Bergen County’s Division of Mental Health became a trailblazer in the movement to end the stigma associated with mental illness by asking Bergen County towns to designate themselves Stigma-Free. On March 23rd, 2017, Mahwah’s town council and mayor signed a resolution declaring Mahwah a Stigma-Free Zone!
Mahwah Stigma-Free Task Force for Mental Health
As a result of this special Stigma-Free designation, volunteers have been working together to further the mission of the Stigma-Free initiative by promoting mental health awareness and reducing the outdated stigma associated with mental health conditions. According the National Association on Mental Illness,
“1 in 5 Americans experience a mental illness”
The goals of the Mahwah Stigma-Free Task Force are to:
- Educate our community that mental health is an essential part of our overall wellbeing and must be treated just like our physical health
- Raise awareness of the prevalence of mental illness in our community
- Provide information to those in need of local mental health resources and reduce the confusion of where to get help.
- Encourage an environment of empathy and understanding by supporting friends and family dealing with mental health challenges
Visit the website at www.mahwahstigmafree.com for useful information about mental health and where you can find local resources for help. This is a link to the page https://www.mahwahstigmafree.com/endthestigma/
If you, or someone you know, is suffering from anxiety, depression, or any other mental health illness, do not ignore the signs, and get help as soon as possible.
Mahwah Stigma Free is looking for volunteers. If you want to learn more about joining the Mahwah Stigma-Free Task Force for Mental Health please email either: Sharon Pushie at tspushie3@gmail.com or Jayne Demsky at jmdemsky@verizon.net.