The Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation has announced a new Mental Health Wellness program to provide short term support to any employee or owner of U.S. bookstores and comic shops.

Binc launched a Mental Health Wellness Pilot Program in February, 2022 in response to feedback on the need for mental health support via its biannual survey, with over 54% of survey participants stating that a program with the greatest value to the bookstore and comics communities would be mental health therapy assistance. The demand for anxiety, depression, and stress-related treatment is at a three-year high, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2022 Covid-19 Practitioner Survey, with 60 percent of psychologists at capacity and unable to accept new patients.

Participants personalize their program, matching with a therapist, communicating their way through web-based interaction, phone calls, text communication, and live online sessions. Participation in the program is completely confidential; Binc has no optics into the identity of participants, their therapy, or their personal data. 

Binc encourages owners and managers of bookstores and comic shops to share the program information with their staff and has a poster available for download on their website.  Getting free and confidential access to mental health wellness therapy can have a meaningful impact on a person, their family, their coworkers, and their community. 

Those interested in supporting Binc and their programs can make a donation here.