A Small Reminder That No One Has to Heal Alone
A Community Mental Health Initiative by Integrative Health Services in Pelham, Alabama
Over the last three to four years, something small—but meaningful—started happening inside the Pelham office of Integrative Health Services. Baby rubber ducks began appearing in random places. You’d find one tucked between books, resting on a plant, perched near the coffee pot, or quietly waiting on a windowsill as if it had been left behind intentionally.
During a staff meeting, owner and clinical social worker Michelle Knight finally asked about them. When she did, licensed clinical therapist Shea Miller looked up with a knowing smile and explained that she kept a bowl of baby ducks in her office for clients to take if they wanted one. One day, however, a client chose not to take their duck with them. Instead, this client placed it somewhere in the office and said they hoped it would let someone else know they weren’t alone and someone they didn’t know was silently supporting them in their mental health journey.
That small, thoughtful gesture quietly grew. Ducks continued appearing, and over time, they became symbols of comfort, solidarity, and encouragement for clients who were struggling but didn’t always have the words to say so.
How the Ducks Ignited a Mental Health Initiative in Alabama
Fast forward to 2025. Michelle began thinking of ways to better support the community as a whole—especially those who are still suffering in silence and aren’t yet ready to reach out for help. She reflected on how many people walk through life feeling completely alone in their struggles, even though they’re surrounded by others who’ve been through similar darkness.
The idea was simple:
If a tiny duck could make someone feel seen inside one office, maybe hundreds of ducks could make people feel seen across Birmingham, across Alabama, across the country, and maybe even one day across other countries.
The goal of #DucksForHope is to remind people that even in their hardest moments—moments of grief, loss, depression, despair, anxiety, addiction, or suicidal thoughts—they are not alone. Someone they’ve never met is rooting for them to keep going.
Much like the support found in recovery communities such as AA, part of the power is simply knowing, “I’m not the only one trying to get through this.” People who understand that others are in the thick of it with them—or have been there before—often cope better and are more likely to reach out for help.
The Reality of Suicide and Mental Health: Why This Matters
These statistics have been checked against current national and Alabama data from sources like the CDC, NIMH, and Mental Health America:
- In the United States, over 49,000 people died by suicide in 2023—that’s about one death every 11 minutes. Advisory Board+1
- Suicide remains among the leading causes of death nationally, especially for younger age groups. Advisory Board+1
- Research shows that more than half of people who die by suicide have no previously known mental health diagnosis, and many were not receiving professional mental health support at the time of their death.
That means countless people are struggling without ever making it to a therapist’s office, crisis center, or support group.
In Alabama, the picture is especially serious:
- Alabama’s suicide rate has risen significantly over the past two decades, reaching an age-adjusted rate of about 16.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2022, higher than the national average. Facebook
- The Alabama Department of Public Health has reported that suicide is among the leading causes of death for people ages 10–34 in the state. WVTM+1
- According to Mental Health America, Alabama ranks near the bottom nationally for mental health access, including being 51st for youth access to care in a recent report—meaning many children and teens with major depression receive no treatment at all. Reddit
And when we zoom in on Birmingham, Alabama, the stress on residents becomes even clearer.
Several years ago, WalletHub and other analyses ranked Birmingham as one of the most stressed cities in the entire country, placing as high as third most stressed city in the U.S. in one report—and still within the national top 10 in more recent rankings. alabamanewscenter.com+1
Put simply:
People in Birmingham and across Alabama are carrying a lot—and many are carrying it quietly.
A Small Duck with a Bigger Vision: Community Support and System Change
While the ducks are a symbol of individual hope and connection, Michelle and Integrative Health Services also hope that #DucksForHope will help spark larger changes in mental health access in Alabama and beyond.
Part of that vision includes:
- Improving communication between hospitals and outpatient mental health providers
Better coordination could reduce emergency room wait times for people in crisis and help them receive faster, more appropriate care. Instead of sitting in ERs for hours or days, patients could transition more smoothly into outpatient treatment, crisis stabilization, or follow-up services. - Reducing ER congestion with smarter mental health systems
When people in crisis are connected quickly to the right level of care, it not only supports them, it also eases pressure on hospitals and emergency departments across the state.
Even small improvements—stronger handoffs, clearer referral pathways, better information-sharing—could support better statewide outcomes and become one of many steps toward reducing suicide rates in Alabama.
Integrative Health Services is open and committed to meeting with:
- Policy and law makers
- Hospital and healthcare leaders
- Mental health advocates and community organizers
- Anyone interested in improving mental health care in Birmingham, Pelham, and across Alabama
The hope is that #DucksForHope not only comforts individuals but also draws attention to the urgent need for better mental health systems, resources, and policies.
What To Do If You Find a #DucksForHope Duck
If you come across one of these tiny ducks in Pelham, Birmingham, or anywhere else, it’s part of a much bigger journey.
You can:
✔ Keep It
If you’re going through a hard time, hang onto it as long as you need. Let it be a small reminder that someone who has never met you still believes your story matters.
✔ Pass It Along
If you’d like to inspire someone else, leave the duck in a new place—at work, in a park, at a coffee shop, in a hospital waiting room, or anywhere someone might need a quiet reminder that they’re not alone.
✔ Share Its Travels
If you’d like, take a photo of where you found the duck or where you leave it next and share it on social media with #DucksForHope.
We’d love to see how far these ducks travel—from the city of Pelham, through Birmingham, across Alabama, and eventually across state lines and even out of the country. Each share also helps raise awareness about stress in Birmingham, suicide prevention in Alabama, and the need for better mental health access.
A Final Message of Hope
The world is filled with pain, uncertainty, and seasons that bring people to their knees. Many are dealing with untreated mental health issues, significant loss, financial hardship, broken relationships, or the quiet weight of suicidal thoughts.
But the world is also filled with small, powerful moments of hope.
Sometimes that hope looks like therapy.
Sometimes it looks like a conversation with a friend.
Sometimes it looks like finally walking into an AA or NA meeting.
And sometimes… it looks like a tiny rubber duck on a shelf when you least expect it.
Ducks for Hope is here to remind you: you do not have to heal alone.
