Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness Invites the Community to Light Up Green

Santa Barbara County Lighting Up Green in Honor of Mental Health Month in May

Santa Barbara County is once again inviting the community to join the County of Santa Barbara as well as other counties, and our nation, to light up buildings with lime green during the month of May. Light up Green is aimed to show community members that nobody is alone facing mental health challenges, beginning May 1^st and going through May 31^st in recognition of Mental Health Month. If you will be joining in lighting up green in May, and would like lawn signs (while supplies last) please email Suzanne Grimmesey at suzkirk@sbcbwell.org.

For Mental Health Month this year, the 2024 Mental Health America theme is “Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World.” In a world that is constantly evolving, it can be overwhelming to navigate the various challenges and changes happening around us. The pressures of work, relationships, and societal factors, like politics, climate change, and the economy, can significantly impact our mental well-being, sometimes even more than we realize.

A variety of events will be taking place throughout the community over the course of the month, beginning with the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors proclaiming May as Mental Health Month at their May 7 hearing.

While our devices make us more connected than ever, loneliness is an increasingly serious public health concern. We are now able to have conversations with friends and family on the other side of the world in real time. However, constant connection also means that we will know if we weren’t invited to a friend’s party down the street. Recent survey data show that more than half of U.S. adults (58%) are lonely. Finding a sense of calm and focusing on well-being when you are having mental health concerns can be daunting in our fast-paced society. It can be especially challenging to know where to start.

This May, Behavioral Wellness encourages community to:

LEARN how modern life affects mental health and learn resources to navigate our changing world
ACT by building a coping toolbox to manage stress, difficult emotions, and challenging situations
ADVOCATE to improve mental health oneself, those we love, and our community

Mental Health America has created a free toolkit for individuals and businesses to know where to start. Click here.

Change won’t happen overnight. Instead, by focusing on small changes, we can move through the stressors of modern life and develop long-term strategies to support ourselves and others, ongoing.

Help in recognizing May is Mental Health Month by joining the community in lighting up green throughout the month of May. Businesses, neighborhoods, homes and more. For free (Spanish/English) lawn signs (while supplies last) please email Suzanne Grimmesey at suzkirk@sbcbwell.org.

And remember, you are not alone. Help is always available; speak with someone today. The Behavioral Wellness toll free Crisis Response and Services Access Line can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (888) 868-1649 for assistance in receiving services. To learn more about County of Santa Barbara Department of Behavioral Wellness, please visit http://countyofsb.org/behavioral-wellness.