When a young person in crisis walks through the doors at the Pacific Clinics TAY (Transitional Age Youth) Tunnel Program in Oxnard, they find someone like Peer Partner Denisse Quintero ready to listen and offer help. Like Denisse, almost everyone on staff has “lived experience.” That means they have been through the very same things that these young adults (18 to 25) are experiencing – homelessness, mental illness, absent families. Just five years ago, it was Denisse herself who came to the TAY Tunnel looking for support.

Community, Connection and Care: Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month Across Southern California
Throughout May, teams across the Los Angeles / South Coast and Inland Empire regions came together to honor Mental Health Awareness Month through events centered on education, connections and community care.