Thoughts on “What’s Your Mental Health Wish for 2016?”

Did you see this really cool posting on the website Care for Your Mind™ yesterday? It is particularly meaningful at this time of the year when we think of our future goals and activities for the coming year. The Care for Your Mind™ website is a collaboration of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) and Families for Depression Awareness (FFDA) who developed it as an online community. Its purpose is to engage their members in the critical discussions and decisions about mental health care. I recommend that you check it out and follow the website.

Care for Your Mind™ recently asked its readers “What’s Your Mental Health Care Wish for 2016?” and hoped to get many responses back. They then posted a list of “I wish for…” replies that were both relevant and thoughtful from people all over the country.

A synopsis of some of the entries included in “I wish for…” includes:

• reduced stigma
• improved access to treatment
• funding for suicide prevention, intervention and training services
• emergency departments to better identify individuals at risk for suicide
• more people [to] realize that seeking mental health services is just as acceptable as treating physical medical conditions.
• greater understanding and use of peer support and peer support services
• happiness and not needing meds anymore.
• integrating mental health care into primary care practice

I certainly don’t take credit for any of this – it is a project owned and operated by Care for Your Mind™ that I am just passing along to you. I do think that it is interesting to start thinking of these things, and that is what I would like you with do. It’s also a fun and productive task.  So, start thinking!  What is it that you desire, that you feel in missing in mental health care? Do you have a passion that drives you in this area? What would it take to realize your wish, to make it happen? Educating the general public or the providers? Funding new projects?

We’d love to hear all about it! When you have a wish or two, send it in to Care for Your Mind™ or to my website and I will forward it to them or post it to share with others.

Stay well!