Reaching out in a time of need provides hope to those who experience stigma

Written by Kimberly Snodgrass , Center for Health and

With suicide ranked as a leading cause of death in the United States, for many Americans, asking for help can be the difference between life and death.

The numbers suggest that talking about your mental health should be normalized. Nationally, about one in five American adults live with a mental illness. However, according to the National Institute on Mental Illness’ most recent data, less than half of people living with any mental illness are actively in treatment.

Among the various reasons an individual may not seek out treatment—such as the high cost of care, lack of available mental health care professionals or confusion about how and where to go —stigma remains one of the most detrimental barriers to reaching out for help.

Self-stigma, such as feelings of shame or weakness about asking for help, can deter anyone from reaching out. But equally, if not more significant determinants are institutional stigma, such as systemic prejudice against people with mental illness and public stigma, such as discriminatory attitudes and beliefs about people with mental illness.

Admitting you need help and trusting someone to respond to your needs can feel overwhelming.

Struggling with mental health issues is not something anyone should do alone. And reaching out early for mental health care support yields the best results.

A trusted professional can help decrease the symptoms associated with mental illness and get you back to living a healthy and fruitful life.

In Washtenaw County, the county government’s community mental health agency is trying to break down stigma and help people get connected with care. The Public Safety and Mental Health Preservation Millage helps Washtenaw County Community Mental Health meet those aims.

Anyone can now call the millage-funded CARES team (734-5443050) and receive 24/7 access to a live care manager who can assess their needs, answer their questions, and provide service information or links to the right place for care.

CARES stands for:

Crisis response services,

Access to mental health services,

Resource connections,

Engagement with community partners, and

Support for individual needs.

The program responds to calls from everyone in Washtenaw County, regardless of insurance status or age.

And for people who experience financial hurdles when accessing mental health treatment, CARES offers services on a sliding scale. The team considers factors like insurance status and income. Then they determine a fair fee based on what individuals can pay.

Are you concerned about yourself or a loved one?

Call 734-544-3050 today.

This article is made possible with funding from Washtenaw County’s Public Safety and Mental Health Preservation Millage.