May is Mental Health Awareness month. How can we support each other? | Opinion

May is Mental Health Awareness month. On the heels of the pandemic, with increased knowledge of social media’s impact on our youth and growing political divisions, there is increasing awareness of the importance of mental health in almost every aspect of our lives, from housing stability to school achievement, employment and sociability.

In promoting our awareness of behavioral health — which includes both mental health and substance use disorders — we must join a collective call-to-action to support the social and emotional well-being of our friends, family members and neighbors.

What does this look like?

First, we must support our behavioral health professionals. These front-line workers, including clinicians, show up every day and make a real difference in changing lives and making a positive impact in our communities.

We also need more people doing this kind of work. We are experiencing unprecedented demand for behavioral health services at the same time our nation is experiencing the worst behavioral health workforce crisis in history. One way you can join us in making a difference is by joining our workforce. Does your career match your passion? I can confidently say mine does.

In addition to county employment opportunities, Sacramento County contracts with over 160 community-based organizations, most of which have employment opportunities right now. Positions range from clinical positions, which require specialized education and training, to non-clinical roles for those with more general educational backgrounds. There are also peer positions for individuals who have valuable, prior lived experience with behavioral health challenges.

You can also make a difference by encouraging your elected leaders to continue investments in behavioral services. California has made unprecedented investments over the last three years in brick-and-mortar infrastructure, workforce and school-based services. We will need ongoing funding for salaries and services to meet the increased demands that come with increased awareness.

Finally, any of us can make a difference by bringing mental health awareness into everyday interactions with one another. Reach out, check in and talk about the importance of mental well-being with friends and loved ones. Mental health struggles are not always obvious on the surface. Do you or someone you know need to talk to somebody about what’s going on in your life? A great place to start is the CalHOPE website.

As a behavioral health professional, there is no greater joy than when I run into someone who was once unhoused and struggling with behavioral health challenges, and see them in their current place of employment and thriving. Through our work and collaboration with them, they found their recovery through the right mix of strategies and medications. As professionals bound to confidentiality, we have to keep that celebration private, but I see the evidence of our effectiveness throughout our community in the countless examples of clients and former clients who have found their resiliency and have learned to thrive.

Clearly, many more individuals are struggling. I see that, but I also get to see the success stories that tie directly to the work we do. I see Sacramento County as resilient communities finding ways to improve lives against seemingly insurmountable odds.

I also get to see the dedication of the people doing the work of helping folks in our community find their paths to recovery. I see a passionate and dedicated workforce of over 3,000 individuals working for the county and the various community-based organizations that contract with us to do the difficult work of supporting individuals with behavioral health challenges.

I see teams going out into the field everyday to meet people where they’re at encampments, schools and homes. I see the energy and compassion these individuals bring to their work in substance use disorder residential treatment facilities and psychiatric inpatient facilities. I see staff in our Full Service Partnership programs meeting with individuals sometimes daily in order to support their recovery. Most importantly, I see individuals fighting for and achieving purpose and meaning through recovery every day.

This year, let’s focus on how we can each make a difference and be part of the solution.