Mental Health is important but not many people know the science behind it or where to go for help so here is your guide. If you are experiencing an issue or having an attack you should ask for help. Whether that be asking for help or planning a resting day, there are many resources you can go to: At school where the faculty makes sure you’re comfortable and feel safe, as well as online resources for when you’re at home and if you’re not comfortable with asking for help at school.
What is mental health?
Mental health has a heavy affect on us. It includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. All that’s included can affect the way we think, feel, handle situations and our actions. Actions affect our relationships with others, such as it can cause the relationship to end or lead to someone getting hurt. Problem causing factors are your lifestyle, family history, any trauma and biological factors.
Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental health is such a big issue that a mental health awareness month started and is coming up in two months; May has been known as the awareness month since 1949. This means different organizations provide support, advocate, and educate others to work towards ending the stigma.You don’t have to be a part of an organization to help though. Ways you can help are encouraging kind language, educate yourself, volunteer, donate to facilities, and share your knowledge on the topic. Simply helping a friend or family member with their mental health is a show of support too.
Resources
School Sources
There are a few faculty at this school that are here specifically for your mental health. Those people are Ms. Roman, Ms. Busch, and Ms. Cassandra. I was able to interview Ms. Roman to answer some questions you may have. These faculty are really helpful and they make the space more comfortable for you to be in.
Ms. Roman | Psychiatric Social Worker
When are you available?
I’m available Monday-Friday at 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where is your office located?
My office is in the attendance office, the second door on your left.
How long have you been a psychiatric social worker?
I’ve been a social worker for 27 years but I've been with lausd for 23 years.
How do you make your office a safe place for students?
To make my office a safe place for students I am welcoming and make jokes with them. I try to be where the students are at and I provide water, snacks, and games for them to do.
Although I wasn’t able to interview Ms. Busch and Ms. Cassandra, here is information you should know before meeting them. Ms. Busch’s office is located in the attendance office as well, the first door to your left. Ms. Cassandra’s office is located in the library on your left. She works with students in 7th-8th grade and is available Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Online Sources
If you don’t feel comfortable asking for help at school, don’t worry. There are plenty of online resources. A few are samhsa.gov, namiurbanla.org, and lacounty.gov. Samhsa is a great anonymous informative resource that is available 24/7 for your needs. It’s not only a service for mental health but other substances as well. They do not physically work with you but simply provide information about different facilities, support groups, organizations, and programs you can go to. Nami is an informative source for referrals but also for everything you need to know about mental illness. With nami you can also apply to volunteer as a specialist. Unlike samhsa, nami is an organization only for mental illness. The LA county department of mental health has their own help line for referrals but also their own counselors for you. They also have a list of other lines for different crises.
All this information is simply a guide to help with different options of what to do. Before involving treatments, always make sure to go through a doctor and don’t do your own thing. Also remember May is coming up so make sure to be ready to wear the color green to represent and support mental health awareness.