Kansas City Current, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and Synergy Services Host “Sideline the Stigma” Event for Second Year

The Kansas City Current and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) held the “Sideline the Stigma” event for the second year on August 26, in partnership with Synergy Services. This effort focused on promoting actionable and practical resources to remove the stigma surrounding mental health and giving support to all Kansas Citians.

YOU are enough ❤️

With Synergy and BlueKC, we hosted 100 teenagers to discuss mental health and how we can help #SidelineTheStigma❗️ pic.twitter.com/BVKxZ6lbrZ

— KC Current (@thekccurrent) August 31, 2023

The event provided youth with the opportunity to participate in various workshops about movement, music, art and have a conversation about mental health. Kansas City Current players Desiree Scott and Jordan Silkowitz joined the event to talk about removing the stigma around mental health challenges.

“Sideline the Stigma is one of our most important initiatives as an organization,” said Kansas City Current team president Allison Howard. “Mental and behavioral health impact everything we do, from the performance of our team on the field to the wellbeing of our friends, our family and our fans. We are incredibly fortunate to work alongside Blue KC and Synergy Services to spread the word and provide resources to anyone struggling in our community.”

“What an honor to partner with the KC Current to support the critical work that Synergy Services performs for young people and help children, teens and adults in our Kansas City area community learn how to talk about mental health,” said Christina Lively, Blue KC Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. “Sideline the Stigma provides an important opportunity to elevate awareness surrounding mental health, as we continue to team up with the Current on creating a new path for inclusive health and wellness where mental health is as important as physical health.” 

“It was so cool being in an environment that was all about youth!” said Natalia, a teenager who attended the event. “They made me feel safe and really encouraged being present. They had different spaces and activities. I really enjoyed the cooking group. I enjoy cooking and when you get to do something you enjoy you feel relaxed and safe to really be present.”

Mental health continues to be a major focus for the Kansas City Current. Members of the organization’s leadership team were trained to receive Mental Health First Aid® certifications, presented by Blue KC and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. Mental Health First Aid® is the initial help offered to a person developing a mental health or substance use challenge or experiencing a mental health crisis. The first aid is given until appropriate treatment and support are received or until the crisis resolves.

Kansascitycurrent.com/sidelinethestigma includes access to Mental Health First Aid® training opportunities, mental health statistics and contact information for local and national crisis lines. The Kansas City Current and Blue KC plan to activate other mental health resources and programming during the 2023 season.