Student Health and Wellness and DSPS will be virtually hosting a “Movies for Mental Health” seminar from 4:00pm – 5:30pm on Wednesday September 16.

“Because of COVID, we wanted to really make sure students are able to gain access to mental health resources,” said Rebecca Bean, student program advisor at The Well. “And to really have a dialogue around mental health differences.”

The Well is hosting a ninety minute workshop to let students know “that they have a support system at Santa Barbara City College.”

The workshop will include three short films about mental health topics, interactive polls, a mindfulness exercise, and a panel discussion with five speakers that will answer questions from the audience. 

The panel will be made up of Personal Counselor and Transfer Counselor Renato Marquez, neurodiversity specialist Natalie Holdren, student and mental health advocate Jay Joseph and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Stuart Light.

The event will be held remotely through BigBlueButton, a free app and web conferencing system designed for teachers and students.

Movies for Mental Health will be the first big virtual event of the semester, said Bean. People who want to attend can register online for free using their full name, and K number, and email. 

This is the second time Movies for Mental Health will be hosted. Last year “was such a hit that we thought, let’s do it again,” said Bean.

The event is designed to look like a webinar. The audience will only be able to see the faces of the facilitators and panelists. The Audience will be encouraged to ask questions using either the chat function or their microphones to ask questions during the Q&A.

All movies are five minutes or less, and they are shared for educational purposes.

The Event is sponsored by Art with Impact, a nonprofit organization that “uses the power of film to reduce stigma around mental health differences,” according to Bean.

Art with Impact has put on over two-hundred workshops around the nation focused on mental health.

This event is not only for students to talk about their experiences, but also to come together as a community.

Bean said the event is “to make sure that students know they’re not alone.”