May is Mental Health Awareness Month!
8 Ways You Can Participate!
As Mental Health Awareness Month is celebrated in May, it serves as a powerful reminder that our mental health is just as vital as our physical health and that everyone deserves access to compassionate, equitable care.
At the MHACF we seek to normalize conversations about mental health, encourage individuals to seek help without fear or shame, and highlight the urgent need for equitable access to mental health care. By raising awareness, we strive to foster a more compassionate and informed community that supports early intervention, prioritizes prevention, and advocates for systems that respond to mental health needs with dignity and respect.
We invite individuals, families, businesses, and community organizations to join us in participating in Mental Health Awareness Month by engaging in the activities listed below.
We also ask that you consider donating to the MHACF (DONATE HERE NOW) to help us sustain our mission of providing free, life-saving mental health services to thousands of uninsured and underserved individuals in our community. Without your support, essential free programs like the Outlook Clinic and our suicide prevention initiatives risk being scaled back, leaving those most in need without access to life-saving mental health care.
Attend the Kick Off event on May 1st at Lake Eola Park
The Mental Health Association of Central Florida is hosting a Kickoff to Mental Health Awareness Month on May 1, 2025. This FREE event will happen at Lake Eola Park from 7:15pm – 8:45pm.
Free parking will be available directly across the street at 605 East Robinson Street. Once you arrive walk to the circular flagpole area featuring a monument in the center which depicts to a soldier.
More than 30 organizations have committed to participate, which makes for not only a great celebratory event, but also an amazing networking opportunity.
If you are unable to attend consider making a donation to MHACF HERE
Purchase tickets to or Sponsor our 2025 Legacy of Champions Luncheon on May 21st
Since 2011, the Legacy of Champions Luncheon has served as the primary method by which the MHACF raises essential funds to support critical programs like the Outlook Clinic. It is Central Florida’s only free and charitable clinic that specifically provides mental health services to children, adolescents, and adults that are uninsured and face access obstacles to seeking mental health services and care.
This year’s goal is to raise $250,000 so that MHACF can serve 7,500 people, through its multiple programs, in 2025. ICE-T will be the keynote speaker and guests purchasing a VIP ticket will have the opportunity to meet him and get a photo with him. Attendance is expected to exceed 800 people.
Tickets and sponsorships can be purchased HERE.
Book a Certified Professional to Speak at your Business
or Organization
The MHACF has mental health experts that stand ready to provide unique and insightful information on how team members, their colleagues, and their friends and families can enhance their mental wellness. Topics include: Managing Stress, Dealing with Conflict, Mental Wellness Best Practices, and more! Suggested Donation per speaking engagement is $250, Such donations will be used to provide free mental health services in the community.
Book a speaker by submitting this simple form!
Download Our Daily Tips for
Mental Wellness
In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, the MHACF had developed a calendar that provides daily Mental Wellness Tips during the moth of May. Download all 31 days in one PDF, or download each day separately. Then, feel free to hang in your office, in your home, and/or distribute to work colleagues and personal friends. This is a great way to celebrate Mental Health Awareness each and every day during May.
Download the FREE calendar HERE.
Take our FREE Training to Become a Guardian Advocate
Our Guardian Advocate Program trains individuals to serve as temporary surrogate decision makers for involuntarily hospitalized clients, under the Florida Baker Act, who have no family members to act on their behalf. The training is centered on patient rights and knowledge of the Baker Act so that the surrogate decision maker can act as a safety net to ensure the patient is treated properly and fairly while involuntarily hospitalized. An interview is required for those wishing to intern/volunteer.
For more information, contact Jamillah Chaney at JChaney@mhacf.org or by calling (407) 898-0110 Ext. 1010
Take our FREE Suicide Prevention Training
Presented in partnership by the Mental Health Association of Central Florida and FINS (Florida Implementation of the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention). This free virtual training provides attendees with the knowledge to help recognize the warning signs of suicide and enact steps for suicide prevention. Each step of QPR– question, persuade, and refer– gives a framework for beginning the conversation, up to helping the individual experiencing suicidal ideation get help. Certificates of completion will be issued to all participants in full attendance. We also offer 3 CEUs; for reference, our certification number is #5290-A.
Register for QPR Training HERE.
Help Get the Ball Rolling for
Mental Health
Record a 30 second video with your team promoting your organization/business and explaining why mental wellness is important to your team. Each video starts and ends with passing a Mental Health Awareness branded ball. The Mental Health Association of Central Florida will then post compilations of these videos to our social media in May.
Download the FLYER for details or Email us at mmagoon@mhacf.org to receive a FREE Mental Health Awareness Month ball to use in your video.
Share and Utilize our Mental Health Resources
Our programs are dedicated to making mental healthcare accessible and easy to find in our community. Every year, thousands of community members are able to receive treatment and support that they otherwise may have never received.
Visit MHACF.ORG, and click on “Find Help” to learn about our vast array of mental health programs, services, and resources.
