Blog articles from NAMI Santa Clara County
Mental health in the workplace, it may be invisible but it’s always there. An employer’s level of transparency and support on the topic can mean the difference between a productive, healthy environment or one where employees may struggle to do their jobs.
Joe Simitian grew up with the notion that if “you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.”
For the more than 40 years he served in government, he has lived by that tenet, whether it was as councilman in Palo Alto, California State senator or assemblyman, or Santa Clara County supervisor. During his 12 years as a county supervisor, he took that mantra and applied it to the mental health sector where he was chair of the Health and Hospital Committee.
The holiday season is supposed to be a time full of joy, parties and gatherings with friends and families. But the holidays can be a difficult time for many persons dealing with:Personal Grief, Loneliness, Illnesses of all Kinds, Economic Concerns, Separation From Family Members and Relationship Issues Like Separation or Divorce.
It’s been more than two years since Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Community Assistance Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Act. The legislation is designed to provide better treatment access for those with a serious mental illness like schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.
The situation was dire. Mark had been hospitalized seven times for acute psychiatric care. Several times were due to severe reactions to medication, one time for trying to take his life, others for suicidal ideation. He tried Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), for depression. It failed. He went to multiple psychiatrists who ran the gamut of medications. Nothing worked.
Dr. Katherine Taylor, Interim Medical Director for Mental Health and Addiction Services at El Camino Hospital, addressed a range of questions that included various treatments and diagnosis, autism spectrum later in life, dual diagnoses, the increase in psychosis due to cannabis use and much more.
After more than 70 years of antipsychotic medications that are mere iterations of earlier discoveries, a door may have cracked open to offer better options for individuals struggling with severe mental illness. There is much more research to be done, said Dr. Jacob Ballon, who specializes in the treatment of individuals with psychotic disorders including schizophrenia and is Co-Director of the INSPIRE Clinic at Stanford.
Mental illness has never been a one-size-fits-all neurological disorder, and in women’s health the intersection between hormones and mood can further complicate life. But it doesn’t have to be that way said physician Karen Adams, director at Stanford University School of Medicine for Menopause and Healthy Aging. Understanding major depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder during perimenopause and menopause can help women predisposed or diagnosed with a mental illness get through this transitional phase.
By Moryt Milo Momentum for Health Community Collaborator Paula Giannoni is on a mission to educate the community about Santa Clara County’s newest mobile field team that’s dispatched to individuals in the midst of a mental health or substance use crisis. TRUST, short for Trusted Response Urgent Support Team, is the only non-law-enforcement crisis team…
By Moryt Milo Nationwide, headlines describe teens in emotional crisis, struggling with high levels of anxiety and depression. Yet, many have questioned whether the news is overblown. Counselors and therapists working with teens said the crisis is real. The pandemic laid it bare, with parent referrals skyrocketing by 700% for mental health services, CASSY Executive…