Stigma Free Zone

The Bergen County STIGMA-FREE Initiative is a county-wide program which aims to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. We are dedicated to raising awareness of the disease of mental illness and create a culture wherein residents who have the disease feel supported by their community and neighbors and feel free to seek treatment for the disease without fear of stigma.

Joining the Stigma-Free Initiative will:

• Educate residents that mental illness is a disease and must be treated as such
• Raise awareness of the prevalence of mental illness in our community
• Provoke public interest in learning what is “STIGMA-FREE”
• Providing residents an opportunity to become involved in their community
• Allow people living with the disease to feel supported by their community and thus decrease feelings of isolation and shame
• Link people in need to local mental health resources
• Raise awareness that care is accessible regardless of income