Editor’s Note

Instituted in 1949 by Mental Health America, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This year’s theme, “More Good Days, Together,” focuses on community connection, encouraging individuals to share experiences, support one another, and collectively build mental wellness, moving away from solitary struggles.

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) efforts, on the other hand, are centered on reducing stigma and supporting mental wellness. The NAMI theme is “Stigma grows in silence. Healing begins in community.”

Advocates in all Mental Health Awareness activities participate in initiatives that emphasize connecting with others and sharing support that helps create more positive days. All the while, participants wear the green apparel that signifies mental health awareness.

Mental Health America prepared a downloadable planning guide to equip organizations, workplaces, educators, or advocacy groups with the tools to make a meaningful impact on mental wellness. The organization also provided outreach ideas for individuals, organizations, businesses, or schools.

In this issue, one attorney shares how the Lawyers’ Assistance Program (LAP) helped address her mental health needs, and another attorney shares her personal experience with individuals with mental health and NAMI.