May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and CSI (Comprehensive Service Integration) of Fond du Lac County is spreading the message that anyone can make small changes that have a big impact on their mental health. Throughout the month we will be providing information on our website (www.csifdl.org/mham2020/) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/csifdl/) about five different “Tools to Thrive” that everyone can use to bolster their mental health and increase their resiliency in the face of challenging situations. These practical tools include owning your feelings, finding the positive after loss, eliminating toxic influences, creating healthy routines, and supporting and connecting with others. Until recently it was easy for some people to believe that their mental health wasn’t something they needed to be concerned about. They likely thought Mental Health Awareness Month was aimed at helping a specific segment of the population, the one in five who have a mental health concern in any given year. COVID-19 changed that. As our world was turned upside down, it has become clear that worry, isolation, loneliness, and anxiety are things that ALL of us – all five in five – need to face in a very real way.
In addition to the Tools to Thrive, we are promoting the website www.csifdl.org/covid-19, which has information everyone can use about managing mental health during this time. The website contains a list of local and national resources that can be used by individuals who are struggling (including phone and text lines, online chat, virtual support group options, and screening tools), as well as basic tips on how to cope and help others, and links to other websites/articles on the topic. It is our hope that by sharing these Tools to Thrive and promoting available local, statewide, and national resources, that we can reduce the stigma which persists around discussing mental health and increase the
understanding that mental health is something we ALL have. We want Fond du Lac County residents to know it’s as important to address the mental health effects of COVID-19 as the physical health effects. We want those who are struggling to know that it’s normal to feel stressed or anxious in times of uncertainty, such as when routines have been changed or we’re facing financial strains. We want everyone to know that by attending to our mental health and finding ways to cope, we can manage stressful situations and support the people around us (including friends, family, and co-workers). By working together we can show how strong and resilient Fond
du Lac County can be! SI of Fond du Lac County is an established volunteer community coalition that has been working to improve the social, emotional, and behavioral well-being of Fond du Lac County residents since 2002. Please visit
http://www.csifdl.org/, call 920-906-6527, or find us on Facebook for more information about navigating local
mental health services, attending future events, and getting involved in our efforts here in Fond du Lac County.
