Repairing & Rebuilding & Protecting
by Marie D Corbin, Executive Director & Editor

Dear Mindset Journal, 
I would like to honor "Int'l Survivors of Suicide Loss Day" happening on November 20, 2021, so we are dedicating this issue to the remembering of so many we have lost and are losing to suicide during these unprecedented and shifting of times.  Repairing, rebuilding, and protecting are issues describing our theme in this Fall/Winter Issue.  Like in your case, journal, so many people are finding themselves in a mental health crisis with law enforcement at the other end and too often people are feeling lost and dying by the millions in our broken and fragile mental health system that I find is riddled with standard of care issues for the most vulnerable populations, communities of color.  

For example, EMT and Law enforcement (in my daughters case) failed to act quick enough to render immediate medical care but chose instead to "secure the scene" leaving many helpless and unable to reverse the "crisis” they find themselves in.  Her physical body was dying as the anti-epileptic medications she swallowed in a “crisis moment” produced a toxicity in her bloodstream requiring medical intervention immediately!  Bulk medications toxin build up called (blood toxicity) quickly occurs with little time to spare.  Having the proper crisis team initially on the scene, is crucial and literally is the difference between life and death.

​In my opinion too often, people with mental illness coupled with chronic ailments do not receive mental health response promptly when experiencing a mental health crisis.  Instead, people in crisis often encounter law enforcement rather than a mental health professional when needed most and although there is more sensitivity training being provide to the first responders, mental health crisis teams are being demanded in all counties were other 1st responders services are being provided.  People in crisis deserve a timely, properly assessed, standard of care specifically for those in a mental health crisis.  Until next time journal...End of Entry.

To learn more and help protect and rebuild a new crisis response standard of care please click links
Building a Recovery System of Care by
NAMI St. Tammy Article

Mon Coeur (My Heart), June 4, 2018, was the last time I would ever touch your skin and hold your face in my hands...and although your touch is something I can only hold as a memory now, your life lives on in the spirit and essence of
Project Heal SBC just as you always wanted.  
 
 

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Shaking the Holidays Blues 






















Shaking the Holidays Blues 

How Integrated Health & Self-Care Management models are slowly making all the difference in communities of color abilities to obtain better access to multi-disciplined collaborative care. 
​Journal Entry by Marie Corbin, E.D.,  Director of Health Services
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Dear Mindset Journal, 
I would like to acknowledge PHOSBC 's Outcomes & give Kudu's to our entire volunteer team which has successfully contributed to the improvement and well-being for ethnic minority individuals, families, and communities, local and nationally, virtually and in person. As well as collaborating in a "bridging the gap" concept by contributing to the reduction of mental health disparities in communities of color and in the promotion of better mental health access. They have successfully learned how to integrate services with other primary care, mental health providers, organizations, partners and peer support specialists during a global pandemic due to SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) with limited funding and resources. Well Done Team!!

Dear Mindset Journal,  Part One 
Project Heal of Santa Barbara County has always known the value of utilizing the principals from Integrative Medicine, the Arts and in the incorporating specifically from Holistic nursing principles which is defined as “a format of nursing care that integrates the patient’s body, mind and spirit through therapeutic touch, bodywork, reflexology and other manoeuvres” in that helps create our mission driven purpose. As the leaves begin to fall and winter concerns abide one thing is still looming in the public health background that continues to warrant the attention of organizations throughout our county and "dare I say even in our nation..."  I would like to explore date related to integrated health, standards of care changes and more a bit more so until next time journal end entry.

Part Two in our next eblast! in November!  Stay Tuned...


 

​Keera-What is Project Heal?
Marie-Project Heal of Santa Barbara County a 501(c)(3) charity that basis its mission around the Integrative Care Model we aspire to empower those living with mental and chronic health challenges in our community via access to healthcare navigation stations, health literacy campaigns/events, resources, referrals, care management that includes integrative health, nursing, neuropsychology, and peer support evidence-based theories. 
 
Keera -What is the overall goal of Project Heal?
Marie-Creating awareness of the impact of Integrative Health principles when incorporated with behavioral modification evidenced based practices, peer support and holistic nursing models to help reduce stigma by removing barriers that exist in the current mental and chronic health system.

Keera -What is Project Heal’s role in promoting adolescent mental health?
Marie- At this time our role is to create awareness to the pre-teens, teens, and Freshman generations of how health literacy can provide them with valuable information that can help them navigate this challenging mental health care system we currently have in place and to be there for them when they have concerns, questions or even they’re own concerns.  We also invite them just to come in, volunteer at events and help us out to gain better more insight into mental health and the industry. 


Keera- What kind of social determinants do you think impacts the mental health of adolescents in Santa Barbara County?
Marie-According to the Cottage Health Community Assessment report completed in 2019 using the healthy 2020 health determinants
the results revealed pretty much our why?  We advocate for access to safe and complete healthcare to communities that face multiple disparities, discrimination, indifferences, lower standards of healthcare services inhibited by language and social barriers.  I believe these older standards of care theories impeded healing for those who endure repeated traumas and crisis in a 21st century time due to these disparities gaps; which in turn ignores stigmas and increase barriers to  access to healthcare, especially for the youth because they still don’t know the ends and outs of the mental health care system, driving them even more to social media for the bulk of their therapy or lack thereof ​
​(CHPH (2019).  

The results show that on many health indicators, Santa Barbara County is slightly lower than California and has already met five Healthy People 2020 targets. The benefits of good health and well‐being do not extend to all groups in the county, with Hispanic residents, people with low incomes, and those with less education suffering the most from health disparities. Overall, five areas emerged as priority health areas in Santa Barbara County (alpha order): Access to Care, Behavioral Health Chronic Conditions Resiliency, Social Needs
​(CHPH (2019)

Keera What kind of initiatives seem to be the most successful when working with adolescents?
Marie-Healthy Food Initiatives
Engaging positive social media campaigns
Engaging creation of Youth apps with text talk initiatives
Improved emotional support Groups with inclusiveness for those with launguage barriers, cultural beliefs, family support inclusiveness, Facebook/IG Events/ Live Online events


​Citations:
Cottage Health, Population Health (2019). Cottage Health Community Health Needs Assessment Report, 2019. Santa Barbara, CA.

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