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Check out this awesome offering of free, community centered workshops! The Community Wellness & Recovery Workshop Series is a partnership of the Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Library Service (CCRLS) and Chemeketa Community College. This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services CAGML-248046-OMLS-20. All workshops are offered free of charge and will be delivered online via Zoom. Topics include: Cyber Safety for You and Your Family, Encontrar La...

QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) is a FREE online Suicide Prevention Classe for all persons over the age of 13. They will be conducted on the 4th Saturday of summer months from 10:00 - 11:30 am. Like CPR, this virtual training provides basic knowledge on identifying signs that someone is in crisis and at risk for suicide, how to talk to them, and then what to do that will get them professional help. Everyone is encouraged to learn QPR! Sign up using this link For more information about QPR,...

Mental health affects all of us. There are different avenues that can be taken to find healing from trauma and to pursue the life we dream of. With mental health, there are a myriad of ways to heal & a "one size fits all approach" doesn't apply. Some of us find healing and meaning in yoga, interpretive dance, art, creative writing, support groups, exercise, psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectic behavior therapy, and so much more! I recently had the pleasure of...

Plenty of people have already joined in on this year’s Overnight Virtual Experience, a physically safe version of our flagship event, The Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk, which raises awareness and funds to help stop suicide, and to support those affected by it. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to register for The Overnight and get started. We all have mental health, and we’re encouraging everyone to take one simple action this month to support our theme of...

Asian Pacific American, Aaron Satyanarayana, culture, heritage, family

Mental Health America is one of many organizations that seek to improve mental health in America. Follow this link to download their toolbox. "Since 1949, Mental Health America and our affiliates across the country have observed May is Mental Health Month by reaching out to millions of people through the media, local events, and screenings. We invite other organizations to join us in spreading the word that mental health is something everyone should care about by using the May is Mental...

Dr. Pisani is an incredible clinician with a powerful mission: suicide prevention. Recently, he and some other mental health professionals answered a short Q&A during the Suicide Prevention Australia Symposium 2021 about how to involve the family and network of an individual at risk for suicide. I highly encourage you to take 10 minutes & watch the video below. Like one of my colleagues likes to say, "community is immunity." We all need each other & together, we can prevent...

Kindness does not equate to being ‘trauma-informed’. And being trauma-informed sadly does not always equate to being ‘survivor-informed’.

From The Ford Family Foundation, April 2021 I N S I D E Mental health: Network of professionals aim to help infants/toddlers Disparities: Latino community suffers from disproportionate COVID infections, mortality Ford Scholar: An advocate for mitigating health risks Ag-tech: Farmer-centric solutions Wildfire Report: An ‘allhands’ approach needed. Hallie Ford Fellows: In the national spotlight Book Review: Mabel and the Fire [ Please click here to read more .]

The AMA produces weekly podcasts "Prioritizing Equity" and recently focused on COVID-19 & Trauma-Informed Approaches recognizing that to respect health justice, health care leaders and their organizations must perform their duties with an understanding of the impact trauma has on their community members. Panel L. Toni Lewis, MD—President and founder, Liberation Health Strategies; co-founder, Health Equity Cypher Nadia Richardson, PhD—DEI trainer; mental health advocate; professor of UAB...

Starting a conversation with someone about mental health can be uncomfortable. The reality is, taking the time & having the courage to interact with someone can make ALL the difference. This fantastic website, Seize the Awkward , is filled with information, helpful how-to's, & hot lines designed to equip us with better ways to have those chats. If you haven’t checked out their website yet, it’s well worth a look! Head over to https://seizetheawkward.org/. “Anything that’s human is...

Use this link for a free for download. Suicide prevention initiatives are part of much broader systems connected to activities such as the diagnosis of mental illness, the recognition of clinical risk, improving access to care, and coordinating with a broad range of outside agencies and entities around both prevention and public health efforts. Yet suicide is also an intensely personal issue that continues to be surrounded by stigma. On September 11-12, 2018, the National Academies of...