Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month was established in 1949 to increase awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness in Americans’ lives and to celebrate recovery from mental illness. For more than 20 years, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recognized Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM) every May to increase awareness about the vital role mental health plays in our overall health and well-being and provide resources and information to support individuals and communities who may need mental health support.

Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, has recorded a video message for Mental Health Awareness Month 2024.

During National Mental Health Awareness Month, we honor the absolute courage of the tens of millions of Americans living with mental health conditions, and we celebrate the loved ones and mental health professionals who are there for them every day.

Check out what SAMHSA is doing and share our materials, and remember that we all play active roles in caring for our mental health.

On May 17, SAMHSA’s CMHS will host a symposium to share perspectives and solutions for improved outcomes in prevention, early identification, and treatment for children, youth, young adults, and their families.

Use the FindSupport.gov Toolkit to spread awareness and provide resources for those who need them.

The 988 Partner Toolkit is a one-stop shop for resources that anyone to use to promote awareness of 988.

NPW promotes prevention events and resources to help keep people and communities healthy and safe.

Upcoming Events

Expand All | Collapse All

Time: April 30, 8:30 a.m. - May 2, 12:30 p.m.

The conference will include a film screening of The Listener with a panel with writer and directors.

Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC)

Time: 9:30 – 11 a.m. ET

Hosted by the Northwest MHTTC and NAMI Seattle, this 90-minute presentation will provide a personal perspective of mental illness, as presenters with lived experience talk openly about what it's like to live with a mental health condition. Their trained presenters humanize the misunderstood, highly stigmatized topic of mental illness by showing that it’s possible—and common—to live well with a mental health condition.

National Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders (NCEED)

Time: 1 – 2 p.m. ET

The purpose of this webinar is to provide the basic knowledge to professionals working with adolescents from the Latino community to identify eating disorders, provide support to family and to familiarize them with the referral process using a culturally sensitive approach.

Time: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (Virtual)

The purpose of the event is to: share new initiatives, strategies, promising practices as well as the perspective of older adults to improve access, reduce stigma, and increase collaboration in the field of older adult mental health, particularly to assist those with serious mental illness and substance use disorders; to increase awareness about the role that health inequities play in the care and treatment of older adult mental health and substance use disorders, and identify culturally-appropriate approaches to reduce their impact, including social support and evidence-based interventions; and to provide attendees with actionable steps they can bring back to their communities.

Presenters: The Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Dr. Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, will provide a welcome, along with the Assistant Secretary for Aging and the Administrator for the Health Resources and Services Administration. The keynote speaker is Jenifer Lewis - known as the “The Mother of Black Hollywood” and co-star of ABC’s “Black-ish”. There will be eight sessions with nationally known researchers, community providers, and people with lived experience providing practical advice and tips in older adult behavioral health treatment and recovery.

Great Lakes Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC)

Time: 2 - 3 p.m. ET

Research has indicated that youth may experience racism, prejudice, and bias as early as preschool. In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to reflect on their experiences of working with their students and learn strategies to help students navigate a culturally complex world. Participants will walk away with strategies to support students as they encounter racism and racial trauma.

Time: 12 - 7 p.m. ET

The Pacific Southwest MHTTC is hosting a no-cost, full-day symposium on International Harm Reduction Day to uplift the origins, approaches, and practices of harm reduction in mental health work. The symposium captures innovative approaches to harm reduction with speakers from across the country who work within diverse settings and populations.

Great Lakes Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC)

Time: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. ET

In the Latino community, stigma around mental health can prevent and/or delay someone from seeking mental health services. In this workshop, the importance of taking care of emotional health to prevent conditions, such as depression and anxiety, will be discussed. Participants will identify main psychosocial stressors in the Latino community, utilize strategies to effectively manage emotions, practice relaxation techniques, and develop goals to maintain holistic balance.

Time: 12 - 1:30 p.m. ET

This two-part webinar learning series will focus on strengthening the behavioral health workforce and increasing access to mental health services by working with people with lived expertise who can provide peer supports to adults and youth.

Time: 1 – 2:30 p.m. ET

Watch the livestream!

