Mental Health Awareness Month

by Lucky Tisch

Mental Health Awareness Month is a time to celebrate the strides made, raise awareness to reduce stigma and barriers that prevent people from accessing mental health services, and promote diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. We all have a role to play to support mental health as mental well-being is just as important as physical health.

One of the most important aspects of Mental Health Awareness Month is education. Many individuals struggle silently simply because they don’t recognize the signs of mental health challenges or don’t know where to turn for help. Awareness campaigns provide resources, highlight early warning signs and promote strategies for maintaining emotional well-being, such as mindfulness, therapy and community support.

When someone has serious mental illness, it becomes critical for that person to get mental health treatment and is at the heart of how our three Coordinating Centers of Excellence (CCoE), housed in NEOMED’s Department of Psychiatry, affect systems and communities. The Best Practices in Schizophrenia Treatment (BeST) Center programs provide training, consultation and technical assistance on psychosis for clinicians, the Ohio Program for Campus Safety and Mental Health (OPCSMH) works with Ohio’s higher education campuses on mental health and wellness initiatives and programming, and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Center of Excellence coordinates diversion and deflection of people experiencing mental illness with justice systems to reduce incarceration and get people into treatment.

The cross-cutting objective for each center is supporting mental health recovery and identifying serious mental illness and gaps in systems through education, training and programs. Whether we are talking to college professionals about what developing mental illness looks like, or teaching justice systems how to effectively engage people whose symptoms may have been ignored or supporting the clinical community with tools and skills that will have the greatest impact on recovery, we are infusing knowledge into communities.

Also important is the role this month plays in reducing stigma. When public figures, organizations, and everyday people speak openly about mental health, it normalizes these conversations. This shift can make it easier for someone to ask for help, knowing they are not alone and that support is available.

Ultimately, Mental Health Awareness Month is about building a more compassionate and informed society. It reminds us to check in on ourselves and others, to listen without judgment, and to prioritize mental wellness as a key part of overall health.

Learn more

Want to commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month by learning more? The Ohio Program for Campus Safety and Mental Health and the Best Practices for Schizophrenia Treatment (BeST) Center, invite you to the following opportunities:

• The annual Drs. Fred and Penny Frese Lecture featuring Nev Jones will be held on May 20 from noon-1 p.m. Those who attend the lecture in person will have the opportunity to visit partner tables which will include The Cummings Center for the History of Psychology Museum, the Coordinating Centers of Excellence, and the NEOMED Library Frese Collection display. Refreshments will also be provided. Register: Frese Lecture
• The OPCSMH will host an awareness table in the lobby of the Main Psychiatry Suite across from the library to engage students, faculty and staff on NEOMED’s campus with resources, giveaways and CCoE information throughout the week of May 18-22.