"Mental Health is Health" Campaign Highlights Resources for Community

When Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Rhode Island asked residents in the Pawtucket Central Falls Health Equity Zone (PCF HEZ) how they would spend $385,000 to improve the health outcomes in their community, it came as no surprise that the proposal with the most votes was for the creation of a splash pad in Pawtucket and an outdoor gym space in Central Falls. Clearly, exercise and outdoor recreation are important tools for good health, and access to these resources is severely limited in this underserved community. It also didn’t hurt that the vote took place during a particularly hot summer in an urban community with very little access to pools and water play.

The program was part of a Participatory Budgeting initiative from Rhode Island’s Department of Health and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which provided funds from Medicaid to address social determinants of health – non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. The cities conducted town halls and listening sessions and collected 600 ideas through online submissions. Local resident “Change Agents” helped coalesce the community input into 11 program proposals. The cities then held community-wide voting sessions where more than 800 residents voted using official ballots and voting machines on loan from the Secretary of State. This democratic process was designed to engage residents in identifying and developing potential health interventions. 

Community members display posters with project proposals during a Participatory Budgeting event.

The program receiving the second highest number of votes was the “Mental Health IS Health” anti-stigma campaign to address mental health support in culturally diverse communities. The campaign featured an art contest for children that was incorporated into calendars and bus shelter ads to carry the message that “Mental Health IS Health.” Two building-sized murals titled “La Salud Mental Importa” – “Mental Health Matters” were painted on prominent main street buildings to let people know that it’s okay to ask for help and a series of videos was developed to identify available resources. 

“Advocating for acceptance and understanding of mental health and bringing awareness to the services available was important to the group as a whole,” said Wilma Smith, member of the PCF HEZ Mental Health Task Force. Smith was one of the Change Agents who developed the program to support the Mental Health is Health campaign. “It’s important to set an example for the next generation so they know it’s okay to not be okay. There is help available.”

Smith wasn’t surprised that the anti-stigma campaign was a popular choice in the two cities. Pawtucket and Central Falls have large Hispanic, Cape Verdean and Portuguese communities, where stigma persists that encourages people to stay silent about mental health matters, rather than seeking help. Making the connection that mental health is part of an overall health profile was an important message that Smith and the other members of the Mental Health Task Force wanted to get across.

“Stigma is a major barrier that people face to getting access to mental health services. For a lot of people, especially in our cultures that are prominent in these communities, it's a topic that was not openly talked about,” said Elizabeth Moreira, assistant program officer at LISC Rhode Island. 

The campaign was rolled out over six months, with the final element of four locally produced videos released during the holiday season – a time that many people find challenging.  

“The holidays are a particularly stressful time for everyone, but with those working through mental illness, it can very hard,” said Moreira. “We’ve developed four videos that have locally recognized people talking about how mental health IS health, and that there is help available for people who are struggling.

Wilma Smith, a Change Agent and member of the PCF HEZ Mental Health Task Force.

The Mental Health Task Force produced four videos called End the Stigma, Facts, How To Cope and Resources. Each short video is designed to highlight residents, students, police and municipal leaders who talk about their views and challenges, many who offer their own perspectives and first-hand experiences.

For many on the PCF HEZ Mental Health Task Force, putting a public face on the issue was an important way to build acceptance. When known community members are talking about their own challenges and coping mechanisms, it might increase the acceptance of their own mental health journeys.

“I was motivated to participate in the task force due to my own struggles with mental health,” said Smith. “As a BIPOC individual, not only was seeking mental health help frowned upon, the resources or knowledge of how to do so was non-existent in my community.” 

Smith knew that needed to change, and so she volunteered for the team to create the campaign. 

“When I first started experiencing issues with depression and anxiety, I struggled with being comfortable enough to seek help because doing so was -- and still is -- something that is not common in my culture. I feel like many of the other members on the task force have similar experiences and struggles.”

The culmination of the Mental Health is Health campaign, short videos highlight locally-recognized leaders, like Julio Sabater Jr., PhD of Sabater Labs.

The videos help direct residents to resources, including HEZ partners at Project Weber Renew which provides peer recovery and substance use services, Sabater Labs which provides bilingual counseling services, and the Chief Equity Officer with the City of Pawtucket and the Office of Constituent Services at the City of Central Falls which provide resources and referrals to government assistance programs and other local non-profit partners. 

The videos will be shared through the PCF HEZ network on social media and through personal texts. 

“We’re hoping to get this message out widely so that people who need to see it, will come across it around the holidays,” said Moreira. “It’s a time when many feel they are alone. We want to tell people that they aren’t alone, there are a lot of us out here and we are your neighbors and friends.”  

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