News
Help is Available for Health Net Members Seeking Mental Health and Recovery Resources in the COVID-19 era
Date: 09/22/20
September is recognized as National Suicide Prevention and Recovery Month. It also a time to share resources on a topic most people tend to avoid. To raise awareness and share its resources, this year Health Net has joined the #BeThe1To movement.
#BeThe1To is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's social campaign designed to spread the word about actions we can all take to prevent suicide.
Poor mental health, substance use and suicide (taking of one's life) have been huge concerns across the United States. COVID-19 has only worsened the situation. It is estimated that 44 million adults have some form of mental illness. If not treated properly, these conditions can lead to death.
Here is what is happening in California
- Five million adults in California have a mental health condition. That's more than six times the population of San Francisco.1
- Only about 4 in 10 people in California with a mental health condition received any treatment in the past year.1
- In California, 50 percent of mental illness begins by age 14 and 75 percent begin by age 24.1
Our actions could save lives
There are actions we can all take to prevent suicide. As part of the #BeThe1To campaign, there are 5 steps that act as a guide. These steps are all about initiating healthy and open talks with someone you feel is thinking about suicide. Learn how and why these five steps are important here.
Health Net offers its own resource for members seeking help.
- The myStrength program offers tools to help you fight through depression or suicidal tendencies. You can learn more about the myStrength tools here.
- Health Net Community Connect, powered by Findhelp, formerly known as Aunt Bertha, is an online search program that helps you find free and low cost social services. To use the findhelp tool, go here, enter a zip code and click search.
National Recovery Month is about educating Americans that finding treatment and services can lead to a healthy and rewarding life. Individuals with mental and substance use disorders need to know that support is around the corner. To grow your knowledge and awareness of recovery check out the National Council for Behavioral Health's Recovery Month Luncheon on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Learn more about National Recovery Month here.
Be sure to follow Health Net's Facebook and Twitter page as we support Suicide Prevention Month and Recovery Month throughout September. Please join us in this movement by liking and sharing our posts.
References:
1 State Fact Sheets. (2020). The National Alliance on Mental Illness
Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/Advocacy/State-Fact-Sheets