MORE GOOD DAYS TOGETHER
ADMH Celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month with Resources and Support
Each May, the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) joins organizations throughout the state and country in observing Mental Health Awareness Month, a national commemoration spotlighting the need for increased understanding and acceptance of mental illness.
The 2026 theme, “More Good Days, Together,” underscores the importance of helping people with mental illness thrive through community connections and person-centered support, while also recognizing that the definition of a “good day” varies from person to person.
“Mental Health Awareness Month is a reminder that no one has to struggle alone,” said ADMH Commissioner Kimberly Boswell. “We want every Alabamian to have ‘more good days,’ connect with friends and family, and to remember that help is always within reach through our steadily growing Alabama Crisis System of Care and statewide resources and support.”
Immediate access to crisis care is expanded through the state’s three-pronged Crisis System of Care of 988, Crisis Centers and Mobile Crisis Services. These crisis services save lives and ease the impact on law enforcement and hospitals by giving Alabamians “someone to call, someone to respond and somewhere to go” during a mental health crisis.
“Nearly 60 years ago, my mentor, Governor Lurleen Wallace, advocated for and the Legislature approved historic investments in mental health care. During my administration, Alabama has again made generational investments in mental health care, launching a growing network of community-based response centers across the state to provide crisis care services for individuals with mental health conditions and substance abuse disorders. I want to commend Commissioner Boswell for her leadership in administering this vital new program and transforming the Alabama Department of Mental Health to meet the growing needs of our citizens,” said Governor Kay Ivey.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline gives individuals “someone to call” when they or a family member or loved one is in crisis. The state’s four call centers – located in Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville and Mobile field more than 40,000 calls annually averaging some 3,300 calls a month.
As “someone to respond,” Mobile Crisis Services have a critical role in the state’s Crisis System of Care, linking individuals directly to community-based intervention wherever they are. In Alabama, 11 providers operate 15 adult mobile crisis teams to provide 24/7 services year-round in the state’s rural counties, with five child and adolescent teams in three counties. Since October 2022, the state’s MCT’s have served more than 13,700 adults and children.
The state’s six Crisis Centers – in Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa – are strategically situated throughout the state and offer readily accessible around-the-clock care 365 days a year, giving individuals “somewhere to go” when they are in crisis. Services include assessment, temporary and extended observation, linkage to resources and collaboration with specialty providers for co-occurring disorders. The state’s six Centers performed more than 10,000 evaluations in fiscal year 2025 alone.
A seventh Crisis Center, operated by South Central Mental Health Center is slated to open in Brantley this summer, and will cover Butler, Coffee, Covington and Crenshaw counties, addressing a service gap in the south central region of the state.
To access information about mental health and substance use, the Connect Alabama app is a convenient resource that makes it easy to find out everything there is to know about prevention and treatment, such as, the types of treatment, what to expect, how much it costs, and how to get started.
The continuing growth of the Alabama Crisis System of Care has been made possible by the advocacy and funding support of Gov. Kay Ivey and the Alabama Legislature, Boswell said. “By prioritizing the development and expansion of the Crisis System of Care, Gov. Ivey and the Legislature have sent a clear message: The well-being of our citizens is a top priority,” she said. “Their ongoing investment has fundamentally transformed mental health services in our state and has saved lives and strengthened communities.”
The ADMH celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month with the 8th Annual Strike Out Stigma game on May 8 at DABOS Park (formerly Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery) and the Capitol Art Showcase, an annual art exhibition that highlights the creativity, resilience, and lived experiences of individuals receiving mental health services throughout Alabama.
For more information on Mental Health Awareness Month, contact the ADMH Office of Public Information at publicinformation.dmh@mh.alabama.gov or 334-242-3417.