Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity for us to raise awareness of the importance of mental health support and the necessary work to break the stigma.

Mental health refers to a person’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being, shaping how they cope, relate, and function each day. Everyone experiences changes in mental health. It is important to recognize that mental health is different from mental illness. Mental illnesses are medical conditions that affect thinking, mood, behavior, and daily functioning. They often require clinical treatment and ongoing support. Mental Health Awareness Month, can also work to bring attention to mental illness, helping to further break the stigma around these conditions as well.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, we encourage you to turn silence into connection. By sharing our lived experiences, learning from each other’s experiences, and building strong community connections, we can challenge stigma and create spaces where people are supported, understood, and find healing. Every story shared turns silence into connection, and connection into healing. Together, we can strengthen communities and create opportunities for empathy, understanding, and meaningful change.

Here’s how you can help.

1. Share resources with those around you. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
2. Show up for one another. Whether you’re living with a mental health condition, supporting a loved one, or advocating for change, NAMI offers programs, resources, and opportunities for support, connection, and healing.
3. Share your own story, honor someone you care about, or help normalize conversations about mental health. You can also share your personal story with NAMI California. Telling personal stories of recovery can be one of the most effective ways to diminish stigma and help individuals and families who are facing challenges related to mental illness.
4. Stay updated on NAMI California’s Legislative Priorities, and join us in advocating for Californians living with mental illness and those who care for them. Sign up for alerts at quorum.us.
5. Join us in elevating our collective voice to advocate for Californians living with mental illness.  Connect with your legislators, stay engaged on key issues, and use your voice to support policies that expand access to care and improve outcomes for people experiencing mental illness.
6. When posting relevant content on social, use the hashtags #MentalHealthMonth, #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, and #MHAM2026 to spread the word and help us #EndTheStigma around mental health and mental illness.