Mental Health Awareness Month: You Are Not Alone

Thu, 06 May 2021 14:31:04 -0400
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Each year, millions of people navigate the lived experience of mental illness. UMBC's Office of Accessibility and Disability Services joins the movement with its many departmental partnerships, to promote mental health awareness, fight stigma, and provide support. One in five people will have a mental health diagnosis in their lifetime. We are in this together.

You are not alone - is more than a tagline: more information about Mental Health Awareness Month from NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) is linked here.

Community Conversations are locally-hosted series of webinars that support mental health as we shift toward a more-vaccinated future.

NAMI's Strength over Silence series features stories of courage, culture and community to share lived experiences, resilience and recovery from African American, Latinx and other under-represented communities in anticipation of National Minority Mental Health Month in July.

In addition to the above resources and information, UMBC Fitness and Wellness has many activities that boost mental health - check out their myUMBC page here. Other local resources are outlined below.

Students (undergraduate and graduate) groups and resources include:

UMBC Counseling Center (Link) which includes

Togetherall (online support)

Counseling Center's COVID Resource Page

University Health Services (link)

Wellness Initiative (link)

UMBC NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Student Group

Faculty and staff mental health supports available through Human Resources include:

Access to mental health providers and wellness coaches through employee health benefits.

EAP provides 24/7 free confidential counseling to employees and their household members via the USM Employee Assistance Program (link)

UMBC's Wellness Initiative provides a range of activities that support mental health

If a campus member's health situation changes (such as a recent injury or diagnosis, they can apply for, or update academic accommodation requests via Student Disability Services (link) and work-related accommodations via Accessibility & Disability Services (link). ADS works in partnership with HR for faculty, staff and student worker job-related situations.

Community

While some 24 hour resources are provided, it's important to know that anyone can have a moment of crisis, and are people available to listen and help via the following resources:

Maryland 211, as in, dial 2-1-1 for help

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or use the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741

Have a safe and healthy month!

Photo person wearing a black shirt with MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS in white capital letters displayed credit Matthew Ball via Unsplash