See what SafeSpace is doing in the Community
Nothing from December 10, 2019 to June 10, 2020.
Nothing from December 10, 2019 to June 10, 2020.
Marie
“Living in Silicon Valley, we receive so much pressure to be perfect, and I’ve seen the negative effects of that on the mental health of many friends throughout high school. We’re not perfect, and we don’t have to be. I think it’s important to step back from this stressful environment and focus first and foremost on mental health–that’s why it’s important to spread awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding it.“
Patrick Northover
Associate Director
Patrick worked for nearly a decade as a teacher in San Mateo County public schools, where he became aware of the severe consequences of mental health issues in the community. This inspired him to partner with school administrators to pilot numerous mental health initiatives–including a wellness elective and a mindfulness curriculum–that benefited hundreds of students.
Patrick earned a B.A. in English at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, an M.A. in English at Boston College and a Single Subject Teaching Credential at San Jose State University. He is a Krause Center for Innovation MERIT Fellow and has completed extensive educator training with MindfulSchools.org.
Emily
“Everyone has mental health and it is something that affects everyone across ages, genders, nationalities, etc., so I feel that it needs to be addressed much more than it is currently. You shouldn’t have to be seriously struggling with some mental health issue to think about mental health, you don’t have to have depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, an eating disorder, or some sort of addiction to focus on your mental health, yet many people feel that that is the only time to talk about it.”
Samer
“I care for people’s feelings and emotions. I want to be there for people who have been through a lot and want to be the shoulder they can lean on. Mental health has been very taboo in our society and I want to change that. If we don’t talk about the issue and address it then our society is not helping each other.”
Riley
“Mental health can be so isolating. It can feel like you’re all alone and no one else is experiencing what you are when in reality, there are so many other people feeling the same thing struggling alone. I think normalizing the conversation around mental health is so important in order to help eliminate the shame and stigma around mental health.”
Sophia
“Someone close to me has a mental illness. It has been a battle for them and the family. Though it has been rough, they are on the path to recovery. I have tried to make the best out of what we have gone through. Through my writing, and now SafeSpace, I am using my experience as a way to help others.”
Novak
“Mental health is so important to me because there is so much pressure on youth nowadays, starting from a very young age and coming from all directions. The constant competition of the academic world, the isolation of the technology-centric social world, and the pervasive stigma around asking for help and reaching out all contribute to a scarily high rate of mental illness, drug dependency, self harm, and suicide among people under 25. This high-stress, unaccepting environment is leaving scars in kids. People deserve the opportunity to live life and pursue happiness without the massive amount of stress and expectation they face in modern society.”
Lauren
“Stigma and lack of awareness are serious problems surrounding youth mental health; there are so many struggles that people are going through that we, as outsiders, just never see. I think it is important to be aware of what our friends, coworkers, and peers may be going through and help provide support for them.”
Kevin
“I think it is a sensitive subject that is not appropriately handled which leads to common misconceptions that does not benefit anyone in society. Everyone deals with Mental Health, so I want to help correct and destigmatize the topic so that people will better understand that help is always present, and accepting aid is not a sign of weakness.”
Grace
“Mental Health it is so personal to me; some of my friends, members of family, and I have all experienced challenges with it. It is so important to me that I put forward efforts to destigmatize the mental issues so common especially in our area, as well as provide support to those struggling.”
Charlotte
“Mental Health is something that everyone deals with, but there is still a huge stigma surrounding it. I think it’s important to change people’s minds who think that needing help is a sign of weakness, and instead make it safe for people to reach out. Help is out there and no one should have to suffer in silence.”
Stephanie Brown, Ph.D.
Board Member, Mental Health Addiction
Stephanie Brown, Ph.D. is a pioneering theorist, clinician, researcher, author, teacher and consultant in the addiction field. As a psychologist, she directs the Addictions Institute, Menlo Park, California, an outpatient psychotherapy clinic, where she also maintains a private practice.
The author of 11 academic and popular books, plus training videos and a video on the stages of family recovery, Stephanie is an internationally recognized expert on the trauma and treatment of alcoholics, all addicts and their families. Especially well known for her theories and treatment of adult children of alcoholics, she lectures worldwide.
She received the Bronze Key Award (1983) and the Humanitarian Award (1984) from the National Council on Alcoholism and the Community Service Award from the California Society for the Treatment of Alcoholism and other Drug Dependencies in 1986. In 1991 she received an Academic Specialist Award from the U.S.I.A. to teach in Poland. More recently, she received the Norman Zinberg Memorial Award from Harvard University (2000), the Clark Vincent Award from the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (2001), and the Janet Geringer Woititz award from Health Communications, Inc. (2005).
Website: stephaniebrownphd.com
John Bautista
Board Member, Legal
John Bautista, a member of Orrick’s Board of Directors and Technology Companies Group, leads Orrick’s international Technology Companies practice connecting Silicon Valley with Europe and Asia. Orrick is recognized for its work in the community and pro bono efforts and John is particularly interested in youth mental health issue. SafeSpace is a pro bono client of Orrick.
John focuses his practice on advising emerging companies and investors and represents both public and private high-tech companies in many areas, including corporate and securities law, venture capital financings, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, public company representation, and technology licensing.
Financial Times recognized John as one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Individuals of the Year in 2017, calling him “one of the most influential lawyers in the technology ecosystem of Silicon Valley.”
Prior to joining Orrick, John was a founding attorney of Venture Law Group and served on the Executive Committee. John previously practiced at Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati.