WBAL-TV 11 News speaks with Kerry Graves on World Mental Health Day
THE AGE OF FOUR. TODAY IS WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY, A TIME THAT SHEDS LIGHT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING. MILLIONS OF AMERICANS ARE AFFECTED BY CONDITIONS LIKE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION, BUT SOCIAL STIGMAS AND PHYSICAL BARRIERS LEAVE MANY TO STRUGGLE IN SILENCE. JOINING US RIGHT NOW IS KERRY GRAVES FROM THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS. AND LATELY, WE’VE SEEN A RISE IN THE AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH. WHAT’S HELPING OUT WITH THAT? ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE FEELING A LITTLE MORE FREE TO SPEAK OPENLY. I THINK THAT WE’VE WORKED VERY HARD TO EDUCATE OUR YOUTH, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. SO WE HAVE SCHOOL PROGRAMS FROM EVERYTHING FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALL THE WAY UP TO COLLEGE. I’M ACTUALLY WEARING MY IOWA LISTEN SHIRT BECAUSE WE WERE ON EVERY COLLEGE CAMPUS IN BALTIMORE CITY AND COUNTY THIS WEEK. SO TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH HELPS TO ERADICATE STIGMA. SO NORMALIZING THE CONVERSATION IS IMPORTANT. NORMALIZING THE CONVERSATION. THERE’S ALSO THIS STIGMA AS YOU SAID. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST BARRIERS IN TERMS OF PEOPLE GETTING MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT RIGHT NOW. DO YOU SEE THERE ARE ACCESS BARRIERS. AND WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE’S INCREDIBLY LONG WAIT TIMES IF YOU HAVE INSURANCE AND YOU’RE TRYING TO SEEK OUT A PROVIDER THAT CARRIES AND CARRIES THAT TYPE OF INSURANCE, THERE ARE INCREDIBLY LONG WAIT TIMES. ADDITIONALLY, YOU KNOW, CULTURALLY COMPETENT PROVIDERS ARE. WE HAVE A LACK OF DIVERSITY IN PROVIDERS AS WELL, WHICH IS A BARRIER FOR FOLKS SEEKING ACCESS. SO UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS A COMPLICATED ISSUE. OUR SYSTEM IS FAR BEHIND WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT ARE TEENS AND THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, AND THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THEN THE SOCIAL MEDIA AFFECTS THEIR MENTAL HEALTH. SO WHAT CAN WE DO AS ADULTS TO HELP THE KIDS ON TIKTOK? YES, ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY ABOUT PARENTS AND THEIR AWARENESS TO WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND THEM. YOU KNOW, REALLY TALKING TO TEENS ABOUT INTERNET SAFETY IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. AND WE KNOW THAT THAT HAVING HONEST CONVERSATIONS WITH ADULTS IS A SAFETY FACTOR FOR KIDS. AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR YOUTH FEEL COMFORTABLE SEEKING OUT SUPPORT FROM A SAFE ADULT TO TALK TO ABOUT WHAT THEY’RE SEEING AND HEARING ONLINE. THE FACT IS, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET THEM OFFLINE, RIGHT? I MEAN, THIS IS JUST A PART OF THEIR WORLD AND A PART OF THEIR NETWORK. SO IT REALLY IS ABOUT FINDING THOSE EXTERNAL SAFE PLACES FOR THEM TO TALK ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ONLINE AND KEEP THEM, YOU KNOW, FROM GETTING INTO HARM’S WAY. AS FAR AS ADULTS ARE CONCERNED. I MEAN, I DON’T KNOW I DON’T KNOW IF THIS IS THE CASE, BUT I’M GOING TO GUESS THAT WHEN ADULTS LIST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE THE BIGGEST MENTAL HEALTH STRESSORS FOR THEM, A LOT OF IT IS WORK. THE WORKPLACE, THE JOB, ALL OF THAT. SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HOW WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST FOR PEOPLE WHO, YOU KNOW, THEY GOT TO WORK. BUT BUT IT’S A IT’S A VERY MENTAL IT’S A, IT’S A TRYING SITUATION FOR THEM. IT ABSOLUTELY IS. WE WORK WITH WORKPLACES TO PROVIDE ANTI-STIGMA TRAINING TO THE WORKPLACE, BECAUSE THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PLACE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. SO EMPLOYERS MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE PROVIDING FLEXIBILITY FOR EMPLOYEES TO GO TO THEIR TREATMENT APPOINTMENTS, THAT THEY’RE MAKING IT A SAFE SPACE FOR EMPLOYEES TO SAY THAT THEY ARE TAKING AN APPOINTMENT WITH A THERAPIST THE SAME WAY THEY WOULD SAY, I’M GOING TO GET MY PHYSICAL. EVERY YEAR IS IMPORTANT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL AS RESILIENCY TOOLS FOR THE EMPLOYEES. SO ANY TIME THAT AN EMPLOYER CAN BRING IN SOME OF THOSE TOOLS AND MAKE SURE THEIR EMPLOYEES ARE SET UP FOR SUCCESS, OFFERING FLEXIBILITY IN THE WORKPLACE AND MAKING SURE THAT EMPLOYEES ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THEIR WORK SITUATION IS IMPORTANT. GREAT. GREAT TIPS FOR US. THANK YOU SO MUCH, KERRY GRAVES, NATIONAL. NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS. I GOT THAT
WBAL-TV 11 News speaks with Kerry Graves on World Mental Health Day
Kerry Graves with the National Alliance on Mental Illness spoke with WBAL-TV 11 News on World Mental Health Day.She discussed the growing awareness surrounding mental health, and some barriers that still remain.
Kerry Graves with the National Alliance on Mental Illness spoke with WBAL-TV 11 News on World Mental Health Day.
She discussed the growing awareness surrounding mental health, and some barriers that still remain.