This past May, in support of National Mental Health Awareness Month, partners across the County joined forces to launch #StigmaFreeSD, a social media campaign to promote a stigma-free San Diego County. The campaign urges individuals to embrace more open, positive dialogue around mental illness and mental health, and promotes local resources available to residents, such as It’s Up to Us and San Diego County’s Access & Crisis Line. Multiple activities and events promoting the campaign were held countywide this summer, including five in HHSA North County Regions.

The Live Well San Diego North County Community Leadership Team partnered with Live Well San Diego Recognized Partners CSU San Marcos and San Diego Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP), as well as Each Mind Matters, Warriors Live On and Wave Academy to support the campaign by holding events and/or meetings that incorporated #StigmaFreeSD photobooth opportunities. Residents were encouraged to participate by posting photos taken at the photobooth or elsewhere with the caption, “It’s up to us to stop the stigma around mental illness because…_____. #StigmaFreeSD.”

The campaign was also shared via County of San Diego communication channels, including a feature story on this website. A temporary wall display was also set up at the North Inland Live Well Center in Escondido for the entire month of May for staff and customers to showcase their support of the campaign and celebrate their “Lime Green Champion” – anyone or anything in individuals’ lives that represent good mental health to them.

Looking ahead, the campaign will continue countywide as fall approaches to help raise awareness for both National Suicide Prevention Week in September and National Depression Screening/Check Your Mood Day in October.

For more information, contact Kat Casabar at (760) 740-3046 or katherine.casabar@sdcounty.ca.gov.