A new art installation in Sioux Falls is looking at mental health through a different lens. Its primary goal is to show people struggling with their mental health they aren’t alone.
It also shows that something as small and simple as a single sticky note can go a long way for those in need.
Advocates say there’s a stigma in South Dakota and across the nation about mental health. Mental health professionals and communities are trying to break that. They say one way is through expression and messaging.
The South Dakota Department of Social Services, Helpline Center and Lawrence and Schiller are trying one new approach to start the conversation in a more positive light: art.
“There’s 13,000 individuals that have contacted 988 in South Dakota alone. And this wall is a representation that if you are struggling, picking up that phone is the first step. It can be the hardest step, but you’re not alone in what you’re going through and help is always here,” said DSS Assistant Director Vanessa Barnes.
Barnes oversees the office of prevention and crisis services. She’s stands in front of a wall with 13,000 sticky notes on it, each with a note of encouragement.
Each note representing a story to tell of someone struggling, someone at their darkest moment and someone in need of another person to talk to. But each also represents an opportunity and a message to those who need it.
"A sticky note is a powerful representation that help is always there, that you matter. It could be a sticky note on the door when you’re leaving for the day that you matter and that things are going to be better,” Barnes said. “It’s just that little positive affirmation that sometimes people need to keep going.”
The notes are a part of a larger state initiative that Barnes’ department is utilizing to reach everyone and break the stigma.
“And stigma is preventing people from reaching out. That having the hard conversation and mental health kind of being a taboo topic. This is part of our ‘Notes to Self’ campaign through the Division of Behavioral Health, which is why we have the sticky notes," Barnes said. "The Notes to Self campaign is really a campaign to destigmatize mental health and have that note to self that you matter and to reach out for help when you need it.”
The campaign launched two years ago and is trying to generate awareness around suicide prevention and make behavioral and mental health resources more widely available to all corners of the state.
Barnes said she thinks one of the most powerful tools in preventing suicide is an educated community.
“Making sure that individuals in the community are trained in the warning signs, the risk factors, how to communicate about suicide, how to reach out for help, what help is available, what resources are available in your community. So we offer free suicide prevention trainings for individuals to do just that," Barnes said. "Because most of the time it’s the teachers, it’s the parents, it’s loved ones, it’s faith leaders that are seeing the individuals first-hand struggling. So if we can equip them with the skills that they need to identify that somebody is struggling and the skills to communicate that and connect them to resources, we’re really kind of strengthening that safety net.”
May is Mental Health Awareness month nationwide. That’s why Chief Operating Officer with the Helpline Center Amy Carter said now seemed like the right time for the art piece.
“It’s a great time to just talk about this topic. So we are definitely hearing a lot of positivity, not only from people who are seeing the wall or talking about it, but those who have experienced it say this really helps them feel more confident in their journey. It helps them know that they aren’t alone," Carter said. "It helps them feel like, you know, ‘I can do this. I can get through this and I can always reach out for help, and I’m not going to be judged for that.’ And that’s really our goal is that people are never afraid to reach out for help, and that they know those resources are out there”
Carter said for those in need, the first step she suggests is reaching out to 988 because it can connect people 24 hours a day to resources in South Dakota.
“And it’s such an easy number to remember, and it’s so accessible to people. And it can be confidential and anonymous. So that’s a great resource for people who are maybe taking that first step and aren’t quite sure how to start," Carter said. "So, 988 is a great starting point. But in addition to that there’s community mental health centers throughout our state. There’s of course behavioral health facilities, substance use treatment centers. There’s so many different resources, and it’s hard to list all of those and give all the specifics. So that’s why it’s great to reach out to either 988 or even the 211 resource number that covers our whole state.”
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts or other mental health challenges, please reach out to 988 by call or text any time of the day. You can also contact 211, the state’s helpline number.
You can see the art installation on the third floor of the Washington Pavilion throughout the month of May.
