Lime green benches provide safe spaces for conversations about mental health 

Though mental health is increasingly understood as essential to well-being, many people still encounter shame or dismissal when talking about mental health and seeking help. 

To destigmatize mental health, Providence Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo and Laguna Beach, Providence St. Joseph Hospital and Providence St. Jude Medical Center have come together with community organizations to install lime green benches across Orange County. 

Painted in the international color for mental health awareness, the benches represent safe spaces for passersby to sit and have an open conversation about mental health with a colleague or friend. Each bench also features a QR code with information on how to join the movement. 

Nearly 30 benches have been painted, including the first located at Providence Mission Hospital, Providence St. Joseph Hospital and Providence St. Jude Medical Center. 

Several prominent community organizations joined the Green Bench OC initiative in 2023, including Be Well OC and TGR Foundation, a Tiger Woods charity that supports youth from under-resourced communities through school day and after-school STEAM programs. 

“Our students are making the green bench their own as they decompress and have conversations.” said John Lee, senior vice president of programs and education at TGR Foundation. "This safe space is especially important in this age of social media, college admissions and so much stress for kids and teens.” 

Green Bench OC is part of the Promise to Talk campaign to reduce mental health stigma in Orange County. The campaign encourages residents, especially those who are bicultural and bilingual, to have compassionate conversations about mental health.