Communications
The Everyone Counts Campaign supports culturally responsive ways to share stories. Communicating through storytelling promotes positive discussion and education around taboo topics and gives a voice to the traditionally silenced. Some projects include in the Mental Health Matters, a 30-minute TV talk show and Stories of Recovery, a series of short videos profiling people and their journey of recovery.

Mental Health Matters
Mental Health Matters is a talk show with a fresh perspective on mental health showcasing experts and people with mental health issues on controversial topics such as medicating children, forced treatment, and the taboo surrounding diagnosis.

Holiday Stressors
In the first episode of its kind, Mental Health Matters goes to the streets! Real folks from the community ask how to deal with personal and sometimes stressful situations that arise during the holiday season. Host Shannon Eliot chats with BJ North, peer...

Primary Care and Behavioral Health Integration
In this episode of Mental Health Matters, we break down what the integration of physical and behavioral health care means for doctors and patients. Guests are Dr. Karen Linkins of the Integrated Behvavioral Health Project and Alice Washington from the...

Compassion Fatigue
A caretaker's job is rarely easy. Whether you're a counselor, parent, health professional, etc. it can come with a physical and mental toll. How do you manage your own health and wellness, when you're in charge of another's care? Guests Beverly Kyer, founder and CEO...

Bullying
Bullying is a stressor that anyone can deal with at any time, no matter what the age. Host Shannon Eliot interviews Vicki Abadesco, Executive Director of Soul Shoppe, and Michelle Mateo, a parent and mental health advocate. The two share their views on self-care...

Peer Specialist Certification
Host Shannon Eliot chats with two peer support experts to discuss the concept of peer support and the new certification process for peer specialists. Sharon Kuehn is the Program Manager for PEERS and Jia Broussard is a peer specialist for Bonita House.

How to Choose A Therapist
So you've made the decision that you want to pursue therapy. But where do you start, and how do you find the right therapist for you? Join Mental Health Matters host Shannon Eliot and guests Joshua Kogut and therapist Philipe Harrington as they share their personal...

Mental Health and Poverty
The link between poverty and mental illness is real, although not always acknowledged. Host Shannon Eliot interviews Donita Diamata, Project Coordinator for Financial Self-Sufficiency at Mental Health America of Oregon. Learn how a lack of resources can lead to mental...

Mental Health and Sports
Sports can act as a great wellness tool for those with mental health challenges. But intense competition and a pressure to perform can also create or trigger athletes with mental health issues. How do athletes — from casual amateurs to decorated Olympians — balance...

Emotional Eating
Emotional eating is an issue that many of us have experienced at one time or another. And one doesn't need to be labeled with an eating disorder to struggle with it. Learn how you can recognize the signs of emotional eating and alternative ways to seek comfort. Host...

Trauma
Trauma is a significant cause of mental health issues, but is often overlooked and underdiscussed in both children and adults. In fact, two-thirds of children report trauma by age 16 and face significant challenges later in life if left untreated. Learn about the...

Hearing Voices
Hearing voices can be a scary thing, but did you know it can also provide comfort to some? Why is such an experience regarded as a gift in some cultures but a diagnosable condition in others? Host Shannon Eliot chats with Adrian Bernard, a mental health advocate and...

Mental Health and the Workplace
The Mental Health Matters team recently had a chance to attend the 2013 Work & Well-Being Conference in San Francisco, presented by the American Psychological Association's Center for Organizational Excellence. Host Shannon Eliot explores the...

Virtual Reality as Therapy
It's not uncommon for veterans to struggle with mental health challenges. It is unfortunately all too common, however, for those who need support to either refuse it or get ineffective care. The Coming Home Project is an innovative initiative that uses a virtual world...

When Therapists Disclose
With one in five Californians struggling with a mental health issue, it's likely that therapists and providers have similar challenges as their clients. However, how often do they talk about them with bosses or those they are trying to help? And what are the...

Couples and Mental Health
Have you ever been in love with someone with a mental health issue? Have you ever been the loved one with the mental health issue? Host Shannon Eliot joins Sarah Ward and Daniel Morgan in exploring mental health challenges in the context of romantic relationships.

Music in Recovery
Music is perhaps one of the most underutilized tools in mental health recovery. Host Shannon Eliot chats with Michael Kessler, a veteran music therapist, and Paulette Franklin, a lifelong vocalist, about the roles of rhythm and melody in healing. Learn how music can...

Coming Off Medications
Will Hall is a nationally recognized mental health advocate, counselor, and speaker. He is also the author of the Harm Reduction Guide to Coming Off Psychiatric Drugs, a 52-page pamphlet containing valuable information on supporting people who are exploring reducing...

The Exploratorium and the Changing Face of What Is Normal
How do you define a mental health issue? What does it mean to be normal in today's society, and what are the implications for those who don't fit that mold? The Exploratorium, a museum of science, art, and human perception in San Francisco, is exploring the issue in a...

Refugee Mental Health
Mental health challenges can be trying for anyone, but for those who are forced to flee their home country and take up residence in a new one, they can seem downright impossible to manage. Learn about the unique challenges that refugees face when trying to manage...

