May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the Minnesota Department of Health will have a series of webinars throughout the month. They include the following:
11 a.m. Monday, May 1 – “Changing the Narrative on Mental Health and Suicide.” Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/changing-the-narrative-on-mental-health-and-suicide-tickets-600734622427. Talking about mental health and suicide can be an uncomfortable and uncertain topic that can bring up different feelings, beliefs and attitudes for everyone. This webinar empowers conversations to start in the hopes of changing perceptions of mental health toward hope and resilience.
11 a.m. Monday, May 8 – “How to Develop and Maintain a Wellness Plan: A Tool for Holistic Well-Being.” Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/how-to-develop-and-maintain-a-wellness-plan-a-tool-for-holistic-wellbeing-tickets-601630552177. Creating a wellness plan is a suicide prevention tool that can help provide hope and resilience regarding our own mental health and wellbeing, and help us recognize signs of struggle within ourselves, through the holistic approach of The Eight Dimensions of Wellness. By taking the time to consider how each of the Eight Dimensions (physical wellness, emotional wellness, environmental wellness, social wellness, intellectual wellness, spiritual wellness, occupational wellness, and financial wellness) are interconnected in our overall wellness, we can feel more empowered to set goals and intentions and create a plan that reflects our own personal wellness wheel.
11 a.m. Monday, May 15 – “Adult Mental Health Initiative, MN Warmlines, 988, Mobile Crisis and Fast Tracker. Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/minnesota-resource-panel-get-connected-to-the-resources-in-our-state-tickets-601645687447. We often refer people to crisis resources, but we might not know what they all are or what they do. Come learn about some of the resources that are available in our state and how you can help an individual, or yourself, get connected. We will have panel members from each of these organizations share about their programs, answer questions, and help to continue to build a system of support in Minnesota.
11 a.m. Monday, May 22 – “The Role of Natural Helpers.” Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-role-of-natural-helpers-tickets-601656700387. Natural Helpers act as “listeners” to their peers through building listening skills and confidence so that they may connect vulnerable peers to trusted adults, or other appropriate resources. With an increased need for mental health services, natural helpers can provide support and skill building for at-risk groups and enhanced accessible crisis services and referral sources. This session will expand on different levels of support: processing, constructive distraction and problem solving and provide examples of skills in active listening and motivational interviewing to build confidence in connecting individuals at risk to the appropriate resources.
If you would like to participate in Mental Health Awareness Month with an organization, community group or business you are affiliated with, the Minnesota Department of Health has come up with a toolkit that provides materials and links that can be helpful. It can be found at https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/suicide/mhawarenessmonth.html#:~:text=May%20is%20Mental%20Health%20Awareness,message%20that%20mental%20health%20matters.