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How to Advocate for Mental Health Awareness Month 2023
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to advocate for the importance of mental and behavioral health resources. Using this time to raise awareness of trauma and the impact that mental illness can have on the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children, families, and communities is crucial.
Education around this cause encourages people to share experiences, vulnerabilities, and concerns about behavioral health issues. Reducing the stigma which has been attached to mental health disorders will help countless individuals all over the world. Whether someone personally suffers or not, Mental Health Awareness Month helps people recognize the ways mental illness impacts their lives. It also helps to educate people about available services and highlights ways to advocate.
We are raising awareness for behavioral health by highlighting organizations that are advocating for education, resources, and support around mental illness. Are you wondering how you can help spread mental health awareness? Here are some tactics that you can use to get involved and amplify the importance of mental health initiatives.
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Mental Health Awareness Nonprofits Making an Impact
We pulled a list of organizations that are fighting to end the stigma around mental health. We encourage you to get involved in their efforts in support of Mental Health Awareness Month.
The Mental Health Coalition
The Mental Health Coalition (EIN: 81-3992495) is on a mission to end the stigma around mental disorders and provide access to resources and support. As a coalition of influential organizations, brands, and individuals, The Mental Health Coalition is committed to centering and uplifting marginalized voices, challenging the status quo, and addressing systemic inequity that hinders wellbeing and access to resources.
One of the most pressing public health concerns is mental illness. This condition affects hundreds of millions of people around the globe. In fact, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health condition at some point in their lives.
The JED Foundation
The JED Foundation (EIN: 13-4131139) is an organization that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our teens and young adults in the U.S. They do this by giving them the skills and support they need to thrive. They believe in a comprehensive, public health approach to promoting mental health and preventing suicide. The Jed Foundation focuses on three key areas of focus— equipping individuals, strengthening schools, and mobilizing communities.
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 10- to 34-year olds in the United States. Populations of young adults face stressors due to bias, racism, financial disparities, and other social determinants of mental health. These contribute to rising mental health challenges and suicide rates for people of color and LGBTQ+ youth and young adults.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
NAMI (EIN: 43-1201653) is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Through advocacy, education, support, and public awareness, NAMI is helping those affected by mental illness to build better lives.
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24. It’s crucial to measure how common mental illness is to understand its physical, social, and financial impact. Understanding the depth of how people are affected by mental illness can help raise public awareness.
How Businesses Can Raise Awareness for Behavioral Health
Why is mental health awareness so important? The mental health crisis continues to be a pressing issue, with millions of Americans being affected every year. As a business, you can use your platform to amplify the voices advocating for mental health. Speaking openly about this cause can help to end the stigma around mental health conditions.
If you’re looking for ways on how to start a mental health awareness program, we have recommendations to get you started. Whether through advocacy, volunteering, or giving back, there are many ways that your business can get involved in the cause.
You can use your platform to educate others on the importance of mental health and advocate for better resources. Your marketing channels are a great way to inform people about the true reach that mental illness has. This in turn can help remove the stigma around mental illness and behavioral health.
Through education, you can help others understand the warning signs of behavioral health conditions. Open communication is crucial for this cause, as well as accessible resources for those seeking treatment and support.
To give back for Mental Health Awareness Month we encourage you to support the recommended nonprofits shared above. Through ShoppingGives, you can support the organizations individually, or as a group through our “Mental Health Awareness” cause portfolio.
Your business can spotlight the cause by running a flash giving event. You can donate an extra donation percentage, like 20% or 50%, for a 24-hour timeframe in support of a nonprofit organization that is advocating for mental health awareness. This tactic is an easy way to capture the attention of your customers and motivate them to make a purchase.
If you partner with influencers, you could also create a month-long campaign in collaboration with influencers. You and your partnered influencer can share stories around mental health and how it has affected them. You can also provide resources for people who are affected by or living with a mental health condition can use.
As a part of this collaboration, you could donate extra on a specific product collection in support of the cause. This will encourage your customers to shop from that specific collection and make an impact with their purchase.
To streamline your giving initiatives, leverage the ShoppingGives’ donation technology to give back to mental and behavioral health nonprofit organizations. If your business uses the Shopify platform, you can download the ShoppingGives Donation App and begin giving within minutes. For businesses on other eCommerce platforms, you can connect with our team and learn more about getting involved.
Promote Your Involvement
To maximize your impact around Mental Health Awareness Month, include messaging around your efforts throughout your marketing funnel. Social media, email, and onsite marketing are great ways to highlight your giving initiatives and raise awareness around the cause.
We recommend announcing your campaign through social media and email. This gives you an opportunity to tell a story around why this cause is important to your business, explain the actions that you are taking in support of the cause, and highlight any charitable organizations that you are planning to support during this time.
You can also get your employees involved to drive excitement for your initiatives. Mental health programming in the workplace can be extremely beneficial for your employees. It can help create an environment where individuals feel supported and valued. Create programming that provides resources like access to a mental health professional and mental health screenings to individuals who may be struggling.
You could also create a survey to learn how mental health problems affect employees and understand what you can do to help.
Learn more about how ShoppingGives can help your business get involved in this timely cause.