Mental Health Mobile Rolls Across California for Mental Health Awareness Month

SAN DIEGO, May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Mental Health Mobile" is hitting the road to spread the word about the need for mental wellness and provide an opportunity for people across the state to learn more about how therapy can help. The statewide tour organized by CounselingCalifornia.com and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) coincides with Mental Health Awareness Month.

The mobile will make its first stop in San Francisco on Monday, May 16. From there, the journey heads south, with stops in Sacramento, Fresno/Clovis, Los Angeles and San Diego (full schedule below).

The Mental Health Mobile is touring the state as cuts to mental health programs continue to sweep the country.  In fact, California leads the nation in cuts to mental health spending, slicing more than $587 million in the last two years alone (1). At the same time, more than one in four Californians surveyed said that they have experienced hopelessness or depression, according to an April 2011 survey commissioned by CAMFT (2).  The survey also found that:

• More than one in four Californians not currently in therapy say that they could benefit from it (26%).
• Nearly two-thirds of Californians surveyed perceive that therapy helps to address the underlying issue (61%).
• Californians are generally unaware of the scope of practice of various mental health professionals, what insurance typically covers or the cost of therapy.

"Mental wellness is important to Californians overall health – and therapy is accessible," said Jill Epstein, J.D., executive director of CAMFT. "Come out to the Mental Health Mobile to meet local Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and learn more about the benefits of therapy."

At each Mental Health Mobile stop, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists will be on hand to offer:

• Quick tips for finding balance in life
• Ways to de-stress in just 10 minutes
• How talk therapy can help
• How to find out if therapy is covered through health insurance

Californians looking to find out whether therapy is covered by their health insurance, or to find a therapist participating in their health insurance plan, should contact their provider directly.  Typically this information can be found on the back of your insurance card.

Visit the Mental Health Mobile in your area:

Read more about the Mental Health Mobile at www.mentalhealthmobile.com.  Visit www.counselingcalifornia.com to learn about how therapy can help or to find a therapist near you. Follow the Mental Health Mobile on Twitter (@CounselingCA) and Facebook (Facebook.com/CAMFT).

About CAMFT

The California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) is a professional organization dedicated to the advancement of the state's licensed and prelicensed Marriage and Family Therapists and the common interests of its 29,000 members.  CAMFT provides CounselingCalifornia.com as a free resource for individuals looking for Marriage and Family Therapists located in California.  Marriage and Family Therapists treat a comprehensive range of issues including depression, anxiety, phobias/fears, elder and child issues, relationship issues, post-traumatic stress, and severe mental illness.  For more information, visit www.camft.org or www.counselingcalifornia.com.

(1) "State Mental Health Cuts: A National Crisis," National Alliance on Mental Illness (March 2011)

(2) A Zoomerang online survey among 1,055 randomly selected adult California residents was completed from March 30 – April 10, 2011. The margin of error percentages reported overall is + / - 2 percentage points.  

Media Contact:
Amber Albrecht, Porter Novelli
619-528-2359 or 949-500-2535 (mobile)
[email protected]

SOURCE California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists