Blog articles from NAMI Santa Clara County
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…
By Moryt Milo Aakash Desai had a career trajectory similar to other young adults in Silicon Valley. He graduated from high school with an aptitude in computer science and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering, followed by an MBA. For the first ten years of his tech career, he…
By Moryt Milo For parents whose children have mental health conditions, the question of who cares for them once they are gone is ever present. Mark Gilfix, a partner at Gilfix & La Poll Associates and an expert in special needs planning, said this fear can be abated with the right tools. Once established, these…
By Moryt Milo Paraag Marathe, President of 49ers Enterprises and Executive Vice President of Football Operations, negotiates football contracts, maintains a competitive salary cap for the organization, and was charged with figuring out where to put a new football stadium. But when it came to his sister’s battle with mental illness, he was confronted with…
By Moryt Milo For close to 20 years, California’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) has been a lifeline for a number of behavioral health care programs not covered by Medi-Cal. Come March 2024, some of that funding could shift dramatically if voters approve the referendum on the ballot. Proposition 1, as it will be known,…
By Moryt Milo On the last day of July, the weather was hot and the energy was electric as mental health advocates rallied in front of Good Samaritan Hospital to protest the closure of 18 inpatient psychiatric beds at Mission Oaks Hospital in Los Gatos. Mission Oaks, part of San Jose-based Good Samaritan Hospital, is…
By Moryt Milo California State Sen. Susan Eggman has authored a bill, SB 43, that would revise the language in the Lanterman Petris Short (LPS) Conservatorship law. The 56-year-old law’s definition of “gravely disabled” is too subjective many families argue, and they hope the bill will reach Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Under current law, individuals…
By Moryt Milo Sometimes nonprofits know when a merger is a flawless fit. It’s rare, but in the case of Momentum for Health and Parisi House on the Hill, the decision had no doubters. The timing was right and the leaders of each organization had been working together for years. Parisi House Executive Director Pat…
By Moryt Milo For years, Dr. Po Wang has studied and treated individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a brain disease that causes severe mood swings and significantly impacts a person’s ability to function. The Stanford psychiatrist, who collaborated with Dr. Terence Ketter in establishing the Stanford Bipolar Disorders Clinic, said although the disease is defined…
By Moryt Milo For individuals living with mental illness, proper treatment and safe housing top the list. The right treatment can enable some individuals with mental illness to live independently. But finding affordable housing on a fixed income in the Bay Area is challenging. The county is trying to change that for low-income individuals and…