Mental Health
Despite more awareness of mental health issues in the news and popular culture, many barriers remain to accessing necessary care. All too often, brain illness goes undetected, unrecognized or ignored until it becomes a crisis. Stigma around treatment, or even discussions, can prevent families from reaching out for help or sharing their own stories. Finding a therapist or treatment program can be difficult, not to mention navigating insurance claims (if a family is fortunate enough to have coverage) or prohibitively expensive private pay.
Yet for all the barriers, support is available through school districts, community clinics, non-profit organizations, medical partnerships and advocates in the private sector.
Marin County Office of Education (MCOE) Crisis Response Support
PDF with phone, text and website contact info for crisis support in English and Spanish
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MCOE: Mental Health Resources for Students and Families
PDF list of phone numbers for hotlines, community counseling agencies and hospitals, with links to online resources and books compiled by Marin County Office of Education (MCOE)
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California Parent & Youth Helpline
Link to site with parent/youth helpline, Parents Anonymous® support group, and parenting articles in a variety of languages
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Children’s Health Council (CHC)
South-Bay organization offering “best-in-class learning and mental health services for children, teens and young adults.” Services include individual/family therapy, support groups and 24-hour crisis line.
Link to Canadian-based organization that provides resources including videos, animations, brochures, e-books, and training programs based on the best available scientific research
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Teach Everyone About Mental Health (TEAM)
“TEAM’s mission is to equip friends and family members of those struggling with a mental health condition with the right information and resources necessary to take action and help their loved ones. We are the support for the support.”
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MCOE Safe Schools and Prevention Services: Student mental health
No-frills site with PDF links to protocols, presentation outlines, crisis toolkits and crisis resources for students, parents and school staff
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MCOE Mental Health and Wellness
Colorful site with information about events; recordings of past events; printable handouts around grief and loss
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Sonoma County-based clinic providing adolescents who show signs of early, serious psychiatric illness access to gold-standard care
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“MTV Entertainment Group initiative rooted in the reality that we all have mental health and need to take care of it like we do our physical health. The initiative aims to normalize conversation, create a connection to resources and inspire action on mental health."