Blog

July marks the start of a new fiscal year at AFSP. Last year, we reached over 8,000 people through our outreach, trainings, and events. Thousands more attended our walks, and we also sent free resources to schools, community organizations, and more across the state. This coming year, we're hoping to do more. From tabling events to programs, keep reading for ways to stay involved with AFSP as we ramp up for the fall walk season. And speaking of walks - now is the time to sign up! Find your...

Salem Keizer's June City Council meeting featured an incredible presentation on ways to create suicide prevention in our communities from Dr. Satya Chandragiri. There are so many resources to help prevent suicide and create thriving communities; one of my key takeaways from this is that in order to accomplish this, we must all work together! Increasing education by providing mental health first aid (like Question, Persuade, & Refer classes) training to people in our communities is an...

Follow this link to see the video: The body remembers even if we do not.

PACEs Connection is excited to kick off our 2023 Creating Resilient Communities (CRC) Annual Accelerator Program.

Happy Black History Month! :) This month I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Leslie and Jeff Jones, creators of Afro Flow Yoga! They use dance and music to help people heal, from racial trauma and more! They also work closely with Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score. Their mission is as follows: Experience live music, meditation, yoga and dance of the African Diaspora. Connect with our Earth, Sky, and Heart in an inclusive and diverse circle of non-judgement. I...

As many of you know, a recent report from Mental Health America highlights the fact that Oregon has some of the highest rates of mental illness and substance use challenges in the nation -- yet we have fewer resources to get treatment and mental health care. An incredible young woman, Amanda Southworth, 20, taught herself to code and create apps when she was just 13 years old. She has recently developed an app to help increase access to care for mental health: Aetheria. Aetheria is a free...

Mental Health America empirically evaluates the nation in mental health care and Oregon dropped from 46 to 50 from 2021 to 2022. Oregon has never ranked higher than 40 since the ranking's inception in 2015. Follow this link to see the reports.

OHSU-PSU School of Public Health researchers collaborated with the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission to lead an unprecedented study that inventoried and analyzed the gaps in select services for substance use disorder prevention, harm reduction, and treatment and recovery, bringing health equity issues to the forefront in Oregon. The data shows the state would need to double its services to adequately address the current health needs of Oregonians...

Meals on Wheels is a wonderful program that's been delivering meals to seniors for over 50 years in the Portland area and beyond. A few years ago, a hospital had asked if they would be able to expand their service to include providing meal delivery for people with chronic medical conditions like diabetes and heart disease. They whole heartedly agreed to help and since that time, the data has shown that people with chronic medical conditions who receive "medically tailored meals" were...

At least 60 percent of students that enter our classrooms daily have been impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Many of these students are impacted by chronic stress that impacts their ability to function successfully at school. These kids and young adults are at a great disadvantage in their social development and ability to regulate healthily. They need caring adult relationships to help regulate their nervous system and provide opportunities for their brains to calm down so...

A recent article from Oregon Public Broadcasting is highlighting the research from a study out Monday from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The study examined children's wellness and uses data from the National Survey of Children’s Health . It found that in Oregon from 2016 to 2020, the number of children reporting depression and anxiety actually increased by a staggering 40%. As a mental health professional, I can only imagine that that percentage increased during the subsequent years of an...

This July, Mental Health America is celebrating BIPOC Mental Health Month, formally recognized as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month and we want YOU to join us! Go to mhanational.org/july to download the full toolkit, shareable images, and resources list. In this toolkit, you can also find actionable ways to support BIPOC communities and honor the legacy of Bebe Moore Campbell, the pioneer whose advocacy and visionary work first led to July’s formal...