A Mindful State: People-powered mental health initiative launches in Washington state
Three out of seven people in Washington state will experience a clinically significant mental health issue throughout 2021. To address this growing crisis, nonprofit organizations, health care providers, state and local government agencies, experts in mental health and a number of incredible people who are willing to share their lived experience worked together to create A Mindful State.
The campaign was inspired by the COVID-19 Social Supports Task Force to address the impact of the pandemic on the state’s social support systems. Specifically, A Mindful State is a people-powered and community-organized statewide campaign intended to help facilitate a feeling of community and a sense of duty and support for one another.
A Mindful State’s online platform provides a space to host human stories about coping with mental health, from community members willing to share their experiences and from mental-health professionals who can provide context and expertise to help navigate paths to recovery.
“Many people who struggle with mental and emotional health issues don’t know where to begin to start seeking help, and many others may not even want or need to take that step toward seeing a mental-health professional but still need to know they are not alone and that there are options for coping,” said Jodi Daly, CEO of Comprehensive Healthcare, which helped develop the site. “A Mindful State aims to expand access to credible information while also serving as a reminder that the strength of people and communities is the greatest asset we have.”
A Mindful State shares personal stories, expert advice and resources while supporting personal connections with other community members. Sharing stories helps reduce stigma and increase understanding of mental health care as an integral part of the health care spectrum.
“For our communities and cultures to thrive, we must encourage people to look out for each other to foster, share, adapt and nurture our collective resilience,” said DSHS Acting Secretary Don Clintsman. “We want the people of Washington state to have a robust ability to understand, adapt and recover from the behavioral health issues resulting from pandemic.”
Together with the COVID-19 Social Supports Task Force and Comprehensive Healthcare, A Mindful State is supported by several other Washington state organizations. For more information, visit http://amindfulstate.org.