About the Flag
The Mental Health flag represents support for all efforts in mental health. We at The Pete Foundation, along with widespread collaboration from Louisville mental health organizations and advocates, as well as professionals from many other backgrounds, introduced the flag in 2020. Collectively, it is our hope that this flag will serve as a worldwide symbol for people who identify with mental health awareness efforts.
Green is already the established color for mental health awareness, and for that reason is the base of the flag. The design of the flag reflects a sunrise and the shift from dark to light through brighter shades of color. These shades also represent the various states of our emotional or psychological life. The value of the simple design is to make it more relatable, replicable, and transcultural.
“Together and with this flag, we will bring mental health out of the darkness and into the light. ”
The mental health flag quickly became popular. The world was ready for a symbol to represent our shared desire for mental health awareness. The flag has been sold in all 50 states as well as many other countries across the globe. We track the locations where the mental health flag is now flying by using a map of the world. We hope that someday the map is fully covered.
We are very proud of our home state. Every May, recognized as Mental Health Month, the flag is flown above the State Capital in Frankfort, Kentucky. This required the production of a much larger flag. The Pete Foundation will produce and donate such a flag to any other State government wishing to fly the flag at their capital.
“The Pete Foundation is committed to using all proceeds from our sales of this flag to support mental health efforts and organizations. ”
the “Ribbon Rapport” project
The Pete Foundation presents the “Ribbon Rapport” project. This project serves several purposes:
to provide education on the breadth of mental illness;
to normalize the topic of mental health by providing an informal means to process the direct and indirect impacts of mental illness on individuals and communities;
to provide a collaborative hands-on opportunity to connect with others about mental health.
We took the mental health flag and adhesive color-coded advocacy ribbons. Each ribbon represents a form of mental illness (e.g., self-harm, anxiety, eating disorders, mood disorders, substance abuse disorders, childhood-onset disorders, dementia, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorders). Community members are invited to select a ribbon to represent a mental illness they, or someone they know, have experienced or may still be struggling with. A message of hope, gratitude, and/or remembrance can be added to the ribbon.
Each plain or personalized ribbon is added to the flag. The collection of ribbons creates the story for the larger community - a story of understanding, resiliency, and hope. When all can freely share their stories about mental illness and mental health, it chips away the stigma that inhibits people from getting help. This project offers the right platform to gain understanding that one should not feel alone in seeking mental health care.
If you wish to have your own flag and support our cause, they are available in our online shop.