Mental Health Summit raises awareness, shines spotlight on services, resources
Imperial Valley College helped shine the light on mental health awareness Oct. 8 when the college collaborated with Imperial County Behavioral Health Services and community members for the World Mental Health Day Summit at IVC.
With the theme of “Reconnect, Reenter & Rebuild,” the summit featured 28 sessions representing the various services available through Behavioral Health Services.
Since its inception, the summit, held annually in October, has helped raise awareness of mental health and the services and resources available locally. Community members representing different aspects of mental health services also participated. IVC alumnus and Imperial County Supervisor Ray Castillo kicked off the summit with patriotic songs and a prayer. He was followed by ICBHS Director Leticia Plancarte- Garcia, another IVC alumnus who today holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and master’s degrees in social work and public administration. Plancarte- Garcia talked about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health worldwide, emphasizing that,
“It’s important to talk about mental health to reduce the stigma.”
“There is still a lot of anxiety, fear, depression, and some have contemplated suicide,” PlancarteGarcia said. “We need to stop, reflect, and look at how we and those around us have been affected. … It’s important we reach out to our friends, our families and make that connection to friends, family, community.” Lupita Castro, director of Student Health Services at IVC, introduced Dr. Lennor Johnson, IVC interim superintendent/ president, who said he has been involved in the World Mental Health Day Summit since IVC began hosting it in 2017. The summit has been held at IVC since then, apart from the 2020 summit, which was cancelled due to the pandemic. Johnson said while he has a lot of special days, “this day is really special.” Johnson said the pandemic and circumstances within the pandemic led to mental health issues for many people, including himself. Events such as the summit have helped him to recognize he needed help because of what he has learned about mental health over time.
“My experience underscores the need to understand, to learn more about mental health,” Johnson said, sharing a favorite quote: “Awareness is like the sun. Every time it shines, it transforms.”