Maddy Glab

May is Mental Health and Wellness Awareness Month. The Bills are doing many things throughout the month to recognize and celebrate the importance of mental health.

Throughout the month, Bills team clinician and sport psychologist Dr. Desaree Festa, known as Dr. Dez at One Bills Drive, will provide a series of 'Mental Moments' to help equip everyone with tools to enhance our mental and emotional resilience.

We have many mental health advocates at One Bills Drive and our players and coaches embrace the importance of optimizing their mental space. Bills offensive tackle Alec Anderson, defensive tackle DeWayne Carter, tight end Zach Davidson, cornerback Ja'Marcus Ingram, and punter Brad Robbins celebrated mental health awareness month at Frank A Sedita Academy by speaking to the students about the importance of mental health.

Here's what Bills players had to say about the importance of mental health and how they live it every day.

DT DeWayne Carter:"Self-talk can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. My inner voice has a significant effect on my life and performance. I'm a firm believer of saying positive things to myself, regardless of the outcomes."

DE Javon Solomon:"It's okay not to be okay."

RB Ty Johnson:"Breathing helps me control the chaos and calms my mind."

CB Taron Johnson:"My faith is foundational to my mindset." (And we know that in all things God works for good of those who love him, who have been called for his purpose Romans 8:28)

OT Alec Anderson:"I am a mental health advocate because everyone struggles with mental health at some point. The beauty of it is that there are many ways to support and care for your mental space."

We are focusing on learning how to ask for help and support in our final installment of 'Mental Moments.'

How to Ask for Mental Health Help and Support

• Start by opening up to someone you trustsuch as a family member, friend, teacher, coach, or clergy member.
• Asking for help, educating yourself, and utilizing available resources is a sign of strength.

When Should I Meet with a Mental Health Professional?

• You can meet with a mental health professional at any timeeven when life is going well. Therapy can be helpful for:

* Talking through life decisions

* Navigating relationships

* Enhancing communication skills

* Exploring values or purpose

* Optimizing performance

* Gaining self-awareness

• If you're experiencing persistent feelings of stress, anxiety, hopelessness, or depression, meeting with a licensed mental health professional can be especially helpful.

• Other signs to watch for include:

* Changes in sleep or eating habits

* Increased substance use

* Risky behaviors

* Withdrawing from others

* Ongoing performance issues

• If you have thoughts of hurting yourself or others, please seek immediate help or call a crisis line such as988.

How to find a licensed Mental Health Professional

Look for licensed professionals such as:

These professionals meet state requirements to provide mental health services. Be cautious of individuals working in the mental health space who are not licensed.

How to Support a Family Member or Loved One Who Needs Mental Health Help

• Communicate: Start a compassionate conversation. Express your care and concern. Listen without trying to fix or judge.

• Encourage: Normalize seeking help. Share your own experience with therapy if applicable, and encourage them to connect with a mental health professional.

• Refer: Help them find appropriate resources or offer to assist with researching therapists.

In addition to the 'Mental Moments' series and player involvement in the community throughout the month of May, the Bills are also providing a grant to an important school.

The Buffalo Bills Foundation provided Niagara Falls High School $10,000 through the Social Justice Grant to address Mental Health. The grant will support the expansion of the Niagara Falls High School Champion Team Program and their collaboration with the University of Buffalo's Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care. The NFHS Champion Team receives training on mental health and trauma first aid, which enables students to navigate traumas related to family, household, gender bias, racial bias, inequity, cultural, structural, and institutional realm. The champion team's training also empowers them to practice and teach resilience, ally ship, inclusion, growth, equity, justice, healing, and cultural humanity.

Trauma-informed care provides the framework for individuals, organizations, and systems to engage in universal precautions for individual, historical and systemic trauma by using the values and principles of safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment. The UB School of Social Work's Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care (ITTIC) helps organizations and individuals understand the effects of trauma and ensure that service systems do not retraumatize vulnerable populations. Through collaborative partnerships and funded research, ITTIC works with agencies to provide training, consultation, coaching and evaluation to facilitate trauma-informed culture change and meet their organization's goals. Learn more byclicking here.

Resources to help

Here are links to organizations where people can find assistance to take care of their mental wellness!

BestSelf Behavioral Health

No matter how old you are, where you live in Western New York or what challenges you're facingBestSelf Behavioral Health can provide you and your family with the innovative and evidence-based services you need, along with a personal and caring approach that will help you feel respected, valued, confident and hopeful. We are proud to offer numerous locations that provide all of the mental health and substance use disorders treatment and rehabilitation services you need.

Learn more:https://www.bestselfwny.org/

ECMC Health Services

The Regional Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health is proud to offer mental health, psychiatric, and substance use treatment services. Our team of compassionate specialists provides care on both an inpatient and outpatient basis to best serve the needs of our community and patients.

Learn more:https://www.ecmc.edu/health-services-and-doctors/behavioral-health/

Crisis Services

You are not alone. Crisis Services is ready to support you through moments of urgency. In addition to our main 24-Hour Crisis Hotline, you can safely and confidentially call one of our specialized Crisis Counseling Program Hotlines to best respond to your individual crisis. Free of charge, no matter what you're going through. Every Crisis Services number is ready to help.

• 24-Hour Crisis Hotline: 716-834-3131
• Buffalo & Erie County Addiction Hotline: 716-831-7007
• Kids Helpline: 716-834-1144 or 1-877-KIDS-400
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
• 988 Lifeline If you need to talk, the 988 Lifeline is here:https://988lifeline.org/
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration:https://www.samhsa.gov/

Learn more:https://crisisservices.org/

Mental Health Advocates

For 60 years, Mental Health Advocates of WNY (formerly Mental Health Association of Erie County) has been deeply committed to providing essential non-clinical services that address the needs of individuals, families and communities living with mental illness.

Through awareness, education, prevention, early intervention programs and supportive services, we advocate for and actively promote mental health and wellness for adults, families and children in homes, schools and workplaces across Western New York.

Learn more:https://mhawny.org/

Let's Talk Stigma

If you're dealing with a mental health challenge, you are not alone. Approximately 1 in 5 Western New Yorkers are living with a mental health diagnosis, yet many of these people suffer in silence because of the discrimination that goes along with it. So, we're starting a conversation to end the stigma surrounding mental illness. Join us as we share our stories, our struggles and our successes. When we talk about mental health, we help everyone find their voice.

Learn more:https://letstalkstigma.org/