Mental Health Awareness Month
By: Karyn Rosenberg, LCSW, PMH-C
“I’m hopeful we can get to a place where the stigma is lifted from people going through anything alone. It can be incredibly isolating. It does not have to define you and I refuse to allow it to define me or control me.” ~ Mariah Carey
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we at Professionals United for Parkland make mental health a key point of our mission and primary focus for the community. It is important to bring awareness and work toward eliminating the stigma on mental health. One in five people will experience a mental health condition this year, and 50% will experience in their lifetime.
As a therapist in private practice since 1999, I have seen the trends and conversation around mental health change over the years. I am immensely grateful that people are more open to talking and sharing now, more than ever before. More people are open to telling their friends they see a therapist, and high school and college students will speak with transparency and authenticity about mental health. Even musicians such as Adele, Pink and Lady Gaga, and celebrities such as Pete Davidson and Jim Carrey, have been open about depression, bipolar disorder and postpartum mental health.
As an avid Peloton user, one of the reasons I love Kendall Toole as an instructor is how she utilizes her platform by having ongoing conversations about mental health while sharing her own journey of anxiety and depression. It is worth breaking down exactly what mental health actually means. It covers the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive well-being of an individual. How we feel, how we behave, and how we think. You may be the person who can make a difference in someone’s life.
Your own toolkit to be there for someone else includes some of these tips.
1. Listen, non-judgmentally, with care and concern.
2. Assess for risk and safety.
2. Offer reassurance to the person.
3. Encourage a referral by a professional clinician.
Here are some resources for more information:
www.nami.org
www.afsp.org
https://www.aacap.org/Mental_Health_Awareness_Month
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/get-involved/digital-shareables
If you should find yourself or someone you know in immediate crisis or need for help, dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. Some other resources for immediate crisis support include:
211 – In Florida, and many areas, most counties will have a dedicated 211 resource hotline. Dial 211 from your phone to be connected to your local 211 branch. This may depend on where you’re calling from if it’s from your Cell Phone.
Crisis Text Line – Text any word (Help, Talk, etc.) to 741741 to be connected via text to a trained crisis counselor.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline – Until the 3-digit hotline number is active later in 2022, the original number will still be the one to use – 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).
Our Mission “Professionals United for Parkland was created to identify and meet the short and long-term needs related to mental health/well-being of the South Florida community in the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy through evidence-based services including education for the general community and professionals, clinical training, clinical services, support for clinicians, and more. We work alongside other local organizations and groups to ensure that we identify gaps in current services and that the needs of our community are being adequately addressed. We are entirely non-political.”
Professionals United For Parkland Honors the 17
Professionals United for Parkland remembers Nick Dworet. The Nicholas Dworet Memorial Fund, Inc., is a non-profit charity organization “focused on helping make the world around us a better, happier place. Our mission is to keep Nick's memory alive by helping kids learn how to be better swimmers. Nick was always helping his friends and teammates be better. He wouldn't have it any other way.” The Fund helps to provide free swim clinics to middle and high school aged teens, as well as college scholarships to swimmers at MSD.
To learn more: https://nicholasdworetfund.org
PU4P Updates Interested in joining our trauma trained therapists (licensed only) - please take a few moments of your time and join the PU4P referral directory. The MSD community will need services for the long run. PU4P links those in need with a vetted list of trauma therapists. We ask for a commitment of 2 pro-bono clients a year. For more information or questions, please contact info@pu4p.org. Please support PU4P by designating it as your charity with The AmazonSmile Foundation. They will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible smile.amazon.com purchases. Don't forget to check our Facebook page for the most current events, updates, and information about PU4P! Thank you for your support of PU4P and your dedication to the Parkland community.