TROY — When someone is in mental health crisis, it can be hard to know what to do to get help. The Tri-County Board of Recovery and Mental Health Services will host an open house May 7 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. to launch its “What to Do” campaign in observance of Mental Health Awareness Month.

The open house will be at the Tri-County Board Administration & Training Center, 1280 N. County Road 25A, Troy. The event is free and open to the public; no registration is necessary. Mental health and substance use treatment agencies will be on hand with information about their clinics and services. Among the agencies who plan to attend are: Haven Behavioral Health; Recovery & Wellness Centers of Midwest Ohio; Family Resource Center; TCN; and NAMI Darke, Miami and Shelby counties.

The open house will feature the introduction of a new “What to Do” campaign in conjunction with May’s Mental Health Awareness Month. The campaign consists of a color-coded “temperature gauge” card with a spectrum of potential conditions, from “Immediate Danger” and “Emergent Crisis” at the hot red end, down through “Generally Well” and “Resilient” and the cool blue end. For each of the levels, the card offers signs to look for, actions to take, and what to say.

The cards also feature a scannable QR code that links to a page on the board’swebsite , www.tcbmds.org/find-help, with extended information and links to treatment providers.

“While we try to help residents of our communities know what services are available and how to reach them, we do understand that in the moment it can be difficult for people to know who best to call,” said Brad Reed, associate director and chief of Community Engagement for the Tri-County Board. “Using the temperature model, we can provide a quick guide to what to do in a crisis, in an ongoing concern or temporary condition, or even how to maintain good mental health.”

Following the open house, Tri-County Board staff will distribute cards and card holders to approximately 50 locations throughout Miami, Darke and Shelby counties, such as libraries, social services agencies and other places where persons in need may turn for help.

The “What to Do” campaign and open house are being funded by the board’s0.6 mill mental health levy.