This month's spotlight shines on Bethany DePalo, who is serving with EveryMind, a nonprofit mental health organization in Rockville, Maryland. Bethany has been making an incredible impact through her work on the community education team.
Throughout her service term, Bethany has been conducting outreach to organizations in Prince George's County, including healthcare, behavioral health, and community organizations. She has been researching, contacting, and fostering connections with these groups to introduce them to the valuable work EveryMind does, especially regarding mental health education and training.
Bethany has been instrumental in managing data by downloading and organizing Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) reports for submission to Sharp Insight, a firm that specializes in evaluation services. She’s further supported the organization by developing marketing contacts through HubSpot, attending key meetings like the Montgomery County Food Council’s September call, and helping the community education department with outreach organization through Excel spreadsheets.
In addition to her behind-the-scenes work, Bethany has attended impactful in-person events, such as the MHFA Summit in Columbia, MD, and the Welcome Back Wellness Fair at Hood College.
So far, Bethany has trained 27 participants in Adult MHFA and is currently pursuing certification in Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), a suicide prevention intervention. Bethany is particularly proud of becoming a certified Adult MHFA instructor in August and teaching her first course just one week later. This certification and her teaching experience have been significant milestones in her journey.
Bethany encourages anyone considering an AmeriCorps term to jump in. "Even in the few months you spend at your host site, you can genuinely make a significant impact in a field you care about," she shares.
As Bethany looks to the future, she is certain that mental health and wellness will continue to be central to her career. While she is still exploring specific options, her passion for education and teaching is clear. Having thoroughly enjoyed teaching MHFA, Bethany is eager to continue building her skills and making a difference in this field.
We are grateful to Bethany for her dedication and the lasting contributions she is making at EveryMind. Keep up the great work, Bethany!
For those who would like to stay connected with Bethany, feel free to reach out at bdepalo@every-mind.org.
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