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First observed in 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month kicked off on May 1 and is a national effort to not only provide hope but to reduce stigma and promote public education surrounding mental illnesses.

Mental illness is common

Much more common than one might think, mental health issues continue to rise year after year throughout the nation and the numbers of those affected may be much higher than you thought.

A 2023 survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that nearly 37% of Texas adults reported depressive disorder and or anxiety. In Comal County alone, 29,000 adults and children have a mental health need.

When looking at mental health illness, however, anxiety and depressive disorder are not the sole issues. For example, eating disorders, addictive behavior, and schizophrenia all fall under the umbrella of mental illness.

Investment and initiatives

To identify needs in the community, understand mental health, and fill gaps in services, the McKenna Foundation established a Mental Health Task Force in 2014.

With twenty-nine provider agencies along with city and county officials, the shared vision has resulted in shared resource materials, coordinated services, and community-wide events.  Additionally, two major achievements stemming from the Task Force include the Mental Advocacy Partners (MAP) and the Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT).

Some of the benefits of these collaborations include expanding existing and developing new safety services throughout the community. With this, data creation and collection across disciplines have provided the resources necessary to address critical quality-of-life needs.

Where to find help

The commonality and prevalence of mental illness is exactly what Mental Health Awareness Month aims to bring light to. Here at the McKenna Foundation, it is our mission to promote education and prevention, be a resource for available services, and improve access to those services throughout New Braunfels.

A few of these services in New Braunfels and surrounding areas include:

• Children’s Advocacy Center of Comal County
• Mental Advocacy Partners
• MIH Program, NBFD
• Hope Hospice
• RecoveryWerks!
• River City Advocacy & Counseling Center
• Communities In Schools
• Hill Country Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Centers
• Hill Country Hope 4 Health
• Connections

More resources and information can be found on our non-profit resource directory page.