Blog
My Mental Health Journey
In high school, I first realized I had a serious problem with my brain. I got my driver’s license, started a job, got accepted into college, and was close to graduating – but I still felt despair. I had no clue why I felt so heavy in my chest, failing to feel happy about all these milestones I expected to be excited about. I grew up Catholic in a...
Start the Conversation: Angie, Lead Clinical Preceptor
I’ve always been passionate about supporting people when they might feel stigmatized or isolated. When I was growing up, my family struggled with poverty. Some of them turned to substances to cope and, even though they were around, I felt alone. The first funeral I ever went to was for a coworker who died by suicide, when I was 16. He was...
Mental Health Visibility in the Asian Communities
Asians, like people of all races, can and do experience mental health challenges throughout their lives. Because of cultural norms, their experiences are often made to be invisible. Mental health is rarely talked about in Asian communities and is often seen as a “white person’s disease.” Because of that, fewer and fewer Asian people get the...
Hispanic Heritage Month
Breaking the Cycle of Stigma – Bilingual Training for Suicide Prevention
I came into a new position at Lines for Life earlier this year and established the bilingual community training program. It was important that we network and build relationships with community partners right away for the program to be successful.We started offering QPR training...
Hispanic Heritage Month
Strengthening My Community: Learning About Mental Health
The Hispanic & Latino community experiences many barriers to Mental Health. One of them is stigma. There is not as much stigma around physical health – but when it comes to mental health, there is this narrative that the only people who look for help are the “crazy” people. Another...
Service Members and Veterans
Remembrance and Community on Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a day of solemn reflection and remembrance of those who died while serving in the US military. This Memorial Day, I attended a ceremony hosted by the American Legion in La Pine, Oregon – attended by around 200 people, 150 of whom were Veterans.Many Americans observe...
Service Members and Veterans
PTSD 101 – What it is and How to Support Someone
Traumatic events impact everyone differently. For some people, the impacts of trauma can develop into Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a diagnosis that is treatable with evidence -based therapies.June is PTSD Awareness Month – here is some basic information to boost your...
Pride Month
Supporting LGBTQ Teens Online – Safe Social Spaces
Queer people have found community online since the internet started. YouthLine’s Safe Social Spaces, a social media outreach program, is not a specifically queer program, but most of our contacts are queer. Many of our contacts don’t feel like they have a community in person...
Featured
Recognizing Juneteenth
Lines for Life honors Juneteenth as a reminder of the struggle toward freedom for Black Americans. We recognize the hardships that racism continues to inflict on Black communities and we embrace Juneteenth as a time to acknowledge these hardships, celebrate progress, and honor...
Pride Month
This June, Lines for Life recognizes LGBTQ Pride by Celebrating Our Whole Selves!
June holds special significance for LGBTQ Pride, tracing back to the historic Stonewall Riots of June 1969, where LGBTQ individuals stood up against police mistreatment in New York City. Since then, Pride Month has evolved into a global celebration of sexual orientation and gender...
Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Addressing Mental Health Stigma in Asian Communities
My grandfather and father faced exclusionary codes that made entering the United States and gaining citizenship impossible. Both worked on the railroads, which was how a lot of Chinese immigrants came into the country at the time – making much lower wages than workers of other...
Mental Health Awareness Month
Start the Conversation: Mike, Clinical Trainer
My first career was in the restaurant industry, managing restaurants and eventually managing theaters and event venues for a large chain of Oregon brewpubs. I had to leave because I drank too much, and I was like a kid in a candy store.Eventually, I became interested in the substance...
Mental Health Awareness Month
Tips to Start the Conversation About Mental Health in Military & Veteran Communities
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we highlight opportunities to Start the Conversation among service members, veterans, and their families (SMVF).A “power through it” mentality is strong in military culture – both for physical and emotional concerns. Stigma around needing help...
