Reach out. Inform educators, healthcare providers, and other members of your community who play significant roles in the lives of those living with mental illness. Next time you go for a visit to your primary care physician or take your child to the pediatrician, talk to the doctor or nurse practitioner about the role mental health plays in the whole health picture. Attend a Parent-Teacher Association meeting and find out what systems are in place for students living with mental illness.

Be an ambassador of respect, understanding, and change for the public at large. Get the anti-stigma message out to your local business owners: health clubs, beauty salons, restaurants, etc. Share what you know. People really do want to be informed. Even if they don't embrace the message right away, by bringing them the facts, you lay the groundwork for change.

Charlotte Bronte wrote, "Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or fertilized by education; they grow there, firm as weeds among rocks."

Communities and colleges/universities throughout New Jersey have identified themselves as Stigma Free Zones to build public interest in mental health and inspire open conversations to eliminate stigma The Stigma-Free Zones are increasing awareness of local mental health resources and encouraging individuals to ask for help when they need it. Click here for information about Stigma Free Zones and how to establish one in your community or at your school.