St. Croix Valley launches Make It OK campaign for mental health

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The St. Croix River Valley community is starting a campaign for mental health. It includes Make It OK in the Valley to shrink the stigma of mental illness. Partners include HealthPartners hospitals and clinics; Washington County; the Stillwater and White Bear Lake school districts; Andersen Corporation; Canvass Health; and Youth Services Bureau.

The campaign features radio, web site, billboard and bus shelter ads. They are running in the Twin Cities and Goodhue County.

“This is a grassroots effort to start a discussion about mental health,” said Marna Canterbury, Director of Community Health for Lakeview Hospital.

HealthPartners has projects to improve care for people who have a mental illness. They include providing mental health services at Stillwater Medical Group primary care clinic. Another program will improve care for mental illness in emergency rooms. These will be available at all HealthPartners hospitals in the St. Croix Valley. They are Lakeview, Westfields, Hudson and Amery hospitals.

“We support mental health in many ways and want to help people get the care they need. If we can make it ok to talk about mental illness, more people will feel at ease asking for help,” said Ted Weigletner, CEO of Lakeview Health and President of Lakeview Hospital.

Make It OK in Goodhue, Dakota counties

Goodhue and Dakota counties also have Make It OK campaigns. The Goodhue program is supported by Red Wing Shoe Company; the YMCA; Mayo Clinic Health System; United Way; churches and schools. And, in Dakota County, over 35 presentations have been made at schools, churches and community events.