“Our country faces an unprecedented mental health crisis among people of all ages. Two out of five adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression. And, Black and Brown communities are disproportionately under treated – even as their burden of mental illness has continued to rise. Even before the pandemic, rates of depression and anxiety were inching higher. But the grief, trauma, and physical isolation of the last two years have driven Americans to a breaking point.”
Those words from our President capture something every mental health professional I know has experienced. Even the most optimistic of my professional colleagues are deeply concerned about the condition of families, friends, and neighbors. Mental health issues have always been around us, but we’re seeing them to an extent we never imagined possible. (You can read the full White House report here.)
The hopeful news is that you — yes, you — can have a significant impact upon America’s mental health crisis. One of the best ways to do that is reaching out to Care to Change to help us educate you and those around you to the realities of mental health issues. We’re not suggesting you become a therapist (though we’re always looking for good ones), but developing awareness will give you more understanding of others around you, along with the knowledge of where to turn for help. You’ll be better able to recognize needs, and you’ll help people get the help they need far more quickly. We can’t ignore the crisis our community, and this country, is experiencing.
Do you host workshops or trainings at work or at your church? We’re happy to come in and share practical solutions for positive change through one or more of the many options we have available. Could be a single session on a hot topic, or it might be a short series of classes or workshops. As we discuss your goals and challenges, we’ll personalize the right approach. Want to know what we’ve done for other groups and what the response was like? We’ll connect you with them to see what they thought. (We create partnerships, too. Like being your company’s on-call mental health resource.)
Think of all the headlines you’ve seen saying the bad guy was sending obvious signs of trouble, but nobody made the connections until afterward. Educating yourself and those around you is a good start to seeing fewer of those headlines. I look forward to hearing from you.
April Bordeau is the Director of Care to Change. A licensed clinical social worker, she has focused on helping children and families overcome challenges in their lives for over 25 years. Contact her here.
