With Mental Health Awareness Month coming up in May, L.A. County residents are being encouraged to 'Take Action' to address their mental health concerns.
KNX News' Margaret Carrero spoke with Dr. Lisa Wong, director of the county's Department of Mental Health (LACDMH).
One of the first things Dr. Wong suggests is to increase your awareness, "To be aware of the things that impact your mental health the way to check in on your own mental health. But then also an awareness of how you can use your skills to help other people."
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She also encourages learning more about mental health, saying, "What are those things that can help us on a daily basis? What are those things that you can do for your loved ones, your neighbors."
And her third piece of advice - "take action to do something about it."
Dr. Wong says that through the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA), local community-based organizations were given funding to host over 180 events for May - including yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and more.
According to a press release, "To complement the community-based events, LACDHM will also host large-scale community fairs in each of its eight service areas, with this year's closing Take Action event on Saturday, June 1, at the Santa Monica Pier. To learn more about the campaign, visit TakeActionLA.com."
Anyone struggling with mental health concerns is also encouraged to utilized the LACDMH's 24/7 Help Line at (800) 854-7771, 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, iPrevail digital wellness platform, walk-in clinics and peer resource centers, and partnerships with L.A. agencies and organizations.
Learn more about these resources, visit dmh.lacounty.gov.
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