One year ago, after 59 years as the Mental Health Association of Montgomery County, the organization rebranded to become EveryMind — with the tag line, “Your Wellness – Our Mission.” The name was changed due to concerns that a stigma surrounded the words “mental health,” impacting the willingness to seek out life-saving support.

“With the change in name, we are helping to change the public conversation around mental health and wellness, and to remind everyone that mental wellness is important for every mind,” CEO Ann Mazur said.

On Wednesday, Oct. 18, EveryMind will hold a gala to celebrate the one-year anniversary of their new name and to toast “60 years of strengthening communities and empowering individuals to reach optimal wellness.”

One of the highlights of the evening will be videos to demonstrate some of EveryMind’s case histories and tie them to the involvement of this year’s honorees: Ron and Joy Paul, Doreen Gentzler and NBC4’s Changing Minds Campaign, U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen and the Boeing Company. These videos will explain the mission of EveryMind and how each honoree has been influential in helping them achieve their goals.

Ron and Joy Paul have supported the Youth Counseling Program. Doreen Gentzler has been effective in bringing about change in the public conversation and acceptance of mental health programs and Chris Van Hollen has enacted legislation to improve access to programs and to strengthen policies. The Boeing Company has provided funding to enhance the Serving Together Military program.

“An anniversary is usually looking back but with the purposeful direction of looking forward, we realize we could not meet our mission goals without the support of our outstanding partners and partnerships,” Niki Thrash, development director, said,

EveryMind is a leading mental health resource in the D.C. region and offers direct services, information, and referrals for everyone. The organization serves children and adults through mental health counseling and intensive case management — and also provides crisis prevention and intervention. “Our services connect people in need of support with essential community resources to improve their wellbeing and quality of life,” Mazur said.

EveryMind provides crisis prevention and intervention through a hotline in which people in crisis can call, text or chat. One of the priorities for the next few years is to expand the hours of hotline availability. “We need to have our hotlines available 24/7,” Mazur said. “They are so important with the rates of depression and suicide on the rise. These hotlines are staffed by extensively trained volunteers, and we are in need of more volunteers to work the hotlines — or in many other areas. We are seeking people who understand the importance of our mission and how much support we offer those in need. We are also trying to garner additional funding and support for our hotlines.”

Another priority is to increase the Military – Serving Together program. This program provides education, direct service, and coordination of resources for service members, veterans, and their families throughout the D.C. region. Peer navigators are an important part of this program for making certain the families know how to connect with the resources and to provide follow-up support.

The gala will be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Bethesda and tickets are still available for purchase at www.EveryMind.org. See this website for information about EveryMind, for the hotline number, to donate or volunteer.