Cups of coffee served up in May at Portage County shops and group meetings will carry a message of mental health support.
Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County funded the effort with a grant that helped supply coffee sleeves and coasters carrying information about the county’s 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
The effort comes during Mental Health Month. A total of 3,000 coffee sleeves and 4,000 coasters will be placed in local coffee shops, bars and fraternal and veterans’ organizations, including American Legion, VFW and Eagles clubs.
This initiative is led by the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County, which received a grant from the Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities to partner with community organizations and increase awareness of the 988 Lifeline.
“We chose to focus on rural areas of Portage County to help reach adults who may not be familiar with 988,” said Karyn Kravetz, associate director of the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County. “While many young people have learned about 988 in school, it’s equally important to ensure adults know that support is available.”
The agency’s campaign also aims to reduce stigma around seeking help.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Individuals can call or text 988 to connect with trained counselors, whether they are seeking help for themselves or are concerned about someone else.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Portage effort sharing suicide, crisis hotline information
Reporting by Diane Smith, Ravenna Record-Courier / Record-Courier
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