Members of the Junior League of San Antonio meet once a month at our General Membership Meetings (GMMs) to learn about upcoming volunteer opportunities and events. During typical years these meetings occur in-person and are hosted by one of our community partners. We bring in guest speakers to inform our members about events in our community, projects our community partners are pursuing, provide training in a specific topic, or engage in meaningful conversations with our guests. For the 2020-2021 League Year our GMMs have all been virtual. 

Though a virtual GMM may not provide the same bonding experience our members are used to, the switch has provided some new opportunities. Members can attend a meeting from anywhere around the city, or while helping their kids with homework, or while staying late at the office. The platform also allowed us to continue to bring in special guests to speak to our members about important issues. 

For April’s GMM, we had the pleasure of welcoming two outstanding women from our Good Health Sponsor, University Health: Anita Uribe Martin and Dr. Abby O. Lozano. They spoke to our members on the topic of mental health. 

Dr. Abby O. Lozano is an Assistant Professor at UT Health San Antonio, the Director of Inpatient Psychiatric Services at University Hospital, and Director of the Psychiatric Consult and Liaison Service at University Hospital.

During a time when many people’s routines have been flipped upside down and are experiencing periods of isolation, many of us are feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, and mentally exhausted. Knowing the signs and ways we can help ourselves and others is extremely important. Dr. Lozano shared some of the signs and resources with our members:

• Worsening depressed mood or feeling down to the point where it is difficult to get out of bed and complete your usual daily tasks, can be accompanied by sleep issues (sleeping too much, or inability to sleep) and appetite issues (eating excessively or not having appetite) 
• Feeling apathetic and not wanting to participate in things that used to bring you joy (no longer interested in hobbies, in going out with friends or family, etc) 
• Feeling down to the point of not wanting to live any longer, or having thoughts of wanting to hurt yourself 
• Having thoughts of wanting to injure or hurt someone else 
• Drinking alcohol to the point that it is interfering with work, relationships, home responsibilities 
• Using substances (prescription pain pills, sedative hypnotic medication, stimulants, hallucinogens, etc) to the point that it is leading to dangerous behavior, interfering with work, relationships, and home responsibilities 
• Irritability that is out of your usual, affecting relationships 
• Feeling so anxious that it is difficult to participate in daily activities, work, or home responsibilities 

One of the resources shared with our members concerning behavioral health is the Center for Health Care Services. The Center is offering a crisis Counseling Program to help individuals dealing with anxiety, grief, isolation, and loss associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. Another resource for you or someone you know who is in need of help regarding behavioral health, is the UT Health Advance Clinic. 

Thank you to our Good Health Sponsor, University Health. The league has been partnering with UHS since 2015. Their sponsorships and partnership has meant a lot to us as we work together to better our community.

Special thanks to Anita Martin and Dr. Abby Lozano for joining our members at our April GMM. We look forward to welcoming you back to a future meeting as we continue growing our relationship with University Health.