Battling Stigma and Discrimination
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Her father died by suicide. She conquered her own battle with depression. Now she runs the County’s campaign to reduce stigma and discriminations associated with mental illness.
Both her work and personal experiences are what got Karen Ventimiglia a valued spot on an advisory board to the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA).
Ventimiglia, 53, an employee of the County Mental Health Services (MHS), is one of 22 members on the statewide Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Consortium.
“I am honored,” said Ventimiglia, who started working for MHS in 2007 and is the County’s coordinator of the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), approved by voters in 2004. “It’s a huge responsibility…our input will help drive the stigma and discrimination reduction effort statewide.”
The task may appear daunting, but for Ventimiglia these issues are important. This is what she does for a living, but they also hit close to her heart. Understandably Ventimiglia is passionate about her work.
Her father died by suicide when she was 26. At the time, she did not know about her father’s struggle with severe depression. His passing left her severely depressed, yet she felt she could not discuss the issue. She did not know where to get help.
“Suicide is something you don’t talk about. You don’t talk about it outside the family,” said Ventimiglia, “I did not know where to go and I didn’t know there were places to go for support.”
After battling her own stigma, she started to confide in a friend, but Karen’s own mental health challenges were too much for her friend to shoulder; and acting on her friend’s suggestion, Karen sought professional help.
Eliminating stigma so that people get help with a mental illness is the goal of the It’s Up to Us campaign, which also aims to increase public awareness on suicide prevention.
“I know that if people get help early, our society would be healthier,” said Ventimiglia, who also serves on the California Mental Health Directors Association MHSA Committee and received the Mental Health Manager of the Year Award in 2010. “The way to do that is through erasing the stigma around mental health and suicide prevention.”
Before arriving at the County, Ventimiglia worked for Pfizer. After her position with the pharmaceutical giant was eliminated, she was offered a job at a pharmaceutical company in La Jolla.
She declined the offer even though it paid $20,000 per year more. She was ready to change her career path and start doing what she really wanted to do: help people.
“I wanted to make a difference – wanted to directly impact people’s lives,” said Ventimiglia. “I knew that here, working in the County Health and Human Services Agency, is where I could help people.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing mental health challenges, call the County’s Access and Crisis Line at (888) 724-7240. Information and resources about mental illness and suicide can also found at It’s Up to Us.