A Note from Wayne Clark 

Happy Mental Health Month! Nationally, this month carries the theme “Life With a Mental Illness,” an excellent reminder that the work we do to break down stigma and connect people to mental health support enables each person to experience life as they define it – through education, health, professional or personal goals and relationships.
 
If you or someone you love has experience with mental health challenges, CalMHSA invites you to join Mental Health America of California and other advocacy, provider and government organizations at Mental Health Matters Day at the State Capitol – Tuesday, May 24^th, 2016.  Starting at 9:30am, people with lived experience, California Legislators, TV hosts, comedians, mental health advocates, and others will share their journeys. More information is available at http://www.mentalhealthmattersday.org/. I look forward to seeing you there and working together to bring mental health stigma out of the shadows.
 
If you can’t come to Sacramento, there are many ways to add your voice to Each Mind Matters, California’s Mental Health Movement. Complete a pledge and show that Each Mind Matters this May. 

New RAND Study Shows CalMHSA Stigma Reduction Programs Deliver Outstanding Value  

CalMHSA is proud to join the RAND Corporation in releasing a new study that demonstrates the effectiveness of California counties working together to deliver stigma reduction campaigns that produce an outstanding return on investment for California. According to this new report, stigma reduction programs, including Each Mind Matters, are effectively targeting Californians experiencing mental health distress, boosting help-seeking, and delivering economic returns for California through higher productivity and employment. The study finds, that each dollar invested in stigma reduction is estimated to return $1,251 dollars to the California economy and $36 to state coffers by increasing employment and worker productivity, the net societal benefit to California from CalMHSA’s stigma reduction campaigns is estimated at $1.5 billion, and as a result of these programs, an additional 120,000 Californians with psychological distress have accessed mental health services. To help spread the word about the transformational results, CalMHSA has made available the following materials:

• CalMHSA Infographic
• RAND Corporation Report: “Investment In Social Marketing Campaign to Reduce Stigma and Discrimination Associated With Mental Illness Yields Positive Economic Benefits to California,”
• RAND Press Release

The East Bay Times published an opinion by CalMHSA Executive Director Dr. Wayne Clark, about the report findings which highlight how California is leading the way in changing attitudes around mental health challenges – and delivering an outstanding return on investment in stigma reduction for the state's taxpayers. The report was also featured in California Healthline with an in-depth look on how the study showed that people in need of mental health treatment who were exposed to the anti-stigma message of the social marketing campaign were more likely to seek help. Contact: Aubrey Lara at Aubrey.lara@calmhsa.org.

Celebrating May is Mental Health Month Throughout California 

• During May is Mental Health Matters Month, Each Mind Matters will be running a small, statewide media campaign to promote awareness and encourage support for mental health. The campaign will specifically target youth and ask Californians to join the movement by adding their voice by using the #MillionsLikeMe hashtag on social media channels or other networks. Keep an eye out for posts on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels and join us by sharing with your network.  Click here for a peek into our video! Contact: Kate Calderazzo at kcalderazzo@rs-e.com.  
• NAMI California is looking for youth mental health advocates sharing their local advocacy efforts! Post to Instagram and Twitter during the month of May using the hashtag #NAMICAYouthVoices and share what you are doing in your local community to end stigma and have your voice be heard. All posts on May 17^th, 2016 will be entered into a raffle to win a deluxe Each Mind Matters prize package!
• Regional winners of the Directing Change student film contest have been selected to move on to the statewide round of judging. A total of 451 Public Service Announcements about suicide prevention and mental health, representing 125 schools and community-based organizations from 31 counties across California. Statewide contest winners will be announced at an award ceremony May 20th, 2016 at the Alex Theater in Glendale (RSVP here). To view the full list of the regional winners and their winning videos, visit www.directingchange.org. Contact: Jana Sczersputowski  at jana@yoursocialmarketer.com.
• Disability Rights California (DRC) will be at Mental Health Matters Day at the California State Capitol to provide information and answer questions on mental health parity, psychiatric service and emotional support animals, mental health employment discrimination, and peer support. DRC is also holding weekly TweetChats during Mental Health Month in May, on Fridays from 10:30AM – 11:30AM. We encourage you to spread the word and join the conversation at #TweetMH. Contact: Margaret Johnson at Margaret.jakobson-johnson@disabilityright.org. 

Visit Each Mind Matters’ Events Page to view more activities happening this May and list what your organization is doing for Mental Health Month at www.eachmindmatters.org/events.

Painting California Community Colleges Lime Green 

Former State Senator Darrell Steinberg from the Stenberg Institute recently spoke to 1,500 California community college faculty and staff from across the state at the Academic Senate Plenary session in Sacramento where the California Community Colleges Student Mental Health Program (CCC SMHP) distributed the Each Mind Matters lime green ribbons and cards to all in attendance. The CEO/ President of the Foundation for California Community Colleges Keetha Mills, explained the meaning behind the ribbon and spoke about student mental health and then asked everyone in the room to stand and hold up their ribbon in support of EMM and student mental health. The CCC SMHP tabled all day and had hundreds of people come to our table to get information and materials. Contact: Heather McClenahen at hmcclenahen@foundationccc.org.

Disability Rights California (DRC) Tip of the Month Puts Focus on Mental Health Parity 

To reduce the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness, DRC is empowering Californians to enforce their rights under the California Mental Health Parity Law and the Federal Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. This month, DRC is informing readers on: Another Step towards Parity: CMS’s Final Rule Strengthens Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program Enrollees. Find other tips online on DRC's mental health parity website. Contact: Margaret JakobsonJohnson at Margaret.Jakobson-Johnson@DisabilityRightsCA.org. 

Upcoming: Youth Advocacy Webinar 

Who: NAMI California invites youth
What: Join NAMI California and the California Psychological Association for a one hour webinar where NAMI California will share what it means to be an advocate, the ins and outs of legislation, and why this matters in relation to mental health and mental illness.
When: May 3^rd, 2016 at 5PM or May 4^th, 2016 at 4PM
Where: Statewide
Contact: Erik Villalobos at erik@namica.org. 

Upcoming: Northern California Mental Health 101 Training 

Who: California Community Colleges Student Mental Health Program (CCC SMHP) invites students, teachers, staff, community partners.
What: CCC SMHP, in partnership with Sierra College, is offering a two-hour, no-cost "Mental Health 101" training. Topics will include a basic overview of student mental health issues, as well as a summary of prevention and early intervention strategies. The training will especially appeal to faculty and staff from CCCs, CSUs, and UCs, as well as persons from community-based organizations and county mental health departments.
When: May 5^th, 2016, 10AM – 12PM
Where: Sierra College
Contact: Heather McClenahen at hmcclenahen@foundationccc.org. 

Upcoming: Film Screening of “Lost Angels – Skid Row is My Home” 

Who: Pic.tv, an internet based, multi-platform content network headquartered in Los Angeles invites mental health advocates and all Californians.
What: Film screening of the award winning documentary “Lost Angels – Skid Row is My Home,” followed by a panel discussion on the film’s topic of mental health, entitled “What’s working? What’s not? What can we do better?” The event is free and open to the public. Complimentary refreshments will be provided by Peet’s Coffee & Tea. The post screening panel discussion will be streamed live on the pic.tv Facebook page via Facebook Live.  
When: May 7^th, 2016 at 10AM
Where: Santa Monica Public Library Main Branch – Martin Luther King Auditorium. 
Contact: For additional information or to register today for the screening and discussion, visit: LostAngelsFilmScreening.eventbrite.com.