Resources from National Association of Community Health Centers

As we bring Mental Health Awareness Month to a close, we want to inform you that this is the final week of our mental health awareness series. This week, we are focusing on PTSD, providing you with essential resources and information to better understand and address this condition.

Understanding PTSD is vital for creating a supportive and compassionate environment for both our staff and patients. Below, you will find valuable resources designed to help manage PTSD effectively. As your behavioral health team, we are committed to supporting you and our patients, and we look forward to continuing our collaborative efforts to promote mental well-being.

Thank you for your dedication and participation throughout this series. Together, we can foster a resilient and caring community.

Warm regards,

Your Behavioral Health Team

Week 5: Understanding PTSD

Interesting Fact: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects approximately 3.5% of U.S. adults every year, and an estimated one in eleven people will be diagnosed with PTSD in their lifetime (American Psychological Association, 2013).

Resources for More Information:

• National Center for PTSD: VA PTSD Resources
• PTSD UK: PTSD UK Information
• PsychologyTools:  PTSD Explained
• Psych2Go:  5 Types of PTSD Video
• Crisis Prevention Institute:  Free Trauma-Informed Care Resources Guide

Self-Directed Exercise:

• Journaling for Emotional Release: Encourage writing down thoughts and feelings related to stress and trauma for 10 minutes each day to help process emotions related to PTSD (van der Kolk, 2014).
• Self-Compassion:  Dr. Kristin Neff’s research shows that self-compassion improves emotional regulation, which is crucial for managing PTSD symptoms. By fostering self-kindness and reducing self-criticism, self-compassion helps trauma survivors cope more effectively with their emotions.  For more information, you can explore her work on self-compassion.org, greatergoodberkley.edu and the Greater Good Science Center​ (Self-Compassion)​​ (Greater Good).
• 7 Tools for Managing Traumatic Stress:  The NAMI website provides seven practical tools for managing traumatic stress, offering guidance and resources to support recovery.  For more details, visit NAMI’s 7 Tools for Managing Traumatic Stress.

Continuing our dedication to Mental Health Awareness Month, this week we shift our focus to mental resilience. Building resilience is vital for navigating life’s challenges with strength and adaptability. It empowers both our staff and our patients to recover from setbacks, maintain a positive outlook, and support overall well-being.

Below are resources designed to enhance mental resilience. Let’s integrate these practices into our daily routines to bolster our mental health and support one another in fostering a resilient community.

Warm regards,

Your Behavioral Health Team

Week 4: Promoting Mental Resilience

Interesting Fact: Mental resilience can significantly lower rates of depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders. It is not just an innate trait but a set of skills that can be learned and improved over time (American Psychological Association, 2016). Learn more about the science of resilience here.

Resources for More Information:

• American Psychological Association (APA): APA Building Resilience
• VeryWell Mind: VeryWell Mind Resilience
• Mental Health America: Ten Tools for Resiliency
• 8 Things Resilient People Do (Video)
• U.S. Department of State: Resilience Skills and Tools

Self-Directed Exercise:

• Visualization Techniques: Spend 5 minutes daily visualizing a positive outcome for your daily challenges. This can foster a more resilient mindset (Neenan, 2018).
• Self-Compassion Exercise: Self-compassion has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression while enhancing overall emotional well-being. It involves treating oneself with kindness, recognizing shared human experiences, and maintaining a balanced perspective on negative emotions (Neff & Germer, 2013). For a guided self-compassion break exercise, click here.

The 2024 – 25 Community Resource Guide available HERE is packed full of helpful information. The guide contains listings of community resources, HOTline Numbers, birth certificate and vital records access numbers, and much much more. It is compiled by AccelHealth to provide a reference to local and state programs and services, as well as showcase programs and services offered by AccelHealth.

Continuing our observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, we shift our focus this week to a prevalent and impactful condition: anxiety. Below are resources to deepen our understanding of anxiety and its effects. As we explore this topic, we aim to enhance our ability to support not only our clients but also each other in managing anxiety more effectively.

Warm regards,

Your Behavioral Health Team

Interesting Fact: Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults, or 18.1% of the population each year (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2021).

Resources for More Information:

• Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA): ADAA Anxiety Information
• American Psychological Association (APA): APA Stress and Anxiety
• National Federal of Families (NFF):  Anxiety Resources

Self-Directed Exercise:

• Deep Breathing Exercise: Practice deep breathing techniques for 5 minutes daily. This can help manage anxiety by reducing overall levels of tension and stress (Ma, 2017).
• Guided Deep Breathing: “Modifying breathing alters communication sent from the respiratory system, rapidly influencing brain regions regulating behavior, thought and emotion.” (Philippot, P., Chapelle, G., & Blairy, S., 2002).  Numerous deep breathing exercise exist and finding ones that support each persons’ preferences is important.  For a selection of options please see this resource: Guided Deep Breathing Exercises

This May, as we observe Mental Health Awareness Month, our Behavioral Health Team is committed to enhancing our understanding and support of mental health. Each week, we will share insights and resources focusing on a different aspect of mental health. This week, we begin our journey with a brief look at depression. We hope these resources will enrich our knowledge and assist in our ongoing efforts to support each other and those we serve. Warm regards, AccelHealth Behavioral Health Team

Interesting Fact: Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions worldwide, affecting over 264 million people of all ages (World Health Organization, 2020).

Resources for More Information:

• National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): NIMH Depression
• Mental Health America (MHA): MHA Depression Support
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):  Workplace Health Promotion, Depression

Self-Directed Exercise:

• Gratitude Journaling: Spend 10 minutes each day writing about things you’re grateful for. Research shows that gratitude can improve mood and reduce symptoms of depression (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).

Mindful Stretching: Movement has an immediate effect in reducing negative emotions.  Research show movement like stretching or mindful movement can reduce stress and improve mental health  (Yang & Conroy, 2018).  For a mindful stretching guided video click here.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Since its inception in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has been a cornerstone of addressing the challenges faced by millions of Americans living with mental health conditions.

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