Behavioral Wellness Taking Applications for Kovacs Scholarships
Noozhawk
August 19, 2026
If you or someone you know has navigated the mental health system and is ready to take the next step toward a career in behavioral wellness, there’s a little-known scholarship that could make a real difference. The Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness is now accepting applications for the annual John Kovacs Scholarship, a fund created to support people who identify as having mental health challenges and are pursuing higher education or vocational training. It’s a beautiful way to honor Kovacs’ legacy while investing in the next generation of peer supporters and counselors right here on the Central Coast.
This is more than just a check—it’s a statement that lived experience matters in the field of mental health. For many in our community, finding a path forward after a diagnosis can feel isolating, and scholarships like this help break down barriers. The application window is open now, so if this resonates with you, a friend, or a family member, I’d encourage you to check out the details on the Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness website or through Noozhawk’s coverage. A little encouragement can go a long way—and this might be the nudge someone needs to chase a meaningful career.
This summary was written by AI based on the original article from Noozhawk.
City
Santa BarbaraSource
NoozhawkPublished
August 19, 2026
AI-curated summary from local news sources
Explore Santa BarbaraAll Santa Barbara NewsMore News from Santa Barbara
Santa BarbaraJordan Killebrew, Lori Goodman Join Leading From Within Board
Our local leadership pipeline just got a little stronger. Leading From Within, the Santa Barbara nonprofit that invests in emerging community leaders, has welcomed two new trustees to its board: Jordan Killebrew from SBCC's Public Affairs & Communications Department and Lori Lander Goodman from LEAP. Both are graduates of LFW programs themselves, which says a lot about the organization's full-circle approach to building leadership here on the Central Coast. Katya Armistead, co-executive director, put it well — these two bring deep experience and a real commitment to Santa Barbara County. If you've crossed paths with either of them, you know that's true. Killebrew's work at SBCC and Goodman's efforts at LEAP have already touched plenty of local lives. It's the kind of quiet civic news that matters more than it might first appear. Strong nonprofits need strong boards, and LFW's mission of cultivating leaders shapes everything from schools to social services across the 805. Welcome aboard, Jordan and Lori. (Shoutout to Noozhawk for the heads-up.)
Santa BarbaraMusic & Meditation Features Versatile Voices of Clarinet Family
Santa Barbara's Music & Meditation series keeps finding beautiful ways to slow us down, and the next installment brings the whole clarinet family into the room. Clarinetist Nancy Mathison joins pianist and artistic director Antonio Artese for an intimate one-hour program at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, in the Music Academy of the West's Weinman Hall. What makes this series special is the pairing of guided meditation and intentional silence with live music — a rare chance to sit with sound instead of just hearing it. Weinman Hall's warm acoustics make it feel like the musicians are playing just for you, and a midday Friday concert is an easy escape from the week's noise. Thanks to Noozhawk for keeping us posted on the Fall 2026 season. Tickets and details are worth grabbing early — these intimate shows tend to fill up.
Santa BarbaraWinning the Midterms as a Feminist Issue
Friends, the Santa Barbara Independent just reminded us of something we tend to forget between election cycles: women have made up a majority of voters for the past two decades. That's not a small footnote — it's the whole ballgame here on the Central Coast, where turnout in places like Goleta, Carpinteria, and Santa Barbara's neighborhoods can swing a school board seat or a city council race. So as midterm talk heats up, think of it this way: the issues women consistently rank as priorities — housing affordability, childcare, reproductive healthcare, public safety — are the exact issues shaping our 805 communities right now. If the majority shows up, those priorities don't get ignored. Worth a read over at the Independent, and worth a conversation with your neighbors. Whatever your politics, showing up is how Santa Barbara County gets its say. Mark your calendar, check your registration, and talk to the folks on your block.