May is Mental Health Month and this week is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. We’re proud of the fact that RMHC of Central Ohio brought the first Ronald McDonald Family Room to the country’s first pediatric behavioral health hospital at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion, just down the street from our Ronald McDonald House. Now, one of our board members, John Kennedy, has created the Kennedy Behavioral Health Fund to support behavioral health initiatives supported by RMHC of Central Ohio and the Ronald McDonald Family Room at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Big Lots Behavioral Health Pavilion.
The RMFR at the BHP is actually a series of rooms that provide a respite for families who have children facing a mental health challenge. Located on the 5th floor of the tower, the space includes a kitchen, dining room, sitting area, outdoor terrace, shower, laundry, lactation room, a consultation room, and a family activity room. Local businesses often donate freshly made snacks and volunteering professionals often come to the space performing music, leading yoga gatherings or providing art sessions.
Erin Gilchrist Rugg is a member of our Board of Trustees and also found the room to be just what she needed at times while her daughter was being helped just a few floors away. Click the image below to hear her story.
To learn more and to make a contribution to the Kennedy Behavioral Health Fund so RMHC can keep more families close to their children getting mental healthcare, please visit rmhc-centralohio.org/mental-health-awareness-month.