Art with Impact Collaboration Brings Movies For Mental Health to CHC

Publish Date: March 23, 2022

Crafton Hills College (CHC) in collaboration with Art with Impact held an informative virtual workshop and panel discussion about movies for mental health. The moderator showed the audience award-winning short films focused on mental health problems and the stigmas surrounding them. Participants were encouraged to follow mindfulness activities such as breathing exercises and guided meditation. The public chat discussion and a poll function provided a safe space for participants to voice what they were feeling throughout the workshop.

A panel consisting of mental health professionals provided an informational Q&A session. The panelists included CHC Health and Wellness Coordinator Hannah Sandy and CHC Psychology graduate Sheena Brown. Joining them were Donnell Wigfall, a child & adolescent psychiatrist from the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health, and Donald Harris, a mental health education consultant.

The panel addressed effects of stigmas associated with mental health such as the fear of asking for help. CHC alumnus Sheena Brown shared her personal struggles as well as the resources she used to overcome her problems and succeed. Brown credited some of her success to Disabled Student Programs and Services, the use of a recorder in the classroom, additional test time and Counsellor Evan Sternard’s stress management course at Crafton.

The goal of the panelists was to address the difficulty of seeking professional help while bringing awareness to the resources available at CHC and from San Bernardino County’s Department of Behavioral Health. Early detection and treatment are crucial in minimizing the negative effects of mental illness. Students and staff were encouraged to seek out healthy practices and coping mechanisms to support their mental health.