Hanna Center to host suicide prevention event, sparking conversation among youth, families

Wildfires, social media and the coronavirus pandemic all contribute to the rising need for mental health resources for Sonoma County’s youth.

They are some of the stressors that today’s youth “just can’t get away from,” said licensed therapist Noeli Cardenas Zamora, who also serves as the clinical director of the Hanna Center Community Mental Health Hub.

Since opening its doors in May, the Hanna Hub, on the Hanna Academy high school campus in Sonoma, has served local youth and their families by providing trauma-informed counseling, including one-on-one services and group support.

While Cardenas Zamora noted that many families travel from outside of Sonoma to access their resources, she and the team of clinicians hope to expand their reach even further.

That’s the thinking that led the Hanna Health Hub team to plan their “Community Healing and Engagement Night Event” Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Hanna Center Auditorium.

Focusing on suicide prevention and “post-vention,” the event is designed to bring awareness, answer community questions and destigmatize suicide. “Post-vention” occurs in the aftermath of a suicide, equipping families with the proper tools to grieve.

“When there is a suicide that occurs, the info spreads through social media (or) caregivers or teachers — different people in the community don't know how to respond to the questions,” Cardenas Zamora said. “That's also very important to be able to do accurately, depending on who's asking the questions.”

For youth ages 10-14, suicide is the second leading cause of death. Data from the California Department of Public Health in 2021 showed rates of suicide were much higher for males than females, and were more prevalent in white and Hispanic populations.

In Sonoma County, one in five teens report high levels of depression — a known precursor to suicide or suicidal ideation — according to research by Hanna Center clinicians.

Many community members have trouble talking about suicide or its impacts. Cardenas Zamora hopes the event will work to change that.

“One of the biggest things we encounter in the mental health field is that there’s still a lot of stigma about receiving help,” she said. “The way that we can reduce that barrier is to talk about it and also to explain what therapy really is. A lot of times people have a completely different idea of what therapy is and what it looks like.”

The event will begin with complimentary food and drinks. Keynote speaker Dr. Natasha Cameron will then give a presentation on suicide prevention tips, how to help someone at-risk, how to respond to a suicide attempt, and resources available to families, including Hanna Health Hub’s on-site care.

An 30-minute open forum Q&A will at 6 p.m. Attendees will have the option to submit questions anonymously. Hub clinicians will stay after the event for community members who’d rather ask their questions one-on-one.

“The clinicians are really excited to be of support to the community,” Cardenas Zamora said. “We are willing to have the conversation with (community members) and offer that support on an individual basis.”

She emphasized the access to bilingual resources, as many of the clinicians also speak Spanish.

The Hanna Center Community Mental Health Hub serves all ages, providing individual and family therapy, group therapy, couples therapy and support groups for those insured by Medi-Cal, Kaiser, Blue Shield, Anthem and Western Health insurances.

Those who do not have insurance can still call the Hanna Hub resources direct line with questions: (707) 933-4482.

She described the Hanna Hub’s “no-wrong-door approach,” which will connect uninsured community members with Hanna community health navigators that will help with enrollment for health insurance.

Report For America corps member Adriana Gutierrez covers education and child welfare issues for The Press Democrat. Reach her at Adriana.Gutierrez@PressDemocrat.com.