that contribute to physical and mental health and substance abuse.