Media Campaign Launches to Raise Awareness of Bloomington’s Stride Center

Editor’s note: Stride Center is a Bloomingtonian advertiser

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Media Campaign Launches to Raise Awareness of Bloomington’s Stride Center

Connecting Residents to 24/7 Crisis Support Just Got Easier

Bloomington, Indiana – A media campaign launching today aims to ensure every Monroe County resident knows to call the Stride Center (1.866.STRIDETEAM) when they see someone struggling with a mental health or substance use crisis. The campaign, funded with support from Cook Medical, will run through May 2026 and use billboards, bus signage, social media, newspapers, radio, and even bathroom advertising to spread a simple and powerful message: “See someone struggling? Call Stride.”

The Stride Center provides 24/7, in-person support for people in crisis, offering a safe and compassionate alternative to hospital emergency rooms or jail. Stride’s trained staff can meet individuals at the center or dispatch a mobile team, ensuring people receive help where and when they need it most. Since opening, Stride has served thousands of Monroe County residents, easing pressure on first responders, and helping build a healthier, more connected community.

Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson applauded the campaign, saying, “Stride is about meeting people where they are—with care—in moments of crisis. That work is powerful and reminds us that safety is not just the absence of harm, but the presence of connection. This campaign will help more people know that Stride is here for them—and for those who may need to call on someone’s behalf—and the City is proud to stand alongside them in partnership.”

Mayor Thomson also pledged city resources to help with the distribution of Stride materials to raise resident awareness.

Stride was created in 2020 by a coalition of 40+ local businesses and organizations who saw the need for a new way to address crises outside the traditional emergency response system. Founding partners include Centerstone, the City of Bloomington, Cook Medical, IU Health, the Monroe County Health Department, area nonprofits, and other committed area employers who worked together to bring Stride to life.

A 2021 Monroe County Criminal Justice Study found that 75 to 80 percent of local jail bookings involved individuals with mental illness or substance use disorders, underscoring the urgent need for diversion services like Stride (source: Monroe County Criminal Justice Study, 2021).

Pete Yonkman, president of Cook Medical, added, “Stride has already made an incredible difference for families across Monroe County. We are proud to support this campaign because it will connect even more people to the care they need, when they need it.”

The campaign’s creative mix of media outlets and platforms is designed to reach residents wherever they are. From buses and billboards to social feeds and neighborhood papers, the effort will make it nearly impossible to miss the message. A new website, StrideTeam.org, provides clear information about how and when to call Stride. Additional activities will be rolled out in the coming months, culminating in May (2026), which is Mental Health Awareness Month.

Residents can follow along with Stride on Facebook and Instagram.

With strong backing from business, health care, nonprofit, and government leaders, Stride is becoming a model for how communities can rethink crisis response. Organizers expect the campaign to drive greater use of Stride services, reduce nonviolent police runs, and continue to shift the community toward a more compassionate approach to mental health and substance use.

-end-

About Stride

Stride Crisis Centers provide 24/7 support for adults experiencing mental health or substance use crises. With three locations and mobile crisis response, Stride offers a safe, compassionate alternative to emergency departments and jails.

Guests receive immediate care from trained professionals, certified peer specialists, and connections to treatment and community resources. Each center provides a calm, supportive environment where individuals can stay for up to 23 hours.

Committed to harm reduction and trauma-informed care, Stride ensures that people in crisis have timely access to compassionate support, suicide and overdose prevention, and pathways to recovery.

Follow Stride on Facebook and Instagram.

Learn more at StrideTeam.org

The post Media Campaign Launches to Raise Awareness of Bloomington’s Stride Center first appeared on The Bloomingtonian.