(NAPSA)—Afriend reaching out to Courtney Loi during high school gave her the strength to find help for her depression. Today, the University of Califor- nia, San Diego student could inspire thousands of other young people to step into that samerole through her short animated film, “From Me, to You.” “It’s my story. It’s about my suicide attempt in high school,” Loi said. “I really wanted to dig deep and let it all out so that people feel like, ‘OK, I don’t have to hold it all in, I don’t have to hold everything in.” Loi was among the winners of California’s statewide Directing Change student film contest and program, recently announced at its third annual awards ceremony in Sacramento. Her story encapsulates the emerging success of the state’s mental health move- ment, known as Each Mind Matters, funded by the California Mental Health Services Authority, or CalMHSA.Directing Changeis one of 25 CalMHSAprograms to prevent suicide and reduce stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health. Directing Change films feature individuals who have the powerto stand up for themselves and their friends. They also show that those dealing with a mentalillness are not defined by it and are not alone. The award-winning Directing Changefilms can be downloadedat www.directingchange.org. Confronting stigma matters when it comes to young people. About one in five teens experience a mental health challenge in a Children learn about mental health while watching the musical “Walk in Our Shoes.” vided evidence that Californians are becoming more accepting and supportive of those with mental health challenges. This links back to multiple initiatives led by CalMHSAthat encourage people to take action, speak up and reach out to help when they see someone struggling. Aspart of the focus on student mental health, Directing Change represents CalMHSA’s outreachto adolescents and young adults in California, whose efforts to find help often start with peers rather than adults. “Activities like Directing Change are truly transformational,” said Dr. Wayne Clark, executive director of CalMHSA. “By engaging young people in talking to each other, we not only educate the current generation, we take a long-term step toward changing society’s attitudes and making today’s generation of young people the first that doesn’t fear coming forward for help.” Another statewide CalMHSA program reaches out to younger students aged 9 through 13—Walk given year. Yet, due to stigma, many wait an average of six to in Our Shoes. Through online out- before they seek help. But there are signs that more Californians ofall ages are becoming aware of stigma and, by overcoming it, how they can be more accepting and supportive of people experiencing mental health challenges. According to a statewide sur- reaches students to dispel myths about mental health while educating children about mental wellness. eight years from onset of symptoms vey conducted for CalMHSA by the RAND Corporation, nearly 1.5 million more Californians—afive percent increase year-over-year— are willing to socialize with, live next door to or work with people who have mental health chal- lenges. The RANDfindings pro- reach and a series of school per- formances, Walk in Our Shoes The program relies on storytelling, and recent surveysreflect positive trends with students retaining knowledge of the program’s mes- sage months after school presentations. The website itself—www. walkinourshoes.org—hasattracted nearly 100,000 visits since its launch a year and a half ago. “Programs such as Walk in Our Shoes are great examples of how CalMHSA is achieving long sought after breakthroughs in reaching young people, both those experiencing mental health chal- lenges and their peers who can effect positive differences by understanding their role in reducing stigma,” said El Monte City School District Superintendent Dr. Maribel Garcia. Walk in Our Shoes’ statewide tour during the last two school years brought professionally acted plays to nearly 140 schools throughout California. The plays taught students about mental health stigma, how it hurts people with mental health challenges and how everyone wins by elimi- nating stigma surrounding mental health. “Students, especially students living in poverty, suffer many stressors and traumas that go unnoticed and untreated and affects their mental health. Students may face abuse, neglect, divorce and other stressors that negatively impact their growth and development,” said Board of Education Clerk Adam Carranza with the Mountain View Elementary School District. “It is important that schools address the stigma around mental health to help students and their families receive the care they need and live healthy lives.” With funds generated by Proposition 68, which imposed a spe- cial state tax on people with incomes over $1 million, the efforts supported by CalMHSAareintended to reduce stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness, prevent suicides, and improve the mental health of students in K-12 schools and colleges across the state. For more infor- mation about Each Mind Matters, visit www.eachmindmatters.org.
