Baxter Health is marking Mental Health Awareness Month this May by amplifying federal messaging that mental illness is a medical condition deserving of understanding, not stigma.
The hospital used social media this week to share resources from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the federal agency that has anchored the May observance for more than two decades. SAMHSA’s Week 1 theme is “Understanding Mental Illness.” The agency’s 2026 toolkit defines mental illnesses as medical conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior that can affect daily functioning.
Baxter Health pointed residents to its inpatient behavioral health units for general information and referrals. Social work intake can be reached at 870-508-3400 or 870-508-6400. The hospital also directed people in crisis to call 911 or the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
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Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed every May since 1949, when Mental Health America founded the observance. SAMHSA has helped lead it for more than 20 years. The 2026 effort is built around weekly themes that move from awareness to action over the course of the month.
Week 1 focuses on understanding serious mental illness. SAMHSA encourages communities to learn what mental illness actually is and to respond with understanding rather than stigma. The agency frames mental health conditions as medical conditions that can affect daily life much like any chronic illness, and asks the public to support people living with those conditions rather than treating them as a diagnosis.
Week 2 turns to self-care. The focus is on practical steps people can take to maintain their own mental wellbeing, including stress management, sleep, physical activity and connection with others. SAMHSA emphasizes that protecting mental health works best when it happens daily, not only during a crisis.
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Week 3 centers on person-first, recovery-affirming language. The week’s materials highlight how the words people use can either help or harm someone seeking support. SAMHSA shares examples of language that encourages people to ask for help rather than hide their struggles.
Week 4 focuses on community support and the role neighbors, faith communities, employers and family members play in connecting people to care. The agency emphasizes that recovery rarely happens in isolation, and that community-level engagement often determines whether a person reaches treatment at all.
A consistent thread runs through all four weeks. SAMHSA’s 2026 messaging emphasizes whole-person care, noting that mental health challenges often intersect with substance use, housing, employment and physical health. The agency argues that lasting recovery requires addressing those connections rather than treating mental illness in isolation.
Mental Health America, which founded the observance, is operating under a separate but parallel theme this year called “More Good Days, Together.” The campaign asks people to define what a good day actually looks like for them and for their community, then use that insight to shape support, advocacy and care. Buildings around the country are being lit green throughout May to mark the month.
May also includes several related observances. National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day falls on May 7. Mental Health Awareness Week runs May 11 through 17. Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is observed during the first week of May.
Baxter Health’s behavioral health services span inpatient, outpatient and substance use care. The full slate is more extensive than many residents realize, and access points vary depending on age, condition and whether a patient already has a primary care provider in the system.
The Adult Behavioral Health Center is a 16-bed secure unit on the third floor of the main hospital. It serves patients 18 and older who need stabilization, medication management and individualized treatment planning. The unit is led by board-certified psychiatrists and staffed by psychiatric nurses, technicians and therapists.
The Hensley Senior Behavioral Health Center sits on the sixth floor and serves patients 55 and older. The geriatric inpatient unit offers individual counseling, group therapy, family support and recreational therapy through music and art. Staff includes psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, social workers, and physical and occupational therapists.
Baxter Health’s outpatient behavioral health program operates through telehealth delivered at primary care clinics. Patients begin with an in-person assessment at the clinic where they receive primary care. Follow-up appointments can then be conducted at the clinic or from home if a patient has phone or internet access. The program can be reached at 870-508-7820, and patients can request a referral from their primary care physician.
A separate medical detox program known as First Step provides supervised withdrawal care for patients struggling with alcohol or pain medication misuse. The program operates within the acute care hospital and typically involves a three-night stay with 24-hour medical monitoring. Screenings are conducted Monday through Friday by appointment, and the program can be reached at 870-508-7590. The team includes a medical director, hospitalists, advanced practice nurses and nursing staff.
First Step accepts self-referrals as well as referrals from primary care physicians. The program also accepts Medicare, Medicaid, marketplace plans and most private insurance. After screening, staff verify insurance and develop a personalized aftercare plan that may include psychiatrist visits and mindfulness training.
The detox program reflects the whole-person approach SAMHSA emphasizes throughout May. Mental health challenges and substance use often appear together, and the agency argues that treating one without the other rarely leads to lasting recovery.
Baxter Health’s psychiatry team includes Dr. Witold P. Czerwinski, Dr. Veronica Zak and advanced practice registered nurse Michelle Marcak. The hospital also operates a Behavioral Health Clinic at 230 Highway 5 North in Mountain Home for outpatient appointments.
The American Psychiatric Association estimates roughly one in five U.S. adults experience a mental illness each year, and one in 20 experience a serious mental illness. Rural communities consistently report less access to behavioral health providers than urban ones, according to federal health workforce data.
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day by call or text. People seeking non-emergency information about local services can also reach Baxter Health behavioral health social work at the numbers listed above.