By Heidi Laird

The beginning of a new year often inspires reflection and renewal. This provides an opportunity to evaluate ourselves and ask: Does my life align with my goals and values? What is going well? What needs to change? This self-assessment can help us create goals that help us grow, change and strengthen who we are. This year, the Southern Nevada Health District invites you to use the new online resource, CredibleMind, to begin building the best version of yourself.

Strong mental health is essential as we navigate life’s challenges. In the United States many adults and teens are living with mental illness. Among the LGBTQ+ community there are challenges that make maintaining strong mental health even more difficult. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) LGBTQ+ adults are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a mental health condition (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2024). LGBTQ+ youth are also more than twice as likely to report feelings of sadness or hopelessness than their heterosexual peers (National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2024). This highlights how important it is to ensure the LGBTQ+ community, and all individuals, have access to the tools and support needed to thrive.

Recognizing the importance of easy access to mental health resources, the Southern Nevada Health District launched CredibleMind, a free online platform available to all Clark County residents. The user-friendly site has hundreds of expert-vetted resources including evidence-based assessments designed to help you understand and strengthen your mental health. Whether you are looking to manage stress, improve your relationships, or build resilience, CredibleMind offers practical tools to support your growth.

You can access the site at https://clarkcountythrive.crediblemind.com

If you are interested in using CredibleMind to support your mental health goals this year, here are three helpful places to start:

1. “What’s Your Mental Health Profile?” Assessment: A comprehensive assessment to find out how you’re doing in over 20 areas of mental health and emotional, psychological and social well-being. Here you will get a baseline understanding of areas where you are doing well, need improvement or might be struggling.
2. Goal Setting in the Learning Lab: Learn tips and insights into goal setting and set yourself up for success with tools to make a plan for a better, stronger you in 2026.
3. Flourishing Course in the Learning Lab: A six-module course designed to help you learn important skills and tools needed to become the best version of yourself.

Through Clark County Thrive, CredibleMind, you can confidently create a personal roadmap to self-improvement, built on expert knowledge, practical strategies and proven tools to support mental and emotional wellness.

Check out CredibleMind today and start building the kind of resilience and strength that will help you through the rainbows or storms that come your way this year.

Please note: If you are experiencing serious mental health challenges, make this the year you reach out for professional help. While CredibleMind is a valuable self-help resource, it is not a replacement for qualified professional care. You can find many local professional resources through the resources tab on the CredibleMind landing page.

Reference: National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2024). LGBTQ+. NAMI. https://www.nami.org/your-journey/identity-and-cultural-dimensions/lgbtq/

About the Author: Heidi Laird is a Health Educator II at the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD). Heidi is part of the Office of Disease Surveillance’s Injury and Violence Prevention team. She is skilled in training, program development and implementation, communication and presenting. She coordinates and implements the CredibleMind program and the Zero Suicide initiative at SNHD.

This article was originally published in the 2026 New Beginnings Issue of Las Vegas PRIDE Magazine, and can be read in its original format here.