Page 110 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2019

GivingBACK healthy thinking Believing in Recovery
story and photos courtesy of Mental Health Association of South Mississippi
The Mental Health Association of South Mississippi (MHASM) is a 501(c)3 organization that supports people who have mental health challenges. Sometimes people think they can’t accomplish things, but focusing on strengths instead of deficits helps them to realize they have skills and abilities.
Friendships develop while working together to achieve mental wellness.
Pet Therapy
Through its Drop In Center and homeless programs, the agency works to provide life skills, resources, and encouragement. Setting goals and objectives together helps to build steps to move forward. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, one in five Americans experience a mental illness in a given year. Many people with a mental illness are functioning in society with families, jobs and hobbies.
Businesses invest in workplace wellness. According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), “Preventive health and wellness benefits are designed to help maintain or improve employees’ behavior to achieve better health and to reduce health risks.”
MHASM offers two national evidence-based options. Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) is a workshop that focuses on thinking about aspects of our wellness. For example, ‘what is a trigger for me and what wellness tool could I use to keep that trigger from causing me extreme stress?’ It
is a simple process of planning what could work for a stressful event.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a class to learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how
to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. There are several versions, which include youth, adult, veteran and public safety.
Another great aspect of MHASM is the four employees who are Certified Peer Support Specialists. They are individuals with personal experience who have progressed in recovery and now help others. Kay Daneault, Executive Director says, “It is a very powerful situation when someone can talk about what they experienced and show proof of the possibilities.” It gives people hope and offers someone to assist them with a plan. MHASM does not provide therapy or other clinical aspects, but helps individuals navigate to a provider of these services.
Mental Health Association of South Mississippi | 4803 Harrison Cir., Gulfport 39507 | 228.864.6274 www.msmentalhealth.org | Find us on social media: Facebook and Twitter @MHASouthMS
IS PROUD TO SPONSOR THE
Mental Health Association
800-831-1700 of South Mississippi Helping Adults, Adolescents & Children every day
11150 Highway 49 North, Gulfport, MS 39503 | www.gulfportbehavioral.com
110 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • December 2019 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net