[Counselor_Educ] FW: [External] [OPCSMH] Honoring Mental Health Awareness Month

[Bhat, Christine]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Christine Suniti Bhat (she/her), PhD, LPC, LSC (OH)
Professor, Department of Counseling & Higher Education
The Patton College of Education
OHIO University, Athens, OH 45701

Past-President, American Counseling Association, 2025-2026
Fellow, American Counseling Association
Fellow, Association for Specialists in Group Work

Office: Patton Hall, 432F
Phone: 740-593-4425; Email: bhatc at ohio.edu<mailto:bhatc at ohio.edu>
Website: https://www.ohio.edu/education/bhatc
Media: https://www.ohio.edu/experts/expert/christine-suniti-bhat

Note: I may send emails outside typical working hours. Please respond during your workday or when it is most convenient for you to do so.

From: opcsmh <opcsmh at neomed.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, May 5, 2026 8:42 AM
To: opcsmh at opcsmh.neomed.edu
Subject: [External] [OPCSMH] Honoring Mental Health Awareness Month

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Good morning campus-community partners,


Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month, observed each May, serves as a vital reminder that mental well-being is just as important as physical health. It creates space for open conversations about conditions like anxiety, depression, and stress, topics that have historically been misunderstood or stigmatized. By bringing these issues into the public eye, the month encourages people to seek help, share their experiences, and support others without fear of judgment.

One of the most important aspects of Mental Health Awareness Month is education. Many individuals struggle silently simply because they don't recognize the signs of mental health challenges or don't know where to turn for help. Awareness campaigns provide resources, highlight early warning signs, and promote strategies for maintaining emotional well-being, such as mindfulness, therapy, and community support.

Equally important is the role this month plays in reducing stigma. When public figures, organizations, and everyday people speak openly about mental health, it normalizes these conversations. This shift can make it easier for someone to ask for help, knowing they are not alone and that support is available.

Ultimately, Mental Health Awareness Month is about building a more compassionate and informed society. It reminds us to check in on ourselves and others, to listen without judgment, and to prioritize mental wellness as a key part of overall health.

Want to honor Mental Health Awareness Month by spreading awareness and learning more? Check out these opportunities below!

May 2026 Webinar: The Power of Student Voice: Supporting Campus Mental Health

Join us tomorrow on May 6th, 2026, at 12pm EST for the final OPCSMH webinar of the 2025-26 academic year as Mr. Anthony Sartori, Executive Director & Founder of Evolving Minds, shares his transformative journey, from struggling with mental health in college to creating meaningful campus-wide impact. He explores how finding community led to healing, and how his personal transformation inspired him to create a student club and partner with university leadership to enhance student mental health support at the University of Maryland. Through practical examples, participants will learn how student initiative and collaboration with staff, faculty, and administration can lead to positive outcomes, including expanded mental health training programs and institutional commitment to student well-being. Please note that CEUs will not be available for this webinar. Additionally, this webinar will not be recorded so don't miss out and register<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fneomed.zoom.us%2Fwebinar%2Fregister%2FWN_5akZrnDrTdKheFT2dsaPfA&data=05%7C02%7Ccounselor_educ%40listserv.ohio.edu%7Cfeb1fffbb6d8478000a108deaaa4ba98%7Cf3308007477c4a70888934611817c55a%7C0%7C0%7C639135821691138681%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=6Zwv%2FB5qcFdaCW%2Fu9Lk0H9EmLUPBJoSUVTXA2diHnpk%3D&reserved=0> today!

SAMHSA Mental Health Awareness Month Toolkit

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released a Mental Health Awareness Month toolkit that features messages and themes for each week of May, promotional materials, guidelines on best practices for supportive and beneficial discussions about mental health, and more at no cost! We encourage you to take a look here<https://www.samhsa.gov/about/digital-toolkits/mental-health-awareness-month>!


Free Virtual Question, Persuade, Refer Training Opportunity

Interested in becoming a certified Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper? Sign up for a free session via Zoom today!

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) is a suicide prevention gatekeeper training course that prepares trainees to ask the important questions. See the signs, start the conversation in your campus-community, save a life!

Upcoming QPR Sessions:

  *   May 14th, 2026<https://nam11.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fneomed.zoom.us%2Fmeeting%2Fregister%2FogEY5WJ-SZm8Xshfbo3rMg&data=05%7C02%7Ccounselor_educ%40listserv.ohio.edu%7Cfeb1fffbb6d8478000a108deaaa4ba98%7Cf3308007477c4a70888934611817c55a%7C0%7C0%7C639135821691192314%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=FcdQvzBkOA9Ox0uFI9fqb2UT34BjwZ0OtoSrvMPi538%3D&reserved=0>

*Please note that this will be the final QPR offering of the 2025-26 academic year*

2026 Drs. Fred and Penny Frese Lecture

You are invited to join the NEOMED Department of Psychiatry Coordinating Centers of Excellence and Peg's Foundation for the 2026 Drs. Fred and Penny Frese Lecture<https://www.neomed.edu/medicine/psychiatry/about/the-drs-fred-and-penny-frese-lecture-series/> as we welcome professor, mental health services researcher and community psychologist Nev Jones. Nev will share how her lived experience has led her to be an advocate and top researcher in the world of schizophrenia. She will share how lived experience can make an impact and have a voice to change and challenge systems with sociocultural determinants of mental health, psychosis-focused services, and health equity.

The lecture will be on May 20th at 12pm-1pm both in-person and livestreamed. Register HERE<https://neomed.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cUda7DCscLKCRV4> to meet Nev Jones in-person on the NEOMED campus or join via livestream on Zoom. This presentation is FREE and open to the public. Please feel free to extend this invitation with anyone in your network or community.

The Drs. Fred and Penny Frese Lecture series honors the late Fred Frese, Ph.D., and Penny Frese, Ph.D., by sharing stories of individuals living successfully with schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses and the ways in which their loved ones support their recovery.

Peg's Foundation and the NEOMED Department of Psychiatry Coordinating Centers of Excellence sponsor this lecture annually.

Registration: Frese Lecture May 2026 Registration<https://neomed.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1HWclk96lMoDgbA>



Take care,
Chris

Chris Tutino, MPH, CHES (he, him, his)
Dissemination Coordinator, Ohio Program for Campus Safety and Mental Health (OPCSMH)
Department of Psychiatry

Northeast Ohio Medical University
4209 St. Rt. 44 | PO Box 95 | Rootstown, Ohio 44272

Connect with the OPCSMH!
Website<https://www.neomed.edu/csmh/>| X<https://twitter.com/neomedopcsmh> | LinkedIn<https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/74567516/admin/feed/posts/> | YouTube<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUf15GQPbeWeikAHLfLJaoQ> | Listserv<https://opcsmh.neomed.edu/list/opcsmh.opcsmh.neomed.edu>

"Promoting mental health awareness, reducing stigma, and preventing suicide since 2010."

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