The mission of the Behavioral Health Committee is to promote understanding and acceptance of behavioral health concepts and increase utilization of behavioral health resources. Following are past projects that helped further this mission:

#no2spice Campaign (2016 - 2017)

In 2016, the Cleveland Department of Public Health (CDPH) met with local stakeholders who work directly with those individuals who use synthetic cannabinoids (i.e. K2/Spice). Those stakeholders informed CDPH and, in turn, the Behavioral Health Committee that the problem of K2/Spice abuse is pervasive, persistent, and under-reported. CDPH corroborated this information by looking at data from other objective sources.

In an effort to educate the public and warn users and potential users of the clear dangers associated with using synthetic cannabinoids, the Behavioral Health Committee (with the generous support of the CareSource Foundation) developed posters and a web video game to create awareness about the dangers of K2/Spice.

Completed in 2017, the posters and web game born of this effort represent a creative response to a public health issue. The posters and web game can be viewed here.

Behavioral Health Living Mural (2015)

Did you know that for many people it can be scary or overwhelming to discuss their own behavioral health? Some cultures are not as open to acknowledging behavioral health as real or something that needs to be cared for. It’s easy for individuals who do struggle with behavioral health conditions to feel stigmatized or rejected because of the negative beliefs surrounding behavioral health.

For this reason, in an effort to reduce the stigma around behavioral health, the Behavioral Health Committee launched a virtual living mural in which people were open and honest about their struggles with anxiety, depression, addiction, and a multitude of other behavioral health issues for which they are seeking help.

Please view and engage with the virtual living mural here.

Behavioral Health Resource Directory (2015)

In 2015, the Behavioral Health Committee facilitated the collection of resources for education & advocacy around behavioral health. These resources were compiled in an online Behavioral Health Resource Directory, which can be viewed here.

Behavioral Health Service Guide (2015)

In 2015, the Behavioral Health Committee initiated the aggregation of behavioral health services for individuals with behavioral health needs. The resulting web-based Behavioral Health Service Guide can be viewed here.