This year, Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) highlighted the importance of mental well-being by recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month in May with an array of Mental Health Matters community events. Throughout the month, the NAH Office of Philanthropy partnered with local organizations and businesses, including title sponsor Health First Foundation, to host a series of mental health themed events to raise awareness of the importance of mental wellness, along with fundraising events aimed at raising money for the NAH Mental Health Matters for First Responders program.
The response to the events and fundraisers exceeded every expectation. Over 1,000 community members attended 35 Mental Health Matters events, bringing together those who chose to learn, participate and show their support. Together, our community helped to raise an incredible $65,000 to support Mental Health Matters for First Responders, both by attending fundraising events and by purchasing more than 800 Mental Health Matters shirts.
These fundraisers helped raise proceeds to support NAH’s Guardian Air Transport and Guardian Medical Transport first responders in receiving critical and specialized mental health support. The program, which launched in 2023, provides confidential trauma-informed counseling, crisis debriefing, and other resources to help these community heroes process the trauma they experience daily on the job and maintain their own mental wellness.
NAH’s first responder teams serve more than 79,000 square miles across five states, responding to emergencies in some of the southwest’s most rural and remote areas. These professionals face extraordinary levels of stress and trauma, leaving them at higher risk for anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and suicide.
A 2019 study published by the University of Arizona found that EMS professionals in the state were 40% more likely to die by suicide compared to the general population (Arizona Department of Health Services, 2023). These results are echoed nationally, where EMS providers have a tenfold higher incidence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts than the general public.
The Mental Health Matters for First Responders project directly addresses this gap by creating dedicated, stigma-free mental health resources designed for first responders, delivered in ways that accommodate their schedules, respect their privacy and build trust within their professional community. By focusing on first responders, this program helps support individuals whose careers often expose them to extraordinary stress and trauma. The emotional demands of serving others can have lasting effects, making access to mental health resources essential. Caring for those who spend their lives caring for others is one meaningful way to build a healthier, stronger community.
NAH sends its heartfelt gratitude to every person who donated, attended an event, purchased a Mental Health Matters shirt or helped spread awareness. This achievement also relied on the help of every local business who partnered with us for each event. Every contribution, whether large or small, played a role in the success of this campaign. We also want to thank our NAH colleagues, volunteers and community partners who worked tirelessly throughout the month. Because of the amazing generosity from the community, NAH will be continuing this campaign next May, with a goal to make it even bigger, to reach even more of our neighbors next year.
Healthcare organizations such as NAH have an important responsibility to educate the community about mental health. We’re here to provide medical care, but we also have the opportunity to connect people with resources and encourage preventive care before a crisis occurs. Mental health affects every aspect of a person’s life, and by raising awareness and supporting initiatives like Mental Health Matters, we hope to remind people that help is available and no one has to struggle in silence.
As part of our long-standing commitment to supporting all organizations that work in the realm of behavioral healthcare, NAH will ensure that the community has access to the full continuum of care for all who need it. Flagstaff Medical Center (FMC) currently offers both inpatient and outpatient behavioral healthcare to patients in northern Arizona. NAH also provides integrated care, with licensed psychologists practicing in its Coconino County and Yavapai County primary care clinics, realizing the connection between patients’ physical and mental health conditions.
The national mental health hotline is 988. When you call or text this number, you are connected with crisis intervention services here in Arizona.
Community Health Matters column
To submit a question for NAH, please email it to [email protected]. We will choose one question per month and one of our experts will answer it in our Community Health Matters column in the Arizona Daily Sun. Please note: The Arizona Daily Sun requires a subscription to access its articles.