Join us in the Let’s Face It movement, where every story shared, every conversation started, and every face embraced adds to the collective effort of breaking down the barriers surrounding mental health.
Launched in 2022, Let’s Face It takes place every May in celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month. Throughout the month, we host and participate in events, share daily wellness content and vital resources, and spotlight Connecticut residents with lived experiences, amplifying their voices and journeys to inspire hope and understanding.
Why focus on stigma? Because it’s pervasive, taking on various forms, and we firmly believe that its power diminishes when faced head-on. By sharing these compelling stories and daily wellness content, our aim is to spark more conversations and awareness. Through Let’s Face It, we hope to help create a safer and kinder Connecticut.
This year’s stories remind us that acknowledgment and headlines aren’t enough. The work lies in creating space for honesty and in challenging stigma, which can hold people back. Yet, when we create space for real conversations, we begin to dismantle it and truly achieve awareness.
Corey “Pheez” Lee is a Navy veteran, father, hip-hop artist, and disability rights advocate whose life was forever changed after a spinal cord injury left him paralyzed at 20. While his journey is marked by resilience, love, and faith, it’s also shaped by the daily discrimination and stigma he faces. From being ignored by caregivers to having people question his ability to parent, Corey lives with constant reminders that society still equates disability with incapacity. Through music, mentorship, and advocacy, Corey is challenging those assumptions.
Julia DiCola began her gender transition at 57, embracing her truth later in life but at great personal cost. While finally living as her authentic self brought her joy, it also led to the loss of close family and friends, triggering a spiral into depression and suicidal ideation. Julia’s perspective on stigma shifted dramatically: “I didn’t grow up facing stigma as a trans person,” she says. “But now I see it. Our community is traumatized by it.” At 68, she has rebuilt her life with purpose, founding OurTransLife to support and affirm LGBTQ+ individuals navigating identity and healing.
Mimi Gonzalez, at just 29, has lost 36 people, beginning with her father, who died when she was just 8 months old. After surviving a suicide attempt in high school, Mimi turned to activism and found her voice. By 24, she had shared a stage with Barack Obama and served as Chief of Staff at a Fortune 500 company. But it was grief, and the stigma around it, that led her to step away and launch griefsense, a platform dedicated to grief literacy and emotional healing. “If you’ve ever turned pain into purpose,” she says, “you have griefsense too. That’s our superpower.”
David Haberfeld, a landlord and son, has seen firsthand how mental health and housing intersect. His father lived for decades with an undiagnosed hoarding disorder. From rooms filled with objects to pathways too narrow to walk through, David slowly realized this wasn’t about lack of discipline, it was a mental health issue. Despite the emotional toll and lack of recognition, David took on the role of caregiver, determined to keep his father safe. Now, he shares his story to break the stigma and support others. “Don’t ignore the problem,” he says. “Someone has to step in and help.”
Evelyn Alejandro, a Connecticut-based business owner, shares her powerful journey with Mental Health Connecticut’s Let’s Face It campaign to break the silence and stigma surrounding mental health, especially within families. Having lost her mother at 14 and navigating life with parents who lived with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, Evelyn opens up about the impact of grief, separation, and the stigma that once kept her from seeking help. Through therapy, faith, holistic self-care, and community service, she found healing and purpose.
Engage your network during Mental Health Awareness Month through a fundraiser for Mental Health Connecticut! Whether it is digital or in-person, throughout your fundraiser, you can share resources and information about Mental Health Awareness Month.
Raise $250 or more and receive a free Mental Health Awareness Month fundraising kit, including a Let’s Face It tee shirt, mental health stickers, and green ribbon pins.
Reshare our Wellness Content with a Call to Donate
Host a Virtual Book Club
Plan a Video Gaming Night
Board Game Party
Trivia Night
Dodgeball Tournament
Movie Night
Dance Contest
Paint & Sip Night
Dart Paint Balloon Canvas
Talent Show
Bake-Off
Bake Sale
Help celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month across the state of Connecticut by requesting a lawn sign for your residence or organization. Let your friends and neighbors know that mental health is a priority for you and should be a priority in our state.
If you submit a request, you will be contacted in April with instructions on picking up your lawn sign. The offer is available while supplies last.
Every May, Mental Health Connecticut (MHC) participates in Light It Up Green to raise awareness and support for Mental Health Awareness Month. Light It Up Green and Mental Health Month were started by our national organization Mental Health America, and Mental Health Month is recognized by a presidential proclamation. The purpose is to raise awareness, educate the public about mental health conditions and mental wellness, and reduce stigma. Awareness benefits us all, and the more organizations that recognize the month and elevate mental wellness as a priority, the stronger our community will be. Show your support by Lighting Up Green!
Should you choose to participate by changing your lightbulbs to green light bulbs, putting up green string lights, or adding a green spotlight outside of your building, you will be recognized by Mental Health Connecticut via our social media and newsletter during May.
Each year for Let’s Face It, we share stories of CT residents overcoming and addressing challenges as well as provide essential mental health tips and resources.
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Share a Light It Up photo with us
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Stay informed about mental health initiatives, resources, events, and workshops. Sign up for updates from Mental Health Connecticut today!
Time is running out to support our Winter Wellness Campaign! Your donation helps us provide essential mental health resources and expand access to care for individuals in need. Let’s come together to ensure no one has to face winter’s challenges alone.
While our Winter Wellness Campaign is coming to a close, our toolkit will be available on our website all winter long as we continue to embrace warmth, connection, and wellness.
This year’s Winter Wellness with MHC campaign is focused on giving mental health resources and support to communities throughout Connecticut.
Your donation will support the Mental Health Concierge sliding scale, enabling us to provide flexible mental health services to individuals in need throughout the state.
Your donation will enable us to provide mental health services, including therapy, in-home support, and case management, to low-income individuals and individuals experiencing homelessness.
