May is Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
When we think about mental health, many of us picture a therapist’s office, a couch, a box of tissues, and long, deep conversations. But mental health is shaped by far more than what happens in a therapy room. It shows up in the basics: Did you sleep last night? Did you eat today? Does anyone call you by your name? Can you imagine a future that looks different from today?
For people experiencing or overcoming homelessness, these are not abstract questions; they are daily realities. That’s why, at Weingart Center, service we provide is part of supporting mental well-being, preserving dignity, and cultivating hope.
The crisis behind the crisis
Today, we understand that the housing crisis and the mental health crisis are not separate issues. They are deeply intertwined. There is a well-documented yet often misunderstood connection between homelessness and mental health. A 2024 study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that 67% of people experiencing homelessness have a diagnosable mental health condition. But that statistic alone doesn’t tell the full story. Housing instability is itself a mental health crisis. The constant stress of not knowing where to sleep, the trauma of exposure and vulnerability, and the weight of isolation leave lasting psychological impacts. The connection goes both ways: mental health challenges can contribute to housing instability, while homelessness can worsen mental health conditions.
What mental health support looks like at Weingart Center
Clinical care is an essential part of mental health support, and our clinical trainees and licensed clinical professionals offer both individual and group therapy sessions, providing space for private healing as well as shared understanding.
But care doesn’t stop there.
At Weingart Center, mental health support also takes the form of drumming circles where residents build coping skills through rhythm, breath, and reflection. It includes art classes and clinical art therapy sessions that create space for creativity and expression. It’s life skills workshops like cooking classes for our permanent supportive housing residents. It’s events that foster appreciation for our community and friendships created at our interim housing programs. Let’s not forget that all Weingart Center locations freely welcome pets and service animals because we understand the important role animals play in the healing process and in people’s lives.
These are not extras; they are meaningful, accessible forms of care that meet people where they are.
The foundation: rest, nourishment, and stability
Mental health cannot improve without stability.
Rest is essential — it’s when the brain processes trauma, regulates emotion, and begins to heal. Without a safe place to sleep, that kind of rest is nearly impossible. Through our interim and permanent supportive housing programs, residents regain a sense of safety, stability, and the ability to make choices that support their healing and help move them forward.
Nutrition is just as critical. Chronic hunger increases stress hormones, disrupts sleep, and contributes to anxiety and depression. Last year alone, Weingart Center served more than 1,000,000 meals across our facilities because it’s difficult to focus on healing while stuck in survival mode.
Community as care
Belonging may be one of the most powerful (and most overlooked) components of mental health.
At Weingart Center, residents find more than housing. They find staff who know their names, peers who share similar experiences, and a community that recognizes them. These everyday moments of connection may seem small, but they carry the weight of being seen, known, and valued.
Caring for the whole person
Helping a person transition out of homelessness requires more than providing shelter. It’s about providing lasting stability, which comes from treating both mental and physical health as being deeply connected, recognizing that rest, nourishment, connection, and clinical services all work together.
At Weingart Center, mental health awareness is not limited to a single month.
It is part of everything we do.
Every day.
Learn more about our programs: https://www.weingart.org/programs
Support our work: https://www.weingart.org/donate
