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:

  1. To build awareness about mental illness and substance use problems
  2. To reduce stigma
  3. 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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