Wired Gives Back: Tanager

Mental Health Awareness Month: Wired Supports Community Youth 

Wired Production Group is proud to support Tanager in Cedar Rapids as we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month in May. It’s essential to face the challenges and triumphs we all experience in our daily life related to our mental well-being, and it is vitally important to support those in our community who need support on their journey to adulthood.  When mental health challenges disrupt the well-being of children in Eastern Iowa, Tanager provides the tools and support to face them. They serve more than 4,000 children, teens, and young adults in our community each year. 

What is Tanager?

As Linn County’s first human services agency designed for children, Tanager offers programs that focus on prevention, treatment, and outreach. Tanager’s approach to prevention can help school-age youth stay in school and lead healthy lives. Additionally, Tanager provides a variety of treatment services to children and families. Tanager stays connected by educating and empowering children, families, communities, and workplaces across Eastern Iowa. 

Tanager Hosts Outreach Events to Help Break the Stigma

Mental Health Awareness Month is a month centered around advocacy and reducing stigma. Tanager is honoring this month with the theme of, “The Magic of Mental Well-Being” as a creative way to raise awareness. After much success in 2022, Tanager returned in 2023 with an apparel fundraiser to help young people and families achieve mental well-being. 

Wired Production Group has purchased t-shirts from Tanager to support its mission. You’ll see our team wearing these shirts in our efforts to normalize conversations surrounding mental health. We want to help with breaking the stigma so individuals of all ages can feel empowered to seek the help they need.

“Your feelings aren’t imaginary.”

To recognize Mental Health Awareness Month and support our community, Tanager has developed a wide variety of public events to help children, families, and other members of our community find the mental health resources they need. Events in this month’s programming include:

You can find a complete calendar of events on their website. Check out other resources from Tanager, including The 30 Days of Wellness Workbook and their Mental Well-Being Toolkit, with information for individuals, families, professionals, and workplaces.

Mental Health in the Events Industry 

Our team of experienced video and event production professionals understands that working in the events industry often comes with grueling conditions in stressful environments. We’ve all experienced post-event depression, stress, and anxiety with our work-life balance, and even burnout. It’s important to support each other through the highs and lows. If you see someone struggling, say something. Connection is everything. Showing someone you care means a lot.  

There are a lot of ways we can help others who are experiencing mental health struggles: 

• Set aside time to talk with them with an open mind, no judgment, and no distractions.
• Let them share as much or as little as they are comfortable.
• Don’t try to diagnose or second guess their feelings.
• Keep questions open-ended, like “How are you feeling?” or “What’s going on in your mind right now?”
• Encourage self-care (diet, exercise, good sleep).
• Listen carefully to ensure you’re truly understanding what they are saying.
• Offer help seeking professional help.
• Know your limits, and don’t push yourself to serve others when you need to take care of yourself.

Through our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), mental health services are free to our staff. We also encourage our staff to also access a mental health assistance toolkit at www.GetHelpNowCR.com and learn more about the assistance options available in the Cedar Rapids area. 

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

For more information on Tanager and its services, please visit www.tanagerplace.org.