“Our entire approach can be summed up as ‘Friendship Is Good for One’s (Mental) Health,'” says Ceseña. “Friends need to learn how to help their friends—and family—when life starts getting them down. The skills learned are immediately useful and give men (and women) real solutions when life for their friends and loved ones becomes overwhelming.”
“Our classes teach people how to recognize and support those who are carrying heavy mental health or addiction burdens,” said Ceseña.
SAN BERNARDINO, CA— “Men in general and Black and Latino men, in particular, don’t like to talk about their emotions,” says Inland Empire Men’s Mental Health program director Gerzon Ceseña. “They don’t want to appear weak or vulnerable because they have been taught their whole lives that men don’t cry and must always be strong.”
The Making Hope Happen Foundation obtained grant funding to open a training program that teaches people how to accurately recognize when someone may be in need and then, using proven techniques, helps them to take the first step—to open up and talk.
“We don’t offer clinical training,” said Ceseña, “but we do offer an introductory QPR Gatekeeper (Question, Persuade, Refer) course and two Mental Health First Aid courses, one that focuses on adults and one on youth. They both include lessons about anxiety, depression, symptoms of psychosis, and how to recognize the cues that can help participants refer them to the appropriate professionals,” said Ceseña.
Inland Empire Men’s Mental Health program director Gerzon Ceseña
In addition, suicidal thoughts or feelings of desperation can also be contributing factors. The IE Men’s Mental Health initiative introductory course lasts only 90 minutes and trains participants on how to recognize suicidal ideation and gives students practical advice on how to get those suffering from this condition to open up about it.
“Our entire approach can be summed up as ‘Friendship Is Good for One’s (Mental) Health,'” says Ceseña. “Friends need to learn how to help their friends—and family—when life starts getting them down. The skills learned are immediately useful and give men (and women) real solutions when life for their friends and loved ones becomes overwhelming.”
The Making Hope Happen Foundation supports the educational mission of the San Bernardino City Unified School District which has embraced the power of hope as a primary driver of personal motivation and community change. Making Hope Happen Foundation engages people, builds partnerships, provides leadership, and delivers resources where they are needed to achieve a thriving and innovative community in which every student is a life-long learner and can be successful in meeting their hopes and aspirations. For more information, please visit www.MakingHope.org.
The Foundation’s Inland Empire Men’s Mental Health initiative offers free mental health training for non-professionals, equipping them to recognize, approach and support friends, family, and colleagues. With support from Dignity Health and the Unihealth Foundation, Making Hope Happen Foundation has trained thousands of local men and women in Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid and/or QPR Gatekeeper.
For more information on The IE Men’s Mental Health Initiative please visit www.IEMensMentalHealth.org or call (909) 347-7234.
Yamileth Monarrez, joins The Making Hope Happen Foundation’s Inland Empire Men’s Mental program
“The addition of Ms. Monarrez to our training staff allows us to accommodate more students for our suicide prevention and mental health first aid classes,” says Ceseña.
(San Bernardino, Calif.)“I’m very happy to have been promoted to being an instructor by the Inland Empire Men’s Mental Health program,“ says YamilethMonarrez, “because the courses address issues that I’ve personally experienced and now I feel I can do something to make things better.“
The Making Hope Happen Foundation‘s Inland Empire Men’s Mental programoffers free classesthat educate people on how to recognize signs of mental distress in people they know and love and teaches them how to get friends and family members to be willing to talk about what’s going on.
Program managerGerzonCeseña says, “Men—especially minority men—tend to be very reluctant to talk about problems they’re having. Instead, they often shut themselves off, which can make things worse. Our program is all about getting rid of the idea that real men don’t need help and instead, that real friends can help friends when things are tough.”
“Promoting Ms. Monarrez to our training staff allows us to accommodate more students for our suicide prevention and mental health first aid classes,” says Ceseña.
Yamileth Monarrez is a senior at UC Riverside and will be graduating in December. She spent a semester abroad at London South Bank University, taking a variety of courses, andpsychology is an area she has been interested in for some time.
The exposure to a different culture broadenedMonarrez‘s horizonswhile at the same time, showed how people everywhere often need to deal with the same problems.
Monarrez says, “At UCR I‘ve served as a mentor to freshmen. I really enjoy helping people and I wanted to work for IE Men’s Mental Health because the program emphasizes the need to de-stigmatize mental health issues so that people can get the help they need.”
Making Hope Happen is a nonprofit foundation linked with the San Bernardino City Unified School District. The nonprofit is based on the philosophy of Gallop Senior Scientist Dr. Shane J. Lopez. Hope allows people to envision a better future, design a path toward that future, and take purposeful steps toward it. As a result of a deep commitment to this quest, the San Bernardino Community and School Alliance (CASAwas reorganized and renamed the Making Hope Happen Foundation).
The Foundation’s Inland Empire Men’s Mental Health programoffers free mental health training for people who would like to be able to help friends or family members that would like to learn effective ways to approach friends or family members who seem to he hasemotional or mental health problems but aren’t sure about what to say or do.
For more information on The IE Men’s Mental Health Program,go to the group’s web page at IEMensMentalHealth.org or call (909) 347-7234.
Professor Willie Davis, Ph.D., Assistant Dean of Loma Linda University’s School of Pharmacy
“Our basic mental health training class teaches people proven ways to approach friends or family members who may seem to be struggling and get them to reach out for professional help,” said Ceseña.
