Montgomery Biscuits, state partner on mental health campaign

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - The Montgomery Biscuits are mixing baseball with mental health education during their home stand this week. It’ll be about more than balls and strikes when the Biscuits host the Biloxi Shuckers at Riverwalk Stadium.

Mental health awareness and substance abuse are the focus of the Strike Out Stigma campaign. Representatives from 25 mental health providers will be in the ballpark to talk about important resources available throughout the River Region.

“This offers the opportunity for hundreds of additional fans to get first-hand information and vital mental health resources in the River Region,” said Alabama Department of Mental Health Commissioner Kim Boswell.

The games Tuesday and Saturday are military nights where the Alabama departments of mental health and veterans affairs will share information about resources specifically for current and former military members and their families.

The Biscuits say they have been proud partners with mental health advocates for the last five seasons.

“It’s very important to the Biscuits to shine a light on these things. It’s one of those things you never know what someone is going through,” Biscuits General Manager Mike Murphy said. “You never know how we can make an impact in somebody.”

One of the most notable resources is the 9-8-8 crisis number, which was activated last summer. So far, over 30,000 people have called to get help.

A new crisis center, Carastar Health in Montgomery, opened in April and has helped people as young as five who face issues like depression, anxiety, psychosis and people considering suicide.

Alabama has opened four crisis centers statewide and is awaiting the opening of two more.

For more resources provided by the Alabama Department of Mental Health, click here.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated to clarify more than 30,000 people have been helped by 9-8-8, not 2,100 as previously reported.

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