May is Mental Health Month: Raise Awareness, Erase the Stigma, and Get Support!

Mental health is essential to your overall health and well-being, and mental illnesses are common and treatable. People struggling with mental health may be in your family, live next door, teach your children, work with you, sit in the same church pew, or perhaps you yourself are the one struggling with mental health.

While there are many things you can do that may help you achieve overall wellness – such as finding a reason to laugh, going for a walk with a friend, meditating, playing with a pet, or working from home once a week – sometimes more professional support and treatment is necessary to set you on a path to recovery.

Unfortunately, only half of those affected receive treatment because of the stigma attached to mental health. Untreated, mental illness can contribute to higher medical expenses, poorer performance at school and work, fewer employment opportunities and increased risk of suicide.

In recognition of #MentalHealthMonth, America’s Charities is celebrating the following agents of change who we are proud to call our members. These nonprofits’ programs address mental health issues in a variety of ways and need your support.

• Wounded Warrior Project, Inc.: Sometimes the most painful injuries aren’t physical. Whether it’s PTSD, TBI, combat stress, or any other mental health condition, the Wounded Warrior Project, Inc. is there to help. Click here to learn more about common veteran mental health conditions and start your road to recovery.
• ServiceSource: Most people with severe mental health issues want to work, but obtaining and keeping competitive jobs can prove challenging. Success often comes from having an employment support system in place – from resume development and job placement, to help working through high-stress times. Through job placement, direct employment, individual or group supported employment and facilitated employment, ServiceSource supports people with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining jobs in community-based settings. Click here to learn more.
• Brady Center for the Prevention of Gun Violence: While the media frequently reports about mass shootings, America’s gun violence epidemic is made up of much more than high-profile media events. About every 16 hours, a woman in America is shot and killed by a current or former intimate partner. Suicides account for about 60 percent of all adult gun deaths. With America leading the world in the number of guns per person, it’s vital that we don’t let temporary moments of crisis turn into permanent tragedies. It’s in everyone’s hands to work on solutions and you can join the fight by helping Brady fight to make our families, communities and streets safe again. Learn more.
• Youth For Tomorrow (YFT): Founded by former Washington Redskins Coach Joe Gibbs, Youth For Tomorrow diagnoses and treats children, adolescents and adults with a wide variety of issues including but not limited to: depression, anxiety and panic symptoms, post-traumatic stress, anger issues, obsessive-compulsive issues, grief and loss, self-harm, issues related to attachment, co-occurring disorders, aggression, attention deficits and other behavioral concerns, as well as familial and relational issues. Through both residential and behavior health service programs, YFT served over 8,944 children and families in the last year. Your generosity and concern for children will provide the resources to continue our mission of providing a safe home, comprehensive counseling, and a quality education to at-risk children and families — 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Learn more. 

Donate & raise money for these nonprofits: 

One of the most cost-efficient ways you can support these nonprofits is to donate to them via payroll deduction through your employer’s workplace giving program (Don’t have a program? Click here to have your employer contact our team.) Click on each charity’s name above to learn more about their work, and to make a donation now!