UCSF Trauma Recovery Center

01/07/2026

January is Mental Wellness Month

The start of a new year is an opportunity to shift our focus from the holidays to our personal wellbeing. Many of us may make resolutions to improve our physical health (diet, exercise). It is equally vital to focus on our mental health!

Amid our busy lives, it is important to take the time to check in with ourselves about how we are doing mentally, and what could help -- ways to release stress, build resilience and other self-care skills, improve our personal relationships, feel gratitude, and nurture more positivity in our day-to-day lives. We can do the same with our loved ones. In this way, we can all validate and support mental health being as important as physical health in our lives, both as individuals and in our communities.

The TRC is thankful for our partners, including the California Victim Compensation Board, the SF District Attorney's Office Victim Services Division, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement, for enabling our services and support for those on their journey to recovering from trauma and rebuilding their mental wellness.

Healing services for survivors of interpersonal violence. The UCSF Trauma Recovery Center envisions a world where every survivor of violence gets the help they need to heal. We eliminate barriers to healing and inspire survivors to embrace hope. Our MissionServing adult survivors of interpersonal vi...

12/02/2025

Join us this Giving Tuesday (Dec 2) in supporting the vital work of the UCSF-ZSFG Trauma Recovery Center! See our overview video by clicking this link: https://youtu.be/M8pHUgUK0VE

Each day, Trauma Recovery Centers around the country, including our local San Francisco TRC, provide compassionate, patient-centered care that helps crime survivors heal from trauma, rebuild safety, and move forward with hope.

We’re also excited to share that 49ers Wide Receiver Ricky Pearsall is joining us in spreading awareness and encouraging our community to give back. His support shines a light on the impact of the UCSF Trauma Recovery Center. Click here ( https://mycausemycleats.org/player/ricky-pearsall/ ) to support Ricky Pearsall campaign My cause My cleats.🏈

Your contribution makes it possible for the UCSF-ZSFG to be there for survivors when they need it most. Let’s come together to uplift survivors by nurturing healing, safety, and growth. Click here to donate now! https://giving.ucsf.edu/fund/trauma-recovery-center



🎥NATRC Overview Video (3 min): https://youtu.be/M8pHUgUK0VE
💛Donate to UCSF Trauma Recovery Center: https://giving.ucsf.edu/fund/trauma-recovery-center
🏈Ricky Pearsall Campaign Page: https://mycausemycleats.org/player/ricky-pearsall/

He has defied the odds throughout his life — even survived cardiac arrest. Now through his foundation, Chasing M’s, the Buffalo Bills safety is transforming his story of survival into a movement that helps the next generation live boldly and ensures they have access to the same life-saving care ...

11/18/2025

November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, established in 2007, As many as 2.5 million youth per year experience homelessness. Along with losing their home, community, friends, and sense of stability and safety, many homeless youth are also victims of trauma. While trying to survive on the streets, youth are exposed to countless dangers, with an increased likelihood of substance abuse, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and risk of being trafficked.

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) has compiled a list of helpful resources, including age-related responses to trauma, for those affected by youth homelessness and for service providers, including mental health providers, child welfare workers, juvenile justice professionals, and policy makers.

November was first declared as National Homeless Youth Awareness Month in 2007.

10/08/2025

World Mental Health Day - October 10
Mental health is essential to overall wellbeing, yet millions of people still face barriers to care. In the U.S. alone, nearly 30 million people lack access to the mental health and substance use treatment they need.

World Mental Health Day, Oct. 10, shines a spotlight on the importance of mental wellbeing. It’s a moment to raise awareness, challenge stigma and advocate for stronger policies and services to support mental health for all.

The UCSF Trauma Recovery Center offers crucially needed mental health services, including for those who have suffered trauma as a result of violent crime. With our key local, state, and federal funding partners, including the California Victim Compensation Board and the SF District Attorney's Office, we are making a difference and welcome you to join our efforts to prioritize mental health care.

World Mental Health Day is October 10, 2025 and it shines a spotlight on the importance of mental wellbeing.

09/08/2025

September is National Su***de Prevention and Awareness Month. Su***de is a major public health problem with far-reaching social, emotional and economic consequences. The UCSF Trauma Recovery Center joins voices with our partners, along with mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members, to share that there is hope, help is available, and healing is possible. We thank our state and local funding partners, including CalVCB and the SF DA Victim Services Division, for supporting our crucial services to crime survivors to help them recover from trauma and restore their lives and wellbeing.
Resources:
https://afsp.org/national-suicide-prevention-month/
https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/suicide-prevention-month/

National Su***de Prevention Week is a moment in time in which we rally the public to create awareness of this leading cause of death, and inspire more and more people to learn how they can play a role in their communities in helping to save lives.

08/14/2025

July is Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Bebe Moore Campbell was an American author, journalist, and teacher. Campbell's interest in mental health was the catalyst for her first children's book, Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry, which won the NAMI Outstanding Literature Award for 2003. Campbell was a founding member of NAMI-Inglewood. Her book 72 Hour Hold also deals with mental illness. Her first play, Even with the Madness, revisited the theme of mental illness and the family.

