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The public is invited to a Community Health Fair in South Lake Tahoe on Thursday, October 17 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Bijou Community School;s multi-purpose room. Get free or reduced services including flu shots and free dinner from Tacos Por Favor.

El Dorado County will be offering their low-cost flu shots - $10 for everyone six months and older, but they won’t turn anyone away that can’t pay.

Free services include:

- Primary care will be there conducting blood pressure, temperatures, and pulse oximetry
- Covered CA enrollment counselors
- CPR training

The Barton Foundation will be awarding $50,000 in grant funding to improve community health across the South Shore of Lake Tahoe. As part of Barton Health’s commitment to community health and collaboration, these annual grants provides funding for programs and services that positively impact the health of the local community. Applications are now being accepted through May 31, 2019. Grant criteria and the application can be found online at bartonhealth.org/foundation/grants. For more information, contact Tania Pilkinton at 530.543.5614.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Tahoe Women’s Community Fund has announced their 2019 grant recipients. This year, there were over 27 organizations who applied for the grants, with $84,000 being distributed to 14 non-profit organizations

Focus Grant recipients in the category of Poverty, Housing, or Basic Needs (up to $10,000 each):

• Tahoe Youth & Family Services (Project: Tahoe Youth Transitional Living Program:
Basic Household Essentials)
• Tahoe Magic, Inc. (Project: One Time Family Emergency Housing Help Fund)

It is with a mixture of sadness and rejoicing that we announce the passing of Barbara Grant from this world to her home in heaven. She enjoyed being with friends and family and always conducted herself with humility, love, and dedication to God.

The students at South Tahoe High School (STHS) hosted their first Mental Health Faire on campus for both students and staff during school on Monday, May 7.

A new club on campus started by the El Dorado County chapter of The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) organized the event, bringing the community and school together to help reduce the stigma of mental illness. Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18 (21.4%) in the U.S. experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life.

The community is invited to join the Soroptimist International of Tahoe Sierra (SITS) club for an evening of live music, great food, drinks and friends at the 29th annual Elegant Evening will be held at Harrah's Tahoe on Saturday, April 21, 2018.

The evening's festivities start with a 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. cocktail party and social time, moving to a seated dinner from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and dancing all night with Trey Stone until 10:30 p.m.

Guests will enjoy selective tastings from Crystal Basin Cellars, Tahoe Blue Vodka, Lake Tahoe AleWorx and Double Bond Wine.

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."

The Tahoe Women's Community Fund celebrated their third annual Membership Celebration this past Thursday at Harvey's. With over 150 in attendance, we celebrated the success of our collective giving circle! Dr. Guy Lease gave an inspiring keynote speech on "The Power of Education in Our Community", and Karin Holmes was honored as our first annual Woman of Distinction! The positive strength in the room was amazing!

The Behavioral Health Division of the El Dorado County (EDC) Health and Human Services Agency invites the public to provide input on the County’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Three Year Plan Annual Update for Fiscal Year 2018/19. Community members can provide input by email, online survey or at an upcoming community meeting.

Community meetings to receive input for the MHSA plan are scheduled as follows:

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is teaming up with the Family Resource Center to present Suicide Prevention Awareness and Mental Health 101" entirely in Spanish on Tuesday, September 12 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the Unites States among ages 15-34 and third leading cause of death for those ages 10-14. Four our of every five that die by suicide are male.

"Our hearts go out to the family's who lost loved ones to suicide in the Latino Community this past quarter," said Jeanne Nelson of NAMI-El Dorado.

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.

Best selling book and Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" has sparked conversation about mental health and suicide among youth after the lead character leaves behind 13 tapes after she kills herself. Each tape tells a different person the part they played in her death.

As a response to the movie and how students will react to it, Lake Tahoe Unified School District intervention counselors will be holding a community panel discussion called "300 Reasons Why Not" on Tuesday, May 30 at South Tahoe Middle School's Multi-Purpose Room starting at 6:00 p.m.

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.

Major impacts to communities in El Dorado County were made possible through $264,905 in grants for 2016/2017 from the El Dorado Community Foundation.

Funding for the came from community members who invested in the foundation through Donor Assisted Funds. Those donating to the fund were able to engage in a new process this year by reading the grant proposals (55 were received) and the year-end reports of the non-profits applying for them.

In the 2004 California election, voters passed Proposition 63, the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), mandating a one percent increase in income taxes for individuals with incomes over $1 million to expand mental health services. The MHSA funds mental health services that are "recovery and resiliency" focused to children and their families, transitional age youth, adults and older adults. MHSA programs must provide integrated service experiences that are client and family driven, wellness, recovery and resilience focused, culturally competent, and include community collaboration.

A year ago, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors signed a resolution to participate in the Stepping Up initiative. The initiative, signed by two hundred fifty counties, has one lofty goal: reduce the number of adults with mental illness in the criminal justice system.

What has changed in the last year?

Learn more about mental illness, the signs, the symptoms and what you can do to help reduce the stigma that three out of four people with a mental illness have experienced during an upcoming presentation.

On Wednesday, April 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Temple Bat yam in South Lake Tahoe, Jeanne and Alan Nelson of the El Dorado County NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) will lead the presentation. It is free and open to everyone. Dessert and coffee will be served.

Mobile applications are one of the newest methods available to help elevate your mood. If you have a smart phone or tablet, mobile applications are convenient, entertaining, and inspiring. They don’t take a lot of time and are often free of charge.

Here are some of my favorite apps that provide mood-lifting tips and entertainment. All are free to download and available on multiple phone platforms, unless otherwise noted.

Mental Illness affects one in five adults in the United States, and 21 % of youth. If you have friends or family members dealing with the more serious side of mental illness, there is an upcoming series of classes that may benefit you.

The Barton Foundation board and staff have approved to up the ante and will give $50,000 in grants and donations to improve community health.

Every year, Barton Health provides funds for programs and organizations that will positively impact the health of the South Lake Tahoe community, particularly those that benefit underserved populations. In this grant cycle, Barton Health will award up to $30,000 in grants and $20,000 will fund special community projects throughout the year as determined by the Community Health Action Committee (CHAC).

Many times law enforcement officers are the first people a mentally ill person comes in contact with. In South Lake Tahoe, police officers and sheriff's deputies are forced to become front line mental health workers, and since they are on the front lines, Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) is an important part of their job.

El Dorado County received a grant for the Sheriff's Department to receive the training, and, to date, four sergeants and 18 deputies have been trained. While most patrol the west slope, South Lake Tahoe has three CIT officers (two sergeants and one deputy).

Mental illness affects 1 in 5 children and 1 in 8 adults.

50% of us will experience a mental health challenge in our lifetime.

These are significant numbers, and because of them, May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in South Lake Tahoe, May 10-16 is Mental Health Awareness Week. During a recent City Council meeting, the Mayor signed a proclamation to show the City's support of this significant week.