Thriving Petoskey: Fighting stigmas and overcoming barriers in mental health
May is Mental Health Month. In the U.S., millions of people of all ages and backgrounds currently live with a mental illness. Mental Health Awareness Month aims to bring together communities like ours in order to have more conversations surrounding mental health, to break stigmas, and to help connect more people to resources.
North Country Community Mental Health is a pillar of our community. Contracted by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, NCCMH provides mental health services to Emmet, Charlevoix, Antrim, Kalkaska, Cheboygan, and Otsego counties through a variety of programs. With 4,000 people served annually in the six-county service area, NCCMH provides a large variety of services to both adults and children with mental illness and intellectual/developmental disabilities.
This year, NCCMH is celebrating Mental Health Month in different ways, shedding light on the importance of mental health towards our entire well-being.
The organization hosted a free virtual series, #Tools4Resilience, through the entire month, tackling a number of topics including mindfulness, “stress busters,” and the importance of nature and music for mental resilience. Christine Gebhard, CEO, explains that these discussions not only offer helpful insights and solutions to address mental health issues but also create a platform for the community to learn about stigmas and bust stereotypes.
“Mental health is just as important as physical health when it comes to your overall well-being,” Gebhard says. “This month, and every month, it is important for everyone to educate themselves on the stigma of seeking treatment for mental health.”
NCCMH also recently launched a free health and wellness app everyone can use for personal support. Called myStrength, the free web-based app offers access to clinically proven self-help tools to manage stress, depression, anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, substance use disorders, and much more at home. MyStrength delivers a personalized home page based on the user’s motivation level each day, and users can work on eLearning, take self-directed courses, use one-on-one coaching, explore articles and videos, or just get inspired by the daily quotes and inspirational messages.
“This app is completely funded by us and is free for everyone to use. We currently have over 600 people using the app within our six-county service area,” Gebhard says.
Beyond educating ourselves and breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, Gebhard says we can recognize Mental Health Month this May by supporting their Client Special Needs Fund. NCCMH seeks to serve the entire individual, and this can involve helping them meet goals to better themselves beyond treatment, such as furthering their education, obtaining employment, living independently, improving their physical health, and more. The Client Special Needs Fund offers financial support for these individuals to achieve these goals by funding things like text books, workout clothes, rent deposits, car repairs, and more.
You can support the Client Special Needs Fund by calling the administrative office at 231-347-7890. To learn more about the other services North Country Community Mental Health offers and how you can support this essential service in our community, call 877-470-7130 or visit norcocmh.org.
— Emily is program services manager for Northwest Michigan Habitat for Humanity, a board member for Thrive 45 Young Professionals and a member of the Petoskey Sunrise Rotary.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Thriving Petoskey: Fighting stigmas and overcoming barriers in mental health
