UCLA Active Minds: Championing Mental Health Awareness and Advocacy

Active Minds UCLA stands as a prominent mental health advocacy group, dedicated to transforming the discourse surrounding mental health and dismantling the stigma associated with mental illness within the UCLA campus and the broader Los Angeles community. Functioning as the mental health committee under the USAC Student Wellness Commission, its primary focus lies in disseminating information about mental health resources, raising awareness about mental illness, and advocating for improved mental health care on campus.

Structure and Activities

The organization is structured into five committees: Education, Events, Workshops, Advocacy, and Outreach. Each quarter, Active Minds UCLA organizes workshops and events both on campus and in the residential areas, often collaborating with other campus organizations to expand its reach and impact. Being a part of the national Active Minds organization allows the chapter to connect with a vast network of chapters across the nation and even internationally.

A Hub for Mental Health Initiatives

The beginning of each school year presents students with opportunities to engage with various clubs and organizations on campus. For those passionate about mental health, UCLA offers several avenues for involvement, including Active Minds.

Active Minds: A National Force for Change

Active Minds is a national organization committed to reshaping the conversation around mental health. It emphasizes the importance of advocating for mental health and actively combating the stigmas linked to mental illness. The UCLA chapter holds the distinction of being the largest Active Minds chapter in the entire country.

The organization's core mission is to alter perceptions of mental health by fostering the understanding that mental health is a universal aspect of life that requires proactive care. To achieve this, Active Minds UCLA hosts workshops, events, and educational initiatives designed to provide support to individuals seeking to improve their mental well-being.

The "All of Us" Campaign

The "All of Us" campaign, now integrated as a committee within Active Minds, reinforces the idea that while not everyone experiences mental illness, everyone possesses mental health that necessitates proactive attention and care.

Other Mental Health-Focused Organizations at UCLA

Besides Active Minds, several other organizations at UCLA contribute to promoting mental health and well-being:

Yoga for Flexible Futures

Yoga for Flexible Futures is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating children about the importance of yoga and nutrition. The health benefits of yoga include increased body awareness, stress relief, reduced incidence of anxiety, depression, and insomnia, and even more. Members of Yoga for Flexible Futures visit the UCLA Community School weekly to conduct yoga classes tailored to capture children's attention. These classes often revolve around engaging themes and integrate traditional yoga poses into a unique learning experience. The club also promotes the health benefits of yoga on UCLA’s campus by collaborating with other student groups to lead adult classes. New member training certifies incoming members to teach children’s yoga and allows them to instruct classes throughout the year with the club.

Bridging Minds Through Art

Bridging Minds Through Art, affiliated with the Painted Brain, is a student group that fosters connections within UCLA’s mental health community through artistic expression. The Painted Brain, a nonprofit organization, utilizes art to bridge the gap between those with and without mental health struggles through collaborations, a magazine, and vocalized story sharing. Bridging Minds Through Art brings together artists, poets, musicians, writers, and others interested in art to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. The organization provides a platform for individuals facing mental health challenges to collaborate with others from diverse backgrounds, creating art pieces that reflect their experiences. Creative expression serves as the driving force behind the organization, fostering a positive community through events at colleges, high schools, and other locations that blend art and mental health awareness/expression.

Autism Speaks U at University of California, Los Angeles

Autism Speaks U at University of California, Los Angeles is a campus chapter furthering the work of the organization Autism Speaks. The organization engages college campuses and local communities to help all of those affected by Autism. The UCLA chapter desires to change the future set for all individuals struggling with any version of Autism. In particular, the club is interested in funding research about the causes of Autism, methods of prevention, and treatments; raising awareness about the disorder; and understanding its effect on individuals, families, and society.

Read also: Navigating Tech Breadth at UCLA

Falun Dafa at UCLA

Falun Dafa at UCLA is a student organization and Qigong group that offers free meditation. Millions of people all over the world participate in the traditional, high-level Chinese practice involving the use of posture, breathing techniques, and mental focus. The club promotes the meditative art by teaching it to others and also promotes overall social well-being. The practice of meditation has numerous mental health benefits: reducing negative emotions; building skills to manage stress; increasing self-awareness; reducing pain, high blood pressure, and insomnia; and combatting anxiety and depression.

The Impact of Active Minds: A Personal Perspective

For some, like Aubrey Freitas, involvement with Active Minds is deeply personal. Freitas, an undergraduate student at UCLA double majoring in English Literature and Psychology with a minor in Italian, is a blogger for the UCLA Healthy Campus Initiative in the Mind Well section. Her journey into mental health advocacy began at a young age, following the suicide of her babysitter. This experience, coupled with her own struggles with suicidal ideation, fueled her passion for creating a more supportive environment for others.

Freitas's involvement with Active Minds provided her with the platform and community she needed to turn her personal experiences into meaningful action. As Advocacy Director, she launched projects that addressed the needs of often-overlooked students, including a Neurodivergent Resource Hub and Awareness Week, queer movie nights, and campus-wide surveys on access to mental health resources. In her role as Executive Director, she oversaw all of the chapter’s committees: education, workshops, advocacy, outreach, marketing, radio, membership, finance, corporate relations, logistics, and interns.

Creating Inclusive Spaces

Active Minds' core mission is to cultivate safe and inclusive spaces where every student feels seen and supported. This involves challenging the stigma surrounding mental health and advocating for policies and practices that prioritize mental well-being.

Natalia Castillo, Executive Director of UCLA’s Active Minds chapter, a participant in the Active Minds Mental Health Advocacy Institute, and a leader across campus health, service, and arts spaces, has worked to reframe stigmatized narratives around mental health discourse.

Read also: Understanding UCLA Counselors

Opportunities for Involvement

The new school year offers ample opportunities to get involved with groups that promote mental health and encourage healthy habits. Exploring these organizations can help students find a good fit for their individual needs and personalities.

Active Minds UCLA extends a warm welcome to all interested individuals, encouraging them to attend meetings and participate in events.

tags: #UCLA #Active #Minds #chapter #activities