Weekly Wrap-Up
September 3, 2021
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As Western States Face Wildfires, Researchers Look at Mental Health Impacts
Wildfires are occurring with increasing frequency and severity but little is understood about how they affect mental health, researchers say.
This year's fire season is outpacing last year's record-breaking season in California, consuming more than double the acreage burned by this time last year. In the Golden State and throughout the Western U.S., fire season is starting earlier and ending later, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, as more than 4,900 fires have burned in the state since the year began, posing an extended threat to communities throughout the region.
But besides the devastating damage fire can inflict on communities, experts are only beginning to understand the mental health risk of fire and smoke, according to a recent report from the University of California—Los Angeles.
From MHMD 2020 - Healing Our Own: Post-Traumatic Stress and Peer Support in the Fire Service
Brian Rice is president of California Professional Firefighters, representing more than 30,000 front line first responders in nearly 180 local unions. Brian spent more than three decades as a firefighter with the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department, rising from the front lines to become Deputy Chief of Operations.
The California Fire Service Task Force on Behavioral Health is a joint labor-management initiative committed to making emotional wellness and post-traumatic stress injuries a health and safety priority in the fire service.
Conceived in the fall of 2016, the mission of the California Fire Service Task Force on Behavioral Health is to collaborate, support, develop and implement firefighter behavioral health principles.
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Wildfires
Learn about who is most at risk for emotional distress from wildfires and where to find disaster-related resources.
Wildfires are usually triggered by lightning or accidents and often go unnoticed at first. They can spread quickly and are especially destructive if they occur near forests, rural areas, remote mountain sites, and other woodland settings where people live. While not reported as often as floods or tornadoes and severe storms, they, too, can cause emotional distress in people living in affected areas.
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CAYEN’s Co-Sponsored SB 224 (Portantino) Pupil Mental Health Heads to Governor’s Desk
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Welcome to the TBH Podcast
During each episode, we'll sit down with a young individual living in the Bay Area who shares their personal or second-hand experience(s) with behavioral health issues, as well as discuss mental wellness. We hope this will bring us another step closer to openly speaking about behavioral health issues and reducing the stigma around these often taboo topics.
Thank you for supporting the TBH Podcast!
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Friday, Sep 3, 2021 06:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Live Q&A Session with Immigration Lawyers in English, Dari/Farsi and Pashto
Description
In response to the Crisis in Afghanistan , MAS-SSF is hosting a Facebook Live to get as many of your questions answered as possible.
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Wednesday, September 22, 2021, 3:30 to 4:00 p.m.
Eastern Time
NIMH Livestream Event on Suicide Prevention During COVID: A Continuing Priority
During National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) will host a livestream event on suicide prevention during the pandemic, focusing on unemployment, youth, and other population subgroups who may be experiencing elevated risk.
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Thursday, September 23, 2021
Come beat the heat with ~cool beats~ - a Facebook Live charity concert with Mental Health Association of San Francisco! Grab your favorite chilled beverage and snacks, and have an at-home dance party with DJ Robbie Heights, R3D FLAGS, Drauve, and more, all for a good cause. While raising the roof, we will be raising awareness & support for our programs such as the CA Peer-Run Warm Line, our support groups, and other resources we offer to ensure that mental healthcare is accessible to all, 24/7.
Stay tuned for more artists and info to come!
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Help Make a Difference
Donate to Mental Health America of California Today!
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Receive Regular Updates from MHAC |
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Mental Health America of California | mhac.org
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