September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about mental health, honoring lives lost to suicide and destigmatizing conversations about mental wellness. Here are five mental health resources for those seeking extra support run by local, national and international mental wellness initiatives.Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)
Mental health support is available at St. Joe’s, with offices for CAPS located in Merion Gardens on the Hawk Hill campus, Whitecar Hall on the University City campus and the Health and Wellness Suite at the Lancaster campus. Services provided by CAPS include individual and group counseling, drop-in counseling and workshops. Appointments can be made over the phone, through email, via the website contact form or in person.
Healthy Minds Philly
Healthy Minds Philly is a Philadelphia-based initiative that offers mental healthand wellness tools for Philadelphians “regardless of zip code, insurance or income status.” The initiative leads support groups and other community events throughout the city. They also run a public education program called Mental Health First Aid that teaches individuals how to recognize and respond to mental health crises. Healthy Minds Philly offers specialized services for people of color and members of the LGBTQIA+ community and uploads free mental wellness articles on their online blog.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Philadelphia
NAMI Philadelphia is an organization dedicated to providing support to those battling mental illness and advocating for the destigmatization of mental health conversations. In addition to hosting support groups, NAMI Philadelphia’s website provides a list of further local mental health resources that includes addresses and contact information.
Suicide Prevention Lifeline
The suicide prevention lifeline, available 24/7, can be reached by calling 988. Conversations held over the lifeline are free of charge and kept confidential.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is a suicide-prevention nonprofit centered around providing 24/7 support to LGBTQ youth. Resources provided by the Trevor Project include online mental health guides, crisis counseling, a suicide prevention hotline and TrevorSpace, an international online networking site for LGBTQ youth ages 13-24.
