In FY22, the 211 Mental Health Crisis Team handled 146,776 crisis calls. These calls represent a 16% increase over FY21 and comprise 42% of all calls to 211.
So, what does this have to do with Gizmo, you ask?
Gizmo, the narrator of Gizmo’s Pawesome Guide to Mental Health, is a therapy dog. For the past 12 years, he has been comforting people when they are feeling sad, mad, or worried and, through his Pawesome Guide, provides school-aged children with the tools needed to manage their mental health. But Gizmo is aging and in 2023 is preparing to retire with a farewell retirement tour.
We took some time to speak with Gizmo as he reflects on the impact of his work and his upcoming retirement.
Gizmo shares that “I work in schools a lot. So, I see lots of kids and I love all those kids a lot! I bet I would love every kid in the whole wide world a lot! So that’s why I’ve used my platform to advocate for mental health, especially for children.”
“Let me tell you about one of the most profound experiences I’ve had as a therapy dog/mental health advocate. One time I was at that big high school walking down the hall. Mom thought we were going to the office, but I had other plans. As we turned a corner, we saw a girl we hadn’t met before. She was all by herself and crying softly. As soon as I saw her, I stopped at her feet and would not budge. She dropped to the floor right away to be closer to me and said, “Gizmo, I knew I would find you today!” (That’s when I jumped into her lap.)
She told us this was her first day at our school and that she had just moved here all the way from Ill..Illa…Illanoise. Then she opened her almost empty backpack and pulled out the only item in it: a copy of Gizmo’s Pawesome Guide to Mental Health. She explained that her former teacher gave it to her because she knew the move to CT was super hard for her, and that she might feel sad, mad or worried about it.
The student told me she didn’t even know I was in Connecticut, much less inside her new school. So, I pawtographed her book. Then I made sure she got connected with lots of trusted adults. That’s super important to help kids do that!”
When we asked Gizmo about being a public figure and an influencer with nearly 200,000 followers, he explained to us that his followers on Facebook call themselves ‘Gizmo’s Big Army of Frens.’ “Those people are all so kind and loving! I told my mom I wanted to have a page of love and compassion, that’s all…because I’m a dog, and that’s all I am made of! These wonderful people from all walks of life who follow my page are the real influencers, though. They influence me to believe in the goodness of humanity. I’m one lucky dog to love and be loved by this army of very kind frens!”
“When I retire, I will miss all those excellent people I visited. I snuggled with people of many different beliefs, different backgrounds, different cultures, different ages, and different reasons for needing or wanting a therapy dog like me. You know what we all had in common? Love. I will not miss the love, though. I carry it in my heart forever.”
“In my retirement I’m most looking forward to my mom taking care of me. And by taking care of me, I mean taking me out for ice cream! I’ll even let my baby brother, Gadget, come along!”
“To all the people of Connecticut I want to say thank you so very muchly, frens! I love you for being you, ok? I hope you love yourself for being you, too!”
Gizmo’s Pawesome Guide to Mental Health© is a social-emotional learning curriculum, currently being used in 20 Connecticut schools, that gives kids the tools to manage their mental health. The Guide and Curriculum help kids learn:
- Mental health is as important as physical health.
- How to identify when mental health needs attention.
- Daily activities and healthy coping strategies that
- support mental health.
- How to identify and connect with trusted adults.
The curriculum was developed, with the support of federal grant funding, by United Way of Connecticut and key state agencies including the Departments of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Children and Families, the Suicide Advisory Board, and other dedicated partners. Learn more at https://www.gizmo4mentalhealth.org.