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May
02
Posted by Erica Lake on May 2nd, 2023
Posted in: Advocacy, Blog, Consumer Health, General, News from the Region, NLM Resources, Outreach, Public Health
Tags: mental health, Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to learn more about mental health and mental illness and to share information with others in our communities. Region 6 has become increasingly engaged over the last two years in developing and promoting mental health resources in response to our members’ needs. In keeping with the librarianship tenet of getting the right information to the right person at the right time, we’ve raised awareness of mental health resources through partnerships, funding, and education.
Partnering on state action plans to address mental health
Our State Advisory Groups (SAGs) provide leadership guidance and strategic direction on the regional work and initiatives we develop. Six of the seven SAGs have identified mental health as a priority health issue and health disparity in their communities, and they are currently drafting action plans for specific outreach and engagement activities.
Region 6 staff and subawardees will be begin carrying out the plans later this year, and are excited to support mental health initiatives tailored for each state.
Funding new mental health information resources
NNLM values diversity and inclusion to advance health information equity so people can make informed decisions about their health. TPT NOW, a public service streaming channel of Twin Cities Public Television in Minnesota, also shares this value. Region 6 awarded health information outreach funding to the channel in 2022 to develop culturally relevant infographics and videos with the goal of improving access to reliable, actionable health information for historically marginalized communities in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area.
TPT NOW searched MedlinePlus for information on 51 health topics, including seven addressing mental health, and collaborated with community stakeholders to prepare public service announcements in Spanish, Hmong, Somali and English. These infographics and videos are now publicly available for anyone to use, for free. Two examples are shown below, and you can find the complete collection here. We would love to hear how you share these with your community!
Educating our region on mental health resources
Region 6 staff are currently developing a new Moodle course, Resources for Mental Health at Work, which will launch later this year. We have received many requests from NNLM members for this type of training, which will offer new information to complement our popular Wellness in the Library Workplace course. Stay tuned to this blog for updates.
And stay tuned for our posts like this one from May 2022: Mental Health Resources, Updated to Include Resources on Coping with Mass Shootings. The trustworthy list of resources from NLM, NIH, and other organizations related to mental health and well-being, can be shared in your communities.
Lastly, watch the blog for upcoming Region 6 Speaker Spotlight Sessions. These one-hour webinars feature expert guest speakers presenting on a variety of topics, included mental health. Our September 2022 session, Bridging the Divide: Improving Mental Health Care, Access, and Delivery in our Communities, featured three psychiatrists discussing mental health disparities and the social determinants which affect access to mental health services. You can watch the recording on NNLM’s YouTube channel if you missed the live session.
Are you actively engaged in raising awareness of mental health resources? We’d love to hear what you are doing! Reach out to us at region6-RML@uiowa.edu.
ABOUT Erica Lake