mental illness

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce Board recently asked the nine City Council candidates ten questions they felt were of most importance to its members. The questions focused mainly on topics relating to things that will or may affect both the local small businesses and the community in general.

Their board made the decision to not endorse a specific candidate this election, but instead rank them based on how much they align with the South Tahoe Chamber of Commerce goals based on their answers to the questions below.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A collaboration between the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD), the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless, El Dorado County Behavioral Health, Barton Health and the Caltahoe JPA ambulance will be bringing a new service to South Lake Tahoe community members in crisis.

The emerging collaboration is called the South Tahoe Alternative Collaborative Services (STACS).

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The next meeting of the South Lake Tahoe City Council will be on Tuesday, July 14 starting at 9:00 a.m. It will be a virtual meeting and log on/comment instructions are at the end of the story.

On the agenda:

Council will vote on a measure, that if approved by voters on November 3, will add a local one-cent sales tax for general city purposes. There has been outreach done with local residents and finding out what their highest priorities are, and this proposed tax increase would meet those requests:

As the COVID-19 pandemic made its way across the globe, a shapeless and silent pandemic, borne of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty also began to take hold. While taking care of oneself has been focused on our physical health and hygiene, it has left the mental health and emotional states for many, in limbo and for others, pushed them into crisis.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Once again, Vail Resorts' CEO Rob Katz and his wife Elana Amsterdam are giving back to the communities where their employees live and where their company operates.

Today, they announced a donation of more than $2.5 million to provide immediate support to those areas as all contend with the severe impacts of COVID-19.

Immediate emergency relief grants will total $1.5 million and will be distributed to communities including South Lake Tahoe.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The Vail Resorts Chief Executive Officer Rob Katz and his wife Elana Amsterdam, New York Times bestselling author and founder of Elana’s Pantry, today announced they were donating more than $2.8M to further strengthen emotional wellness programs in more than ten mountain communities where Vail Resorts operates. This is the second consecutive year their Katz Amsterdam Charitable Trust has distributed behavioral health grants.

Heath Ledger would've been proud. Joaquin Phoenix's take on the iconic character is nothing short of amazing if not brilliant in the "Joker." I had been wanting to see this film since it first started shooting knowing the cast involved but Joaquin's performance surpassed even my expectations.

The Lake Tahoe Community College, Foster Kinship Care Education Program offers presentations that are free and open to the community. The fall quarter is starting off with a series of Community Resource presentations. The public is invited to attend and hear about all of the services offered in the community.

Presentations will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Lake Tahoe Community College in the Creekside Room. The presentation on September 24 will be in Room E-106. Here’s the lineup:

A one-day training on identifying mental illness will be held on the LTCC campus on Saturday, May 18, 2019, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The title of the training is "Sometimes what hurts the most can't be seen, but sometimes what helps the most is easy to do." Special guest trainer David Woods Bartley will be speaking. He is a renowned speaker on mental health wellness, a member of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and a TedTalk veteran.

MENTAL ILLNESS DOESN’T LOOK ANY PARTICULAR WAY

NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness, including co-occurring addiction.

Find out more on local efforts from the El Dorado County NAMI President Jeanne Nelson on April 30 at 5:30 p.m. in the Creekside Room at Lake Tahoe Community College.

She will provide ideas about how to help yourself, friends or family members that may need support.

Location

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There is a free legal seminar on Friday, March 8 to help caregivers and family members of those with mental illness navigate the system to remove barriers and improve access to care for their loved ones in South Lake Tahoe and the surrounding communities.

Mental illness can affect any person or family. For those individuals in El Dorado County with the most severe forms of mental illness, the Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) program (also known as the “Laura’s Law” program) is available. The program, coordinated through the El Dorado County Behavioral Health Division of the Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA), gives additional tools to families, agencies and individuals to help people who need mental health treatment receive those services.

The Barton Foundation will be awarding $50,000 in grant funding to improve community health. As part of Barton Health’s commitment to community health and collaboration, this annual grant cycle provides funding for programs and services that positively impact the health of the local community. Applications are being accepted through May 31, 2018.

