Be The Voice For Rural Mental Health
“Sometimes the Loudest Cries for Help Are Silent.” – Harlan Coben
Lead a Meeting or Presentation
Serve your family, friends, and community by sharing potentially life-saving information about the mental health crisis in rural America and how to be part of the solution for improving rural mental health. Consider leading a conversation in your local community and referencing these Key Messages about rural mental health.
Another option is to use the Rural Minds Slide Deck to lead a presentation either in person or online. You can also access the Event Planning Roadmap for a step-by-step process for preparing for the presentation. It includes the option of alerting a local newspaper or radio station to promote your event and raise awareness for rural mental health. You could expand the presentation to include the personal experience managing a rural mental health challenge. This could be you sharing your experience or partnering with another person to share their experience. Another option is to partner with a mental health professional to lead a discussion about the diagnosis and treatment of a mental health conditions, and participate in a Q&A session.
Write About Your Personal Experience
Break down the stigma to improve rural mental health by sharing your personal mental health experience. The Rural Voices webpage features stories from people sharing their lived experience managing a mental health condition in rural America or providing care for someone with a mental health challenge. Visit the Rural Voices webpage to learn more about how to share your story.
Participate in a Potential Media Interview or Podcast
It takes exceptional courage for someone to publicly share a personal story about experiencing a mental health challenge. Perhaps you are one of the growing number of special people interested in doing so to help others know that they are not alone; and that it’s okay to talk candidly about overcoming a mental health challenge or managing a mental illness. Let us know if you would be interested in potentially speaking on a podcast or with a newspaper, magazine, radio or TV station reporter to interview you for a news story. Please complete the Speaker’s Profile Form if you are interested in the possibility of receiving requests to share your story.
If you or someone you know is suicidal or in emotional distress, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org
If this is a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
