Anahi Martinez Mendez has known since she was a teenager that she wanted to pursue a career helping children with mental health challenges. Martinez Mendez contended with social anxiety herself as a teen, and she was eager to ensure that her younger siblings knew there were resources and support systems to help if they faced similar challenges. “I was like their second mother, especially with my sister,” Martinez Mendez said. “It made me think, ‘How can I implement and help with mental health and related issues?’ Because growing up, I never really had the support system.” Martinez Mendez arrived at Cal State San Marcos initially planning to major in psychology and work toward becoming a clinical psychologist or family therapist. But working at Student Health & Counseling Services (SHCS) inspired her to pursue a slightly different path. Martinez Mendez spent two years during her undergraduate studies working in CSUSM’s HOPE & Wellness Center as a peer educator. The experience was life-changing, inspiring Martinez Mendez to pursue a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree at CSUSM after she graduated last May as a double major in child and adolescent development and Spanish. “I realized that I love doing more community outreach than working one on one,” she said. The HOPE & Wellness Center is among several groups on campus devoted to providing mental health services for CSUSM students. Last year, the university received a $250,000 grant from the Conrad Prebys Foundation to advance those services, part of a larger $6 million investment by the Prebys Foundation in grants to 23 local organizations.  The Prebys Foundation’s funding helped CSUSM launch a mental health intervention program called the Community of Care that brings together the Cougar Care Network, SHCS and the Crisis Response Team. The grant also served as a catalyst for additional philanthropic support, including funding from the San Diego Foundation’s mental health program for MSW interns and a matching contribution from the Epstein Family Foundation.  The Community of Care’s efforts to decrease mental health challenges and crises for students include the following strategies:  Providing counseling through SHCS for students seeking mental health support.  Providing basic needs resources and expanding mental health referral support through Cougar Care Network and its mobile Care Cart.  Providing response to time-sensitive mental health crises on campus.  Martinez Mendez is part of those efforts as a MSW graduate assistant this year for the HOPE & Wellness Center. She works closely with Cathy Nguyen, the coordinator of health promotion and a senior health educator, and Rosa Hunt, a health educator. Martinez Mendez became more interested in social work through her undergraduate work with psychology professor Aleksandria Grabow. It was Grabow who taught her about the many different areas that social work touches. A self-described introvert, Martinez Mendez also credits psychology professor Kimberly Vanderbilt for helping her grow and become more comfortable working with families. As a MSW student, Martinez Mendez attends classes two days a week while working 20 hours a week at schools in San Marcos Unified School District to earn her pupil personnel services credential, which authorizes individuals to work as school counselors, school psychologists or school social workers. It’s all part of her goal of becoming a school social worker or therapist to continue advocating for mental health for school-aged children.   Visit the Student Health & Counseling Services website to learn about free mental health first aid trainings. SHCS will host the “Suicide Awareness Walk and Candlelight Vigil”  on Sept. 25 at 5 p.m. Learn more about other upcoming events to support mental health on the SHCS events calendar. Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim Assistant Director of Editorial and External Affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314

Four people with Cal State San Marcos connections have been selected to screen their films at the inaugural Hidden City Film Festival (HCFF) in Escondido. A part of the programming at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, the festival has partnered with CSUSM's College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences to provide opportunities for students to participate in the wider arts community.  “Through the partnership with CHABSS, Hidden City Film Festival has provided students with the opportunity to share their work on a large scale to the greater North County community, gain professional experience and make valuable connections within the art and film communities in San Diego County,” said Leslie Foster, a CSUSM art, media and design faculty member who has been involved in the planning of HCFF. “We're so grateful for the work of art, media and design alumnus Kelly Dexter, who played a significant role in forging this relationship; and we are excited to see the festival feature work by several students and former students. We're also delighted that alumni like Joshua Kim, who now works at the Institute of Contemporary Art, San Diego, were able to serve as members of the film festival's jury. We look forward to growing this relationship, especially in connection with the annual Festival of Arts, hosted by the university's art, media and design department each May.”  Through volunteer opportunities and festival events, students can connect with industry professionals to expand the opportunities already provided on campus. HCFF runs Sept. 26-28 at the Regal Cinema in Escondido, where CSUSM alumni Kate Clark, Adriana Carmen Alfaro and Paul Bacaj and current student Amara Abaquin-Brown will be screening their films. The festival's mission is to unite the community through the power of film by giving both local and global filmmakers the chance to highlight their creative talent. “We have a great selection of films to kick off the inaugural year, including lots of local and international selections,” said Nicole Mendez, department coordinator and filmmaker, who is serving on the jury for the festival.  Carmen Alfaro said her intention in directing her film “Behind the Scenes” was “to tell the kinds of stories that often go untold; the real, everyday experiences of people whose voices aren’t always heard.” The festival will include curated short film showcases, feature film spotlights and live Q&As as well as a closing awards ceremony. Media Contact Eric Breier, Interim assistant director of editorial and external affairs ebreier@csusm.edu | Office: 760-750-7314