May is National Mental Health Month
Most Americans aren't going to know that this is National Mental Health Month just like they didn't know that last month was National Poetry Month. The reason? Too few voices reaching too few ears. As part of our advocacy work, educating the public about mental health issues can have far-reaching effects.
Counseling Policy Blog suggests a twin track approach:
1. Use your professional connections to set up educational forums for local leaders - Sherriff's Department, Police Department, School Principals, Churches, Social Services, and the local press. There's oodles of information all over the web for you to distribute or present. Here's a site you might try for starters:
* The National Mental Health Association is going big guns into this month, and they are dripping with information.
2. Maintain and increase connection to your state and federal representatives who are making top-down policy decisions that will affect us all.
Media and Publicity Guide
One of every two Americans who need mental health treatment do not receive it, and the rate is even lower —and the quality of care poorer— for ethnic and racial minorities.
It's time to grow advocacy, friends. Your efforts and your willingness to incite advocacy in others can bring about a shift in the thinking of policymakers at local, state, and federal levels. But they're not going to come around without our help. Seven minutes of advocacy every day, to your representatives or to other professionals who aren't yet advocating for themselves and their clients, can raise awareness of mental health issues and move mental health towards parity with physical health issues.
Go get 'em, advocates!
posted by Gordon D. Smith, LPC @ 9.5.05
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