Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Health Education

If you're looking to improve your health in body, mind and spirit, our Behavioral Health Education classes may be just what you're looking for. We offer you skills, information and group support to optimize your mental and emotional health and promote your sense of well-being. These programs can help you to deal with stress, regardless of its source.

You will learn healthy lifestyle practices, relaxation and mindfulness techniques, tools for working with thoughts and emotions, how to communicate assertively, and skills to enhance social support.

We want you to be an active partner with your health care team in managing your mental health, social and emotional well-being. You may self-refer to our programs, or be referred by a medical provider, behavioral medicine consultant or department of psychiatry clinician. The many self-care and coping strategies taught in our behavioral health programs complement medical and mental health treatments you may be receiving from your provider.

Our Instructors

All Behavioral Health Education instructors have a Doctorate or Master's degree in psychology, social work, public health or a related field with at least two years of experience in counseling and group facilitation. Instructors are experienced in teaching cognitive-behavioral skills, relaxation/ mindfulness and other stress reduction skills, communication skills, self-care practices and effective goal setting strategies for healthy lifestyle change. Our Behavioral Health Education Coordinator oversees classes and periodically updates the class content to meet current knowledge and practice.

Programs and Services

Most Behavioral Health classes include a one-session overview of the topic followed by a multi-session class series that offers information, support and skill development in a safe, interactive group format. You may enroll in these classes through the Health Education Department, your clinical health educator, behavioral medicine consultant or medical provider.

Our classes are one part of many Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa services for promoting mental health and emotional well-being. Our Health Education Center offers a wide variety of resources on mental, emotional and behavioral health. Please stop by to pick up free pamphlets, use our computer to search for scientific articles, or to borrow or purchase books, audios, and videos. Your Primary Care Provider, and the Behavioral Medicine Consultant who works on your provider' module, may offer medical or non-medical treatments to help as well. The Department of Psychiatry offers brief individual and group psychotherapy and medication evaluation and treatment for chemical dependency and a variety of mental health conditions and concerns.