(San Bernardino, Calif.) “I wasn’t sure what I expected to learn from the class I took with the Inland Empire Men’s Mental Health Program,” says Professor Willie Davis, Ph.D., of Loma Linda University’s School of Pharmacy, “but I have to say that it gave me the information I needed to get one of my students the help she needed.”
The Making Hope Happen Foundation offers three free classes through its Inland Empire Men’s Mental Health program for people who would like to help someone they know who seem to be having a hard time in one way or another but aren’t sure how to approach them or what to say that can get them started on feeling better.
Program Manager Gerzon Ceseña says, “Our classes teach people how to recognize the warning signs for things like depression and suicidal thoughts, along with the right and wrong things to say to their friends or family members who seem to be preoccupied with a problem or problems that they may be reluctant to talk about.”
“We offer two Mental Health First Aid courses, one that focuses on adults and one on youth, along with an introductory course we call ‘QPR,’ which stands for Question, Persuade, Refer, that provides insights into helping someone who may be thinking about suicide,” said Ceseña.
The day after Professor Davis took the QPR course, he was approached by a student who was feeling down and thinking about dropping out of the program. “I used what I learned in the QPR class to get her to start talking about a recent trauma she suffered and the thoughts of suicide she was having. She agreed to my suggestion that she get some help.”
“I’m happy to say that since that day, she has gotten counseling and is now feeling better and doing better academically.”
The QPR Gatekeeper course takes about an hour to 90 minutes, depending on how many people are enrolled and the number of questions that are raised during the training. It provides basic essentials that prepare attendees to then go on to either the Youth or Adult Mental Health First Aid course.
Making Hope Happen is a nonprofit foundation linked with the San Bernardino City Unified School District. The nonprofit is based on the philosophy of Gallop Senior Scientist Dr. Shane J. Lopez. Hope allows people to envision a better future, design a path toward that future, and take purposeful steps toward it. As a result of a deep commitment to this quest, the San Bernardino Community and School Alliance (CASA was reorganized and renamed the Making Hope Happen Foundation).
The Foundation’s Inland Empire Men’s Mental Health program offers free mental health training for people who would like to be able to help friends or family members that would like to learn effective ways to approach friends or family members who seem to he has emotional or mental health problems but aren’t sure about what to say or do.
For more information on The IE Men’s Mental Health Program go to the group’s web page at IEMensMentalHealth.org or call (909) 347-7234.
“One of the things we learn in Adult Mental Health First Aid, is that spending time with your friends is good for our mental health,” said Inland Empire Men’s Mental Health Program Manager Gerzon Ceseña
The new Bus Shelter Ad for Making Hope Happen’s Inland Empire Men’s Mental Health Program’s campaign: Friendship is good for our mental health.
“One of the things we learn in Adult Mental Health First Aid, is that spending time with your friends is good for your mental health,” said Ceseña.
(San Bernardino, Calif.) “It’s one of those ‘everybody knows’ things, that men tend to be reluctant to ask for help when they need it. To counter the negative stigma that’s attached to the whole mental health industry, we now offer classes for people who have friends or family that may be going through some tough times,” said Inland Empire Men’s Mental Health Program Manager Gerzon Ceseña.
The Making Hope Happen Foundation offers free classes through its Inland Empire Men’s Mental Health program for people who would like to help adults and youngsters who may be having a tough time.
Ceseña says, “We have three classes that teach about the warning signs for things ranging from aggressive acting-out to panic attacks, from depression to suicidal thoughts, and the right and wrong ways to approach those who are going through a rough patch and help them.”
“One of the things we learn in Adult Mental Health First Aid, is that spending time with your friends is good for your mental health,” said Ceseña.
The three classes are: QPR (Question / Persuade / Refer) Gatekeeper, Adult Mental Health First Aid and Youth Mental Health First Aid.
The QPR Gatekeeper course is the shortest of the three, taking only about an hour to 90 minutes, depending on how many people are enrolled and the number of questions that are raised during the training. It covers the essentials of recognizing problem symptoms and how to help.
Andy Quintana and Perry Madison in a Dameron Communicaitons commercial for the Men’s Mental Health Foundation filmed to run until November 2022. Directed by Shani Renee Hamilton, written and produced by Carl Dameron.
The Adult Mental Health First Aid class has seven sections and includes videos, role-playing and descriptive scenarios so participants can rehearse realistic situations with a knowledgeable instructor and be prepared to help someone who might be reluctant to open up to mental health professional but will talk with a friend.
Youth Mental Health First Aid has a self-paced opening section, followed by four more sections that cover various aspects of how to be an effective friend to a youth having problems.
Ceseña recommends the QPR Gatekeeper course as a first step for people who are interested in the training. “From there, QPR grads can go on to either the Adult or Youth First Aid class, depending on their individual focus,” he notes. Classes are delivered online via the Zoom Video Conference tool.
Making Hope Happen is a nonprofit foundation linked with the San Bernardino City Unified School District. The nonprofit is based on the philosophy of Gallop Senior Scientist Dr. Shane J. Lopez. Hope allows people to envision a better future, design a path toward that future, and take purposeful steps toward it. As a result of a deep commitment to this quest, the San Bernardino Community and School Alliance (CASA was reorganized and renamed the Making Hope Happen Foundation).
The Foundation’s Inland Empire Men’s Mental Health program offers free mental health training for people who would like to be able to help friends or family members that would like to learn effective ways to approach friends or family members who seem to he has emotional or mental health problems but aren’t sure about what to say or do.
For more information on The IE Men’s Mental Health Program go to the group’s web page at IEMensMentalHealth.org or call (909) 347-7234.
