How Are You Promoting National Depression Screening Day?
National Depression Screening Day is October 9, 2014, but can also be held any day that is convenient for your community. Organizations are encouraged to customize NDSD to their own needs and goals. A great way to guarantee attendance is to incorporate the screening event into an existing health fair or other well-attended activity.
A month out from your NDSD event:
- Select the date, hours of operation, and location for your event.
- If using an in-person NDSD kit, host your program in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic. If you have available staff, set up more than one event location.
- Discuss placing materials community-wide during the week programming is held.
- Suggested places include: public transportation hubs, malls, libraries, or health-related departments.
- Identify and recruit staff and volunteers for your screening team.
- Partner with volunteers, hospitals, or other mental health related organizations
- Consider having a guest speaker talk about his/her experience with overcoming depression or anxiety.
- Use the provided publicity, marketing and promotional materials on the Downloads Resource Center including the press release and social media posts.
- For a list of media contacts in your area, please email us at community@mentalhealthscreening.org. Please share with us any local media attention you receive!
The online screening program provides community members with the ability to anonymously assess their mental health anytime and anywhere. Promoting the online screening is similar to promoting an in-person screening event. Both are tools that will be well utilized when well promoted and executed.
A month out from your online NDSD screening event:
- Customize the general look and wording on your welcome page.
- It is best to include your organization’s logo, picture and colors. The “Welcome Message” is your chance to personally address your community members.
- Referral information is the most important feature of the online screening program–make sure it is accurate.
- Consider resources that are available both inside and outside your organization, including links to helpful educational materials, national sites, and local hospitals or mental health resources.
- Prepare utilization reports.
- Monitoring the usage for your online screening module enables those implementing the program to effectively manage outreach efforts.
Remember, online promotion is often the best method for reaching community members. We encourage you to utilize your social media pages on Facebook and Twitter.
And for more ideas, please join us for a free webinar!
Mental Health in the Mainstream
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
4:00 pm EST
De-stigmatizing mental health requires collaboration and widespread buy-in from community groups to policymakers. We know that mental illness can affect people of any age, race, religion, or income. These illnesses are treatable and are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character, or poor upbringing. Maintaining a community and public health focus will help create a world where mental health is viewed and treated with the same gravity as physical health. This webinar will explore ways community-based organizations can effectively reach community members with mental health screenings.
Main Speaker: Dr. Saul Levin, CEO and Medical Director, American Psychiatric Association
Community Speakers:
Jane Shinn, Heartland Family Services
Mark Bertolet, Allegheny County Department of Human Services
Dr. Susy Francis, Cornerstone Counseling Center of Chicago
Amanda Matthews, NEW Mental Health Connection