Side by Side

Don't forget! TODAY is the last day to buy your tickets for the grandest gala of the season, the Marin Valentine's Ball: https://nbcc.ejoinme.org/mvb2021

"There was a time, not long ago, when it was taboo to bring up mental health struggles. Individuals and families concealed their confusion, loneliness and terror in the face of debilitating and life-threatening mental illnesses. Over the past decade, thanks to prominent and impactful leaders who have stepped forward to openly share their personal stories and to dedicated professionals who bring awareness and treat those with mental differences, the stigma surrounding mental illness here in the United States has diminished and help is more widely available." Read here about individuals, groups, and families who are helping fight the stigma: https://better.net//be-kind-to-your-mind-10-groups-and-in/

2020 was a wild year to celebrate our 125th anniversary, but we could not be prouder of all that our team accomplished in 2019-2020: https://www.sidebysideyouth.org//SBS-AnnualReport-2020-WEB

Looking for something fun to do on Sat 2/6 that ALSO supports kids in the Bay Area? Join us for the virtual 2021 Marin Valentine's Ball.

Are you ready for the Marin Valentine's Ball yet? Buy your tickets and reserve your table (and a bottle of bubbly!) today to help raise funds for critical programming for Marin County youth. https://www.sidebysideyouth.org/event/marin-valentines-ball/

Healthcare professionals agree that good mental health is essential to personal well-being. Yet, we continue to see disparities in the accessibility of mental health services for certain groups. At Side by Side, we’re taking a proactive approach, working together to ask the right questions, listening to what our youth need, and meeting them where they are. One common barrier in the Latinx community is a general distrust of medication, which can prevent youth from receiving me...dications prescribed for anxiety and depression. One solution? Bilingual parent workshops, says YouThrive Program Manager Adrian Maldonado, that educate parents and also to create a supportive group environment for them, similar to the camaraderie shared by our youth. Latinx folks make up the largest growing ethnicity in Sonoma County, yet reports show that they are the community that least seeks out mental health services. Maldonado recently piloted a program around reducing the stigma associated with mental health services for middle school Latinx youth in Healdsburg thanks to a grant from the Sonoma County Vintners Foundation. The process of sharing experiences, successes, and solutions provides a sense of unity and that there is nothing to be ashamed of, says Maldonado.