United Way of Northwest Vermont
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Mental Health Initiative

United Way of Northwest Vermont’s Mental Health Initiative is a multi-year collective impact project leveraging the participation of 200+ community members working together to solve, at scale, many of our most pressing problems in the system of mental health care.

our PRIORITY AREAS are:

  • 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.

We help support collaborative efforts in the region to improve the mental health system of care, share information, trainings, and resources to increase mental health literacy and access for all community members, and create necessary spaces to connect and convene stakeholders around these important issues.

our successes

  • Mental Health First Aid: We helped more than double the number of certified Mental Health First Aid trainers in Vermont, strengthening our ability to provide sub-acute care before a mental health challenge becomes a crisis.
  • Youth Mental Health Connections Call: We convene a monthly call focused on youth mental health co-facilitated by our partners at KidSafe Collaborative. Meetings include a review of relevant data, a guest speaker, and informal networking. Email meghanm@kidsafevt.org to get involved
  • Stand-Alone Pods for Youth Therapy: We supported the installation of stand-alone rooms, or “pods,” to provide much-needed private therapeutic space for youth to meet with a therapist in schools.
  • 2024 Suicide Prevention Symposium: We partnered with Vermont Cooperative for Practice Improvement on the first in-person statewide suicide prevention symposium since before the pandemic. The sold-out event featured 15 diverse workshops and suicide prevention training and certification opportunities.
  • Mental Health Toolkit for Employers: Produced in collaboration with United Way’s Working Bridges program, the toolkit has been downloaded more than 3,000 times.
Cari Kelley

See Collaboration in action

Meet Cari

In one year, Cari Kelley certified over 120 people in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), on top of her full-time job as United Way’s workplace donor relations manager. “I have a lot of personal experience with mental health as the primary support person for someone in my family. Being out in the community and teaching Mental Health First Aid gives me an opportunity to let people know that they’re not alone,” Cari said

WATCH VIDEO

 

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.

 

Mental Health Initiative Newsletter

Sign up to receive news & updates! You can also read past newsletters by clicking on the links below.

Looking for earlier newsletters? Contact us.

MENTAL HEALTH TOOLKIT FOR EMPLOYERS

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.

Additional Mental Health Resources


Vermont 2-1-1: A program of United Ways of Vermont, Vermont 2-1-1 is a statewide, confidential information and referral helpline that connects callers to available human services.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, 988 provides 24/7 connection to confidential support with local counselors and mental health professionals.
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – Vermont: Resources for people having thoughts of suicide as well as suicide loss support groups and other resources for families and friends.
Howard Center’s First Call (Chittenden County): 802-488-7777. Phone support, crisis intervention, assessment and referrals.
NCSS Emergency Services Hotline (Franklin & Grand Isle Counties): 802-524-6554.
Vermont Care Partners – Vermont Mental Health Agencies: Mental health services information and crisis lines listed by county.
CAMS-trained Providers: A registry of Vermont Independent Mental Health Providers Trained in Suicide Specific Treatment Protocols.
Pathways Vermont Support Line: Peer support line open 24/7. Call or text (833) VT-TALKS / (833) 888-2557.
NAMI Vermont: Free peer and family support groups.
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 (24 hours a day, seven days a week).
Outright Vermont: Support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Trevor Lifeline: 1-866- 488-7386 – provides suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. It offers free, 24/7, confidential counseling. TrevorText—text START to 678-678; TrevorChat—instant messaging at TheTrevorProject.org/help. It also runs TrevorSpace, an affirming social networking site for LGBTQ youth at TrevorSpace.
Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860. A peer support phone service run by trans people for trans and questioning peers.
Veterans Crisis Line: 24/7, confidential crisis support for Veterans and their loved ones. Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1 or Text 838255. Online chat also available.
Vermont Directory of BIPOC Mental Health and Wellness Practitioners: A directory of providers working (or licensed to work) in the state of Vermont and who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color. This is a public list, accessible to anyone via the internet, meant to promote the visibility of BIPOC providers and assist with referrals for clients who are seeking BIPOC providers.
Vermont Older Adults Helpline: Toll-free, confidential Helpline can be reached by calling 1-800-642-5119. The Helpline is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. After hours, please leave a message on the Helpline and they will reach out to you during their business hours.

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Mental Health Toolkit

Download our Mental Health Toolkit for Employers

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United Way of Northwest Vermont*** September 13, 2023