This article originally produced and appeared on patch.com.
by Michael Wittner / Danville Patch
DANVILLE, CA — The Danville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Three Valleys Community Foundation are launching an ambitious initiative to address youth mental health in the Tri-Valley. On Wednesday evening, the community is invited to help support the Youth Mental Health Outreach Initiative by attending a gala fundraising dinner at the Blackhawk Country Club.
The initiative hopes to spread awareness and break down the stigma surrounding mental health issues in the Tri-Valley, and award grants to organizations that help support youth mental health.
“Sometimes people have a tendency to think that more affluent communities don’t have any problems, but the truth of it is that mental health, especially for our youth, has been an ongoing issue,” said Judy Lloyd, president and CEO of the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce. “We want to shine a spotlight on those organizations that are doing such a good job working with our youth and keeping them safe.”
Lloyd noted that issues like substance abuse, social media anxiety, and cyberbullying are common in the area, but often untreated. In recent years, some young people in the Tri-Valley have taken their own lives.
The initiative aims to provide publicity and funding for a number of community organizations that address these issues, including:
- The Discovery Counseling Center of the San Ramon Valley, which offers “comprehensive, culturally appropriate, affordable and accessible mental wellness services in times of difficulty and life transitions.”
- Evolve Treatment Centers, which offers teen mental health treatment and rehab centers in Danville, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, and throughout California.
- Community Presbyterian Counseling Center, which provides a number of different types of therapy, including Christian counseling.
- National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse, a San Ramon-based nonprofit working to prevent drug-related addiction and overdose deaths through education and advocacy.
Filmed interviews with representatives from each organization will be broadcast at Wednesday’s gala.
“This is the very beginning kickoff of this effort, and then we hope to do some grantmaking in 2023 potentially to these organizations but also to others, because there’s others in this region that are doing very very good work that we want to highlight next year,” Lloyd said. “So the long-term effort is going to be more community forums, more social media, more video, all these different things which help shine a spotlight.”
Wednesday’s gala dinner will take place at the Blackhawk Country Club from 6-8:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased until Wednesday at noon. See here to learn more about sponsorship packages.