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Malory Shaughnessy is the executive director of the Alliance for Addiction and Mental Health Services. Betsy Sweet is senior policy advocate for the Behavioral Health Community Collaborative. Simonne Maline is the executive director of the Consumer Council System of Maine. Hannah Longley is senior clinical director of community programs at NAMI Maine.

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May was Mental Health Awareness Month, a time when organizations and individuals come together to raise awareness about the importance of mental health and promote access to resources for those struggling with mental illness. Gov. Janet Mills even signed a proclamation for May as Mental Health Awareness Month in Maine “to shine a light on mental illness and the need for long-term improvements in our mental health care system and increased access to care for all.”

This is a critical issue across the state of Maine as evidenced by the recently reported Maine Shared Community Health Needs Assessment Report. Mental health was a top priority identified across all counties and all community-sponsored events.