The Certificate IV Mental Health students presented their stalls as part of their end of year assessments.

The expo also included stalls from students of the Certificate IV in Community Services course, promoting groups such as the Cancer Council, the Rural Community Cultural Exchange and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and Inter Sex Community.

The mental health stalls were presented by the TAFE students, each highlighting a different concept of mental health, and in the process raising the awareness of a social issue.

Student Linda McDonald chose to focus on the concept of art therapy at her stall.

"It's our last assessment for the year, which was to do a stall at the mental health expo," she said.

"Mine was about art therapy, and it featured art works from the members of the public living with a mental illness," she said.

"I chose the art work to be a representation and highlight mental illness because it's good therapy for people living with mental illness, and a way for them to express themselves.

"When you do art it's very tranquil and calming.

"It's about raising awareness for people who may not be familiar with art therapy."

Fellow TAFE student Meaghan Boad had an interesting idea for her stall presentation.

"It's a Living Library, and we invited different people to speak about what it's like to live with a mental illness and what the carers go through," she said.

"We had quite a few people from the community who wanted to have a chat.

"We named the stall Living Library because we wanted to borrow these people, borrow their story and their journeys to learn more from them."

The Taree TAFE's Certificate IV in Mental Health teacher Denise Willis said the expo helped students to highlight the facet of mental health in the Manning.

"The purpose of the expo was to enable the students to showcase their work in their field of interest in mental health," she said.

"And the expo was to highlight the mental health services within this region."

Mrs Willis said the expo also attracted speakers from the region's mental health organisations.

"We had a broad range of people from mental health organisations across the Manning, who provided information to TAFE students and the community who attended," she said.

Mrs Willis said the expo was about the need to de-stigmatise the issue of mental health.

"It's all about breaking down the myths and barriers surrounding mental health and study, and bringing to light the opportunities that are available such as peer support worker," she said.

"We're myth busters, that's what we're doing."

The proud teacher said her students had been dedicated to host the expo with their busy backdrop of exams.

"Three assessments were due tonight based on today's expo, such is their commitment," she said.

"They were assessed on the presentation of their stalls, and if the unit was graded they would have all achieved distinctions."