Mental Health Awareness Month kicks into gear on May 1.

Barton Health is involved with the following events:

• 4th Annual Mental Health Forum
  May 9: 8:30-11:30am
  Student Union at South Tahoe High School
  Join the South Lake Tahoe Community Mental & Behavioral Health Cooperative for updates and conversations about the state of mental health in South Lake Tahoe. Parents, caretakers, educators, coaches, therapists, clinicians, and volunteers are encouraged to attend.
• What is Mental Illness — presentation by Saul Zelan of Barton psychiatry
  May 10, 6-7pm
  Board room at Lake Tahoe Community College
  Learn more about the historical and current understandings of mental health along with how developing coping skills are critical in maintaining a healthy mental state.
• Suicide Support Group hosted by the Suicide Prevention Network
  May 25, 6pm
  2092 Lake Tahoe Blvd., Suite 400, South Lake Tahoe
  Find a safe space and healing support for coping with the shock and grief that accompany the loss of a loved one to suicide. This group meets monthly. New participants are welcome.
• The Connection Between Physical and Mental Health town hall hosted by Tahoe Regional Young Professionals
  May 31, 5:30pm
  Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel, 4130 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe
  Learn how stress affects the body and find out non-pharmacological ways to improve mood and decrease stress. Parent
• Leadership Program Series
  May 6, 13, 20, and 27 (every Saturday in May) – 9am-12:30pm
  A Balanced Life, 2100 Eloise Ave., South Lake Tahoe
  A workshop designed to help parents build protective factors for their families using the evidence-informed Strengthening Families approach.

All events are free and open to the public. The 31-day challenge also features individual goals and activities. They range from leaving the cell phone at home on May 21 to practicing forgiveness on May 26.

The challenge’s full schedule can be found online.