BIRMINGHAM, Ala.– In recognition of Mental Health Month, leading correctional healthcare company NaphCare, Inc. and the NaphCare Charitable Foundation, Inc. launched “Reframing Mental Health” – a patient mental health art initiative and exhibit aimed at advocating for awareness and addressing stigmas related to mental health.
“Mental health impacts everyone, and we wanted to give our patients the opportunity to shed light on their experiences through the power of artistic expression as a coping skill,” said Amber Simpler, Ph.D., ABPP, Executive Director of Behavioral Health Research at the NaphCare Charitable Foundation. “When we talk openly about our human condition, we dispel myths and negative stigma too often associated with mental health.”
More than 50% of individuals in correctional institutions experience symptoms of mental illness. NaphCare aims to directly address this mental health crisis through evidence-based programming designed to stabilize patients and prepare individuals for a safe and healthy return to their communities. NaphCare has established specialized mental health units in jails across the United States.
Patients from units in Forsyth County, N.C., Hillsborough County, Fla., Mesa County, Colo., and San Diego County, Calif., were invited to create original artwork around various mental health themes, including reducing the stigma of seeking mental health treatment, the representation of diversity within communities, and relevant demonstrations of positivity and inclusivity. Participants could select from an array of media – graphite pencils, charcoal, watercolors, and oil pastels – to design expressive artwork based on their own mental health experiences and representations.
Individuals responded by creating art that depicts their daily challenges managing severe mental illness, resilience to navigate difficult times and hope for a brighter future. The resulting artwork is now on display at NaphCare’s corporate headquarters and the NaphCare Charitable Foundation’s headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama.
