SAN ANTONIO – For the last nine years, healthcare workers, resource providers, and faith leaders have collaborated with the community to organize a Pathways to Hope Conference on mental health.
This year, they say, having open discussions about mental health and mental illness is more important than ever.
“We cannot ignore it. The pandemic has made it even more prevalent for the need to support each other, to support ourselves in the area of mental health,” said Reverend Jessica N. Bass, Conference Coordinator for Pathways to Hope. “We’re talking everything from mental health to substance abuse to how to build a trauma-informed ministry within your congregation.”
Mental healthcare workers report that one in four people in Bexar County live with a mental illness. That’s just over 500,000 people in our area. Experts also report that teen suicide attempts have risen by 50%.
“Our community is better at it now, but, but this really is the only place that we actually have those conversations between all those different sectors of the population,” said Reverend Justin Lindstrom.
Pathways to Hope focuses on providing workshops, classes, and therapy sessions and sharing local community resources with people who want to discuss mental health. These include SACRD, the San Antonio Community Resource Directory.
“San Antonio is rich, very rich in resources. But where do you find them, and where do you tell people you’re there to help?” Alice Alvarez, Coordinator with SACRD, says. “So finding those resources and at least calming down instantly helps mental health.”
Organizers say they’re already preparing to host next year’s conference but want people to leave this one with a feeling of hope.
“I’m hoping that they leave with a sense that they’re not alone. That mental health and mental illness is a part of everybody’s life,” said Rev. Lindstrom.
Workshops, classes, and information from this year’s conference can be found online here.