Behavioral Health Mobile Crisis Team / 1-800-783-0607
For anyone in SLO County who is experiencing a mental health crisis, we recently lost our Crisis Stabilization Unit. With sorely lacking services, the SLO Behavioral Health is asking the community to access help through this number.
Central Coast Hotline - Transitions Mental Health / 800-783-0607
Central Coast Hotline is a confidential mental health guidance, crisis and suicide prevention
The Hotline which also provides mental health resource information.
We are here for you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Free of charge. Text or Call, any time
Local volunteers who help build community through helping the underserved in Estero Bay identify needs and find solutions.
San Luis Obispo County Office Of Education - Youth Mental Health First Aid training
Designed to teach caring adults how to help adolescents who are experiencing a mental health or addiction challenge. It introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, behavior disorders and eating disorders.
There are several dates to choose from. To learn more and sign up, Download The Mental Health First Aid For Youth One-Pager.
South Bay Seniors Helping People
Local non-profit, housed at the South Bay Community Center in Los Osos.
To inquire about medical equipment and food bank services for our elders, call 805-528-2626.
Provides free medical, dental and vision care to uninsured adults in San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County, regardless of race, ethnicity, immigration status, religion, sexual orientation or gender.
Excellent advocate, with links to crisis help.
Mindful Kindful YOUniversity (MK YOU) / Instagram / Facebook
Dee DiGioia - Founder, Holistic Healing Arts Practitioner and Guide ~ San Luis Obispo County
Dee is a member of this Central Coast Action Group, a protect-democracy activist, and Sonic Activist appearing at local protests with drum in hand - rising up in solidarity for social change and justice, promoting democracy, diversity, inclusiveness, kindness, and compassion for one another and our planet. She also sings at the rally's with Linda Martin (Bay Love).
We are not designed to take in a constant, daily stream of crisis, violence, loss, and upheaval—especially not through glowing screens, headlines, and alerts that keep our nervous systems on high alert. Staying informed matters. Bearing witness matters. And at the same time, this ongoing exposure can quietly (or not so quietly) dysregulate our bodies, hearts, and minds - impacting our health and well-being. Many of us are carrying more than we realize—tight shoulders, shallow breath, restless sleep, emotional fatigue, a sense of being both hyper-vigilant and numb. This isn’t a personal failure. It’s a human nervous system responding exactly as it was designed to respond to perceived, ongoing threat. Because of this, care is not optional—it’s essential. Grounding practices, time in nature, rhythmic movement, sound, breath, rest, and genuine human connection are not luxuries. They are how we continually help our systems come back into balance so we can stay present, compassionate, and engaged rather than overwhelmed or shut down.
This is why I offer therapeutic sound, rhythm, drumming, song, and nature-based experiences. These ancient, embodied practices help regulate the nervous system, create a sense of safety in the body, and remind us that we don’t have to carry everything alone. In community, in rhythm, in resonance, we remember ourselves—and each other. University: Rooted in the Latin word universitas—meaning “whole” or “entire”. Mindful Kindful YOUniversity offers holistic and therapeutic wellness experiences designed to reduce stress and support emotional, social, and physical well-being, serving individuals to entire communities and organizations - weavING evidence-based practices with ancient wisdom into a holistic tapestry of nourishing and restorative experiences:
Therapeutic Sound Bath Journeys (Public or private including 1:1)
Facilitated Mindful Drumming Experiences (Public or private)
Join Linda Martin and Dee DiGioia for our new monthly Sonic Soul Shine Song Circle (see Calendar for info/registration links - 3rd Mondays in Los Osos)
and more.
Check site Calendar for public events / Schedule a custom private event / Available for fund-raising efforts
988 Suicide Prevention Hotline - California
Dial 9-8-8 (available via call or text, and online chat)
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States.
American Medical Association (AMA) - YouTube
The American Medical Association has their own YouTube channel and are posting daily updates on bird flu and other outbreaks since the CDC is now unable to do so
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
Provides grassroots support, education, and advocacy for those affected by mental illness.
NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health)
Offers science-based information, brochures, and research updates on mental disorders.
Caregiver Training Videos - Alzheimer's & Dementia Care | UCLA Health
UCLA Memory Center’s Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Free Online Training Videos
20+ Self-Care Practices To Help You Prioritize Your Well-Being
Note from Linda Martin: Self-care is so important right now! What I find myself struggling with these days is finding a healthy balance between our increasingly digital world and my actual life. How do I choose to spend my time? Are my choices productive and serving my well-being? Are any of my choices supporting entities or organizations that are harming people or the planet? Tough questions for sure! Functioning in my life requires me to navigate the internet. My job is now totally dependent upon computers and algorithms in the hospitals, and even creating this newsletter requires careful vetting of information, as I increasingly question "is this real, or not?". While attempting to wean myself from screen time, I do want to tell you about a phone app that may actually help you establish a better self-care practice. I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but hear me out. I utilized the "CALM" app frequently when I first found it, but the healthy habits I established from its initial use have become second nature to me now, and I only occasionally open the app these days. If using this resource speaks to you, here is a good article from "CALM" to get you started.
Practicing gratitude has incredible effects, from improving our mental health to boosting our relationships with others. A daily gratitude practice raises our vibration and can be transformative for our well-being. If you do not yet enjoy a robust gratitude practice, here is a short article to get you started from mindful.org