HOPE To Open Its House Again

Mental Health Fair and Open House Friday, September 11

HOPE Family Health will host its third Open House of 2026 in conjunction with its first-ever Mental Health Fair—and you’re invited! It all happens Friday, September 11, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at HOPE’s Westmoreland campus, located at 1124 New Highway 52 East next to Sonic.

In addition to promoting suicide prevention awareness, the fair will feature area vendors with resources to address a spectrum of mental health services: diagnosis and treatment, caregiver support, food and housing insecurity, and more. HOPE will provide information about its services and offer tours of Mobile One, a mobile health unit that takes healthcare to surrounding areas with monthly rotations to Lebanon, Portland, Hartsville, and Lebanon.

The Lafayette-based Makin’ Grub food truck will serve food beginning at 10:00 a.m., and you’ll be able to relax and unwind in a game area near HOPE’s own rock garden, with corn hole, rock painting, sidewalk chalk, and bubbles.

“We want to invite the public to learn about HOPE and the services we offer, and about other resources for mental health needs in our part of Middle Tennessee, as well,” says Brandon Coffey, HOPE’s Behavioral Health Services Manager. “There is more than enough need to go around. We all work together. One purpose of this event is to put people in touch with what’s out there.”

Vendors include the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Mental Health Cooperative, and Mid-Cumberland Community Action Agency, among others.

• The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) works to educate and support individuals with mental health diagnoses as well as family, friends, caretakers, , and community.

• Gallatin-based Mental Health offers everything from family counseling to emergency psychiatric services for all ages, including those dealing with substance abuse as well as individuals involved with the justice system, those who are incarcerated and those working to re-enter society and build a new life.

• Mid-Cumberland Community Action Agency (MCCAA) provides resources for people struggling to maintain basic life needs such as housing for seniors, homeless people and those trying to stave off eviction and foreclosure; those needing help with utilities; and people who need food for themselves or family.

“This mental health fair is a great example of HOPE’s integrated, whole-person approach to healthcare,” says HOPE CEO Lauren Smith. “There’s a strong connection between physical health and mental health. For instance, we know people with mental health diagnoses often have higher rates of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. HOPE’s medical and behavioral health providers work with one another and with our pharmacy to provide a comprehensive care plan individualized to every patient.”

Health Education Is Part of HOPE’s Mission

Many of you know the story of how HOPE was founded, and more importantly, why—to establish a place where everyone, insured or not, can receive healthcare regardless of ability to pay, a place where no one is turned away.

But healthcare doesn’t just happen in the doctor’s office or in a hospital. Your healthcare journey begins at home. By the time you graduate high school you have formed lifestyle choices and habits already impacting your long-term health. You may have already decided how important, or unimportant, it is to eat well, to stay active, to brush your teeth twice a day, to interact with others. As you age you learn what you can do to change your health for better or for worse, and you make those choices one day and one meal at a time.

Last month HOPE hosted a Men’s Health Fair. Vendors provided information about heart health, cancer screenings, and more about men’s top health issues. Former Portland Mayor Ken Wilbur and Bryan Nichols with Macon Iron Fitness talked about their own health journeys and the importance of fitness for a longer and better quality of life.

Come see us on September 11 to enjoy good food, relax for a while, learn about HOPE and other area resources, and talk with experts about simple steps you can take to make a positive difference in your own health journey.