|
The Pro Football
Hall of Fame has created an avenue to help current and former
players and their families with mental and behavioral health
issues.
Called Hall of Fame Behavioral Health, the program's mission
will be "to make mental health and the treatment of issues
surrounding athletes and those who care for them destigmatized,
accessible and widespread," the Canton, Ohio-based Hall of Fame
said in a news release issued Thursday.
Ambassadors to the program include Hall of Fame members Ronnie
Lott, Brian Dawkins, Steve Atwater, Tim Brown and Andre Reed,
along with current players Adrian Peterson and Calais Campbell.
"We have to end the stigma surrounding mental health, and that
includes athletes," Dawkins said. "It's OK to ask for help and
to reach out if you are having issues. It's OK not to be OK. But
it's not OK to stay that way -- because our silence is killing
us and damaging our families."
The program can be accessed through a call center and a crisis
line that will pair the athletes with accredited treatment and
counseling services across the country. Issues they can address
will include addiction, performance anxiety and post-career
transition. It has partnered with a dozen health and wellness
centers around the country that will provide services.
"The Pro Football Hall of Fame has always been about protecting
the most important part of the game of football: the players,"
said David Baker, the Hall's president and CEO. "With Hall of
Fame Behavioral Health, our mission is to make mental and
behavioral health services that meet the Hall of Fame's
standards of excellence easily accessible and available not only
to Hall of Famers but to every player of this game, the people
who support them and the kids dreaming about one day playing in
the League."
Wes Cain, the president and CEO of Hall of Fame Behavioral
Health, said taking the first step to getting help is most
important.
"Whether it's affordability, access or simply saying the words
'I need help' to a trusted friend, current and retired athletes
have faced an uphill battle in seeking and receiving mental
health services. Our goal is to let everyone know that if you
are a first-ballot Hall of Famer or a practice squad player, we
hear you and we are here to support you. No one should be left
behind on their journey to live a healthy life."
--Field Level Media
[© 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2021 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