The Task Force on Maternal Mental Health will announce the release of the National Strategy to Improve Maternal Mental Health Care and the accompanying Report to Congress. The Task Force on Maternal Mental Health is a subcommittee of the SAMHSA Advisory Committee on Women’s Services. During the event, attendees will hear from task force co-chairs and members, women with lived experience, HHS leaders, Congressional leaders, and others dedicated to addressing the maternal health crisis in the U.S.

The SAMHSA-funded National Center for Training and Technical Assistance on Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health (NTTAC) will host a free, virtual System of Care (SOC) Summit. The SOC Summit is an opportunity for all children’s mental health partners to reunite, renew, and re-energize their efforts to support children and young people with behavioral health needs, as well as their families. Our virtual doors are open to anyone who is invested in the mental health and wellness of children, youth, and families.

Presenters: Over 35 presenters comprised of: providers, state/county administrators and staff, youth, family members, practitioners, and collaborators within the child-serving system.

Time: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET (In Person at SAMHSA HQ (Invitation Only) and Virtual (Open))

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), through the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), will host a symposium which will convene multidisciplinary stakeholders and thought leaders to share perspectives and solutions for improved outcomes in prevention, early identification, and treatment for children, youth, young adults, and their families. Grounded in this year’s theme, “Championing Mental Health Together,” the Symposium will:

Feature panel discussions on emerging trends;
Showcase evidence-based practices, programs, and services; and
Provide networking opportunities for collaboration.

Presenters:

Opening Remarks: (via video): Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Dr. Miriam Delphin-Rittmon
Children’s Mental Health Awareness Month Presentation: CMHS Director Dr. Anita Everett, Jeanette Betancourt, US Social Impact, Sesame Street Workshop
- Keynote – Trace Terrell, NAMI NextGen
- Panel 1 – Fostering Family-Centered Solutions for Promoting Mental Health
- Panel 2 – Enhancing School Mental Health Capacity: A Roadmap for Success
- Panel 3 – Innovative Approaches for Youth Mental Wellness
- Panel 4 – Showcasing Community-Driven Strategies for Optimal Mental Health Care

Registration Link: Invitation-only (in-person)
Livestream Link: Join now (registration not required)

Great Lakes Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC)

Time: 9 – 10:30 a.m. ET

In this training, participants will learn the difference between disordered eating and a diagnosable eating disorder, when to refer out to a specialty provider, as well as what to say and what not to say when working with an individual suffering from an eating disorder. Participants will also learn key characteristics of the most common eating disorder diagnoses as well as discussing key treatment objectives for each.

Pacific Southwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC)

Time: 12 – 1 p.m. ET

The Honoring and Supporting Peer Support in Healing-Centered Approaches webinar will explore peer support in healing-centered engagement, including how organizations might value, uplift, and support the wisdom and skill of those with lived experience.

Time: 1 - 2:30 p.m. ET

Learn more about the latest developments in mental health resource for HUD-assisted communities. Attendees will get slides and a mental health resource list after the event.

Participants will learn:

How to Save a Life: Learn from SAMHSA about their 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Mental Health Resources: Hear about SAMHSA's Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) from the national and local levels.
Listening Session: Your opportunity to participate in the conversation on mental health in your communities.

National Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders (NCEED)

Time: 3 p.m. ET

Childhood and adolescence are times of growth and development and, thus, periods of increased risk of eating disorders. Assessing growth and development accurately, without weight bias, is essential for the healthcare provider in the screening, treatment, and prevention of eating disorders in pediatric patients.

Time: 2 – 3:30 p.m. ET

This webinar will discuss principles of trauma-informed care and approaches to implementing trauma-informed practices for transition-age youth (TAY) involved with the criminal justice system.

Need Help?

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
To learn how to get support for mental health, drug, and alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov.
To locate treatment facilities or providers, visit FindTreatment.gov or call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357).

SAMHSA Resources

Practitioner Trainings

Federal Resources

Last Updated: 04/24/2023

Mental Health Awareness Month

SAMHSA Mental Health Awareness Month 2024

Presidential Proclamation