June is men's mental health month and a local mental health professional is offering encouragement to the men out there.

Tony Kirkman is the Director of the Piatt County Mental Health Center and tells Regional Radio men often are told to suppress their emotions and then when it comes to dealing with trauma or anxiety, they don't know where to turn.

For Kirkman, people are designed to be social and be in a community and that includes men. If therapy is necessary for you, he advocates for that but he also encourages men to connect.

Men are far more likely to be incarcerated and are more likely to commit suicide. Kirkman believes one thing men can do for one another is show boys how to be men.

Kirkman encourages men to be the first to speak out in a peer-to-peer situation to talk about tough topics. He says you never know where those conversations will lead. 

Learn more about the Piatt County Mental Health Center by visiting piattmhc.org or find the Piatt County Mental Health Center on Facebook.