Men and Boys Action Team, Campaigns and Engagement
Since men are disproportionately impacted by suicide in our community with over 70% of those deaths by suicide and overdose, it's critical that we fine tune our messaging to reach this population, find ways to reduce stigma, examine the power of self sufficiency, and promote help seeking.
The Men and Boys Action Team come together to discuss mental health, well-being, substance use and suicidality. Their leadership and lived experiences on these issues helps to inform training/education and awareness campaigns that address this population, including the Redefining Strength campaign and the 988 campaign. This Team also works closely with the Lethal Means Action Team to foster means safety through safe storage of firearms and substances among others.
NEW! "Marin Tackles Mental Health Disparities in Men and Boys."
UPCOMING!
- The next team meeting is scheduled for Thursday September 5 at 4:00 pm. If you are over 13 years old and self identify as male, please join our Team. Contact: kara.connors@marincounty.gov for the Zoom link.
- September Suicide Prevention Month Hike on Saturday September 21 at 8:00 am. The Men and Boys Team are hosting a morning bayside hike along Blackie's Pasture off of Tiburon Blvd in Tiburon. To register, visit here.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Many members of the Men and Boys Team participated in the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline campaign. By sharing their stories, they helped to create a localized grassroots strategy to create awareness about men and boys mental health and well-being. Help take action and share their stories through video, posters, flyers, and more. You can learn more about this campaign by visiting the campaign page.
Redefining Strength: A Campaign for Men and Boys
In 2021-2022, the Men and Boy's Team developed and launched a community engagement campaign, Redefining Strength, a grassroots effort designed to promote discussion on men and boys mental well-being, what it means to be strong and where we draw strength. The Team held a campaign launch event in May 2022 held at the Board of Supervisor's Chambers with 140 participants and featured local leaders in a dynamic panel discussion and lived experience story. View recording of the event in either English or Spanish.
May Mental Health Month 2024
This May Mental Health Month, the Men and Boys Action Team co-hosted an event with over 200 people to help bring stories to action. Drew Robinson spoke at College of Marin on May 9, 2024 and inspired conversation around his suicide attempt and his recovery. During the event, the Men and Boys Team announced the 988 Hope and Help campaign!
Thank you to our sponsors: Marin County Office of Education, College of Marin, Equip, Rotary Club-Novato, Perigon, Ghilotti Construction. And, thank you to Justin Russell for his exceptional video!
September Suicide Prevention Month 2023
During September 2023, the Team hosted a community event featuring Ashanti Branch, MEd, at College of Marin in partnership with Marin County Office of Education, the Suicide Prevention Collaborative, Buckelew Programs and others. The night created a chance to reflect on what it means to wear a mask, how to connect with our truest self, and understand our common feelings and concerns about what it means to be strong. One team member also spoke at the Suicide Prevention Regional Summit discussing the Redefining Strength campaign.
May Mental Health Month 2022
The Men and Boys Team participate in a variety of outreach activities that include presenting to community and student groups, such as Rotary Clubs or College of Marin, leading a session at the Youth Wellness Festival during May Mental Health Month 2022, and educating the community about the importance of mental health in person and through engaging videos.
Breaking the Silence: A Conversation About Men and Boys Mental Health in May 2021
In Spring 2021, the Suicide Prevention Collaborative held it's first event focusing on the mental health of men and boys in our community. Invited panelists brought their diverse experiences and perspectives of how social norms condition men to be strong and how these influences dictate health behavior, help seeking, and decisions regarding their mental health. This experience gave way to the development of the Men and Boys Action Team and the need for a larger campaign to create greater awareness!
Movember Campaign 2020
The Movember campaign in 2020 was a community grassroots campaign that relied upon men and boys as influencers in mental health. Images of men and boys in our community were featured in the campaign by growing a beard to symbolize our collective action that it's okay to talk about mental health.