Logo with capital S, M and H and the words, "Screening for Mental Health" below.

Mental Health Kiosks to Debut in Montgomery County

New program aims to reduce stigma and increase help-seeking in the community.

COLMAR, PA - The North Penn Community Health Foundation (NPCHF) and Screening for Mental Health, Inc. (SMH), with support from the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation, today announced a partnership to bring an innovative mental health screening kiosk program to Montgomery County, PA. Through SMH’s MindKare Kiosk program, which provides mental health screening kiosks for use in public settings, NPCHF and SMH will select five host sites to bring this preventative screening tool to the community.

Currently, one in four Americans has a diagnosable mental health condition yet the vast majority (70%) does not seek treatment. A leading deterrent for seeking treatment for those living with these conditions is fear and stigma.

MindKare Mental Health Kiosks are designed for use in public spaces, and aim to reduce stigma by making learning about and screening for treatable conditions like depression or anxiety as commonplace as a blood pressure screening. The kiosk includes a touch screen display to provide users with a seamless experience as they navigate through educational information about mental health conditions, a screening assessment, and local treatment resources. The screening component provides a quick, anonymous way for people to check in on their mental health.

Hosting a mental health kiosk offers organizations an innovative way to promote wellness and connect with their community, whether it is a college campus, workplace or in a retail setting. Also, organizations with a mental health screening kiosk send an important message about reducing the stigma surrounding mental health.

Organizations that are interested in hosting a mental health kiosk in their community are encouraged to complete a brief questionnaire at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MontgomeryKiosks.

About The North Penn Community Health Foundation
Through grantmaking and related philanthropic activities, the North Penn Community Health Foundation works to improve the health and well-being of the community by anticipating tomorrow's challenges and offering support to plan and deliver cost-effective, outcomes-oriented programs and services that vulnerable populations in Montgomery County require to lead healthy, successful and meaningful lives. Since the foundation’s inception in 2002, more than $12.3 million has been distributed to 173 nonprofit organizations.

About Screening for Mental Health, Inc.
Screening for Mental Health, Inc. (SMH), the pioneer of large-scale mental health screening for the public, provides innovative mental health and substance use resources, linking those in need with quality treatment options. SMH programs, offered online and in-person, educate, raise awareness, and screen individuals for depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, alcohol use disorders, and suicide.

About the Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation
The Thomas Scattergood Behavioral Health Foundation is a Quaker-based, philanthropic, grant-making foundation committed to raising its voice to improve the system through which behavioral healthcare is delivered in the Philadelphia region. The Foundation intends to employ an active, strategic approach to grantmaking to accomplish its vision.

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