Atlanta, GA — The city of Atlanta recently announced a strategic partnership with Silence the Shame, Inc., a non-profit organization focused on reducing mental health stigma in underserved communities and raising awareness of the 988 Crisis Lifeline. The collaboration arrives at a time when the country is grappling with a spike in mental health challenges and increasing demand for culturally responsive care.
Silence the Shame, founded by Shanti Das in 2016, has long focused on outreach, education, and stigma reduction, especially in communities that have been reluctant to engage in behavioral health services. The newly expanded partnership with Atlanta’s municipal government is intended to strengthen mental health literacy efforts across the city and promote access to support for residents in crisis, especially in marginalized areas.
According to national data, one in five US adults experiences mental illness each year, and PTSD affects an estimated 3.6% of Americans annually. Many individuals delay seeking care due to stigma or lack of culturally appropriate services, and the average delay between symptom onset and treatment in the US has been documented at over a decade.
“Public efforts like Silence the Shame’s work with Atlanta send a powerful message: no one should feel ashamed to seek help,” said a spokesperson from Southern Live Oak Wellness. “Trauma, mental health distress, and stigma often intersect, especially in communities where cultural barriers make it harder to talk openly about suffering. We see firsthand how people avoid early support because of fear or misunderstanding, and partnerships like this can shift the conversation toward care and prevention.”
Cities across the US are beginning to recognize that social determinants, such as income inequality, discrimination, and access to health care, play a significant role in mental health outcomes. In Atlanta, the initiative aims to amplify resources and reduce the distance between people in need and those who can help.
Silence the Shame’s programs include community conversations, wellness seminars, and digital outreach. In 2024, the organization formed a partnership with Microsoft to launch a mobile mental health application targeting education, resource access, and self-help tools. The non-profit also organized National Silence the Shame Day each May 5 to promote open dialogue and resource awareness across communities.
While Atlanta’s initiative centers on awareness and reducing stigma surrounding mental illness and seeking help, mental health care demand continues to rise. According to the 2024 State of Mental Health in America report, many states struggle to meet access gaps despite the substantial prevalence of mental health issues. Nearly half of adults with a mental health condition don’t receive treatment, so community-based stigma reduction is a critical component of clinical services.
For mental health providers like Southern Live Oak Wellness, public partnerships like these provide opportunities for synergy. Although the organization doesn’t focus on the initiative, it views the agreement as a sign of growing recognition that mental health must be addressed through both systems and frontline providers.
This trend is especially relevant given the disproportionate impact of stigma in communities of color and among under-resourced populations. Atlanta’s move may now serve as a model for other cities, or even states, and cultivate trust in the care systems.
Atlanta’s partnership with Silence the Shame ultimately represents more than city branding. It signals a broader and much-needed shift towards acknowledging mental health as a public health imperative. As communities continue to grapple with trauma, grief, and unresolved stress, coordinated efforts that combine advocacy, awareness, and clinical infrastructure may help tip the scale from silence to healing.
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For more information about Southern Live Oak Wellness, contact the company here:
Southern Live Oak Wellness
Annemarie Rich
954-461-7096
a.rich@slowhcm.com
1535 Mt Vernon Rd, Dunwoody, GA 30338
