Darlene Ollada believes the need has never been greater for communication when it comes to spreading awareness about mental illness.
"The suicide rates for the youth have increased in Pima County, which is obviously devastating," Ollada said.
That's where National Alliance on Mental Illness or NAMI Southern Arizona comes in.
Ollada is a coordinator for NAMI's Ending the Silence, a one-hour program that is primarily presented to students.
Ollada says Ending the Silence has been effective in increasing awareness of mental health conditions and encouraging students to seek help.
"People are a lot more open to having this conversation than they were even just 10, 15 years ago or so," she said.
During the interactive Ending the Silence program, students learn what mental health is, what a mental health condition is, and how to use positive coping strategies.
Darlene says they also discuss suicide prevention.
"How do you approach someone who is showing the warning signs of suicide?" Ollada asked. "What do you do yourself if you feel like you're suffering through a mental health condition or have bad mental health?"
Ollada says the Ending the Silence program also includes a testimonial from a young adult.
"They talk about their own lived experience with recovery, the things that they've been through and the things that worked for them to heal and to recover," she said.
This program is free and NAMI Southern Arizona invites schools to request this program about mental health to come to their classrooms.
"A lot of people just feel very intimidated by the topic and so they just feel so supported in what we're doing and that we're being so vulnerable and brave talking about this topic and our own stories," Ollada said.
You can donate to NAMI Southern Arizona directly through this link.
KGUN 9's partners in The Giving Project, the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, will match the first $500 in donations.
