By Nic Coury, Monterey County Weekly
When it comes to providing disaster relief, fighting cancer or stewarding animal welfare, numerous organizations come to mind. But for a less visible challenge such as youth mental illness, no charity leaps out as a leader in funding research and building awareness. Susan Stilwell is hoping to change that.
Stilwell has created a successful mental health awareness operation through her family’s nonprofit, AIM for Mental Health, which has disbursed over $700,000 toward research since its creation in 2014. The Pebble Beach resident and mother is also an animal rights activist, a lawyer and a natural go-getter who owns and operates the boutique luxury hotel Tradewinds Carmel.
Stilwell spoke with the Weekly about the importance of mental health, and how AIM has claimed its place at the forefront of facilitating mental illness research and awareness. Because of her success and ambition, AIM hopes to expand from Monterey County to reach several universities throughout California.
This fall, the organization hosts its first major awareness event at a university, with walk at USC Sept. 29. On Thursday, Aug. 18, it hosts a gala dinner fundraiser in concert with Car Week.
Weekly: What led you to create AIM?
Stilwell: Growing up, my mother had anxiety. I was just trying to make her happy, but there really wasn’t any help for her and people didn’t want to talk about it. On the Monterey Peninsula, there are so many charities and people are very philanthropic, but there was nothing specifically raising money to find cures for mental health disorders.
How is your family involved in the organization?
My daughter and I were part of National Charity League for six years doing volunteer work for a number of nonprofits, none of which focused on mental health for kids. I decided to do something because I still had two children in high school – a junior and a senior – and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to raise awareness and get the kids talking about it. My husband has also traveled with me to different universities to meet top doctors.
What’s the hardest thing to stomach about mental illness and the way people react to it?
The hardest part is having people unconscious of the fact that there is little research, and that no one is really doing anything about it. My frustration is that even though there’s a lot of support, there’s a hesitancy for people to get involved, largely because of the stigma.
How much does the stigma impact the public’s view of mental health?
The stigma isn’t going to go away until people get better treatment. Someone with depression or anxiety may not be able to physically get the movement going, and their families are emotionally and financially overwhelmed by it. It’s almost too raw of a concept, whereas a mother whose child has cancer will be in a parade or Relay for Life.
What is a common misconception about mental disorders in youth?
A lot of people will say that they’re just being teenagers or that it’s hormonal and that they’ll grow out of it. People don’t understand that it’s an actual chemical imbalance in your body: a physical disease. It’s not just a mental thing that is cured by changing the way you think.
What will surprise people about this year’s gala dinner?
We have speakers like Kevin Hines, who attempted suicide by jumping off of the Golden Gate Bridge and survived;Wayne Carini from Chasing Classic Cars, whose daughter has autism; and Paraag Marathe, the chief strategist for the 49ers whose sister died from an eating disorder. We’re talking about the byproducts and that includes addiction, suicide and juvenile delinquency.
What do you see in the future for AIM?
I see it being a national movement where people know there’s an organization focused on finding solutions for mental health disorders in youth. We want to be the umbrella organization, so if you walk up to someone on the street and ask them where they’d donate for mental health, they think of AIM.
The Third Annual Aim For The Cures Gala Dinner features cars, wines, chefs and entertainment. 5-10pm, Thursday, Aug. 18. Parc du Concours Venue Tent, Portola Road and Stevenson Drive, Pebble Beach. $500/person.
AIM for Awareness Walk is a two-mile walk with music, food and exhibitors. 8-11am, Sunday, Oct. 23. Lovers Point Park, Ocean View Boulevard and 17th Street, Pacific Grove.
Read the original article in full on County Weekly.
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Dr. Guss is a 35-year veteran educator with a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership. She served as a classroom teacher for 10 years, including two years as a teacher in a bilingual program in South Central Los Angeles. She has also served as a college professor, mentor teacher for new teachers, and a master teacher for teacher candidates completing their student teaching experience. She continues to be a strong advocate for the teaching profession.
Fellowship: Stanford University School of Medicine (1994) CA
Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D. is a consultant, author and psychologist specializing in children and families. He is the supervising psychologist for the Belmont Hill School and has worked in more than seven hundred schools across the United States, as well as in international schools in Central America, Europe, Africa and Asia.
is 15 years old and a sophomore at Marina High School in Marina, CA. Her academic interests include math, history, and psychology. She joined the AIM Ideas Lab in 2021 because she wanted to be a part of something that could have a great impact on her community. Marwa is interested in youth mental health because she has always been fascinated with the human mind and she wants to support those that are suffering who may feel like their challenges in life aren’t important enough or are too afraid to seek necessary help.
Giovanna Panetta is a 16 year old junior at Carmel High School. She has always been called to STEM subjects, specifically biology. The AIM Ideas Lab instantly attracted her attention as a research opportunity. Gia has always comprehended the importance of mental health. She knows that COVID only exacerbated previously existing problems, and that as a community we can try and find the root of those problems. Mental health is an integral part of life, and can impede a body’s ability to be healthy. She strongly believes that life is worth living, and she wants to help anyone that thinks otherwise.
Dr. Friedman completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology from University of California San Diego (UCSD). She went on to complete her masters and doctorate degrees (Ph.D.) in Clinical Psychology from Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science/Chicago Medical School. Dr. Friedman completed her pre-doctoral internship at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, and her post-doctoral fellowship training at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. Her clinical training and experience has been focused primarily on comprehensive assessment and effective treatments for anxiety, mood and related disorders. Dr. Friedman has extensive experience in providing Cognitive Behavioral Therapies for anxiety disorders (e.g. worry, OCD, social anxiety, phobias and PTSD), depression, adjustment disorders/life stress, insomnia and body-focused repetitive behaviors (e.g. Trichotillomania and skin picking). She has received training in evidence-based interventions for a variety of specific problems, including exposure with response prevention (ERP) for treatment of OCD, Prolonged Exposure (PE) for treatment of PTSD, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). Moreover, she has specialty training in the treatment of childhood anxiety and related disorders, such as ADHD, selective mutism, separation anxiety, PTSD, depression and specific phobias. In addition, Dr. Friedman has developed an expertise in research on Trichotillomania and body-focused repetitive behaviors, which has led to numerous local and national presentations. Dr. Friedman regularly attends local and national conferences, training seminars and workshops in order to stay informed on the most up to date treatments and apply state of the art science into her clinical practice.
Dr. Piacentini is a board-certified clinical child and adolescent psychologist and Professor in the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences. He directs the UCLA Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Clinic and Tourette Association Center of Excellence which provide diagnostic evaluation and treatment (both therapy and medication) for youth with the above problems. He also directs the UCLA Center for Child Anxiety Resilence, Education, and Support (CARES; carescenter.ucla.edu) which provides education and programming to parents, teachers, and clinicians about anxiety prevention and management.
Citlalli Nava is 18 years old and a first year majoring in Psychology at Hartnell Community College in Salinas, CA. She is passionate about understanding how mental health affects how youth think, act, and feel. Citlalli joined the AIM Ideas Lab in 2021 after witnessing the increase in mental health challenges in teenagers and considering the mental health issues they are facing. Citlalli is interested in youth mental health because it is a real problem faced by her generation.
Clinical and community psychologist and health care innovator Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, is CEO of the American Psychological Association, the leading scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States. With more than 146,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students as members, APA promotes and disseminates psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve lives – a mission consistent with Evans’ life work.
