What is Mental Health

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Over the course of one’s life, when experiencing mental health problems, thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected.

Being mentally well means that one is able to think, feel and act in ways that create a positive impact on physical and social well-being.

Ways to maintain positive mental health include:

• Connecting with others
• Practicing gratitude
• Physical activity
• Helping others
• Healthy sleep habits
• Developing constructive coping strategies
• Eating a balanced diet
• Maintaining a spiritual practice
• Seeking professional help or consultation

If you would like to speak to a member of the Mental Health Committee at CBB or would like more information, phone Lynn Altschul at 847-525-2553

Referral Information

CALM: Its mission is to prevent, assess and treat child abuse by providing comprehensive, culturally competent services for children, adults and families.

The Center for Successful Aging provides a variety of programs to promote the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual life of seniors and their families. It has a peer counseling program, a Careline telephone reassurance program, a Real Help program providing caregivers to seniors needing help in their homes, and a quarterly senior newspaper called Successful Aging.

Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse(CADA) Building healthier lives, stronger families and amore vibrant community through education, prevention and treatment of substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders.

Family Therapy Institute of Santa Barbara: Positive Innovative Effective Therapy for individuals, families, couples, children.

Family Service Agency  of Santa Barbara: Strengthens and advocates for families and works to improve the well being of children, families and seniors by providing access to food, shelter and case management, advocacy and mental health programs.

Hosford Clinic: A University based community clinic designed to provide culturally sensitive, low cost counseling and psychotherapy for children, adults, couples and families on a sliding scale.

Hospice of Santa Barbara: offers free support groups, resources and community education and counseling for grief and bereavement

Jewish Family Service: A department of the the Jewish Federation of Santa Barbara dedicated to strengthening the quality of life for families and individuals.

National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI): Provides support and referral services including family support groups, peer to peer counseling, and family to family services.

New Beginnings: provides mental health counseling to low income community members and to end homelessnes for individuals, families and veterans throughout Santa Barbara County.

Mission Harbor Behavioral Health: A drug addiction treatment center providing compassionate, recovery  and community resources.

Postpartum Education for Parents (PEP): Supports growing families with opportunities for education, encouragement and social engagement with other people ging through the same stage of parenting at the same time.

The Trevor Project: provides crisis support for LGBTQ youth in need.

Additional referral information is available upon request.  Please contact Lynn Altschul at cbbmentalwellnesscommittee@gmail.com

If you are experiencing extreme anxiety or stress or if this is an emergency, call 911.