Unique Partnership with Libraries will Distribute Family Mental Health Kits

Families experiencing stressful situations or challenging emotions now have a new tool to check out from their local public library: a mental health kit. The kits are part of a regional community health initiative that will eventually expand to additional libraries.

The free family mental health kits, designed for ages 3 and older, can be checked out for a two-week period. Anyone in the five-county Memorial Health service area is free to check out the kits, and a library card is not required.

The kits include books about emotions and mental health, worksheets on breathing and grounding techniques, coloring pages, local support and mental health resources.

Wondering how best to use the kit with your family?

• Read together from an age-appropriate book to spark conversation and connection
• Try a worksheet to learn a new way to manage feelings through breathing, grounding or exploring emotions
• Use the coloring pages or fidgets whenever you need a moment of calm, focus or creative expression.

Jacksonville library director Jake Magnuson is pleased about the partnership. “We’re excited Memorial Health is providing access to materials, tools and information that families might need to support mental health,” he said. “We provide a central location for people utilizing our services to also obtain information about local mental health resources they might not otherwise be aware of.”

The kits are available at Decatur Public Library, Jacksonville Public Library, Lincoln Public Library District in Lincoln, Lincoln Library in downtown Springfield and Taylorville Public Library.