Most people know someone who struggles with mental health.

But many don’t know how to help those who are struggling.

You can help create a more supportive community by learning how to recognize and respond to mental health challenges with care and confidence. It starts with simple steps like recognizing someone is struggling, talking about it, and helping the person find the right support.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This year’s theme is “More good days, together.” It’s a good time to explore what a “good” day looks like, both for ourselves and our communities. Together, we can use that insight to connect people to the right support at the right time. And we can shape advocacy, education, and community engagement to make more good days possible for all.

Stigma, and how to break it

Stigma in this context refers to the negative stereotypes and attitudes society places on people going through mental health or substance use challenges. Research shows 9 in 10 people who struggle with mental health challenges are negatively impacted by stigma in their everyday lives. Seventy one percent of youth with depression never ask for help because they worry what others would say or think.

The best way to overcome stigma around mental health and substance use disorder is to talk about it:

• Educate yourself and others.
• Listen without judgement and be supportive.
• Show people they are in a safe, non-judgmental space.
• Use non-stigmatizing language.

Working together to reduce the stigma around mental health.

Reducing stigma is a top priority for our Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program. MHFA teaches people how to see, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges.

The Health Department launched our Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) program in December 2022 with funding from the Pierce County Behavioral Health Tax. Since then, we’ve trained 10,622 teens at 45 sites across the county, and 69 tMHFA instructors have learned to deliver trainings in 11 school districts!

The program is geared specifically to teens ages 14-18, and teaches them to:

• Recognize common signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.
• Interact with a person in crisis.
• Connect a person experiencing challenges with professional help.
• Reduce the stigma of mental health.
• Promote mental health literacy.

Teen Mental Health First Aid opens discussion around mental health. It provides helpful tools to fight stigma and reduce barriers to accessing mental health support for youth.

Not just youth need support

Adults in our community need mental health support, too. After the success of the teen program, we’ve helped bring in MHFA trainings for adults. MHFA instructors have brought trainings to college campuses, school staff, youth serving organizations, and community. We’ve also begun to partner with organizations for their staff to receive training.

MHFA is just one way to turn your compassion into action. We can all keep an eye out on others’ wellbeing. Simple steps can go a long way.

• Use anti-stigma language.
• Talk about mental health.
• Check-in with the people and youth in your lives.
• Use non-judgmental listening.

We’re here to help.

You might see our MHFA team at local community events.  You’ll often find a booth where we’re distributing free mental health books and resources to youth and families. They focus on things like:

• Healthy coping skills.
• Increasing mental health literacy.
• Talking with youth about challenges.
• Reducing stigma.
• Improving equitable access to mental health resources.

Interested in taking a MHFA course? Find available trainings open to the public on our website. If you are an employer and want to get your staff trained in MHFA, contact us directly at MentalHealthFirstAid@tpchd.org.

If you have questions, come chat with us!

You can find mental health resources—including info about upcoming MFHA trainings—on our website.

Want to learn more about Behavioral Health topics and how to get involved? Sign up for our Behavioral Health updates.  

Note: Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department intern Olivia Martinez contributed to this blog.