Campbell understood that mental health isn’t just about individual healing — it’s about community transformation. She knew that when those who have been unseen and unheard share their truths, they create ripples of hope that reach far beyond themselves. Her vision was radical yet simple: creating spaces where cultural wisdom meets modern understanding, where lived experiences become guideposts for others walking similar paths.

In 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives designated July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in honor of the leading African American novelist and journalist. Bebe was a voice for individuals and families of color affected by mental Illness — and NAMI continues...

07/01/2025

What is a Trauma Recovery Center? The history of the first TRC began over 20 years ago, when Dr. Alicia Boccellari was struck by a comment about how violent crime victims needed more than just medical care. The realization that survivors needed mental health services to heal from their traumatic experiences led to the creation of our TRC.
Today, with the support and collaboration of many partners, including the state Victim Compensation Board and our local SF District Attorney office's Victim Services Division, UCSF TRC continues to provide vital services to crime victims in San Francisco. Today, we are part of a network of over 50 TRCs across the U.S. helping their communities heal from violence.
Watch this video to learn more about TRCs.

Trauma Recovery Centers (TRCs) are removing barriers to health and healing communities across the country. Find out more about how TRCs are changing the game...

06/05/2025

June is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Month

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops in response to a traumatic event. The body responds to trauma by releasing adrenaline, the stress hormone that triggers “fight or flight” mode. Adrenaline stimulates the amygdala, the part of the brain that plays a significant role in emotions, behavior, and fear processing. This system overreacts with out-of-proportion fear responses to ordinary situations. While the symptoms of traumatic stress and PTSD look similar immediately following the event, they progress differently. With PTSD, your mind stays in a state of psychological shock – instead of feeling a bit better each day, your symptoms stick with you and interfere with your normal functioning.

For most people, symptoms will start immediately following a traumatic event, but some may not develop systems until weeks, months, or even years after. It’s important to be aware of the signs so that if you find yourself struggling later, you can get help. Click the link for more info, including a PTSD screen, and protective factors and approaches that can help, including social supports, relaxation and grounding strategies, avoiding negative coping, and use of therapy.

Emotional and psychological trauma is an emotional response to a distressing event or situation that breaks your sense of security. Traumatic experiences often involve a direct threat to life or safety, but anything that leaves you feeling overwhelmed or isolated can result in trauma.

05/05/2025

May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an annual observance founded by Mental Health America in 1949 to highlight the importance of mental wellbeing, educate the public, reduce stigma and promote support for those affected by mental health conditions. Each year, individuals and organizations come together to raise awareness and advocate for better mental health care and resources.
Mental health awareness plays a crucial role in reducing stigma, encouraging early intervention and fostering empathy and understanding. By normalizing conversations around mental health, it nurtures a more compassionate society where individuals feel empowered to seek help, leading to improved mental wellbeing. Key objectives of Mental Health Awareness Month include:

Educating the public about mental health conditions and their impact.
Reducing stigma by encouraging open conversations and fostering acceptance.
Highlighting the importance of early intervention and access to treatment.
Sharing available mental health resources, including support groups and crisis services.
Building solidarity and reducing isolation for those facing mental health challenges.
Advocating for improved mental health policies, increased funding and better access to care.
Promoting mental wellbeing and self-care practices for overall health.

We are proud to recognize Mental Health Awareness Month this May, bringing attention to mental health issues and helping reduce stigma.

04/14/2025

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

Watching two 20 minute videos this month could make a crucial difference in your ability to identify and help children whom you encounter in any setting. Learn the facts about child abuse, including signs of sexual abuse and grooming, and what to do, in these brief videos recently produced by National Children's Alliance (NCA) in collaboration with the Children's Advocacy Center (CAC).

This April, challenge yourself to learn the signs of child abuse and what to do to stop it.

https://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/itsyourbusiness/

03/24/2025

March 30th is World Bipolar Day. The vision of World Bipolar Day (WBD) is to bring world awareness to bipolar conditions and to eliminate social stigma. Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes clear shifts in a person’s mood, energy, activity levels, and concentration. People with bipolar disorder often experience periods of extremely “up,” elated, irritable, or energized behavior (known as manic episodes) and very “down,” sad, indifferent, or hopeless periods (known as depressive episodes).

Resources:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder
https://ibpf.org/about-bipolar-disorder/
https://www.worldbipolarday.org/

02/28/2025

February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. Teen dating violence impacts everyone – not just teens – but also their parents, teachers, friends and communities.
Adolescents in abusive relationships often carry these unhealthy patterns of violence into future relationships. Indeed, children who are victimized or witness violence frequently bring this experience with them to the playground, the classroom, later into teen relationships and, ultimately, they can end up the victims and perpetrators of adult intimate partner violence.
Together, we can raise the nation’s awareness about teen dating violence and promote safe, healthy relationships.
Resources:
https://opdv.ny.gov/february-teen-dating-violence-awareness-month
https://www.nsvrc.org/blogs/teen-dating-violence-prevention-resources-2025-update