Increasing Education And Awareness During Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Jay Clark, the Southeast Regional Director for the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee (MHAET) said it’s important to increase education and awareness so people can be referred to mental health specialists as early as possible and lead vibrant and productive lives. 

“Your mental health is just as important as your physical health,” he said. 

MHAET was founded in 1948, and at first focused on the mental health needs of Knoxville and Knox County. The board recognized there was a need in rural areas of East Tennessee for the client services, educational programs and advocacy the organization provides. They have since expanded their reach to 30 counties. 

“The reason that we decided to expand was because we felt that everybody in the area needed to have access to these programs,” Clark said. “We don’t provide a diagnosis or write a prescription. But we’re really founded in mental health advocacy.” 

Clark said MHAET is the bridge connecting mental health specialists to those in need and it all starts with education. He said the sooner the better.

MHAET has a slogan, B4STAGE4, they use to explain why seeking help early can be extremely beneficial to long-term mental health. 

“When it comes to stage four cancer, you would not wait until you are too sick to do something about it,” he said. “You would take the time to set up those precautions before something happens. You’re setting up those strategies to prevent things from getting worse. And that’s our main focus. That’s what Mental Health Awareness Month is about. It’s making sure that people understand you don’t want to wait until you have a crisis to do something about it.”

MHAET developed a program called Mental Health 101 which is presented to students in grades fourth through 12th grades. 

“It’s a program that breaks down what mental health is,” he said. 

Clark said it may seem like speaking about mental health to fourth graders is a bit early. But helping children understand mental health can help them address things they might be feeling but are unable to express. 

He said the unfortunate reality of not confronting mental health issues early on, has terrible consequences. 

“Suicide is the leading cause of death among 10 to 14-year-olds in Tennessee,” he said. “Early intervention is really what we focus on. We can get the information into the minds of these young people. We might think as adults that these kids need to be sort of sheltered from these topics. But we believe that the earlier they hear about them, the more time they have to learn about these things and break down the stigma of seeking help.” 

Mental Health 101 is celebrating its 25th year!

For 25 years now, the organization has helped students identify mental health needs in their peers or themselves, changing what people know about mental health provides the foundation for seeking help for themselves or their fellow students.  

He said in the younger grades students learn about healthy and unhealthy emotions and how to manage them. In older grades, students learn about Anxiety, Depression, and suicide prevention.

Students are more open to speaking with their parents, guidance counselors and educators if they learn that it’s okay to ask for help. 

“We get lots of positive feedback from teachers,” he said. “We hear that students will continue to ask questions after our program has been implemented. They want more information from their teacher, which is great. That means they’re getting connected to those resources in their school that they might need.” 

The program is also available to adults.

In Hamilton County, school Principals can contact Clark directly to request the free program for their school.

MHAET also has the Peer Recovery Call Center.

“People can call in and can speak with someone who might have been through a similar experience,” Clark said. “They can have someone who they can talk through things and receive recommend recovery services.”

MHAET is also in the process of developing a program called the Treatment Access Bank. As the T.A.B program expands outside of Knoxville into new, rural areas, MHAET will be able to provide access to up to 15 paid sessions of therapy for those who might not be able to otherwise afford it. This program is still in the works, as MHAET is currently working to develop partnerships with local mental health service providers who do not accept insurance; if you provide such services or know someone who does, they would love to hear from you on the matter!

Clark said finding the right resources, and getting connected to people in your community and personal life is important to your mental health.

“There are so many myths and misconceptions about mental health,” Clark said. “People think that struggling with your mental health is something to be ashamed of. It’s something that you should feel embarrassed about. And it’s the kind of thing where if you need to get medication or need to go see a licensed professional, that’s something that you should keep to yourself. But that’s not the case. You are not alone. Everybody struggles. We all have problems that we encounter throughout our life. We want to make sure that people understand that seeking help for your mental health is okay. And the more we do it, the more the people around us see us doing it, they’ll be more likely to seek help for themselves. We can create a domino effect, and it normalizes the process.”