Easterseals Midwest Emphasizes Importance of Mental Health Awareness

May marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness month, a month aimed at educating people about the importance of their mental health and sharing resources on how to best care for ourselves. Easterseals Midwest, one of the largest disability service providers in the Midwest, is emphasizing the effect of mental health disparities on people with disabilities.

According to the CDC, people with disabilities report experiencing mental distress almost five times as often as people without disabilities do. Moreover, during the COVID-19 pandemic, isolation, disconnection, disrupted routines, financial strain, and diminished health services have significantly affected the lives and mental well-being of people with disabilities. Easterseals is emphasizing one way to combat that – through meaningful connection.

Connection – an essential aspect of mental well-being – helps ward off stress, depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems.

“Isolation is a leading trigger for compromised mental health, and unfortunately, people with disabilities often face obstacles that leave them feeling disconnected from those around them and their community.” Wendy Sullivan, CEO of Easterseals Midwest, said.

“Whether it’s not having access to transportation to be part of their community, communication challenges that others don’t know how to accommodate, or living arrangements where they don’t have the autonomy to control when they come and go, there are many, many ways that people with disabilities end up secluded.”

Easterseals is emphasizing several of its services that help support connection for people with disabilities, whether it be in their own home, at school, at work, or in their community.

Through Community Living Services, Easterseals supports people with disabilities to live as independently as possible, from 24/7 support to only a few hours a month depending on each person’s individual needs. Community Living Services works to help people with disabilities find a home that works for them, whether that be a home of their own or one shared with roommates or family.

Easterseals partners with companies across the state dedicated to employing people with disabilities. Easterseals staff work with people at their job sites to ensure they have all the tools to succeed.

Easterseals emphasizes community integration for everyone they support. From taking advantage of recreational activities near them – like a trip to the zoo - to encouraging community volunteerism, Easterseals emphasizes the need to be part of the community.

Easterseals also hosts several social groups for all ages of people with disabilities, along with family members and loved ones, to create a community of people with similar interests and experiences. Through these groups, participants are able to practice their social skills, learn new skills, and make friends.

“We all thrive when we have strong relationships with the ones we care about and when we feel connected to our community,” Sullivan said. “That’s why it is so important for us to foster these connections and relationships for the people we serve. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and I think we could all take some time to ensure that we’re taking care of ourselves mentally this May.”

To learn more about how Easterseals fosters connections during Mental Health Awareness Month, visit www.easterseals.com/midwest.