Let’s Talk Day

Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day. This is a Canadian campaign by Bell Canada, one of the country’s primary telecommuncations company, that started in September 2010 with the goal of creating a national conversation about mental health. Through the campaign, institutions and organizations are provided with new funding for access, care and research all focused on mental health. To date, Bell Let’s Talk has raised $93,423,628.80 and are hoping to meet their goal of raising over $100,000,000 by the end of today.

Bell Let’s Talk is an organization whose goal is to promote awareness and action for mental health by employing a strategy based on 4 pillars:

Anti-stigma To address changing the stigma on mental health, Bell Let’s Talk has an annual campaign that brings awareness and a specific day that helps to increase the national conversation around the topic. The hope is that as conversations about mental health increases, the stigma around mental health will decrease.

Care and access Bell Let’s Talk supports organizations such as local hospitals, universities and agencies with the support services they need to continue their missions relating to mental health.

Research The campaign invests into the top research programs that continue to explore mental health. They choose programs that they feel have the potential to have transformative effects on Canadian mental health and wellbeing.

Workplace Health Through adapting the voluntary standard of Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace themselves, Bell Let’s Talk models and encourages other businesses to adapt these standards of mental health in their workplaces.

While this is a campaign that occurs in Canada, there are many ways that people in the United States and all over the world can help raise money for this amazing cause. Listed below are the best ways to get involved!

• Tweet Every time someone watches the Bell Let’s Talk Day video or tweets using the hashtag #BellLetsTalk, 5 cents is donated towards the mental health initiative
• Instagram For every view of the Bell Let’s Talk Day video, Bell donates 5 cents
• Facebook For every view of the Bell Let’s Talk Day video or for using the Bell Let’s Talk Frame, Bell donates 5 cents
• Snapchat For every view of the Bell Let’s Talk Day video or for using the Bell Let’s Talk Filer, Bell will donate 5 cents

What do you think about the campaign? Do you think other major companies should follow Bell’s lead here in the United States in mental health activism?