Behavorial Health Initiative Action Team
Action Team Goal
The Reduce Stigma Against Mental Illness Action Team is working to evaluate the prevalence of stigma against mental illness and design and implement a campaign to change perceptions of mental illness.
Targeted Problem
Mental health is not prioritized or treated as a chronic illness in our culture. People often wait until their mental illness becomes a crisis to seek help. This is at least partially due to the lack of awareness of the warning signs and risks of mental illness. Furthermore, people are wary of seeking help for mental illness as a result of the stigma surrounding it.
Our Collective Work
To address this problem, the Reduce Stigma Against Mental Illness Action Team has distributed a community assessment to evaluate stigma towards mental illness in Northwest MI, developed a social media campaign to fight stigma, developed a Words Hold Power Language and Discussion Guide, hosted an Implicit Bias training at Munson, helped develop the 21-Day Stigma Challenge. See below for more details about the team’s work.
Assessing Stigma Towards Mental Illness in Northwest MI
The Reduce Stigma Against Mental Illness Action Team distributed a public stigma assessment to evaluate the state of stigma around mental illness in the region. The team collected data from more than 1100 residents and professionals in the region in 2022 through these assessments.
Designing & Conducting a Social Media Campaign to Fight Stigma
The Action Team developed a social media campaign to share the results of the assessment and educate the public about how to curb stigma. The social media campaign reached over 14,000 people in Northwest Michigan and the videos have more than 1,300 views.
Developing Educational & Training Resources to Fight Stigma
The team developed tools, such as the Words Hold Power Language Guide and Words Hold Power Discussion Guide to educate residents about language that promotes stigma and how we can use our words to support those with mental illness. They also created an evidence-based implicit bias training for healthcare providers. The Action Team hosted an Implicit Bias Training at Munson in February 2024, where over 160 healthcare providers learned about how to create a welcoming environment for people with mental illness.
Challenging the Region to End Stigma
Collaborated with the two other Reduce Stigma Action Teams to develop an educational 21-Day Challenge with links to resources, screening tools, and local supports to reduce stigma against mental illness in Northwest MI. Take the 21-Day Stigma Challenge to learn how to identify and reduce stigma in your everyday life.
Action Team Members
Text: Since November 2021, 17 stakeholders in the NW MI region have been engaged in the work of this Action Team.
Leader
- Donna Norkoli – District Health Department #1
Members
- Angie Bruning – AMA ESD Great Start Collaborative
- Kim Chandler – Munson Healthcare
- Jennifer Dingman – Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan
- Nick Eckhart – District Health Department #10
- Danyal Englebrecht-Blakeslee – Centra Wellness
- Stacey Kaminski – Northern Lakes Community Mental Health
- Paula Martin – Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities
- Jennifer Mazur – Northwest District Health Department
- Emily Pokorski – District Health Department #10
- Chelsea Rossow – District Health Department #10
- Karen Staub – Wexford-Missaukee Child Protection Council
- Stephanie Williams – Munson Healthcare
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT STIGMA?
- Help us educate the public and reduce stigma against mental illness in the region!
- Use the Words Hold Power Discussion Guide!
- Post the social media campaign on your personal or agency Facebook pages to spread awareness about stigma against mental illness and how to address it.
- Take the 21-Day Stigma Challenge to learn how to identify and reduce stigma in your everyday life.
