Minnesota State Mankato's Center for Rural Behavioral Health Launches Online Mental Health Hub
New webpage seeks to provide easy access to mental health resources
Mankato, Minn. – To coincide with May being national Mental Health Month, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Center for Rural Behavioral Health at Minnesota State University, Mankato announced that an online Greater Mankato Mental Health Hub is available for the greater Mankato area.
The online hub is intended to be a one-stop webpage that provides an easy connection to resources and serve as a navigation guide for parents, teachers and families looking for ways to assist their children and students, said Lisa Hardesty, a board-certified clinical health psychologist at Mayo Clinic Health System.
“We have heard from many parents and families how hard it is to navigate mental health services and resources,” said Hardesty. “This is especially true when individuals and families are going through challenging times. We hope the mental health hub will be that extra help that is needed to help find the right resources at the right time.”
The mental health hub highlights mental health support resources in Blue Earth, Nicollet and Le Sueur counties and other surrounding communities by focusing on three topics:
- Locating crisis and emergency services – Learn what to do if you, a family member, friend or loved one has a mental health crisis or emergency.
- Finding mental health help – Locate mental health services near you.
- Using resources and education – Connect to mental health toolkits, guides and education.
For more information, please contact Elizabeth Harstad, clinical education coordinator in Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Center for Rural Behavioral Health, by email at elizabeth.harstad.3@mnsu.edu or by phone at 507-389-1005.
The mental health hub webpage is driven by Mankato-area mental health experts as part of the Greater Mankato Youth Mental Health & Suicide Prevention Committee, a community collaborative convened by the Greater Mankato Area United Way.
Additional information on mental health is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Center for Rural Behavioral Health at Minnesota State Mankato is part of the University’s College of Allied Health and Nursing.
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 14,635 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 26 colleges and seven universities.
