May is Mental Health Awareness Month
In 1949, the organization now known as Mental Health America established May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental Health America was founded by Clifford Beers back in 1909 after he published his autobiography, A Mind That Found Itself, which chronicled his struggle with mental illness and the shameful conditions he and millions of others endured in mental institutions throughout the country.
As we continue to fight stigma surrounding mental health and substance use disorders, our mission at SummitStone – like Mental Health America – is driven by the commitment to promote mental and emotional health as a critical part of overall wellness. We support prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; and integrated care, services, and supports for those who need them. Ultimately, the goal is recovery.
The national theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Month observation is “Look Around, Look Within.” For me this is a reminder to be proactive in monitoring your wellness and being aware of the health of those around you. At SummitStone, one of our key Value Statements is “Stronger Together”. We embrace this model for our clients, our staff, our community, our partners, and our loved ones. Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to take care of yourself and to take care of others.
Mental health and addiction issues are far too difficult to navigate alone and SummitStone is here to walk alongside you while honoring your unique experiences. We can help! SummitStone has more than 60 programs to help people live their healthiest lives and nearly 80 percent of clients who responded to our recent client satisfaction survey agree or strongly agree that their overall quality of life is improving as a direct result of being enrolled in our services. We are proud of these metrics and work tirelessly to improve them.
How can you get involved during Mental Health Awareness Month? Here are a few suggestions:
- On our website, we host a Self-Screening Tool you can take for yourself or from your observations of a loved one’s behavior. We refer to this free anonymous tool as a “checkup for your neck up.”
- We also regularly host free classes for Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) and Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) training. Mental Health First Aid helps participants understand the signs and symptoms associated with behavioral health issues, how to recognize them, and how to respond. QPR training teaches how to respond to someone who may be having suicidal thoughts.
- And of course, our Crisis Services are available 24/7/365 by calling (970) 494-4200 ext. 4. Walk-in crisis services may be accessed at 1217 Riverside Drive in Fort Collins anytime between 8 a.m. and midnight, and Mobile services can come to your location anytime, day or night.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you or your loved one need help – we are here for you. And we know people can and do recover because we see it every day.