History of the MHC

Year One — 2004

Developed multi-media presentation, “Mental Health & Stigma,” to educate the community that mental illnesses are real, common and treatable, and to suggest concrete examples of what individuals can do to reduce stigma.

Year Two — 2005

Made “Mental Health & Stigma” presentation to 36 service clubs, church groups, staff trainings.

Hosted quarterly Information Exchange Meetings

to include any and all groups, agencies and individuals advocating for mental health.
to give providers a chance to learn what is going on in other programs, what resources are available, up-to-date and accurate information. This has led to increased networking and collaboration among those who provide mental health services.
to help spread the word and the work of reducing stigma.
to give feedback to MHC Board of Directors

Provided mental health information at employee health fairs.

Year Three — 2006

Presented “Mental Health & Stigma” to 34 more community groups, including high school and university level classes.
Hosted “Women and Depression” (PDF) event during Mental Health Awareness Month featuring local speakers plus Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton and Sue Ann Thompson, president of Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation.
Developed a bibliography — available at public libraries throughout the county — of fiction and non-fiction which depict mental health issues and experiences of people living with a mental illness.
Met with news and advertising media about ways to portray mental illness without stigmatizing the people living with it.
Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) — October 9–13, 2006, Mental Health Crisis Intervention Team Training for Law Enforcement — This 40-hour program introduced 19 local law officers to the range of mental illnesses, medications, experiences of people living with a mental illness and of their families, local resources, and best practices which increase the safety of the officers as well as of the people they are assisting.
The Competitive Advantage: Promoting Mental Health in the Workplace — Nov. 9, 2006. Forty-five area employers and employee benefits specialists attended this two hour seminar to learn key strategies to help businesses address mental health issues and become more productive and cost-effective; and to get answers to legal and insurance questions related to these issues.

Year Four — 2007

Trained 28 more local patrol officers and jailers in Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) — a 40-hour training in mental health crisis intervention for law enforcement.
Produced “Mental Health @ Work” multi-media presentation which offers helpful strategies for employers to increase productivity, retention, motivation and morale; to reduce absenteeism; and to contain healthcare costs. It is available to any and all employers as an excellent way to start addressing mental health issues in the workplace.
Continued to make “Mental Health & Stigma” presentation, an introduction to mental health, mental illnesses, and the stigma which often prevents people from seeking treatment — even from realizing they have an illness that can be treated — also offers simple ways to address and eliminate stigma.
Continued to host quarterly Information Exchange Meetings for agencies/organizations which provide mental health services. The updates from and communication among these groups lead to better access to mental health services.

Also see our current work.