In Elkhorn, efforts are underway to make mental health topics OK to discuss, remove the stigma associated with mental health issues and offer community members tips on ways to decompress. Copies of this calendar were delivered to businesses last week.
By Kellen Olshefski
Correspondent
With Elkhorn Mayor Bruce Lechner officially designating May as Mental Health Awareness Month in the City of Elkhorn via proclamation at the May 3 Common Council meeting, the Elkhorn Resiliency Coalition is now looking to take the school district’s mental health awareness efforts citywide.
Elkhorn Area School District Community Resilience Outreach Coordinator Senta Holmes said the proclamation came out of Mental Health America as a part of its Tools to Thrive resources.
Holmes said Elkhorn’s pupil services took on a similar project in the schools last year, handing out calendars to students, tailored for each age group, giving them a task each day during the week to complete that would promote mental health awareness.
“To kind of force them to slow down and take notice of yourself,” she said.
With the proclamation officially leading to Mental Health Awareness Month efforts citywide, Holmes said the goal is to now distribute these calendars not only to businesses throughout the city so that they can post the calendars but also provide businesses with copies of the calendar that can be handed out to businesses’ patrons and visitors.
The calendar includes suggestions such as people writing down three things they enjoy that can be referenced during frustrating times in the future, taking an extra long shower or bath while listening to calming music and spending a technology-free hour outside alone while taking the time to notice things like the sun, breeze and the smell of the grass.
Holmes said the calendar also asks community members to wear green – the color for mental health awareness – on Thursdays throughout the month of May.
Holmes said the idea is to help people become more aware of mental health and simple things they can do to improve their own mental health, while also helping to erase the stigma associated with the topic as a way to make the community feel more comfortable discussing it openly.
To read more about the Mental Health Awareness Month efforts in Elkhorn, pick up a copy of the May 6 Independent.
In Conversations
In direct relation to Mental Health Awareness Month, May’s “In Conversations” event – slated for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19 in the James A. Wehner Auditori-um at Elkhorn Area High School – will focus on presence of mind and mental well-being.
Holmes said she has several panelists including a pastor, a fitness coordinator, a nutritionist and others to speak to attendees – both in person and virtually – about mindfulness and to provide skillsets on how to take care of one’s self.
“I tried to make it like the faith, body, soul and mind concept,” she said. “So, it kind of works in conjunction with mental awareness for the month of May.”
Anyone interested in attending – from Elkhorn and other area communities – is encouraged to do so. For more information or to register, email Holmes at holmse@elkhorn.k12.wi.us.
