Summer is an exciting time in Western New York. Every week has it’s share of special events in the City of Buffalo and throughout the area.
This summer, the members of the Anti-Stigma Coalition will be out in force at community events to let the public know of our mission and encourage our greatest strategy in addressing the stigma around mental illness … talking!
The Anti-Stigma Coalition works to end the stigma of mental illness diagnoses by normalizing conversations about mental wellness and encouraging people to seek help.
We know that one in five people have a mental illness, yet many do not seek help because of stigma. More people are talking about mental health, yet there is still work to be done.
“Thank you to all of our longer term partners who ‘joined the conversation’ years ago and those who we just met recently,” Matthew G. Smith, chair of the Anti-Stigma Coalition and executive director, Preventionfocus, Inc. “Your willingness to speak frankly about mental health is key to replacing myths with facts and encouraging a greater understanding and empathy for all. So, look for our logo and materials at community events and let’s talk!”
This year, we have shed light on underserved communities, populations and industries with high rates of mental illness, and specific mental health diagnosis with Facebook Lives, small gatherings, and the website – letstalkstigma.org.
Jackie Gingerich, left, and Tammy Kling of Clear Skies Counseling shared information at the Self-Care Expo in Tonawanda on May 23. The organization recently joined the Anti-Stigma Coalition and Tammy was a featured panelist during the June 24 Facebook Live about trauma and stigma
Meichle Latham recently facitilated a workshop at the University at Buffalo’s Student Life Professional Development Day “Bettering Us- Ourselves, Our Students, Our Workplace.” Thank you to the planning committee: Ed Brodka, Tyra Henson, Remya Ernest, Danika Guerin,
Meichle said, “So inspiring to be amidst the enthusiasm and energy of nearly 60 Student Life team members as I introduced “Sole” Support as an innovative way to strategically recover from stress on a daily basis at work. We talked stress, mental health, the Anti-Stigma Coalition & eliminating the stigma of mental health diagnoses and challenges, and meaningful and realistic investments in ourselves to foster peak performance, reduce healthcare costs, and reduce payroll costs.”
