The Future of Us

Who we are together, how we care for one another, makes all the difference.

Four people sitting on a grassy hill at sunset, watching clouds and mountains in the distance with a vibrant orange sky.
Watercolor painting of a group of diverse people with different heights and skin tones, standing together under a sky with floating circles of different sizes and colors.
Watercolor painting of a group of abstract human figures in warm colors, with three large circles above them, on a light background.

“It is possible the next Buddha will not take the form of an individual. The next Buddha may take the form of a community, a community practicing understanding and lovingkindness, a community practicing mindful living. And the practice can be carried out as a group, as a city, as a nation.”

Thich Nhat Hanh

A colorful illustration of outdoor activities with people at a wellness event. The scene shows a lake with two people kayaking, a group playing guitar and relaxing on a grassy patch, people hiking and biking on rocky terrain, and others practicing yoga and skateboarding in the forested area. The scene is vibrant with trees, rocks, water, and a logo at the top that reads 'What's Up Wellness' with a sunset background.

What’s Up Wellness

Caring for Our Youth

In addition to soul and grief tending, one of my great loves is being the Executive Director and co-founder of What’s Up Wellness.

After a series of teen suicide tragedies, some of our concerned community members came together and called for a teen suicide prevention program in the schools. It was then, in fall of 2012, that What’s Up Wellness was born.

We provide free, confidential mental health screenings to young people in almost all of our area high schools and more recently, a middle school. Our staff meets with each teen individually to review screening results and connect them to resources.

We have grown as the needs have grown with an expanding team of skilled and compassionate clinicians and counselors. In addition to mental health screenings, we work to connect teens to support through family case management, teen support groups, and in-school LGBTQ+ supports.

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Mental Health First Aid

Caring For Each Other

The village approach to mental health is needed more than ever. Delegating the knowledge of mental health symptoms and resources to only professionals leaves many who struggle in our communities unseen, slipping through the cracks.

I co-facilitate several types of Mental Health First Aid trainings to help empower our community to know how to identify, approach and respond to adults and youth struggling with mental health challenges.

I teach Adult Mental Health First Aid, Youth Mental Health First Aid, as well as Teen Mental Health First Aid all with no cost to the community. These trainings are evidence-based and teach powerful tools to help build a stronger network of support for us all.

Upcoming Trainings

Mental Health First Aid

In all of our Mental Health First Aid trainings, we teach community members, teens and other non-mental health professionals the fundamentals of:

  • Risk factors and warning signs of mental health challenges in adults, youth or teen peers

  • How to provide initial support and resources to someone in need

  • The importance and tools of early intervention

  • Helping someone in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge

  • An overview of Nevada County, CA resources & national supports