PathPoint Presents the #IAM Project

PathPoint Introduces Captivating Social Media Campaign

Written by Ciara Klerekoper, PathPoint Communications Intern

For over sixty-seven years May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month. Organizations from diverse communities collaborate to promote mental health, wellbeing and celebrating the person instead of the diagnosis. During the month of May, individuals strive to create a safe atmosphere for open discussion, sharing helpful facts and advice. The goal is to educate the public and challenge the negative stigma associated with mental illness.

Inspired by the theme for May, PathPoint’s Behavioral Health division asked clients to choose one quality that embodied their identity. The project was a fun way to encourage clients to think more positively of themselves. As a result, our clients demonstrated that they are much more than their diagnosis.

PathPoint supported this innovative discovery as client’s self-awareness and self-love shown through. Clients engaged and captivated concepts that proved that they have the ability to define their identity rather letting a label do so.

43.8 million adults are diagnosed with a mental illness in a given year.  Not included in that number are individuals too afraid to speak out or unable to seek help. Mental illnesses impacts the lives of family members and friends, in addition to those diagnosed. To address the prominent affects of mental illnesses, organizations across the nation are coming together to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month.

This year PathPoint’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Month of the #IAM Project allowed clients to utilize pictures, videos, and hashtags to increase the encouraged support to open up. By sharing their personal stories and knowledge about living with a mental illness, clients were able to break free from the stereotypes given.

Social media serves as an outlet for individuals to discover and communicate with others undergoing similar experiences – because of this the #IAM project reaches beyond PathPoint’s capacity. By using online forums such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter PathPoint clients were able to reach out to millions about the significance of mental health.

So without further ado, PathPoint presents the #IAM project. View the full video here.

Throughout the month, PathPoint shared with social media followers the many ways our clients take pride in their identity. Whether it was communicating emotions that they live by – like being happy or confident, or even another title they take pride in; like being a mom or an artist – this social media challenge inspired our clients to be brave with their lives and stories.

Although individuals are unique in various ways, we celebrate their similar qualities and interests too. PathPoint is proud to support individuals from all walks of life and encourage our clients to love who they are and revel in these qualities too.

The #IAM Project highlights the diversity of individuals while celebrating the similarities too.

For more photos from the #IAM Project, find PathPoint on Facebook.

You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @pathpointca.

 

About PathPoint

PathPoint is a non-profit organization founded in 1964 in Santa Barbara, California to assist people with disabilities and disadvantages in attaining independent living and reaching their fullest potential. PathPoint’s services reach five counties in Southern California impacting: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles and Kern.

PathPoint now offers confidential individual and couples counseling to help individuals throughout the many stages of life. Our supervised therapists and interns provide services that are individualized, client centered, and strength based. We contract with CenCal Medi-Cal Insurance and accept referrals from The Homan Group.