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New website to help those struggling with mental illness

May 10, 2017
FOX 11 News

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MENASHA (WLUK) -- A website just launched, to help people struggling with mental illness.

The site rolled out just in time to honor May, as it is national Mental Health Awareness Month.

The website is only a few days old.

"The kind of marketplace that's available on the website has never been available to the public before," explained Beth Clay, the executive director of the Northeast Wisconsin or NEW Mental Health connection.

myconnectionNEW.org is billed as a 'one stop shop' for mental health and substance abuse information and resources in Outagamie, Winnebago and Calumet Counties.

Clay told us there are links to more than 300 services and that's the tip of the iceberg.

"Everything from learning about something, to screening, to actually finding, getting connected directly to services. There's even an insurance link where you can link directly to your company to start to browse what's covered," Clay described.

There's a full mental health library describing conditions and medications and an ability to create an encrypted personal mental health record.

The website draws heavily from United Way's 211 program, but offers information from 100 additional services.

"Over 50 agencies came together to brainstorm this project," Clay told FOX 11 News.

That includes police agencies.

There are eight in the Fox Valley taking their own steps to honor Mental Health Awareness Month.

"Almost every agency here has at least one squad car with the decals on it. Officers are wearing green ribbons," explained Fox Crossing police officer Jason Weber.

Most of the departments also have green ribbons in their lobbies you can take and wear to show support for mental health awareness.

"A lot of our calls really revolve around that, you know, behavioral-type issues, mental health," Weber told FOX 11.

Weber told us police can be a first line of defense when someone is struggling with mental health.

"We want people to recognize that and call, because the ultimate goal is to prevent it," he said.

Clay told us the hope is that these resources get people help as fast as possible.

"We're excited about just the hope it's gonna keep alive for people," she said.

The NEW Mental Health Connection has an event to officially roll out the website tomorrow.

It starts at 7:30 in the morning at Fox Valley Technical College.

To visit the new website click the link here.