Each May, Mental Health Awareness Month emphasizes prioritizing mental well-being, fighting stigma, and improving access to care. At Vaya Health, it’s a time to reaffirm our dedication to mental health awareness, building resilience, and supporting recovery.
This year, Vaya helped fund Operation Gateway to extend mental health advocate training in both Buncombe and Rowan counties. Through this program, community members will have the opportunity to receive Community Mental Health Advocate Training in accessible, nontraditional settings—such as barbershops, salons, and other local businesses.
By utilizing trusted community spaces, Operation Gateway aims to empower local business owners and leaders with the knowledge and tools to recognize mental health concerns and connect individuals with the care and support they need. It’s grassroots mental health advocacy—meeting people where they are.
Mental health disorders affect people from every walk of life—and are far more common than most may realize. In fact, mental health conditions impact millions of individuals and families across the United States each year. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), in just one year, more than 18% of American adults experience a diagnosable mental health disorder such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.
It’s important to recognize that mental health conditions are not a sign of weakness. They are medical conditions—real, common, and treatable. With the right support, treatment, and understanding, individuals living with mental health disorders can and do lead healthy, fulfilling lives.
At Vaya, raising awareness about the prevalence of mental health challenges is a crucial step toward breaking down stigma, encouraging early intervention, and building a stronger, more compassionate North Carolina community.
Complete this form to sign up for the upcoming training in Asheville on May 19.
Complete this form to sign up for the upcoming training in Rowan County on May 31.
When community leaders are equipped with mental health knowledge, they become powerful allies in expanding access and reducing stigma.
Recovery is not about the absence of a disorder. It’s about:
- Managing symptoms
- Building a strong support system
- Maintaining meaningful daily activities
- Living a life filled with purpose
Every step toward healing deserves to be celebrated.
While Mental Health Awareness Month brings special focus during May, Vaya’s commitment to mental health is a year-round mission. We remain dedicated to promoting early detection, reducing stigma, expanding access to resources, and supporting the recovery journey for every individual we serve.
Whether you are seeking services, looking to get involved, advocating for others, or simply taking a moment to learn—your mental health matters.
About Operation Gateway
Founded by western North Carolina native Philip Cooper, Operation Gateway (OG) aims to decrease recidivism by addressing the social determinants of the health of those returning from incarceration. To assist in navigating the barriers faced when reentering society, OG has developed a model to leverage the lived experience of certified community health workers who are formerly incarcerated and active in addiction recovery.
Community health workers are frontline public health workers who are trusted members of, or have an unusually close understanding of, the community being served. This trusting relationship enables the worker to serve as an intermediary between health and social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. A community health worker also builds individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support and advocacy.
Cooper, who is Chief Change Agent for OG, has received many awards including 2024 Innovator of the Year award for SAMHSA (the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration), and the 2024 Recovery Role Model Award from Addiction Professionals of North Carolina.
