SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — South Lake Tahoe Library has kits available to help individuals and families who may be struggling with mental health and don’t know how to get help.

Through a grant from the Barton Foundation, the library is providing the kits to coincide with Mental Health Awareness month.

Whether dealing with a new diagnosis or wanting new ideas for coping and recovery from a long-standing disorder, these kits can support the path to better mental health.

There is a kit devoted to each of eight disorders including: depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorder, PTSD and trauma, alcohol use disorder and substance use disorder. Each kit comes in a courier bag and contains six or more books dealing with the given disorder, a documentary DVD, a self-diagnostic tool and worksheet to help talk to a therapist for the first time, a collection of calming techniques for emotional distress, a listing of national networks and resources for the disorder, as well as a guide for local mental health resources in South Lake Tahoe.

“Especially during Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s important to know that you can get help without shame or stigma and for all of us to remember that anyone going through a mental health crisis is someone who is suffering and deserves help,” said a press release. “There are many great organizations here in South Lake Tahoe to help you — Barton Health, NAMI El Dorado County, Tahoe Youth and Family Services, The Family Resource Center and EL Dorado County Behavioral Health. Recovery, hope, and happiness are possible.”

For more information, visit https://eldoradolibrary.org.