Urgently-needed low-barrier mental health support: NAMI Santa Cruz County

Laura felt alone, unsure of where to turn for support and advice. Her young adult son was experiencing extreme mental health symptoms and they were in crisis. It escalated to the point that he became involved with the judicial system. When she found NAMI Santa Cruz County (NAMISCC) and spoke with the knowledgeable and compassionate bilingual Support Team, she found the help and hope that she urgently needed.

Laura continued to work with trusted members of the Support Team, who became her allies as she navigated advocating for the care her son needed. With the tools and support she received at NAMISCC, she was able to successfully advocate for her son. These days, her son is home, stable, and surrounded by a strong support system. He is empowered and actively involved in his own recovery. With NAMISCC, Laura’s family is able to access the resources, education, and caring community that they need to move out of crisis and onto a pathway forward with hope, together.

Laura says, “I am grateful for the guidance and education NAMI has given me. When I met face to face with the mobile team it brought me so much comfort to know I had someone to talk with who understood what we were going through. They continue to be my guides in the process, giving me, along the way, hope and confidence in my ability to advocate for my son.”

You can help families like Laura’s to receive the support they urgently need.

NAMISCC Support Team members Kay (volunteer) and Alice (staff) offer mental health resources and support. Credit: NAMI Santa Cruz County

Many People Still Struggle in Silence

Most of us, at some point in our lives, will struggle with our mental health or have a loved one who does. In Santa Cruz County, at least 1 in 5 adults and 1 in 6 youth currently live with a mental health condition. In recent years, the US Surgeon General has warned that we are in an epidemic of loneliness, that parents are overburdened by toxic stress, and that the youth mental health crisis is the “defining public health challenge of our time.”

These issues touch us all. Yet, less than ½ of those living with a mental health condition (“peers”) are receiving the treatment or care they need. Stigma and fear of judgment still keep people from sharing their struggles with those closest to them, whether they support a loved one or have a mental illness themselves. And language barriers, cost, and an often-confusing system of care mean that many people are left adrift when they need help the most.

You Can Help. Here’s How:

NAMISCC’s no-cost, low-barrier, peer-led services offer a crucial inroad to seeking help. Peer-led models work. There is inherent safety felt in sharing with others who personally understand and can offer the wisdom and empathy that only comes from lived experience. And NAMI is not just for those navigating a mental health condition themselves, but also for family members and loved ones who care deeply for them.

Caring people like you make these programs possible: Click here to help.

NAMISCC provides a web of essential non-clinical mental health services that address the complex challenges that come with mental health conditions. Our evidence-based classes, support groups, HelpLines, Mobile Support Team, youth education, and community presentations serve both those experiencing mental health challenges, and the family members who love them. All are offered in Spanish and English at no cost. Peers and family members find a level of education and support at NAMISCC that they are often unable to find elsewhere:

“When I started attending (NAMISCC’s peer support group) I was in crisis mode. I was just released from the hospital after a suicide attempt. I was homeless and I had no support system in place. This group has seen me at best and at my worst. They have helped me through crisis and panic attacks. I no longer feel alone.”