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Stay Strong Foundation, SAMHSA, Ad Council Launch Campaign for Black Community

The Stay Strong Foundation, in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Ad Council, announced its launch of a national public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to raise awareness of mental health problems among young adults in the black community.

The new PSAs were unveiled at a Black History Month event at Howard University to coincide with the first annual HBCU National Mental Health Awareness Day. The launch was telecast to colleges and universities nationwide. The campaign aims to promote acceptance of mental health problems within the black community by encouraging, educating, and inspiring young adults to step up and talk openly about mental health problems.

“It is the work of the Stay Strong Foundation and my personal mission to educate everyone, and in particular the African American community, about depression and its impact on our communities,” said Terrie M. Williams, cofounder of the Stay Strong Foundation. “Every day so many of us wear the 'mask' of wellness that hides our pain from the world, yet we are dying. Now is the time to identify and name our pain—minus the myths and the stigmas—and seek the help so many of us need.”

Source: The Stay Strong Foundation