(May 27, 2022) Alexandria, VA – Raising awareness. Destigmatizing the issues. Abolishing roadblocks to care. These were among many Calls to Actions from the Concerned Citizens Network of Alexandria’s (CCNA) first workshop on Mental Health Awareness.
CCNA’s virtual series on Health Equity kicked off this week with Mental Health Awareness as the first in the series with solid discussions on its importance to the community.
“Our objective is to spread the word throughout the community,” noted Jacqueline Burrell, CCNA Director of Communications.
Held live on STEM City USA and CCNA’s YouTube channel simultaneously, the hour-long discussion featured Dr. Karen Flanagan, vice president Inova Behavioral Health, Dr. Ali Walker, board chair, National Capital Area Chapter American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Noraine Buttar, Chief of Youth Development City of Alexandria. The session was facilitated by CCNA Executive Director Jim Paige and CCNA Health Coordinator Andrea Hirsch, PhD, who is a clinical psychologist.
Virginia ranks 42nd in ease of access to care, noted Dr. Flanagan, a horrible statistic. “May is Mental Health month but we need to be talking about mental health everyday of the week,” she said.
People may want to help but don’t know how, stated Dr. Walker, citing the lack of awareness of available resources.
Focusing on the city’s youth, Ms. Buttar highlighted the need for caring adults in a child’s life and teaching them to become resilient.
The journey from struggling with a mental health issue to wellness can be a complicated and difficult process, noted Dr. Hirsch. “No one factor exists in a vacuum. Individuals, cultures, institutions, policies, and historical context all shape outcomes. But the journey often begins with us, the wayfinders – parents, educators, peers, coaches, clergy and other community members,” she added.
“This was a wonderful program,” offered, Hank Van Putten, Professor, Peace & Justice Institute, Valencia College, Orlando Fl. “Our families need more session like this.”
This session can be viewed in its entirety on CCNA’s website (https://ccnalexandria.org/health-equity/) and/or its YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/cYkK-MWJLeY.
CCNA’s next session in its Health Equity series on STEM City will discuss how to better spot potential mental health struggles in the individual, as well as ways to more effectively support the individual on the road to wellness.
About STEM City: A digital-twin Metaverse platform providing space for communities to come together to overcome socio-economic, geographic, and access barriers to create flourishing and nurturing places for all citizens to grow and thrive.
Founded in 2009, CCNA is a nonprofit organization committed to Equity in Education, Social Justice, and Health, especially for communities of color.
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