Yard signs promote positivity and resilience

In an effort to support communities with messages of positivity and resilience, a collaboration of mental health organizations is making yard signs available to the residents of Darke, Miami, and Shelby counties at no cost.

The Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services; NAMI Darke, Miami and Shelby Counties; and the Suicide Prevention Coalition Miami Darke Shelby have joined together to create and distribute affirming messages through a yard sign campaign. The effort was an idea germinated by the Suicide Prevention Coalition. NAMI – the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness - and the Tri-County Board provided the resources to make the signs available.

Sharing a common motif of a colorful gradient background, the signs have four messages: Life is Better with You, You Are Not Alone, There is Hope, and You Matter. Each sign also bears the logos of The Tri-County Board, NAMI, the Coalition, and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The 988 line is a 24/7 hotline for any kind of mental health crisis, not limited to suicidal ideation, where callers can talk to or text with licensed crisis counselors. A chat line is available at chat.988lifeline.org.

“Many of our communities have experienced difficult, even tragic events recently, including deaths by suicide,” said Brad Reed, Associate Director and Chief of Community Engagement for the Tri-County Board. “When Coalition members suggested some sort of yard sign campaign, we were able to bring together the design, production and distribution partners the Board has fostered over the years, along with funds that the NAMI affiliate had available from timely grant.”

The signs and metal stakes are available to anyone at no cost while supplies last, from a number of distribution points through the three-county service area. Signs may be picked up at VPP Industries in Versailles, the Darke County General Health District in Greenville, Darke County Commissioners Chambers in the Courthouse, the LGBTQ+ Center of Darke County in Greenville, the Sidney-Shelby County Health Department in Sidney, Edison State Community College campuses in Piqua, Greenville and Troy, and at the Tri-County Board Administration & Training Center in Troy.

In addition to the locations listed, signs have been distributed to youth groups at Versailles, Greenville and Anna schools, and additional locations may become available. For questions about availability, email Brad Reed at ReedB@tcbmds.org or call 937-761-2443.

For information about NAMI of DMS, the Suicide Prevention Coalition, 988, or the Tri-County Board, go to the Board’s website at www.tcbmds.org.