Family-to-Family Classes Begin This Month!
Limited space is available in our Family-to-Family classes, set to begin September 9th in Santa Rosa and on September 12th in Cloverdale. This free 12-session class for adults (18+) is taught by NAMI-trained family members with lived experience. The class offers research-based, practical knowledge of the major mental health conditions and treatment options; help with building coping and problem-solving skills; communication tools for supporting a loved one with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression; and reinforcement of the need to take care of oneself in order to effectively support a loved one. Call the NAMI Sonoma County Warmline (866-960-6264) for more information.
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Suicide & the Elderly: Risks and Prevention
A Free Community Forum on September 18th
 On Wednesday, September 18, 2019 from 5:30-7:00 PM, the public is invited to a presentation and panel discussion on suicide prevention for older adults, organized by the Sonoma County Mental Health Advisory Board. Held in the Finley Center - Person Senior Wing, at 2060 College Ave., Santa Rosa, the featured and delightful speaker will be Patrick Arbore, EdD, from the Institute on Aging in San Francisco. He is the founding director of the Friendship Line, an accredited emotional support and crisis helpline for people 60 years or older. The presentation will immediately follow a brief monthly meeting of the Mental Health Board, which starts at 5:00 PM; all are welcome.
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Sonoma County Behavioral Health Services
Increased Costs and Declining Revenue Lead to Service Changes
 Budget challenges for Sonoma County’s Department of Health Services for FY 2019-2020 mean that we can expect some changes in the services provided through its Behavioral Health Division. For the fourth year in a row, flat growth in one of the Department's major funding streams and increased labor and institutional costs have presented fiscal challenges. In response, the following changes are being implemented, with the long-term goal of improving the continuum of mental health care for Sonoma County residents in mind.
- The Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), located at 2225 Challenger Way in Santa Rosa, is now operating with fewer beds (12 rather than 16). The CSU is designed to provide less than 24-hour-care to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. Services include assessment, stabilization, reduction in crisis symptoms and observation. Some individuals seen at CSU require longer-term care, yet the shortage of psychiatric inpatient beds in Sonoma County has meant that they sometimes stay at CSU for days and even months while waiting for an inpatient bed to open up. This prevents other individuals in crisis from being admitted to CSU.
- A new 16-bed Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) located in Sebastopol is in the works, to provide transitional beds for individuals seen in CSU who require inpatient treatment. Of the 16 PHF beds, 14 will be dedicated to Sonoma County and 2 to Marin County clients. The facility is targeted to open in late summer 2020, following renovations to an existing, unoccupied skilled nursing facility.
- Increased spending on mental health services for adults. Funding for the County's Full-Service Partnerships which provide intensive 24/7 outpatient services and adult case management will be expanded, with the aim of preventing the need for more costly crisis and inpatient psychiatric care.
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Tips for Youth: Discussing Suicide on Social Media
 Social media can be used to spread helpful information and support, but it can also be used to spread misinformation that can put vulnerable individuals at risk. Young people are increasingly discussing suicide online, with little guidance available to help them distinguish between what can help and what can hurt. To address this issue, the #chatsafe Project, with the JED foundation and Stanford Psychiatry, has developed guidelines for young people when discussing suicide online, including these tips and tools:
- Before posting anything online, think about why you are sharing information and whether you can do so in a way that is safe and helpful.
- Be aware of the warning signs of suicide risk before you post. Check out Facebook's Suicide Prevention Help Center.
- Don't say that suicide is a "solution" to problems, life stressors or mental health challenges
- Don't share, like or quote a suicide note or message.
- Do indicate that suicide is complex and that many factors may contribute to a person ending their life.
- Do share links to sources of help and websites that contain suicide prevention information, like the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Crisis Text Line.
- If you're concerned about someone, ask permission before posting or sharing content about them.
- If you respond to someone who may be suicidal, do so in private without judgement. Show that you care, and encourage them to seek professional help.
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Benefit Concert Helps To Raise Funds to Provide
Coordinated Specialty Care Services in Sonoma County
Love Yourself Concert
Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 3:00 PM
Sonoma Academy, Santa Rosa
Coordinated Specialty Care (CSC) is an evidenced-based model for the delivery of mental health care to young persons who experience first-episode or early psychosis. Its core principles have been endorsed by the National Institute of Mental Health and there are several versions of the model operating as stand-alone programs or clinics across the U.S. Today, dedicated CSC services are available in Sacramento, Napa and Solano counties but none yet in Sonoma County.
In a joint fund-raising effort by the Elizabeth Morgan Brown Memorial Fund, based in Santa Rosa, and One Mind Institute’s ASPIRE (Applications for Serous Psychiatric Illness Recovery) program, in Rutherford, CA, this memorial concert will feature piano and violin performances, as well as speakers Darrell Steinberg, Mayor of Sacramento and founder of the Steinberg Institute and Tara Niendam PhD, a clinical psychologist and member of the Department of Psychiatry, University of California - Davis. Tara Niendam has developed several early psychosis programs in Northern California.
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If you are a primary care provider and want to increase your confidence and skills in providing care for mentally ill patients, you may be interested in an upcoming interpersonal fellowship certificate program. The California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD) is 
