BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and on May 9, the Behavioral Health Board at Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services presented its annual report for 2022 to the Kern County Board of Supervisors.
KBHRS Director Stacy Kuwahara says in their annual report, they have seen an increase in youth with mental health concerns.
"A lot of them have not been receiving mental health services, and so that's very concerning for us, because that means there's a lot of kids out there that aren't getting the mental health services early, at the onset of their presentation, and it's escalating," said Kuwahara.
Another topic in the annual report is the construction of 2 new facilities which are set to open later this year.
"These will be inpatient mental health treatment facilities that we are hoping they will be open by the end of the year. They will have 16 beds for adults and 16 beds for minors," said Kuwahara. "We're really excited. This is a much-needed resource."
The annual report shows the highest amount of people treated for mental health concerns were Hispanics at 47 percent, followed by Caucasians at 33 percent.
Kuwahara says they are doing the best they can to raise mental health awareness in the community.
"We really try to do a lot and work at the entire spectrum of mental wellness, with prevention and outreach activities to create community awareness," said Kuwahara.
Another barrier that Kuwahara says needs to be broken down is within the workplace, as many employers do not recognize mental health issues as reasons to take time off.
"Mental health is really often one of the first places that our illness, our physical illness, can often start because when you're depressed and anxious, and if you're not really addressing that, it often turns into physical health issues," said Kuwahara.
According to Kuwahara, seeking mental health care can also be difficult for a variety of reasons, including lack of resources, personal embarrassment, or cultural expectations and stigmas, so people should start with what they are comfortable with.
"It's really important to overcome our own attitudes about what it means to seek help," said Kuwahara. "Sometimes our family or our cultural perceptions about what it means to get mental health, too, are barriers that people need to break down in order to ask for the help they need."
If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis or needs someone to talk to, you can call or text 988 and speak with someone immediately.
