Behavioral Health Network STL

This week is the final week of Mental Health Awareness Month. The theme is: “Supporting Loved Ones: Connection is a Powerful Form of Care.”

Healing from mental health and substance use issues is not just the absence of symptoms. It also means having a stable home, meaningful connection, and the tools to move forward.

988 is available 24/7. Call anytime, anywhere in the US for support. For guidance finding additional support and quality treatment, go to:https://bhnstl.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Finding-Quality-Treatment-for-SUDs.pdf

Tomorrow is May, marking the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Month (MHAM)! Organizations can celebrate and honor this occasion by raising awareness, sharing resources, and supporting the individuals and communities who need it most.

Each week during MHAM, BHN will highlight the weekly theme. The first week’s (May 1 – 8) theme is “Understanding Mental Illness, Including Serious Mental Illness: Awareness Leads to Compassion.”

We want to contribute to this theme by drawing attention to the following facts about mental illness and SMI:

Mental illnesses are medical conditions involving changes in emotion, appetite, thinking, or behavior that can affect daily functioning.

Serious mental illness can substantially interfere with major life activities, including work, school, relationships, and self-care.

Economic instability, housing insecurity, unemployment, and limited access to healthcare can increase stress and worsen mental health conditions.

Chronic stress related to financial hardship or unstable housing can contribute to the development or worsening of serious mental illness.

Early support, including access to stable housing, employment assistance, healthcare, and community programs, improves long-term stability and well-being.

When people feel respected and understood, they are more likely to seek care and remain connected to services.

BHN’s Bridges to Care and Recovery (BCR) program also provides a “Pastoral Toolkit,” which includes education to enhance mental health awareness while also educating on available mental health resources. You can view the toolkit at: https://bhnstl.org/our-work/building-community-engagement/

Today we are highlighting the Maternal Health Access Project (MHAP), a statewide program designed to give health care providers the resources they need to confidently identify/manage their patients' perinatal mental and behavioral health conditions/needs.

Staff from BHN and other Missouri agencies help to facilitate much of the important work being done through MHAP, which is now in its second year as Missouri's statewide perinatal psychiatric access program.

Join MHAP for a free 2-day virtual training on 'Alcohol Use Disorder in the Perinatal Period' by scanning the QR code. Or, simply learn more about the program by visiting https://mochildwellbeing.org/mhap/.

It's officially Spring in St. Louis, and it's a better time than ever to get outside and get involved in local behavioral health services. 🌼

These are just a few of the upcoming behavioral health events we are excited for -- do you have any of these on your calendar?

YANA: The You Are Not Alone (YANA) festival was created by the St. Louis CRUSH Coalition with the intent to fill the gaps experienced by those suffering with SUD/OUD. At this event, local orgs come together to provide critical resources and treatment assistance to make the path to recovery easier. Come to the 5th Annual festival on 4/11/26 and say hi to our friends at the EPICC booth.

Health and Wellness Fair at Soulard Market Park: Places for People is hosting this free event on 4/11/26, providing free wellness screenings, resource booths, and free food. Come learn, connect with the community, and support mental health.

Strong Women and Families Resource Fair: The Junior League of St. Louis, in partnership with behavioral health orgs throughout STL, is hosting this resource fair on 4/26/26 at Delmar DivINe with the intent to connect St. Louis families with on-site resources and information on health care, finance, education, employment, housing, and legal services.

This past Friday (3/13/26), BHN and New Horizon Church partnered in hosting a Legislative Behavioral Health Roundtable. Representatives of North St. Louis attended, including LaWanda McDowell (Chief of Staff for Senator Angela Mosley), Kristina Le (office of Congressman Wesley Bell), Rep. Kimberly Ann-Collins, Rep. Doug Clemens, Rep. Yolonda Fountain Henderson, and Rep. Chanel Mosley.

The Roundtable was also attended by local leaders in Behavioral Health. We discussed legislation and funding cuts impacting North St. Louis residents. Together with legislators, we identified action steps to help preserve funding for Behavioral Health services in the region.

Thank you to all the legislators, behavioral health leaders, and everyone else who was able to attend and participate in this important conversation.

We wanted to take the time to highlight some upcoming behavioral/mental health events occurring in the St. Louis area! These events are not hosted by BHN, but they all focus on behavioral health education and awareness.

3/3/26: 'Su***de Prevention Training: Late in Life' by Places for People

3/5/26: 'Reimagining Western Mental Healthcare' with Dr. Khameer Kidia

3/18/26: 'The Journey' at 21c Museum, in partnership with Behavioral Health Response

Follow the links to learn more/register!