Mental health awareness begins with becoming familiar with the resources available and Grossmont College offers many such resources to its students through events, activities or groups.

“The state has a lot more webinars going on that we are encouraging people to go to,” Campus Nurse Elaine Adlam said.

One of the webinars they are hoping students attend is trauma-informed communication practices. The various webinars available can be accessed through the California Community Colleges webpage, cccco.edu.

In addition, students can join support groups such an in-person single mother support group. The group will meet weekly through May 30 on Tuesdays at 1 p.m. in the ASGC Board Room (60-207). Apart from the support group, there have also been meditation, yoga and stress classes.

“We also have mental health in math,” Adlam said. “Mental health counselors are going in for the first 15 minutes. They do a meditation or they do something to help with test anxiety or just math anxiety.”

Mental Health Awareness Month also serves as an opportunity to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. Encouraging individuals to prioritize their mental health and seek help if needed can be difficult due to stigma.

Normalizing mental health could create a more supportive and inclusive society. The Health and Wellness Center on campus is continuing to grow its efforts to reach more students.

“There’s a lot of stuff going on it’s just how do you get students to know and feel comfortable enough to come and see us,” Adlam said. “So many people come from families where mental health is looked down upon; they might have a friend group where mental health is looked down upon.”

Grossmont Student Avidan Delgado said: “If I needed to, I would find it intimidating to step foot in there, but maybe that’s just me. But at the same time, if it would be beneficial to me then I shouldn’t be ashamed.”

Understanding and educating yourself on mental health can go a long way in supporting those around you.