Each May, Mental Health Awareness Month serves as a national call to action to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and promote access to mental health care. This year, the need for awareness and action is more pressing than ever.

The growing importance of mental health awareness
Mental health awareness challenges have been increasingly prevalent, affecting individuals across all demographics. Providers like you are witnessing firsthand the rising demand for behavioral health services, with patients presenting complex emotional, behavioral, and physical health needs.

Integrating mental health support into routine care is not just beneficial, it can be essential. And often when providers offer accessible resources, patients are more likely to engage in follow-up care, feel supported, and experience improved long-term health outcomes.
Available resources
To help you increase mental health awareness, Evernorth^® Behavioral Health has a variety of easy-to-share educational resources. These resources aim to initiate conversations, normalize mental health care, and offer guidance.

+ Support and how to access care

• Mental Health Resources: comprehensive list of resources and support options.
• Mental Health Care Frequently Asked Questions: guidance on accessing mental health support and how to find the right behavioral health provider.
• Substance Use Treatment: overview of the treatment process for substance use disorders.
• Suicide awareness and prevention:
  • Risk Spotlight: insights into the risk factors for suicide among various populations.
  • What Do I Say?: guidance on how to approach conversations about suicide and connect individuals to professional help.

+ Immediate support

• Cigna Healthcare^® customers can call the number on the back of their ID card or contact their employee assistance program at any time to receive support.
• Emergency hotlines are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call, text, or chat 988.
  • Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States.
  • Cigna Healthcare Veteran Support Line: Call 855.244.6211.
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline: Call 800.799.7233.

+ Mind-Body Connection

• Mindfulness Practice: guidance on practicing mindfulness to enhance resilience and manage stress.
• Practicing Self-Compassion: strategies and exercises for cultivating self-compassion.
• Techniques for Relaxing Mind and Body: overview of various relaxation techniques for mind and body.

Your role matters
Mental Health Awareness Month is a reminder that mental health is part of whole-person care — and that awareness alone is not enough.

As a provider, you are often the first point of contact for someone who may be struggling. Whether you are delivering clinical care, offering reassurance, or connecting someone to additional support, your voice matters.

You are not just a care provider, you are a trusted ally in your patients’ health journey — body and mind. The conversations you have, the questions you ask, and the resources you share can often open doors and change lives.

Thank you for advocating for mental health, supporting your patients with compassion, and making space for these important conversations — not just in May, but all year long.