For yourself, for your circle, for your community
This spring and early summer, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) took action and encouraged residents to build resilience, manage stress and take care of their mental wellbeing.
Throughout the month of May – Mental Health Awareness Month – LACDMH’sTake Actionfor Mental Health L.A. County campaign partnered with local organizations and agencies to host events around Los Angeles that promoted mental health.
“We hosted several different community-based events to encourage residents to take action for themselves and increase awareness about mental health. We wanted to address the stigma head on, and address misconceptions about mental health. There’s no one size fits all and by raising awareness we hoped to promote empathy and understanding,” said Curley Bonds, M.D., LACDMH’s Chief Medical Officer.
Many of the events planned throughout May promoted wellness, meditation and include a mix of art and music,roundtable discussions, workshops, empowerment training, speakers, and more, in the eight service areas of Los Angeles County. Some events were scheduled into June, as well.
Although the events are passed, the department encourages residents to take action year round through many of the department’s ongoing mental health services and resources:
- For the LGBTQIA2-S community, the department stands ready to support your mental health, housing, primary care, sexual and reproductive health, gender affirming treatment and PRep and PEP. A list of those resources can be found here: https://dmh.lacounty.gov/resources/lgbtq-resources/
- For suicide prevention, a number of resources can be found here: https://dmh.lacounty.gov/resources/suicide-prevention/
- For breast cancer and mental health, veteran services, grief and loss, anti-racism, and disaster resources visit https://dmh.lacounty.gov/resources/.
A recap of the 2024 Take Action Campaign will be available soon: https://www.takeactionla.com/about-us.
“These events were a place to openly talk about mental health and break down barriers. LACDMH volunteers and partner agencies were available on site to share resources,” Dr. Bonds added. “It’s incredibly important for us to take care of our whole self, including mental well-being, because it goes hand-in-hand with our physical health. It’s okay to seek help.”
If you are a victim, or witness of, a hate incident or hate crime, you can report the incident/crime by calling 211. To connect with the LACDMH Mental Health Help Line, call 1-800-854-7771. Dial 988 for suicide and crisis lifeline support.
