Warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide. If this topic is triggering for you, please consider skipping this episode. If you or someone you know is in crisis, in the US, please call or text 988 for immediate help. If outside the US, please reach out to your local crisis hotline.

Written by Ally Merkel; Narrated by Lydia Berger Gray; Artwork by Adrian Cruz; Produced by DMH + UCLA Public Mental Health Partnership

Sidewalk Stories is inspired by real-life relationships between an unhoused person and their mental health outreach provider on the Los Angeles County Homeless Outreach and Mobile Engagement team, known as HOME. Though identifying details have been changed, the heart of these stories remains intact. Their work is a beautiful reminder that by offering a helping hand, a listening ear, and leading with empathy, we can inspire hope and help others know that they are never alone.