RESOURCES

Our partner, Orange Wednesday Foundation, was established to support families and individuals struggling with mental health through promoting awareness, healing through the arts, and providing grants and scholarship funds. Founder, and mother of a son who died by suicide, Janna Marks, shared with us three tidbits on awareness:

  • Make it comfortable and normal to talk about mental health. Practice expressing and asking about what's going on directly so that we can begin to think of mental health like any other condition that needs treatment.
  • Use specific language, like suicide, depression, and concern, to ensure the message isn't lost in nuance. Be specific about action and support as well, like "can I come over?" or "can I meet you at the hospital?"
  • Have resources at your fingertips and share freely, like the suicide prevention lifeline (800-273-8255), Crisis text line (741-741), and this resources page. 

The following are some helpful resources collected from our work, our performers, and partners. 

Find a Therapist or Support Group
Access Suicide Prevention Phone Numbers
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
  • Crisis Text Line – Text START to 741-741
  • The Trevor Project (LGBTQ Crisis and Suicide Hotline) – 866-488-7386
  • Veterans Crisis Line – 1-800-273-8255
  • Teen Crisis Line – 310-855-4673

Explore Expressive Arts
How To Help Another
If you have a loved one or colleague going through a tough time, or seems more distracted, tired or irritable than usual, you can help.

  • Choose an environment to help the person feel comfortable and safe and make sure there is enough privacy and time for them to share.
  • Ask open-ended questions like “How are things going?” Avoid judgments like “you seem tired.” Your role is to listen and offer understanding.
  • While you shouldn’t try to fix the situation, you can ask, “I wonder if a counselor or therapist could help you handle what you’re dealing with?”

If you can, share your experiences to show how challenges and needing help are common. With the right approach, you can help the person feel less alone and take steps toward feeling better.

Thank you for helping to share resources so everyone can get the help they need.