As part of the multiyear partnership, OC HCA will have brand placement of OC Navigator on all Anaheim Ducks player helmets for all home and away games. OC Navigator is a comprehensive online resource navigation tool designed to help community members find local mental health, substance use treatment and supportive resources. To celebrate the partnership, all Ducks fans in attendance at the club's Opening Night contest Oct. 12 vs. Seattle will receive an OC Navigator paper hockey helmet courtesy of HCA.
"Maintaining good mental health is equally important as maintaining good physical health," said Dr. Veronica Kelley, OC HCA's Chief of Mental Health and Recovery Services. "This partnership with the Ducks provides us with a great opportunity to share this message, along with helpful tips on OC Navigator that can boost wellness and resilience, and increase access to support when needed."
Brand imagery and information for the Mental Health Awareness campaign will be available for all Ducks fans and viewers, guests attending events at Honda Center, visitors of The Rinks and ARTIC Transportation Center.
"We are thrilled to have OC Health Care Agency join us as a prominent partner with the Anaheim Ducks," said Aaron Teats, Club President of the Anaheim Ducks. "The Mental Health Awareness Campaign and OC Navigator are key initiatives necessary for our community. We are proud to align our brand with a prominent organization that shares our values to produce positive change and addressing health and wellness throughout Southern California."
The partnership will integrate OC HCA into many facets of the Ducks organization, including in-market branding, digital media channels, website and throughout the community. OC HCA will also have its own brand presence through in-arena signage and promotions and be incorporated into both the TV and radio broadcasts. In addition, OC HCA will be the Presenting Sponsor of the hockey club's Captain's Challenge, a program for fifth-grade students that combats childhood obesity and promotes healthy living to prepare them for the California Physical Fitness Test. Outside of Honda Center and the Anaheim Ducks, HCA will have visual signage at The Rinks and ARTIC Transportation Center.
"Our goal is to reach a large portion of our community," said Dr. Clayton Chau, Director of the OC HCA. "Unfortunately, stigma surrounding mental health contributes to people either not seeking help or significantly delay in seeking help; many times waiting until a crisis occurs. Through this partnership we hope to break the barriers of stigma and communicate that our mental health is important and should be a priority.
To combat stigma associated with mental health and promote awareness of mental health conditions, the Ducks will host Mental Health Monday digital media features with select players focusing on how they mentally prepare and focus on mental health.
About OC Health Care Agency
The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) is a regional interdisciplinary health jurisdiction and an accredited health department, charged with protecting and promoting individual, family and community health through partnership and coordination of public and private sector resources. Many of the HCA's services are preventive in nature and therefore are not readily apparent to the public. Some examples include food protection, monitoring the quality of ocean water, mental health services, alcohol and drug use services, communicable disease control, public health field nursing and public health clinics.
Our ultimate client is the entire Orange County population. While providing direct services to individual clients or patients, the HCA's primary focus is to protect and promote the health and safety of the community as a whole. As we know, Orange County is continuing to grow and become more diverse. Over the next decade, teens and older adults will become Orange County's fastest growing population sub-groups. The Health Care Agency is continually planning in anticipation of these changes so that our services are sustainable and relevant, meeting needs of the community.
