May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and several local entities are joining together to call attention to the importance of mental health with a month-long public-relations effort entitled “Mind Your Mind.”
The campaign includes a series of events that, taken together, target a broad audience with messaging that highlights the importance of access to mental-health resources, according to its organizers.
The public is invited to attend a screening of the film Hollywood Beauty Salon, a documentary about a unique beauty parlor that doubles as a therapeutic tool for clients of a mental-health recovery community in Philadelphia. The screening will take place on Saturday, May 6 at 11am at the Art Theater, 2025 East 4th St.
On Sunday, May 7, the public is invited to move with Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Long Beach (JFCS) for mental health awareness at Race With A View, a 5K/10K walk or run starting at Pierpoint Landing in downtown Long Beach. Proceeds from the event fund mental-health counseling and support for people in Long Beach and 22 surrounding communities. Registration is available at racewithaview.com or on the day of the race. The run/walk will begin at 8am, and registration will open at 7am.
From May 1 to May 5, the campuses of Cal State Long Beach and Long Beach City College will host visits by Anxiety Gaming, which utilizes video games to provide support and social opportunities for youth and young adults struggling with depression or anxiety.
The week of May 8-12 will find Anxiety Gaming on the campuses of several high schools in Long Beach and the surrounding area, joined by Mental Health America and JFCS, who will provide education and resources to students.
On May 31, from 1pm to 3pm, a resource fair will take place at James Republic restaurant, 500 E. First St. in downtown Long Beach. It is targeted to workers in the local hospitality and tourism industry who often lack access to mental-health services. The idea is to connect these individuals with providers of mental-health counseling and other support services so that the workers have access to the help they need.
“During National Mental Health Awareness Month, our goal is to share information about mental health so our community is empowered to support and advocate for those in need,” said Daniel Brezenoff, assistant director of Mental Health America’s The Village, which serves more than 400 LA County residents. “The more aware we are of mental-health issues, the better we are able to reduce obstacles to treatment and combat the stigma of mental illness. One in five Americans will experience a mental-health issue at some point in their lives, and, tragically, suicide is the 10th-leading cause of death in the United States. Education is the best response to this national crisis.”
Participating campaign supporters include MHA The Village, Work Evolution Laboratories, Downtown Long Beach Alliance and JFCS of Long Beach & West Orange County.
More information is available at mhala.org/support/mind_your_mind/ or by calling Rhonda Schultz at (562) 285-1330, ext. 1029.
Source: Mental Health America of Los Angeles
