(May 27, 2025)
Paul Stansbury is the President of the South Bay affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). He is a retired college administrator and US Air Force Academy graduate with a BS in Engineering Management. He has an MBA from USC, a Masters in Sociology from CSU Long Beach, and a doctorate in higher education from Pepperdine University. He became involved in the National Alliance on Mental Illness when one of his sons developed a mental illness and is very indebted to the support and education that NAMI and NAMI families have provided to his family.
Mental health conditions are treatable medical conditions that change the way people think, feel and act. They are not anyone’s “fault” or to be ashamed of or limiting what one can achieve. There are many different varieties including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, attention deficit disorders, and disruptive mood dysregulation disorders. One in 5 people lives with a mental health condition, and one in 25 has a serious mental illness. Anxiety and depression are among the most common.
70% of young people in juvenile justice systems have a diagnosed mental illness. High school students with depression are twice as likely to drop out. Many children with mental health conditions do not receive treatment. Youth suicide rates have been increasing and are their 2nd leading cause of death. Almost half of LGBT students have seriously considered suicide. In spite of effective treatments, delay between onset of symptoms and when people get help can be almost a decade.
NAMI has many programs to support mental health. The Family-to-Family program is led by trained family members with experience in helping families to address these conditions. The Family-Support Group has structured support with trained family members having personal experience in support, problem-solving and information. The Basics educational program helps parents and other family caregivers of children and adolescents to understand their conditions. The NAMI Connection is a trained peer-led support group. The Peer-to-Peer program is for young adults taught by trained leaders with personal mental health experience. The NAMI Ending-the-Silence is a school presentation program to help students avoid the stigma and obtain needed mental health services. There is also an On-Campus High School Club to raise student awareness that mental illness is not rare and is treatable.
NAMI is involved in a variety of advocacy and legislative issues regarding mental illness and health care program coverage on the local, state and national level, including with the National Institute on Mental Health Reductions. They welcome our involvement and donations; see https://namisouthbay.org/get-involved/donate/.
Some help resources:
- In Crisis? Call LA County Access Line at 1-800-854-7771 (24/7)
- Warmlines/Help Lines: NAMI South Bay at (310) 533-0705
- NAMI National Help Line: M-F 10 am – 10 pm ET: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)