mental health

Removing unused, unwanted and expired medications from homes is a huge step in preventing pill abuse and theft, and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will be holding a Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Safeway parking lot.

This is the local's 16th opportunity in the past eight years to get rid of their potentially dangerous medication on the South Shore.

Suicide is a public health issue that impacts everyone. For some of us, we are reminded of suicide daily. Yet, it is important to know that suicide can be prevented.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is one of the top ten causes of death in the United States. The leading reason for suicide is unmanaged depression or a mood disorder. Considering that 20 to 25 percent of Americans are affected by depression, it is important to know the signs that may help save someone’s life.

Let’s face it – summer can be expensive between vacations, home improvements, the cost of children’s camps and dining out. Now that the calendar has flipped to fall, you may want to take this opportunity to check in on your financial well-being and ensure you’re on track for the remainder of the year. Here are some tips to help you along the way.

The story has been updated.

After the death of a South Tahoe High School junior, the school has set up grief counseling for students as the school comes to grips with losing one of their own.

On Thursday, school officials notified students and their parents of the death of Thomas Varner.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Thomas and will continued to provide care and support to our staff and students," said Principal Carline Sinkler in a letter to parents.

Over 60 student were seen by counselors through student walk-ins or staff and/or parent referral.

The Barton Foundation will be awarding $50,000 in grant funding to improve community health. As part of Barton Health’s commitment to community health and collaboration, this annual grant cycle provides funding for programs and services that positively impact the health of the local community. Applications are being accepted through May 31, 2018.

Grant criteria and the application can be found online at bartonhealth.org/grants, and for more information contact Marty Chartraw at 530.543.5784.

The Tahoe Women’s Community Fund has invited the community to join them at their annual Grants Gala to celebrate the 2018 grant recipients as $68,000 is distributed to 13 non-profit organizations in the South Shore community.

The evening will also feature short presentations from the 2017 grantees on how they spent the collective funding this past year.

This has been National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, so what better time to sit down with the women who answer 911 calls in South Lake Tahoe who are the first step in protecting homes, property and people and the unsung heroes of the community.

With an average of 300 to 400 calls going into dispatch each month, staff has to be ready to handle an emergency at every moment through their shift, which in South Lake Tahoe is normally 10 hours long, though they can be up to 12 hours.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Climb Out of the Darkness®, the world’s largest event raising awareness of pregnancy and postpartum mental health disorders, will hold a regional climb in South Lake Tahoe on June 24, 2018.

MEYERS and SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The El Dorado County Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Don Ashton has been making the rounds to communities throughout the county, explaining the budget through an informative presentation and discussion.

Most of the communities Ashton has visited have had 15-20 citizens in attendance, all asking questions and giving input in the budget process as Ashton and the Supervisors figure out how to save $20M over the next four years to meet CalPers pension liabilities.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - Since January 1, 2018 there have been 18 school shootings in the United States, 25 fatal school shootings since 1999's Columbine High School tragedy. With the deadly shooting February 14, 2018 at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, many communities are looking at their own schools and their safety procedures to help prevent a repeat of a tragic event.

What is commonplace at schools across the country are drills for "shelter in place" and for students to understand what to do, and not do, in case of an emergency.

The Tahoe Women’s Community Fund will be granting $68,000 to the South Shore Community this spring! With a record 202 members and the very generous donation from Ms. Lisa Maloff matching the granting funds, this $68,000 total is over double the amount granted last year!

Let’s hope it never happens, but there may come a time in your life when you need mental health care. Your Medicare covers a wide variety of such services, in both hospital inpatient and outpatient settings.

If you have Medicare Part A (hospital insurance), you’re eligible for mental health services when you’re admitted to a hospital as an inpatient. You can get these services either in a general hospital or a psychiatric hospital that only cares for people with mental health conditions.

Captain Joe Duffy of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) has announced his candidacy for Sheriff of Douglas County, a job currently held by Sheriff Ron Pierini who has announced he will retire after being in the position since 1997.

"Instead of trying to find a way to eliminate the homeless, we now have the ability to change homelessness with a new approach - and it is working," said El Dorado County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Macras.

The Holiday Season is an especially wonderful time of year. We look forward to holiday get togethers, to holiday meals, to good cheer and yes, treats. But we don’t look forward to holiday pounds. Many of our New Year’s resolutions are testament to our holiday eating patterns. We vow to start a diet, or to exercise more, or change habits. We know we often consume more than we should. So what can we do to reduce the unhealthy parts of the holidays, and keep the treasured parts?

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in El Dorado County is among the first of the NAMI Affiliates in the nation to offer "NAMI Family & Friends," a new NAMI four-hour seminar.

"We are delighted to be able to provide an educational experience for those that care deeply about a family member or friend in the community," said Jeanne Nelson, NAMI El Dorado County President. "In just four hours the participants may walk away with some tools and techniques that could directly make a positive difference in the recovery process."

Have you ever made a decision that took you down the wrong path in life? Boy. I sure have.

Have you ever stumbled and fallen when facing challenges that seemed insurmountable? I’m raising my hand.

Did life ever throw you a curveball that you didn’t see coming, and perhaps you reacted in a way that didn’t serve you well? This has happened to me more times than I can count.

Do you or someone close to you struggle with addiction or mental health challenges? My family and personal relationships certainly haven’t been immune to either of these troubling issues.

The Behavioral Health Division of the El Dorado County (EDC) Health and Human Services Agency invites the public to provide input on the County’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Three Year Plan Annual Update for Fiscal Year 2018/19. Community members can provide input by email, online survey or at an upcoming community meeting.

Community meetings to receive input for the MHSA plan are scheduled as follows:

NAMI El Dorado County is hosting an information gathering hour on Thursday, November 2 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Lake Tahoe Community College's Aspen Room.

They would like the public's perspective as El Dorado County Behavioral Health is seeking public input for their FY18/19 Mental Health Services Plan Update.

The county will be providing public meetings, using social media, and promoting in news media to get the word out about the plan, so attendance and input at this meeting will help them plan.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is teaming up with the Family Resource Center to present Suicide Prevention Awareness and Mental Health 101" entirely in Spanish on Tuesday, September 12 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the Unites States among ages 15-34 and third leading cause of death for those ages 10-14. Four our of every five that die by suicide are male.

"Our hearts go out to the family's who lost loved ones to suicide in the Latino Community this past quarter," said Jeanne Nelson of NAMI-El Dorado.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and South Tahoe Now will be running a series of stories on suicide prevention.

Each year, more people die from suicide than war, homicide, and natural disasters combined.

The good news is that suicide can be prevented if the signs are detected and the right actions are taken.

Homelessness isn’t just a South Lake Tahoe issue. It isn’t just an El Dorado county issue. It isn't just a California problem, though the state ranks 49th in housing units per capita.

And it isn't a problem that is going away any time soon and will take a change in the way the problem is currently being addressed to be solved. For every 100 people who are added to the population of California there are only 32 housing units built to house them.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) El Dorado County launched a new website that will provide users with a better experience with more information on mental health events, meetings, programs and research.

NAMI is dedicated to mental health awareness and improving the quality of life for people with mental illness and their families through support, education, and advocacy.

First responders and the public are invited to the South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue's "First Responder Behavioral Health Fair" on Monday, June 26 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Airport.

Learn from the experts about the signs and symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), alternative methods on treatment, stress relievers and other ways to maintain good mental health when dealing with high stress jobs such as police and fire.