Katie Joyce of Alkermes has shared with the Roundtable and fellow Board members resources to encourage dialogue, greater awareness, and understanding of mental health as we mark May as Mental Health Month.

Alkermes, a global biotechnology company that specializes in drug development for serious mental illnesses (in addition to cancer), partners with the Mental Health America (MHA) which has shared a toolkit for resources throughout the month. Shroeder Stribling, President & CEO of Mental Health America, states “around half of all people in the U.S. will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition at some point in their lives. We also know that communities who are targeted by racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, and other forms of systemic oppression and violence can face an even heavier mental health burden because of these harms.” To that end, members may find the list of activities employers can do not only throughout the month but as a key element of health and wellness programming in the workplace.

From Mental Health America (MHA): What Businesses Can Do

  1. Use the the drop-in article from this year’s toolkit and send a Mental Health Month themed email to your constituents.
  2. Put out a company blog in support of mental health in the workplace.
  3. Encourage employees to share wellness or self-care tips in newsletters or messaging channels.
  4. Link to mental health resources (like your company Employee Assistance Program) in your company newsletter.
  5. Host an online chat with community stakeholders, other organizations, local leaders, or industry support organizations.
  6. Connect with one of MHA’s affiliates and bring a speaker to your workplace. Find your local affiliate by visiting: https://arc.mhanational.org/find-affiliate.
  7. Lime green is the official awareness color for mental health; consider releasing a limited-edition mental health month themed product.
  8. Host a wellness webinar.
  9. Invite a wellness professional like a clinician to do a “social media takeover” and allow them to share information about workplace wellness or mental health within your industry and take questions on your social media for a whole day.
  10. Post posters from MHA’s Back to Basics toolkit in your office or business.
  11. Shop MHA’s store and take a picture with your merch to share online https://store.mhanational.org.
  12. Donate a portion of your proceeds to MHA or one of its affiliates during May. Find your local affiliate by visiting https://arc.mhanational.org/find-affiliate.
  13. Use the sample posts from this toolkit, or share posts from MHA’s social media accounts on your organization’s social media networks: Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, etc. each day to raise awareness of May as Mental Health Month activities. Make sure to tag MHA’s profile using the account information below so we can see it!