May is Mental Health Awareness Month

During the month of May, advocates and activists come together to recognize Mental Health Awareness Month as a time to draw attention to mental illnesses and to encourage those who need support to seek it out. Over one quarter of American adults have experienced symptoms of mental illness in the past year, and people who live in poverty or have experienced homelessness are at increased risk.

At Calvary Women’s Services, we know that the women we serve often need support in seeking out mental health support. Understanding the jargon that is used on medical forms and by medical professionals can act as as much of a barrier as income, and we are so grateful that we can offer psychiatric services and therapy on site. Calvary’s two therapeutic consultants are on-site every week to offer individual therapy, and a psychiatrist is on-site twice a month to provide baseline psychiatric assessments. Additionally, a clinical psychologist works with our case management team to provide clinical supervision for our programs.

Even though we are able to offer these services on-site to our clients, there are still many members of the community who are not receiving the support they need. Staying informed about these issues and showing compassion toward those who struggle with mental illness is a good first step.  For more information on how you can show your support this month, visit the National Alliance for Mental Illness’ “Go Green”  page.