ASHEVILLE, NC – Each May, Mental Health Awareness Month serves as a critical reminder of the importance of prioritizing mental well-being, reducing stigma, and ensuring access to care. Vaya Health joins the national movement led by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to promote awareness, advocacy, and resilience within the communities Vaya serves.
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Month theme is “In Every Story, There’s Strength.” Mental health journeys are unique, but the strength found within them is universal. “In Every Story, There’s Strength,” highlights the resilience and diverse experiences that shape mental health journeys.
Whether it’s attending local community events to reduce stigma and promote early detection, supporting the voices of those we serve at the North Carolina General Assembly, or promoting safe and accessible mental health practices with its own staff, Vaya’s commitment to mental health awareness extends beyond the members it serves.
CFAC Legislative Day 2025
A key part of Vaya’s commitment to care is listening to the voices of members – and helping amplify their lived experiences and the unique perspective that each brings. Earlier this spring, members of Vaya’s Consumer and Family Advisory Committee (CFAC) traveled to Raleigh for CFAC Legislative Day 2025, where members courageously shared their personal stories and advocated for continued investment in behavioral health services. Vaya’s CFAC is an independent self-governing body that provides important input to Vaya’s management on services, quality, budget, and other matters. Four Vaya CFAC members serve as voting members on Vaya’s Board of Directors.
Benita Purcell, a member of Vaya’s CFAC, addressed fellow advocates and legislators. “I just want to say—continue to fight,” said Purcell. “This is the favorite part of my life—being able to advocate. I am just amazed that there are so many people here. Thank you all so much.”
Post-Helene Mental Health Resources
“In times of crisis, sharing stories and staying connected to others experiencing similar hardships are especially important strategies that support and sustain mental health,” said Tracy Hayes, Area Director and CEO of Vaya Health. “Due to Vaya’s decades of service in western North Carolina, we were in a unique position to support impacted members and communities in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene beginning in the early hours of Sept. 27, 2024.”
Listening circles were one of the many on-the-ground resources Vaya brought to communities. In partnership with Resources for Resilience, Vaya supported 137 virtual and in-person listening circles and ‘Reconnecting Through Hard Times’ workshops across impacted counties in western North Carolina. Listening circles give people a chance to discuss their personal well-being, recognize who or what is helping, and share tools to ease some of the overwhelming stress they might experience. Vaya also partnered with Resources for Resilience to provide weekly trainings for first responders, healthcare workers, volunteers, and others looking for tools to support their friends, neighbors, and loved ones following Helene.
With its headquarters in Buncombe County and hundreds of employees living and working in impacted counties, Vaya also recognizes the importance of supporting its staff. To assist employees, Vaya launched Mindfulness Mondays—a biweekly virtual space for employees to join to pause and support one another. The initiative, launched in October in response to Hurricane Helene’s physical and emotional impact on Vaya employees and the communities Vaya serves, is led by Dr. Richard Zenn, Vaya’s Chief Medical Officer. Sessions offer a supportive environment where employees can share lived experiences and learn tools to build resilience and navigate ongoing stress. Most importantly, Mindfulness Mondays have promoted a safe and accessible environment for Vaya employees to support one another anonymously.
“Mindfulness Mondays have been a wonderful way for Vayans to support each other post-Helene,” said one Vaya employee who has participated in these events since October. “Sharing stories within our Vaya family has helped relieve stress in times of uncertainty and brought our internal community closer together through mutual listening and understanding.”
Vaya Health’s focus on early detection, stigma reduction, and resource accessibility continues year-round. During Mental Health Awareness Month, Vaya renews its commitment to making mental health a priority for all and encourages other organizations to make it a priority as well. Whether you’re seeking services, looking to get involved, or simply want to take a moment to learn more, your mental health matters.
About Vaya Health
Vaya Health is a specialty managed care organization and local government agency that oversees publicly funded health care services across a 32-county region of North Carolina for people with significant behavioral health needs, intellectual/developmental disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries. Vaya manages Medicaid, federal, state, and local funding to meet member and community needs while advancing whole-person health. Together with members, contracted providers, and local partners, we’re moving forward to a healthier North Carolina. Vaya Health can be found online at vayahealth.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/VayaHealth/, on X (formerly known as Twitter) @VayaHealth, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/vaya-health.
