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The Mental Health Association in Indian River County presented its “Tidal Wave” campaign at the Vero Beach Centennial Celebration October 26, 2019. The Tidal Wave campaign was created to encourage people to “come out of your shell” and know that “It’s Okay to Get Help!”.
The MHA went through a major rebrand, now including the turtle in their new logo and other materials. Inspired by the TurtleTrax Turtles, the MHA plans on presenting five table top turtles this year, like the Vero Beach Centennial Turtle. The table top turtles will be auctioned off at the MHA Rocks! British Invasion Party on February 22, 2020. Years back, the MHA partnered with many other community members to start TurtleTrax: Overcoming Hurdles with Turtles. The large turtles you see around town at locations such as the Heritage Center, Sexton Plaza, and Jaycee Park were painted by many talented artists who advocate for mental health.
A middle-aged individual in need of support to cope with violent attack, a 15 year old coping with parent’s death, a Veteran with PTSD in need of support, a 20 year old seeking help to restore a family, a 40-something managing panic attacks after loss of a loved one, a 27 year old who’s experiencing anxiety during a divorce, and a teen struggling with trauma & depression after sexual assault. What do all of these people have in common? Three things: they found themselves having to cope with a major life event or trauma, there is nothing “wrong” with them, they are simply hurting, and they were all helped in a single day at our Walk-In & Counseling Center.
Life has a way of thrusting even the most stable of us into unknown and distressing territory. Pain does not discriminate. That’s where we come in. We serve the every-person, the community at large, and the mentally ill with the same level of care and empathy, regardless of circumstance.