In memory of
Scott Handley
33 years old
“Make a Friend, Be a Friend”
Scott was an amazing young man who loved to play soccer along with experiencing different adventures, his friends and him enjoyed making creative videos and music. He struggled with a mental health condition for 10 years before dying by suicide. Speak Up: Let’s Talk About Mental Health was founded as a way to honor his memory by having a mission to remove the stigma of mental illness.
Statistics
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1 in 5
U.S. Adults experience mental illness each year
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1 in 6
U.S. Youths between the age of 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year.
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Suicide
is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-34
-
11 years
It takes an average of 11 years from the onset of a mental illness before that person will seek treatment. We need to remove the stigma.
Help is available.
If you need help call or text the mental health hotline now at 988
It’s Time to Speak Up!
We need to be able to have open conversations about mental health and suicide in order to make changes. Education and connection is the key. We need to work with our youth along with parents and the community.
Our Mission:
Our mission is to remove the stigma of mental illness and provide education on mental health, mental illness, and suicide awareness.
We offer age-appropriate programs to our youth to teach them the importance of being mentally healthy. We work with community centers, schools and hold townhall meetings. We also work with parents to educate them on the signs to look for if their child is experiencing a mental health crisis, how to talk to their children and how important it is to listen to them. Speak Up partners with law enforcement agencies to educate the officers how to interact with a person in a mental health crisis. We sponsor unique programs to have our youth involved in their community and to build relationships with them. We offer resources to those that have lost someone to suicide or who may know someone with a mental illness. Through the power of lived experience our goal is to provide hope and healing for those affected by mental health conditions and a loss by suicide. We started this organization so we could ensure that the funds we raise are used in our community. 100% of our proceeds go directly to fund local programs and events.