FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and members of the Behavioral Health Contractors’ Association (BHCA) of Santa Clara County are partnering on a joint campaign to spread the word about mental health awareness and resources that are available to those who need support.
This is the second year the agencies are joining forces to share out media assets created for their #MentalHealthMatters campaign to their social networks, including a web page https://bit.ly/mentalhealthmatters2022 with a description and link to each organization.
The growing international mental health crisis makes these types of localized efforts more important now than ever. BHCA member organizations all report large increases in demand for their services since the start of the pandemic.
“Folks who need mental health help—for themselves, a friend, or a family member—are already in a world of hurt,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian.
Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg notes – “Mental health and wellness is just as essential as our physical health in our ability to lead full and productive lives. Thankfully there is growing recognition that we need to integrate mental health in our understanding of wellness, provide more accessible resources for people in crisis, but also to promote healthy coping, stress management, and supportive care across the lifespan.”
In the first year of the COVID pandemic, “global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25%, according to a scientific brief released by the World Health Organization (WHO) this March. One major explanation for the increase is the unprecedented stress caused by the social isolation resulting from the pandemic. Linked to this were constraints on people’s ability to work, seek support from loved ones and engage in their communities. Loneliness, fear of infection, suffering and death for oneself and for loved ones, grief after bereavement and financial worries have also all been cited as stressors leading to anxiety and depression. Among health workers, exhaustion has been a major trigger for suicidal thinking.” (News Release from WHO March 2, 2022)
According to National Public Radio, a coalition of the nation's leading experts in pediatric health has issued an urgent warning declaring the mental health crisis among children so dire that it has become a national emergency. "This worsening crisis in child and adolescent mental health is inextricably tied to the stress brought on by COVID-19 and the ongoing struggle for racial justice and represents an acceleration of trends observed prior to 2020.”
Behavioral Healthcare agencies are critical to address the ongoing crisis as a result of the pandemic and its impact on our children, teens and young adults.
The #MentalHealthMatters awareness campaign will run throughout the entire month of May through social media and other communications from BHCA member agencies and community partners.
The agencies participating this year are:
• Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI)
• Alum Rock Counseling Center
• Caminar
• Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County
• Children’s Health Council (CHC)
• Community Solutions
• The Health Trust
• Mekong Community Center
• Momentum for Health
• National Alliance on Mental Wellness (NAMI) Santa Clara County
• Pacific Clinics
• Seneca Family of Agencies
About BHCA
The Behavioral Health Contractors Association (BHCA) is a Santa Clara County-wide network of community-based, non-profit organizations providing essential mental health and substance use prevention, treatment, recovery, and supportive transitional housing services to children, adolescents and adults, under contract with Santa Clara County's Behavioral Health Services Department.
BHCA is comprised of over thirty (30) non-profit providers serving Santa Clara County's most vulnerable residents. BHCA members provide services in over fifty (50) languages in community settings throughout the County.
BHCA proactively supports the continued development of a mental health and drug and alcohol system that meets the needs of Santa Clara County residents through client centered services that are focused on wellness, prevention and recovery. Services should be accessible, culturally and linguistically competent, and cost effective. BHCA member agencies help people affected by mental illness and substance use to have the same opportunities to fully participate in life as others in our community.
