The three guests have dedicated their careers to the advancement and understanding of mental health. Because May is Mental Health Awareness Month, the show welcomed, Alfredo Aguirre, Dr. Jeffery Rowe, and Shannon Jaccard.

Alfredo Aguirre is the Director of Behavioral Health Services of San Diego County and has been the Mental Health Director since 2007. He earned his Master’s Degree in Social Welfare in 1978 from the University of California at Berkeley. For over three decades, he has worked in the mental health field in California.

Jeffery Rowe, MD, is the Clinical Director of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, and the Head of Psychiatry for the UCSD School of Medicine. He is an active a professor in the classroom and maintains a professional practice.

Shannon Jaccard is a CEO of NAMI San Diego and holds an MBA from CSU San Marcos. Her interest in helping people with mental health issues began with her brother’s diagnosis. When she realized that he seemed to achieve a positive affect in his behavior through friendship and camaraderie, she founded a non-profit organization, Compeer San Diego.

Understanding mental illness creates a community that is not only more tolerant, but also more stable through its approach to the needs of the citizens. Another helpful link for those who are suffering from or have a loved who is suffering from depression is up2sd.org.

Shannon Jaccard Video

LISTEN TO PODCAST

Listen to a podcast of Alfredo Aguirre, Dr. Jeffery Rowe, and Shannon Jaccard’s interview!