Help UNT Moms for Mental Health Stop the Stigma!
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Imagine feeling anxious, alone, depressed, or unloved. What if this was your everyday reality? Where do you turn?
In this day and age, mental illnesses are still regarded with a degree of ignorance and shame, which forces people to cope on their own. Talking about mental health is still taboo in many societies, workplaces, and educational institutions, which is detrimental as it normalizes stigma. It only worsens the already existing conditions which worsen the chances of someone, who may have a mental health disorder, seeking the help they may need. Moms for Mental Health, in conjunction with University of North Texas and Mental Health Collaborative, is working to improve access to mental health literacy in our communities. We are a passionate team of moms, who each have a personal experience with combating mental health challenges from depression, to anxiety, and beyond. We believe by spreading education and awareness on mental health matters, we can start to stop the stigma associated around mental health.
The Mental Health Collaborative is an organization which aims to alleviate the stigma around mental health. Starting from the goal of improving the understanding, value and accessibility of mental health in society, Mental Health Collaborative sees education as one of the fundamental elements of assistance towards stigma and comprehension. By offering mental health literacy programs, they make it possible for people, families, and communities to identify, comprehend, and assist with mental health.
A sustainable change in knowledge of mental illnesses is key for Mental Health Collaborative, alongside assistance on seeking help. This knowledge is invaluable and has the potential to save lives. In order to achieve this goal, Mental Health Collaborative has worked tirelessly and aims to identify and educate potential problem areas with mental health.
According to the Mental Health Institute, it is estimated that one in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness. The most prevalent mental illnesses in adults include; anxiety disorders, major depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. Unaddressed mental health problems can have a negative effect on homelessness, poverty, employment, safety, and the local economy. There is also a negative public stigma that comes with mental health. People with mental illnesses are perceived as dangerous, unpredictable, or incapable. These stigmas tend to lead to social isolation and exclusion. We believe that through education and awareness of mental health that we can change those negative stigmas and offer the necessary help that is needed. The Mental Health Collaborative offers programs in our school, communities and organizations to address the issues at hand.
How MHC Is Supporting Communities
Through their targeted programs and educational workshops, Mental Health Collaborative assists communities in coping with mental health disorders in as real and accessible manner as possible. Mental Health Collaborative tailors training programs for schools, organizations, and businesses that promote education, understanding, and active will, to combat mental health problems. Some of their impactful programs include:
Youth Mental Health Education: Mental Health Collaborative partners with schools in promoting mental health literacy to children, assisting the youth to appreciate their mental wellbeing, emotions and conflicts within themselves and amongst their peers, and reduces classroom stigma.
Workplace Wellness: Tackling mental health through a collaboration with employers on mental health awareness education ensures non-haphazardly inclusive mental health within the workplace that is open for communication to all employees.
Community Awareness Initiatives: Mental Health Collaborative organizes such workshops for the community at large, enabling the community to become educated about mental health, resources, and each other in relation to improving their wellbeing.
Why We Need Your Help
Unfortunately, there is no funding for the projects. Although the Mental Health Collaborative deserves our applause for their outreach efforts, they need money to help cover costs of activities in furtherance of their mission. Donations that you provide will support activities of the program including making resources and materials accessible and extending the mental health literacy campaigns to the communities that require them. The stigma surrounding mental health and the feelings of social isolation often felt by those affected must come to an end; together, we can build a society in which all people feel supported and understood. Stand in solidarity with us and help the Mental Health Collaborative and its dire cause; you can make a difference with any donation!
For More Information:
To learn more information about the Mental Health Collaborative, visit their website at https://www.mentalhealthcollaborative.org/
Fundraising team: Fundraiser Team (3)
Erica Boyce
Organizer
Hopkinton, MA
Mental Health Collaborative
Beneficiary
Courtney Jones-Mele
Team member
Stacie Coy-Mahula
Team member
Veronica Head
Team member