New initiative to reduce stigma and increase help-seeking in the community
COLMAR, PA – The HealthSpark Foundation, in partnership with Screening for Mental Health (SMH) and the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, today announced that it launched five behavioral health kiosks at locations throughout Montgomery County. Locations include: the Ambler Area YMCA, Einstein Physicians Collegeville, Norristown Regional Health Center, Manna on Main Street and Montgomery County Community College.
Currently, one in four Americans has a diagnosable behavioral health condition in the United States and yet the vast majority (70%) does not seek treatment. One of the leading deterrents for seeking treatment is stigma. MindKare® Behavioral Health Kiosks are designed for use in public spaces, and aim to reduce stigma by making screening for treatable conditions like depression or anxiety as commonplace as blood pressure screening.
“Mental health kiosks not only provide people with a way to access information on their own mental and behavioral health, they also help raise awareness,” said Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, Montgomery County Commissioner. “The more we raise awareness of mental and behavioral health disorders, the more we can reduce stigma and get help for those in need.”
The kiosks are freestanding stations that offer a quick, anonymous way for individuals to check in on their behavioral health by providing users with:
Online self-assessments for common mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse
Information on whether their assessment is consistent with a common mental or behavioral health disorder
An overview of the signs and symptoms of treatable behavioral health disorders
Information and resources for quality, local treatment options
“We know that early intervention for mental and behavioral health disorders is critical,” said Russell Johnson, president and CEO, HealthSpark Foundation. “That’s why we wanted to provide residents of Montgomery County with access to information on their own mental health and connect them with local treatment resources.”v
MindKare® kiosks utilize an innovative online screening platform developed by Screening for Mental Health. Online screenings consist of a series of questions designed to indicate whether symptoms of a behavioral health disorder are present. After completing the screening, participants receive immediate confidential feedback and referral information to local resources for further information or treatment.
About HealthSpark Foundation
Through grantmaking and related philanthropic activities, HealthSpark Foundation works to improve the health and well-being of the community by anticipating tomorrow’s challenges and offering support to plan and deliver cost-effective, outcomes-oriented programs and services that vulnerable populations in Montgomery County require to lead healthy, successful and meaningful lives. Since the foundation’s inception in 2002, more than $12.6 million has been distributed to 178 nonprofit organizations.
About Screening for Mental Health
Screening for Mental Health (SMH), the pioneer of large-scale mental health screening for the public, provides innovative mental health and substance use resources, linking those in need with quality treatment options. SMH programs, offered online and in-person, educate, raise awareness, and screen individuals for common mental and behavioral health disorders and suicide.
About the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation
The Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation is a Quaker-based, philanthropic, grant-making foundation committed to raising its voice to improve the system through which behavioral healthcare is delivered in the Philadelphia region. The Foundation intends to employ an active, strategic approach to grantmaking to accomplish its vision.
###
If you would like more information about the foundation, or to schedule an interview with Russell Johnson, please contact Christine McCormick at 215-716-5400 or at cmccormick@healthspark.org.
The post The HealthSpark Foundation Launches Five Behavioral Health Kiosks in Montgomery County appeared first on Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA.