SPEAK YOUR MIND TEXAS
SPOKESPERSON TALKING POINTS
· Mental health and substance use issues are more common than many people think.
· It’s estimated that one in five Americans will experience a mental health issue during their lifetime; and one in 20 will develop a serious mental illness.
· Mental illness and substance use often strike early. Half of all cases of mental illness begin before age 14 and three-quarters by age 24.
· For these reasons, DSHS is launching the Speak Your Mind Texas campaign.
· “Speak Your Mind Texas” will focus on teens and young adults, AND their support systems, including:
o Parents and family members
o Educators (middle school, high school and college)
o Faith-based and community-based organizations
o Community leaders and elected officials
o Medical professionals
· “Speak Your Mind Texas” has three goals:
- To build awareness about mental illness and substance use problems
- To reduce stigma
- To teach people how to recognize the warning signs and how to get help
· There are several elements to “Speak Your Mind Texas”:
o Videos of young people telling their own stories about mental health and substance use issues
o A website: SpeakYourMindTexas.org, and in Spanish: HablameTeEscucho.org
o Public service announcements
o Social media efforts to reach young people
o And lastly, Community Conversations
· Overview of a Community Conversation:
o Every community has a story to tell about how mental illness impacts its citizens.
o Our goal is to help communities start a conversation, and then to encourage them to keep up the conversation.
o We’ll be holding 16 Community Conversations across Texas from June through August.
o We encourage people who interact with teens and young adults to attend.
o What you can expect:
§ A panel discussion featuring local experts
§ A testimonial story
§ Small group discussion
§ Guidance on how you can make a difference
For more information, visit SpeakYourMindTexas.org, or in Spanish HablameTeEscucho.org
For pre-event interviews:
The [CITY] Community Conversation will be held:
[DATE]
from [00:00] to [00:00]
at [EVENT LOCATION]
[ADDRESS]
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