
Berbeco: The kids are not all right
by Steven Berbeco Youth mental health has been a priority of our state government and many organizations. During the pandemic, when […]
United Way of Northwest Vermont’s Mental Health Initiative is a multi-year collective impact project leveraging the participation of 150+ community members working together to solve, at scale, many of our most pressing problems in the system of mental health care.
Addressing Vermont’s critical labor shortage of mental health providers;
Strengthening and aligning resources for suicide prevention; and
Responding to the acute rise in youth mental health needs.
Our participants come from the many places that now overlap with the mental health system of care, including schools, early childhood and higher education, housing, transportation, local and state government, religious and civic groups, and of course direct care providers and community members with lived experience. Together we are identifying and addressing gaps and bottlenecks in the system of mental health care.
Meet Erica
Erica recently became a certified trainer in Mental Health First Aid, a national training program that teaches participants to identify and respond to symptoms of mental illness and substance use disorder. Erica is one of 10 community members the United Way’s Mental Health Initiative is supporting with MHFA training as part of our work to more than double the number of mental health first aid trainers in the state.
Key partners who help guide the Mental Health Initiative’s work include Howard Center, Northwestern Counseling & Support Services (NCSS), Vermont Care Partners, Spectrum Youth & Family Services, Vermont Suicide Prevention Center, and NAMI Vermont. Our Core Team also includes representation from University of Vermont Medical Center, Vermont Health Equity Initiative, Vermont Community Foundation, Vermont Psychiatric Survivors, and the State Legislature.
The Mental Health Initiative is made possible thanks to funding from the UVM Health Network, IBM and generous individual donors.
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An Employer Guide to Supporting Employee Mental Health was developed by United Way’s Working Bridges program and the Mental Health Initiative and is available online here: bit.ly/mental-health-toolkit.
The guide includes local resources, tips for recognizing and responding to mental health challenges, and recommended policies, benefits and everyday practices to build a supportive and inclusive workplace culture.
by Steven Berbeco Youth mental health has been a priority of our state government and many organizations. During the pandemic, when […]