In honor of May Mental Health Month, the City of Fishers would like to highlight the Stigma Free Fishers mental health initiative. Stigma Free Fishers was created by the city in 2019 to promote mental health and wellbeing to all Fishers residents and prevent crisis before they occur.
As a community, let’s work together to make Fishers a mentally-healthy city. Here’s how you can get involved to help fight the stigma during May Mental Health Month.
1. Take the Stigma Free Fishers Pledge
Take the pledge to learn more about mental health, see the person not the illness, and join the effort to create a #StigmaFreeFishers.Be sure to share your pledge on social media by using the Digital Toolkit on the Stigma Free Fishers website here.
2. Join us at events throughout the month!
The City of Fishers and the Fishers Health Department will host the annual Hope for Happiness event at the Fishers Farmers’ Market on Saturday, May 14 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater in partnership with Fishers High School and Hamilton Southeastern High Schools’ Bring Change to Mind student clubs. Stop by the family-friendly event to help us raise awareness about mental health and the city’s Stigma Free initiative, participate in free mental health activities, find resources from local mental healthcare providers, and more.
Also, don’t miss the annual Health & Wellness Expo on Saturday, May 21 from 8 a.m. to noon to fuel your body, mind, and soul. A variety of health-related nonprofits and businesses will provide health screenings, demonstrations, and information for all ages about nutrition, exercise, weight management, yoga, meditation, dental care, tobacco cessation, mental health, and more! Learn more at playfishers.com/FarmersMarket.
3. Find help for yourself or someone you love.
If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health, Stigma Free Fishers is here to provide the resources to help. Visit stigmafreefishers.com for advice on how to start a conversation with a loved one about mental health or how to get the help you need. As a community, we can help one another end the stigma surrounding mental health!
4. Check out blog posts on This is Fishers.
Visit the This is Fishers blog to read about protecting your teenagers mental health, ways to strengthen your mental health, how to help kids cope with stress, and other blogs about mental health topics.
5. Learn to recognize the signs.
The Fishers Health Department offers several different trainings throughout the month to help individuals learn to identify and respond to signs of mental illness.
Mental Health First Aid
The Fishers Health Department offers Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainings, which teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. This training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to appropriate care. Learn more.
QPR Training
Question. Persuade. Refer. (QPR). These are actions we all can take to help someone who is in crisis, prevent suicide, and save a life. This free training teaches participants how to recognize loved ones at risk, how to intervene, and offer referrals and resources. Get details.
Get involved throughout May Mental Health Month and help our community work towards being
#StigmaFreeFishers! Learn more about the initiative and see the full event lineup at thisisfishers.com/MentalHealthMonth, and follow Fishers Health Department on Facebook and Twitter for resources.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or 9-1-1.
Melissa Rogers is an Indiana native who has lived in the Indianapolis area for several years. She attended Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, majoring in journalism & public relations and is a previous public relations intern with the City of Fishers. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, going to Indy Fuel and Pacers games, and hiking with her German Shepard, Ari. Her favorite part about Fishers is how many great restaurants and shops there are to choose from.