YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board has partnered with Youngstown City Health District Office on a new initiative, Take That Step.

Funded by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Take That Step is aimed at removing barriers to physical and mental health care for minority populations throughout the county.

The first step for the organization is the Take That Step Community Launch Event on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Community Literacy Workforce and Cultural Center in Campbell.

This event is free and open to the public and will include a community resource fair, health screenings, flu shots, fitness classes and cultural celebrations. The culmination of the event will be a symbolic Take That Step Walk around the track.

Led by Valerie Burney of the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board and Golie Stennis of the Youngstown City Health District Office on Minority Health, Take That Step will act as a bridge to minority communities and connect them with the resources they need to live a better life, while raising the awareness of the need to attend to both your physical and mental health.

“The goal of Take That Step is to remind people that even the smallest steps toward your physical and mental health can have a tremendous impact. It’s really about just taking that first step and modeling that behavior for others in the community,” Burney said.

Stennis added: “Whether it’s scheduling your annual physical or attending your first therapy session, we want to remove those barriers that are limiting members of the minority population from accessing the care they so vitally need and also end the stigma around taking care of your physical and mental wellness.”

The program is set to launch a new website which will serve as a resource and will coincide with the community launch event. The initiative also will remain active in the community at various events throughout the year, producing original content and working with local media providers to spread its message.

For more information, contact Adrienne Sabo at adrienne@workwithclever.com or 330-501-9187.