Chelsea Hospital: May is Mental Health Month

From Chelsea Hospital

Since 1949, organizations around the United States have celebrated Mental Health Month in May, a month dedicated to increasing the importance and awareness of mental health and wellness in people's lives. This year, Chelsea Hospital is celebrating by partnering with local organizations to offer free mental health resources and education under the Mental Health Awareness and Training (MHAT) program.

“We are excited to partner with so many local organizations to bring conversations surrounding mental health to the forefront in our communities,” said Sarah Wilczynski, the MHAT program coordinator. “The support from our local communities has allowed us to be creative in the way we approach the topic of mental health.”

The first of these creative activities is partnering with the libraries in Chelsea, Dexter, Grass Lake and Stockbridge to host mental health book displays. These displays will house recommendations from the library staff, as well as mental health bookmarks and a mental health media guide with recommendations from local social workers, librarians and other health care staff.

Along with book displays, the hospital, in partnership with srsly Chelsea and the Kiwanis Club of Chelsea, is offering an online, self-paced version of Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR). This one-hour training is focused on helping people recognize the warning signs of suicidal thoughts and behavior, and how to refer someone to appropriate professional help.

"The Kiwanis Club of Chelsea is thrilled to be a community partner with srsly,” said Marianne Knox, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Chelsea. “We believe promoting positive mental health and educating everyone on how to help someone during a mental health crisis is an urgent need and important goal."

If you are interested in participating in the QPR Training, please visit tiny.one/mhatqpr to learn more and register. If you see a Kiwanis Club of Chelsea booth at an event in May, please stop by to learn how completing the QPR training can get you a coupon for a free popcorn or beverage from the Kiwanis Food Trailer event.

Chelsea Hospital is also partnering with Stockbridge Community Schools to offer Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA), a training course designed to teach adults how to help youth who are experiencing a mental health or addiction challenge. This training, which is open to anyone 18 or older in the Chelsea Hospital service area, takes place over two days, May 24 and 26 from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Stockbridge Jr./Sr. High School. To register, please click here.

Chelsea Hospital invites everyone to stop by the mental health booth being hosted by the Chelsea Farmers Market on May 14. The booth will have information about the activities listed above, as well as information on how mental health can be affected by what you eat.

For more information about the MHAT Program, please visit stjoeshealth.org/mhat or contact Sarah Wilczynski at sarah.wilczynski@stjoeshealth.org.