Take Action for Mental Health Movement, an initiative run by the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health and founding partner of Birthmark Capital, worked with Santa Monica College to host a fair on May 14. As Mental Health Awareness Month came to a close, organizers said their mission was to expand access to free mental health services.
Tents lined the quad as tables covered in colorful swag, pamphlets and snacks for students. Free hamburgers, tacos, ice cream and coffee were also available. Power 106 provided the music, and raffled off gift cards and gas cards, helping maintain an upbeat energy throughout the event.
Reaching out for mental health assistance can feel like a daunting task. It can be intimidating to tell others, and it often seems like there isn’t enough accessible support. One challenge students may face is finding the right type of care. However, there are professionals of all kinds who are willing to help and who understand the importance of mental health and self-care during college.
At the Edelman Mental Health Center, clients can seek help with case management and medication services and get connected to other resources such as housing and employment.
“We like to sort of outreach to the young people because a lot of people have their first mental health break in college. It’s stressful, right?” said Sherwood Brown, a 27-year veteran at the Edelman Mental Health Center.
“I would say our goal is to provide, like, support groups and education and advocacy for those of mental health conditions and for their family members and loved ones,” said Maraisa Glass, representing the National Alliance on Mental Illness West Los Angeles.
Glass said that the organization provides peer support groups, education about mental health, and information on the connection between the mind and body.
“There are all these things that people don’t know and aren’t informed about in regards to how to be supportive, also, and talk to someone with a mental health condition, or someone who’s going through psychosis. Somebody who has suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, has hallucinations. So we talk about all these things in the NAMI support groups and classes to kind of help people be more informed about what to do,” Glass said.
Representatives from Chrysalis, a nonprofit organization helping people re-enter the workforce, with services like counseling, training, classes and job opportunities, also attended the event to share information.
Clients are assigned case managers who assist them throughout the program. Classes cover things like interview skills, and finding and keeping jobs.
“When somebody comes in that may be experiencing struggles, when they’re speaking to someone that’s been through it, I think it can benefit both,” said Steven Young, an employment specialist with Chrysalis. “It feels good to watch it and see them do it on their own, you know?”
Some wellness resources at the fair were more playful in nature. Jami Ballatore, from DEN Meditation, sat nearby her booth with sound bowls and said that everyone’s needs are different.
“It’s all some super grounded in science, meditation, breath work, sound bath, other super out there in space, tarot, astrology, even aliens. We have expert facilitators that cover all of these things, and we feel that everyone needs healing, but everyone needs a different type of healing at different moments of their life.”