About Us

Mental Health America of Northeast Georgia is affiliated with Mental Health America of Georgia and the national Mental Health America organization. We recently changed our name from the Mental Health Association to communicate how fundamental mental health is to the overall health and well being of our citizens: locally, throughout the state, and nationally. Our new logo presents MHA as a forward-looking, vibrant movement that advocates for those with mental health issues. The continued use of ‘The Bell’ in the new logo maintains a graphic representation of the our organization which over 50 years ago, forged a 300 pound bell from the shackles that bound people in mental asylums for years before they were closed in the 1950s.

Why Our Cause Should Matter

Whether we have a mental illness such as depression, know someone who has experienced such a problem or neither, we need to care about the issue of mental health. After all, we all have 'mental health.' We may not think much about our 'mental health' or even use that phrase, but it's a common element in all of our lives. Some people define it as a "state of mind." Others view it as "being content with life" or "feeling good about yourself."

'Mental health' is perhaps best explained as how well we cope with daily life and the challenges it brings. When our 'mental health' is good, we can deal better with what comes our way — at home, at work, in life. When our 'mental health' is poor, it can be difficult to function in our daily lives. It is a fluid state with disability and untreated illness at one end, and recovery and complete wellness at the other end. Most of us live and move within the middle range of this spectrum.

Whatever the source of the threat to our mental health, how able we are to deal with these challenges can positively or negatively impact our 'mental health,' our overall health and our well-being. When considering all the ways mental health can affect each of us and our society, the issue of 'mental health' amounts to the largest public health and economic concern in the country.

What Mental Health America Stands For

Our message is simple: Good mental health is fundamental to the health and well-being of every person and our nation as a whole. Our agenda is clear.

• We want all people to understand how to protect and improve their mental health, and know when and how to seek help for themselves or someone close to them.
• We want our state schools, businesses, healthcare system and other settings to have the knowledge and resources they need to respond to the mental health of their constituencies and achieve their missions.
• We want all Georgians to have access to high quality, affordable and personalized preventative, early-identification and treatment services, when and if the need arises.
• We want persons with disabling mental illnesses to receive the support, treatment and services that they need to recover and live full lives in their communities.