A free community education program about depression and bipolar disorder will be held Wednesday, March 21, beginning at 6 p.m. at Clearfield Hospital.

Presenters include Bright Horizons Center for Emotional Wellness staff members, front row, from left, Kathy Renne, intake and assessment coordinator; Marsha Obremski, program director; and Leigh Anne McCartney, administrative assistant. Back row, Jeff Frey, PA-C; Luisito Dingcong, M.D., medical director; Eileen Anthony, LCSW; Norm Furgiuele, LCSW; and Chuck Marshall, mental health tech/van driver.

For more information, contact Ms. Renne at 814.768.2137.

Bright Horizons Center for Emotional Wellness and Clearfield Hospital are hosting a free community education program about depression and bipolar disorder on Wednesday, March 21, beginning at 6 p.m. in the first floor conference room at Clearfield Hospital.

According to Kathy Renne, intake and assessment coordinator for Bright Horizons, the program will focus on symptoms of depression and bipolar disorder; treatment methods; referral information; depression in the elderly; support groups and agencies; and coping strategies. There will also be a question and answer session.

Ms. Renne explained that depression is a psychiatric disorder with symptoms including persistent feelings of hopelessness, helplessness, poor concentration, lack of energy, inability to sleep, and, sometimes, suicidal tendencies.

Bipolar disorder is a psychiatric disorder characterized by extreme mood swings, ranging between episodes of euphoria and severe depression.

Bright Horizons Center for Emotional Wellness, located in the Waterworth Building on the Clearfield Hospital campus, is an outpatient counseling program designed to meet the individual needs of adult clients seeking mental health services.

Specific services provided by the program include: free confidential assessment and referral services; initial evaluations with a psychiatrist or physician assistant; memory impairment evaluation services; and group therapy.

Luisito Dingcong, M.D., is chief of psychiatry and medical director of Bright Horizons. For more information about the March 21 program or Bright Horizons, please contact Ms. Renne at (814) 768-2137.