May 12, 2020

In 1949, it was determined by the Mental Health America Organization that May is Mental Health Awareness month. This is a field, for which, I have found personal and professional gratification. Teaching students to support the living, learning, working and socializing goals of persons with a mental health diagnosis is hugely rewarding. The goal of mental health interventions is to have the individual functioning in the community with the least amount of direct practitioner intervention; our students will graduate into their respective communities, both national and international, with this awareness.

COVID-19 has made behavioral health practitioners even more needed and necessary. Now! During this unprecedented time, we may experience anxiety, depression, and increased stress due to the unfamiliarity of the current state of the Earth. I applaud our behavioral health students focusing on mental health and substance misuse for supporting the community, pre, during and post COVID-19. We applaud you and the faculty educating you for what is important to know to be competent in the field. Mental health attention transforms healthcare around the world and in local communities. Bravo to everyone who has accepted this challenge!

Look for updates and posts in Daily Dose and on CNHP’s social media for resources and information about Mental Health Awareness month.

Veronica Carey, PhD, CPRP
Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Associate Clinical Professor, Counseling and Family Therapy Department

Chair of the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association