Veteran Mental Health
Veterans now account for one of every five suicides in the U.S., according to the George Washington University Face the Facts Initiative. With numbers like this, some are calling the suicide rate an epidemic. In this month's Mental Health Matters, hear from an veteran...

Mental Meets Physical Health
What better way to kick off the new year than to commit to some healthy resolutions? Learn more about the critical yet often forgotten link between mental and physical health. Discover how the mind and body affect each other and what you can do to stay well. Host...

Mental Health and the Internet
What is the Internet's effect on our wellness? Is there such a thing as Internet addiction? Does the Web do more good or harm to our emotional health? Discover the answer to these questions and more as host Shannon Eliot chats about the connection with...

Eating Disorders
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, yet only 1 in 10 individuals suffering from the disorder receive treatment. Host Barbara Meyers talks with Julia F., who has lived with eating disorders for much of her life, and Marybeth...

Peer Respite Centers
Peer respite centers are community-based alternative models of mental health residential care. They foster wellness, are holistic in scope, and are staffed by people who are peers in terms of having experience in psychiatric crisis. Join host Barbara Meyers as she...

Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP)
Wellness Recovery Action Planning, or WRAP, is an evidence-based system that is used worldwide by people who are dealing with mental health and other kinds of wellness challenges. It is a unique form of mental health support in that is peer-led and self-directed. Join...

Meet Comedian Joshua Walters
Joshua Walters, a comedian living with bipolar disorder, chats with host Shannon Eliot about art, theatre, mental health empowerment, and his definition of madness.

Mask Healing
The creative use of a mask-making workshop to help people living with mental health difficulties to have transformative experiences and change negative self-images. Host Shannon Eliot interviews workshop creator Adella and participant Jader Tadefa.

Spirituality and Wellness
Join host Shannon Eliot as she chats with PEERS Spirituality Liaison Minister Monique Tarver and BOSS Executive Director boona cheema as they discuss the importance of spirituality in maintaining mental health and wellness.

The Making of “Shine”
Join host Shannon Eliot as she interviews Dan Reilly, Director of Shine, a documentary that highlights the inspirational and personal stories of three youths overcoming mental health challenges born from trauma. Executive producer and PEERS Associate...

Rap Therapy
Beats, Rhymes, and Life, or BRL, is an Oakland-based community organization that aims to promote mental health and wellness among youth through rap, hip hop, and other forms of pop culture. Host Shannon Eliot chats with founder Tomas Alvarez III and alum Damontae...

Stories of Recovery
Stories of Recovery is a short video series that highlights people’s stories of struggle, hope, and recovery. Hear from a diverse array of guests on how they have or are working to overcome mental health challenges to pursue their dreams and make a positive difference in the community.

Lorenzo Quan
Lorenzo Quan has overcome a variety of life challenges -- adoption, assimilation to a new culture, a suicide attempt, and homelessness. Today he serves on the board of the Alameda County Network of Mental Health Clients and is an active advocate in the mental health...

Sharon Kuehn
Mental health advocate Sharon Kuehn discusses her process of overcoming bipolar disorder and abuse that came with treatment. She also highlights the positives she has gained from her experiences — ones that have taught her to be a better and more compassionate...

Jessica Hendricks
Jessica Hendricks, a young adult who has overcome trauma and abuse,discusses both the positives and challenges of living with Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Linford Gayle
Linford Gayle is the Director of the Office of Consumer and Family Affairs for San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. While he currently plays an integral role in advocating for and empowering consumers on a county and statewide level, Linford was...

Brian Wetzel
Brian Wetzel is a public speaker and comedian who has struggled with depression since the age of 20. Learn how Brian uses comedy and performance to educate society about mental health issues and heal from his own experiences. Hear the lessons he learned from his...

Peggy Rahman
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a family member of someone with severe mental health challenges? Peggy Rahman, President of NAMI Alameda County, discusses the stigma she faced as the mother of a child with schizophrenia. Hear how she advocated for her...

Roberto Roman
Roberto Roman is a mental health community support worker with Contra Costa Behavioral Health Care Services. After experiencing traumatic losses early in his life, Roberto discusses when and why he decided to seek treatment, his experience with hospitalization, and...

Sally Zinman
Learn about the story of Sally Zinman, a pioneer in the consumer movement who has been doing advocacy work for more than 30 years. Discover how she recovered from abuse on a farm in the name of treatment and the pivotal role she has played in groundbreaking mental...

Minister Monique Tarver
Minister Monique Tarver shares how she first discovered she had mental health issues and the roles her faith and family played in helping her through hard times. Tarver is a leader in building bridges between the mental health and spiritual communities by encouraging...

Jay Mahler
In the series debut, longtime advocate Jay Mahler shares his decades-long relationship with the mental health system. Hear about his first encounter with treatment and how that catalyzed a lifelong commitment to consumer rights activism. Stories of Recovery is a...
Make a Personal Pledge
I pledge to be mindful of stigmatizing language and negative stereotypes that may be harmful to people struggling with a mental health challenge.
Media Alerts
The Alameda County Everyone Counts Campaign aims to track, analyze, and respond to how individuals with mental health challenges are portrayed in the media.
We review numerous media examples and choose one to which community members can respond to the author of the piece.