May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we are doing our part to shine a light on the subject and break the stigma about mental health conditions. If you visit any of our locations on a Wednesday in May, you will spot many of our staff members wearing green to show their support. Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michael Colli, shared the following message with Keystone staff at the beginning of the month:
“Since 1949, May has been designated National Mental Health Awareness Month…The numbers surrounding mental health issues are staggering. One out of every five Americans is dealing with a mental health condition right now, and when seeking treatments or help, almost every one of them has had to overcome the stigma associated with the diagnosis.
“Over the past year, we have worked to eliminate the mental health stigma for our patients. We have begun performing universal depression screens at many of our sites, so that asking the hard questions about someone’s mental well-being becomes second nature, like taking a temperature or a blood pressure…Please join me this month in focusing our priorities on our patients’ mental health, reducing the stigma associated with the diagnosis, and continuing to universally screen our patients for depression.”
If you or a loved one experience an emergency mental health situation, Keystone Crisis Intervention is available to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Click here for more information.
