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June is PRIDE Month!
LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more) Pride Month is celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. We are thrilled to highlight our program, the LGBTQ Youth Space, this month as we celebrate Pride.
The LGBTQ Youth Space offers drop-in services and counseling for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and ally youth and young adults ages 13-25 who live in Santa Clara County.
Participants and their friends and family often tell us the life-changing nature of the Youth Space. As Penelope shares,
“I joined the LGBTQ Youth Space about a week after coming out early this year and the community has brought me so much comfort and support as I navigated my identities for the first time. It’s my first time being in a space that fully celebrates who I am and that is very special. And I love just playing games and sharing life with so many different people.”
Celebrating the Healing Power of the Arts
Expressive Arts art show on display now at the Burlingame Public Library
The Burlingame Public Library generously opened its doors - and walls - to Caminar's Expressive Arts Program recently to display a show of art created by our program participants. We invite you to enjoy the art!
Burlingame Public Library
480 Primrose Road
Burlingame, CA 94010
Caminar's Expressive Arts Program has reached more than 100 San Mateo County residents in recovery from serious mental health conditions over the last year. The program is run by our teaching artists, world-renowned photographer Michael Collopy and Cuban saxophonist and composer Maikel Garcia.
Through the creative process and resulting artwork, participants express emotions that words cannot fully capture - or are too painful to utter aloud.
Eight years ago, the program began with photography as the art medium. The program has evolved to include drawing, painting, adult coloring pages, and music exploration. Participants tell us that learning and practicing art helps them to feel less anxious and more hopeful.
The Expressive Arts Program is generously funded by
Enjoy the Replay of Caminar's Speakers Series
Please enjoy the replay of our engaging and enlightening virtual panel discussion held on May 19th with adolescent mental health experts seeking to address solutions to the question: How can we restore hope and resilience in our youth?
Climate crises, COVID-19, mass shootings, the prevalence and effects of lethal drugs like fentanyl, a polarized political environment, among so many other issues, cause anxiety, depression, and toxic stress for this generation of youth. Left unaddressed, we face an entire generation growing up with unresolved trauma, anxiety, and depression that will be passed on to future generations.
Caminar In the News
Cloutier: The mental distress of our youth needs more attention
San José Spotlight recently ran an op-ed by our CEO, Mark Cloutier, explaining that the current youth mental health crisis needs more attention.
Mark writes,
"Can you imagine what future generations will look like if we cannot get youth treated today? The mental distress young people are currently experiencing will undoubtedly lead to more serious, complex and lifelong mental health disorders, in addition to a greater financial strain on our health care system. From a prevention perspective, we don’t completely understand what is driving this spike in mental distress. It’s time to look at some of the deeper causes we know are giving rise to this wave of emotional distress. There are two actions we need to prioritize now: 1) screening and early intervention, and 2) research into root causes."
We invite you to read the full op-ed.
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Alumna Adrienne Keel Shares Moments of Pride
On the first day of Pride Month, SJSU News Center published an “Alumna Adrienne Keel Shares Moments of Pride” featuring Adrienne Keel, Director of LGBTQ Programs at Caminar.
The piece states,
"This June, we recognize community leader Adrienne Keel, ’10 Psychology, who serves as the director of LGBTQ+ programs at Caminar, a behavioral services agency in San José. She agreed to answer questions about her time at SJSU, as well as to share resources that support LGBTQ+ folks in Silicon Valley."
Please read the entire article, including Adrienne’s thoughtful answers. We wish all a happy pride month!
Why I Support Caminar
- A LGBTQ Youth Space Donor
