MHI - July 2023
This is the 1st official launch meeting of the Hawai'i Mental Health Initiatives RAG held at the District Conference in Hilo.
We received our charter approval from Rotary International Mental Health Initiative (MHI) Rotary Action Group (RAG) on April 7, 2023. Mahalo to our Hawai'i Charter Members: Rick Tabor, Lynn Goya, Joshua Laguana, Uthpala Waipola, Stephen Whie, Konrad Ikei, Wendy Hornack, Mike Fraser, and Chair Kathleen Merriam.
At the meeting, we discussed the following agenda items:
- Reviewed the Vision: To create and support opportunities for all to improve their mental health and wellness in order to lead a healthy, happy and productive life
- Reviewed the Mission: Break stigma, raise awareness, increase access to prevention and earlier treatment.
- We need to meet regularly; however we don’t want it to be stressful to be involved with the RAG! Kathleen will follow up with a schedule; there are 2 other international MHI RAG meetings to integrate our schedule with (these are on 2nd Saturdays at 3am HST).
- We discussed promoting “Mental Health Moments” at Rotary club meetings to get positive messages out about taking care of ourselves and each other.
- In honor of May as Mental Health Month, please share with your clubs about 988, it’s the crisis line and we want to make sure everyone knows about this line and also how to access mental health and substance use treatment.
- Please check out ragonmentalhealth.org
- Being a Chapter includes 10 memberships (access to changing our page on the website)
International Liaison: Bonnie Black
Rotary International MHI RAG Board Chair: Bob Anthony
Our Hawai'i Rotary District 5000 Action Group had a display in the House of Friendship. We were able to share about Hawaii chartering a local chapter. We also collected names with a sign up sheet of interested Rotarians. Many resources for mental health services were available.
Rotary International President Elect Gordon McInally often speaks of checking in with our Rotarians…are we REALLY finding out how they REALLY are? Here is a sticker that we promoted to remind us of checking in with our fellow Rotarians