San Mateo County Libraries supports mental health and offers mental health resources available for all ages.
September is National Suicide Prevention Month, opens a new window, September 4-10 is National Suicide Prevention Week, opens a new window, and September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day. Organizations, community partners, survivors and more all come together to bring awareness to suicide prevention and actions that we can all take to the #BeThe1To prevent suicide. We can all be the ones to ask, listen and offer support to help someone find help when needed.
San Mateo County, opens a new window and community partners participate in the statewide initiative to Take Action for Suicide Prevention, which offers toolkits and resources, opens a new window across California to Know the Signs, opens a new window to prevent suicide. This year’s theme is Thriving at All Ages, which aims to build wellness that strengthens resiliency throughout one’s lifespan. People of all ages “continu[e] to experience mental health challenges, trauma, burn-out and fatigue due to the prolonged impacts of the pandemic and natural disasters (California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA).” This resource also offers activities in English, opens a new window and Spanish, opens a new window that help us support ourselves and others in suicide prevention.
Many community partners throughout San Mateo County offer counseling or mental health resources.
Star Vista, opens a new window offers counseling, crisis prevention, youth housing, early childhood programs and more throughout San Mateo County. They have a Crisis Intervention Center, opens a new window with a 24/7 Crisis Hotline 650-579-0350 and a Teen Crisis Services, opens a new window Text Line: 650-747-6463.
SafeSpace, opens a new window is a youth-led, mental health-focused organization that offers resources made by youth for their peers. They also empower youth to engage with their schools and communities on conversations around mental health while “educating and encouraging our peers to speak up, support others, and seek help when needed.” Their Resource Directory, opens a new window is an invaluable resource of youth-curated podcasts, books, songs and more that can be a source of support their peers may need. Our staff has created a list of the available books and movies in our collection from SafeSpace’s Resource Directory.
This is a list of the available books and movies in our collection recommended from SafeSpace’s Resource Directory. The SafeSpace Resource Directory is an invaluable resource of youth-curated podcasts, books and more to be whichever source of support their peers may need. Visit safespace.org/resource-directory for the complete list of their support resources.
In addition to these local resources, we have booklists curated by our staff to help you understand mental health and a Calm App subscription for San Mateo County Libraries cardholders (cards starting with “29041,” "29731" or "29735"). Everyone is always welcome to join our meditation events and other wellness events at our libraries.
Explore the wide range of books to help you understand mental health, from research studies and memoirs to cognitive behavioral journal prompts and activities.
What actions will you take next to #BeThe1To prevent suicide?
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