Thanksgiving is a day full of traditions and emotions, both good and bad, and is a unique and different kind of day for each of us. 

As a program manager at NAMI-Santa Clara County, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), I oversee the Helpline program. Our Helpline is a non-crisis line responding to calls and emails from people affected by mental health issues looking for support, guidance, and mental health resources. At the Helpline, I have heard of situations in which mental health-related 911 calls can lead to scary encounters with police or incarcerations. They do not provide the mental health services the individual needs during a mental health crisis. 

Mental health advocates have advocated for a 3-digit dialing code connecting people to crisis prevention lines, and on July 16, 2022, 9-8-8 was launched as the new 3-digit 24/7 nationwide Suicide & Crisis Prevention Lifeline number, providing a more accessible and easier-to-remember number. 9-8-8 replaces the 10-digit Suicide Hotline number and is a step towards reimagining a mental health crisis response. 

There are six crisis centers in the Bay Area: 

1. San Francisco Suicide Prevention Felton Institute in San Francisco
2. Crisis Support Services of Alameda County in Oakland
3. Contra Costa Crisis Center in Walnut Creek
4. Buckelew Suicide Prevention Program in Novato
5. StarVista in San Carlos
6. Santa Clara County Suicide and Crisis Services in San Jose.

Phone calls are routed to a center based on the caller's area code number. If you need to call 9-8-8, call from a phone that uses the area code of the area in which the situation is happening. If your area code is out of the county, call a different Suicide Prevention number listed below. When you call, trained staff and volunteers serve as counselors and will assess the situation, suggest ways to de-escalate, and connect you to local mental health resources. Please note that if an imminent danger or safety issues are a factor, 9-8-8 may connect the call to 9-1-1. 

As the crisis response varies by county, I will list the resources by county below. Save any numbers you think may be helpful on your cell phone in case you need to call from a different area code than your cell number area code. If the situation needing assistance is in:

Santa Clara County: Call 9-8-8 from area codes 408, 669, or 650. Call 1-800-704-0900 x1 from other area codes. A suicide prevention lifeline receives your call. The counselor can then dispatch a mobile crisis response team. Santa Clara County has three types of response teams:

1. Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT): Travels with two master-level clinicians and a crisis intervention trained (CIT) law enforcement officer and responds to situations where safety may be a threat to others.
2. Mobile Response Stabilization Service Team (MRSS): Travels with two master-level clinicians and a family support specialist with lived experience responding to crisis involving children, youth, and young adults up to 21 years. 
3. Trusted Response Urgent Support Team (TRUST): Serves all age groups, including a First Aid professional, a crisis intervention worker, and a peer outreach specialist. Families can call 9-8-8 and request TRUST if they would not like law enforcement involved or attract others to a mental health crisis in their home. 

For more information on support in Santa Clara County, go to https://bhsd.sccgov.org/get-help

San Mateo County: StarVista Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention Line will respond to 9-8-8 calls in San Mateo County. They will provide suicide intervention services and connect them to local programs, including a mobile youth crisis response hotline. Call NAMI San Mateo Warmline at 650-638-0802 to learn more about crisis services provided here, or for more information, go to https://www.smchealth.org/general-information/behavioral-health-services-resources

Alameda County: Calling from a 510, 341, or 925 number directs you to the Crisis Support Services of Alameda County. If calling from a different area code in this area, call 1-800-309-2131. For more information on crisis support offered in Alameda County, go to https://988alamedacounty.org/ 

San Francisco County:   Crisis Hotline: (415) 781-0500. They offer crisis intervention and emotional support. For more information on crisis support offered in SF County, go to  https://www.namisf.org/crisis

As you can see, the services provided in every county differ based on local resources. We still have a long way to go. However, 9-8-8 is the first step towards reimagining mental health crisis response. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) states that "Currently, fewer than 2% of Lifeline calls require connection to emergency services like 911." 

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) advocates for mobile crisis resources in every community since more than 80% of crises are resolved on the phone and by mobile crisis teams staffed by behavioral health professionals, dispatched when an in-person response is needed. If you want to learn more about ways to advocate for change in your county, go to  https://nami.org/Advocacy/Crisis-Intervention/988-Reimagining-Crisis-Response

- Sarah, Peninsula Fellowship Group

Reference:

https://988lifeline.org/

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/What-Bay-Area-residents-need-to-know-about-988-17308428.php

https://namisantaclara.org/reframing-a-mental-health-crisis-through-988/

https://www.smchealth.org/general-information/behavioral-health-services-resources

https://nami.org/Advocacy/Crisis-Intervention/988-Reimagining-Crisis-Response

Here is an article posted on DisciplesToday.org about the Jesus & Justice Conference that just passed in September. If you did not have a chance to make it but wanted to attend or would like to still learn more, you totally still can!  The vidoe recording has just been released and is available on the Jesus & Justice Website for a small registration fee. 

Here is the recap article that was posted this past week on DisciplesToday.org:

The inaugural Jesus and Justice Conference, held on September 30th, 2023, ignited a transformation among over 300 in-person and online attendees. With nearly 1,000 views of the recording, the conference's impact spreads far and wide.

Participants were deeply moved by the speakers' insights and the tangible examples of how our faith can be translated into meaningful action.

"This was truly one of the most amazing events I've been a part of since becoming a Christian," remarked one attendee. "The message was eye-opening for me on God's view of justice. The speakers added depth and context to the topic, which I had never understood before."

Another attendee commended the conference's organization: "I registered at the last minute because our travel plans changed, and the registration and communication were speedy and flawless. Thanks for thinking of us and sending the invite. We are going to watch the recording to hear the message again."

Click below to register and watch the edited and enhanced conference video recording.

The holiday season is full of family and gifts, celebrations and food - at least for some of us. Join us as we strive to make the holidays brighter for those who struggle with material poverty. We have a variety of opportunities around the Bay Area in the months of November and December.

• On Saturday, November 18: Our youngest volunteers, the HOPE Scouts, assembled hygiene kits for distribution in Tenderloin neighborhood and around the Peninsula. The event was full of fun, laughter, service and play!

Future opportunities to serve:

• Friday, November 24: Serve a post-Thanksgiving dinner to community members in Oakland.
• Saturday, November 25: We will be joining CityTeam Oakland to help them clean and organize a local shelter.
• Saturday, December 16: We're cooking and serving breakfast to the Tenderloin community (and distributing the Scout's hygiene kits).
• Saturday, December 16: We have not one but two shifts to wrap presents for families in the East Bay. 

With so many dates and options, there is no reason you can't join in on the fun. For more information and registration, click the button below. Sign up for one or many, and make the holidays a little more merrier for our neighbors in need.

We wanted to take a moment to thank all of you who have generously donated or tithed to our fellowship.