Grant criteria and the application can be found online at bartonhealth.org/grants, and for more information contact Marty Chartraw at 530.543.5784.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Climb Out of the Darkness®, the world’s largest event raising awareness of pregnancy and postpartum mental health disorders, will hold a regional climb in South Lake Tahoe on June 24, 2018.

The Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra (SITS) club of South Lake Tahoe honored three women as winners of their Violet Richardson, Live Your Dream and Ruby Awards during a special breakfast meeting on Thursday, March 8.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in El Dorado County is among the first of the NAMI Affiliates in the nation to offer "NAMI Family & Friends," a new NAMI four-hour seminar.

"We are delighted to be able to provide an educational experience for those that care deeply about a family member or friend in the community," said Jeanne Nelson, NAMI El Dorado County President. "In just four hours the participants may walk away with some tools and techniques that could directly make a positive difference in the recovery process."

There is a brand new club at South Tahoe High School that needs the help of student leaders to bring awareness about mental health to their fellow students on campus. Together, the students will work to end the stigma and made it understood that its okay to seek help, and where and when to find it.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of El Dorado County has spearheaded the new club which is called "STHS NAMI On Campus/Brain Health Leadership Club."

NAMI El Dorado County is hosting an information gathering hour on Thursday, November 2 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Lake Tahoe Community College's Aspen Room.

They would like the public's perspective as El Dorado County Behavioral Health is seeking public input for their FY18/19 Mental Health Services Plan Update.

The county will be providing public meetings, using social media, and promoting in news media to get the word out about the plan, so attendance and input at this meeting will help them plan.

Around two dozen runners and walkers remembered the victims of a mass shooting in Carson City that happened six years ago Wednesday in which five people died, including three Nevada National Guardsmen.

On Sept. 6, 2011, Nevada Guardsmen Lt. Col. Heath Kelly, 35, Master Sgt. Christian Riege, 38, and Sgt. 1st Class Miranda McElhiney, 31, were killed in a shooting at the south Carson City International House of Pancakes. Florence Donovan-Gunderson, 67, of South Lake Tahoe, was also killed and her husband injured. The shooter, a man suffering from mental illness, turned the gun on himself.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) El Dorado County launched a new website that will provide users with a better experience with more information on mental health events, meetings, programs and research.

NAMI is dedicated to mental health awareness and improving the quality of life for people with mental illness and their families through support, education, and advocacy.

As an active leader in the South Lake Tahoe chapter of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, I work closely with family members who have loved ones with mental health issues. For many, one of the hardest times was learning about their child, partner, or friend’s diagnosis and not knowing what do next. Some were shamed for not addressing their loved one’s needs sooner and others were told they were too protective or doing too much.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and you may have heard the phrase “each mind matters.”

Why does each mind matter? Mental health is something we all have. Just as our bodies need attention, our minds also need nourishment and care. Suicide rates are increasing and there is a relationship between mental illness and suicide. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), about 90 percent of people who die by suicide have experienced mental health issues.

The Barton Foundation is giving $40,000 in grants to improve community health. Local non-profits, health organizations, schools, and public agencies are encouraged to apply for funding.

The Barton Health Grants provide funds for programs and organizations that positively impact the health of the South Tahoe community. In this grant cycle, projects and programs that address mental health, substance abuse, and access to healthcare services will be considered. These three issues were identified as the most pressing health needs in South Lake Tahoe’s 2015 Community Health Needs Assessment.

The Tahoe Women's Community Fund will be holding their second annual Grants Gala on Thursday, May 18 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Tahoe Beach Retreat. They will be awarding grants to their 2017 recipients and hearing back from their 2016 winners on how their funds were put to use.

The Tahoe Women’s Community Fund is a collective giving organization that was created in 2015. Members donate money and then through a simple grant making process, proceeds are awarded to nonprofits that address pressing issues facing the communities of Lake Tahoe.