Monterey County Behavioral Health Bureau

06/19/2025

🎤 Youth Pride Open Mic & Dance! 💃🏽
Celebrate PRIDE with music, movement, and community vibes! ✨

🗓️ Friday, June 21
🕠 5:30–7:30 PM
📍 Palenke Arts Center at Martin Luther King School of the Arts (Seaside, CA)

This night is all about LGBTQ+ youth expression, joy, and celebration. Whether you're ready to sing, spit poetry, dance, or just vibe, we want YOU there. 🌟

💥 Open to all LGBTQ+ middle & high school youth.
🎤 Open mic + DJ dance floor
💖 Free & affirming space. Come as you are!
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06/11/2025

🌈 Happy Pride Month, Monterey County!

This month, we honor the resilience, joy, and brilliance of the LGBTQ+ community and recognize the work of Rainbow Connections, building a more inclusive and supportive future for LGBTQ+ youth and families in our community. Through expressive arts, youth empowerment, family support, and community education, Rainbow Connections creates spaces where everyone belongs, spaces for connection, healing, and celebration.

Let’s continue to uplift, listen, and stand together — not just in June, but all year long. 🏳️‍🌈

06/04/2025

Join Rainbow Connections & Monterey County Behavioral Health for free expressive arts workshops from June 3–27, Monday through Friday, 12:30–1:30 PM at Pacific Grove High School! 🌈💛

🖌 Open to all ages
📅 Come any day — no daily attendance required
🎭 Drop in, get creative, and connect — because everyone belongs.

05/21/2025

🌈 Rainbow Connections and it's collaborative partners 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐞, 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 provide a variety of trainings and Inclusive Social Emotional Learning classroom lessons to help cultivate environments of support and belonging for our LGBTQ+ youth.💚

We recognize how vital it is to build capacity across home, school, and community settings for adults to understand, identify, and affirmatively respond to LGBTQ+ youth—and we’re grateful to have our amazing partners helping us reach this goal.

Our focus:
🔹 Support Educators, Providers, Parents/Caregivers, and other adults in the community with understanding the needs and experiences of LGBTQ+ youth
🔹 Provide affirming tools and knowledge to create and maintain inclusive and supportive spaces for LGBTQ+ youth
🔹 Strengthen cross-systems through interagency collaboration and alignment of resources
🔹 Expand and increase access to inclusive, affirming medical and mental health care for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families

Together, we’re creating safe spaces where LGBTQ+ youth can shine and thrive. 💬✨
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05/14/2025

Our first Resource Fair of the month is happening today from 1:00-3:00 pm at 359 Gabilan Dr., Soledad, CA. Stop by and say hello.

Our next one will be tomorrow, May 15th at 1441 Constitution Blvd. in Salinas, CA. We hope to see you there!

05/08/2025

In honor of the one-year anniversary of our Alisal Integrated Health Center, Monterey County Behavioral Health invites you to join us to celebrate and learn more about available mental health resources for children, youth, adults and families.

05/08/2025

In celebration of Mental Health Awareness Month, Monterey County Behavioral Health invites you to attend our resource events at our regional Access Clinics to learn more about Behavioral Health resources as well as other community services and supports available in Monterey County.

05/06/2025

🌈 Coloring the Rainbow Pizza Party! 🎨🍕

Hosted by the Rainbow Connections Youth Empowerment Council, this event is all about creativity, connection, and community—plus FREE pizza! 🍕✨

📅 Saturday, May 10
🕛 12–2 PM
📍 The Oven Pizzeria
720 Broadway Ave, Seaside, CA 93955

Open to all LGBTQ+ middle & high school youth.
🎨 Food & materials provided — spots are limited, so come early or RSVP if needed!

Let’s make some colorful memories together! 💖🌈

05/02/2025

𝙷𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚢 𝙼𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚑 𝙰𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚑! We're kicking things off with 𝐉𝐎𝐘 and 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍! 😄

Rainbow Connections and Monterey County Behavioral Health, with our amazing partners — Partners for Peace, The Epicenter, Harmony at Home, Diversity Center, Gender Health Training Institute, You Will Rise Project, and DragonFly Forward — are here to uplift and unite our community.

We have a shared focus and a deep investment in building stronger, more inclusive spaces of belonging where LGBTQ+ youth feel supported, celebrated, and empowered—everywhere they go. 💕🌍

Because when we work together, we strengthen our collective impact and create real change. Let’s keep growing, connecting, and rising together!

04/28/2025

04/25/2025

In honor of Day of Silence this April — a national student-led movement that sheds light on the silencing effects of bullying and harassment toward LGBTQ+ individuals — we’re proud to spotlight our inspiring partners at Harmony at Home. 💕✨

This incredible team shows up where it matters most — on school campuses, working alongside students and staff to foster safe, inclusive spaces for all students, especially those within the LGBTQ+ community. From daily campus support to incredible events like Pink Shirt Day (PSD) and invigorating and informative parent workshops, Harmony at Home is a vital part of creating schools where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. 💬🚫➡️💖🌈

A huge shoutout to Joaquin, Denise, Jazmine, and Julie from Harmony at Home for your unwavering dedication to compassion, education, and advocacy. Your presence and impact are felt daily, not just during awareness months. 🙏✨

Stay tuned for more from our Meet the Team series as we celebrate the changemakers behind Rainbow Connections.

04/16/2025

Join us for the second annual Rainbow Connections Student Wellness Expo! This vibrant gathering brings together school leaders, educators, parents, caregivers, and allies to share resources, strengthen connections, and uplift our LGBTQ+ youth through the undeniable power of community. 🌟

🗓 Date: Tuesday, April 22
🕒 Time: 3:00–5:00 PM
📍 Location: Monterey County Office of Education: 901 Blanco Cir, Salinas
📚 Resource Materials
'🌈 Rainbow Connections Goodie Bags
🍎 Refreshments
🎶 Live music by the one and only DJ Ayumiplease

Explore how to support the mental health and wellness of LGBTQ+ students and families. Learn more about the Rainbow Connections Provider Network and discover LGBTQ+ affirming services for youth up to age 25 and their families throughout Monterey County. View our beautiful Everyone Belongs Community Mural created in collaboration with elementary and middle school students and The Epicentery!

Hosted by Rainbow Connections project collaborators: Monterey County Behavioral Health, Monterey County Office of Education, The Diversity Center, The Epicenter, Harmony at Home, Partners for Peace, and You Will Rise.

REGISTER: https://bit.ly/3G7rph9