Community Outreach and Public Education
"Americans are inundated
with messages about success - in school, in a profession, in
parenting, in relationships - without appreciating that successful
performance rests on a foundation of mental health."
(Surgeon General's Report, 1999)
A primary goal of The Mental Health Association of New York City
is to provide community outreach and public education throughout
the five boroughs. The MHA-NYC recognizes that without accurate
information about mental disorders and their treatment, critical
numbers of New Yorkers will continue to struggle with the dual
burdens of stigma and lack of awareness about how and where to get
help. The MHA-NYC's community outreach and public education
programs provide up-to-date, science-based information about mental
health disorders and their treatment and help to identify
community-based resources for evaluation and treatment of mental
disorders.
Mental health problems can affect people of all ages and of all
backgrounds. MHA-NYC's community outreach and public education
programs are designed to address multiple populations, including
children and adolescents, adults, older adults, and the human
service and other professionals and paraprofessionals who serve
them. While public education efforts are broad-based, the MHA-NYC
recognizes that certain key populations historically have been
underserved by mental health services and require targeted outreach
to ensure access to effective services. In addition to providing
services to the general population, the MHA-NYC provides culturally
and linguistically competent outreach and public education to Asian
and Latino communities city-wide. Additionally, the MHA-NYC has
identified the rapid growth of New York City's elder population,
and conducts specific outreach and education to older adults and
their providers in community-based settings throughout the
city.
The MHA-NYC promotes public understanding of mental health and
substance abuse issues by providing information about the causes,
symptoms, and risk factors related to depression, anxiety
disorders, and other mental health concerns. Our commitment is to
dispel myths and stigma, to prevent the neglect and potential
escalation of emotional and behavioral problems, and to provide
information about how to access help.
Key Messages:
- Mental health is fundamental to overall health and
well-being.
- Mental disorders in are real, common, and treatable.
- Mental disorders do not discriminate - anyone can be
affected.
- Treatment works!
Program Goals:
- To promote positive, balanced, and accurate information about
mental health, mental illness, treatment and recovery.
- To increase prevention and early identification of mental
illness.
- To educate young people, adults and older adults about mental
health and mental illness, and how to access help.
- To link community-based organizations with appropriate services
and treatment.
What We Provide:
- Interactive workshops and presentations for students, parents,
adults, older adults, professionals and paraprofessionals on the
signs, symptoms and causes of mental health problems, including
depression, anxiety disorders and other disorders, options for
treatment, and how to know when professional help is needed.
- Workshops and presentations in English, Spanish, Cantonese and
Mandarin.
- Staff training on the use of mental health screening
tools.
- Collaboration with organizations to create programming focusing
on mental health education.
- Multi-lingual literature on how to access help through our
mental health and substance abuse hotlines, LifeNet, Ayudese and
Asian LifeNet.
For more information about workshops or our other outreach
activities, please call:
Lisa Furst, LMSW, Director of Public
Education - 212-614-6313