our mental health system is broken as a licensed social worker and a therapist
licensed social worker and a therapist
licensed social worker and a therapist I’ll be the first to admit it
I’ll be the first to admit it
I’ll be the first to admit it I used to go into families homes
I used to go into families homes
I used to go into families homes thinking that I was going to help them
thinking that I was going to help them
thinking that I was going to help them Hill only to find out that we were
Hill only to find out that we were
Hill only to find out that we were putting band-aids on two broken bones
putting band-aids on two broken bones
putting band-aids on two broken bones I’ve stood in hospital rooms helplessly
I’ve stood in hospital rooms helplessly
I’ve stood in hospital rooms helplessly looking at newborn babies in incubators
looking at newborn babies in incubators
looking at newborn babies in incubators who are addicted to heroin because their
who are addicted to heroin because their
who are addicted to heroin because their parents didn’t have the support they
parents didn’t have the support they
parents didn’t have the support they needed to deal with addiction I’ve even
needed to deal with addiction I’ve even
needed to deal with addiction I’ve even sat at kitchen tables with moms crying
sat at kitchen tables with moms crying
sat at kitchen tables with moms crying as their son was being hauled off to a
as their son was being hauled off to a
as their son was being hauled off to a juvenile detention center due to
juvenile detention center due to
juvenile detention center due to behaviors that were the result of
behaviors that were the result of
behaviors that were the result of unaddressed mental health challenges
unaddressed mental health challenges
unaddressed mental health challenges I’ve stood in the middle of a violent
I’ve stood in the middle of a violent
I’ve stood in the middle of a violent domestic dispute between a husband and
domestic dispute between a husband and
domestic dispute between a husband and wife because they didn’t have the skills
wife because they didn’t have the skills
wife because they didn’t have the skills or confidence needed to deescalate their
or confidence needed to deescalate their
or confidence needed to deescalate their crisis I lost my best friend from
crisis I lost my best friend from
crisis I lost my best friend from college to mental illness by way of
college to mental illness by way of
college to mental illness by way of suicide I’ve attempted suicide multiple
suicide I’ve attempted suicide multiple
suicide I’ve attempted suicide multiple times and since I was about 14 years old
times and since I was about 14 years old
times and since I was about 14 years old I’ve struggled with symptoms related to
I’ve struggled with symptoms related to
I’ve struggled with symptoms related to anxiety and depression now all of these
anxiety and depression now all of these
anxiety and depression now all of these instances have one thing in common they
instances have one thing in common they
instances have one thing in common they weren’t addressed until after a crisis
weren’t addressed until after a crisis
weren’t addressed until after a crisis so about a year and a half ago I asked
so about a year and a half ago I asked
so about a year and a half ago I asked myself one question
myself one question
myself one question what are you going to do about it that’s
what are you going to do about it that’s
what are you going to do about it that’s when I had my moment of awakening so one
when I had my moment of awakening so one
when I had my moment of awakening so one day after a session with the family I
day after a session with the family I
day after a session with the family I decided to drive my car into one of our
decided to drive my car into one of our
decided to drive my car into one of our most cherished and loved communities for
most cherished and loved communities for
most cherished and loved communities for african-americans here in Pittsburgh the
african-americans here in Pittsburgh the
african-americans here in Pittsburgh the hill district and as I’m driving there I
hill district and as I’m driving there I
hill district and as I’m driving there I said the first person you see have a
said the first person you see have a
said the first person you see have a conversation with them about mental
conversation with them about mental
conversation with them about mental health no agenda no outcomes no budget
health no agenda no outcomes no budget
health no agenda no outcomes no budget just find somebody to listen to and as I
just find somebody to listen to and as I
just find somebody to listen to and as I pull up to park I see two ladies sitting
pull up to park I see two ladies sitting
pull up to park I see two ladies sitting on their front porch in something in my
on their front porch in something in my
on their front porch in something in my soul said that’s who you need to speak
soul said that’s who you need to speak
soul said that’s who you need to speak with at this very moment so I built up
with at this very moment so I built up
with at this very moment so I built up enough courage to walk toward the and as
enough courage to walk toward the and as
enough courage to walk toward the and as I approached both of them one of the
I approached both of them one of the
I approached both of them one of the ladies jumps up and immediately runs
ladies jumps up and immediately runs
ladies jumps up and immediately runs into her house the other woman decided
into her house the other woman decided
into her house the other woman decided to stay in her seat and I think God for
to stay in her seat and I think God for
to stay in her seat and I think God for that so I walk up to her and I stuttered
that so I walk up to her and I stuttered
that so I walk up to her and I stuttered and I said excuse me ma’am
and I said excuse me ma’am
and I said excuse me ma’am my name is Julius I lost my best friend
my name is Julius I lost my best friend
my name is Julius I lost my best friend from college to mental illness I have
from college to mental illness I have
from college to mental illness I have attempted suicide multiple times and as
attempted suicide multiple times and as
attempted suicide multiple times and as a therapist I know I’m part of a broken
a therapist I know I’m part of a broken
a therapist I know I’m part of a broken system I’m looking for somebody anybody
system I’m looking for somebody anybody
system I’m looking for somebody anybody in our community to tell me how they
in our community to tell me how they
in our community to tell me how they overcome mental health challenges do you
overcome mental health challenges do you
overcome mental health challenges do you know anyone who’d be willing to share
know anyone who’d be willing to share
know anyone who’d be willing to share their story because I just want to
their story because I just want to
their story because I just want to listen she leans back opens the screen
listen she leans back opens the screen
listen she leans back opens the screen door and yells inside Stacey you need to
door and yells inside Stacey you need to
door and yells inside Stacey you need to come out here and talk with this man
come out here and talk with this man
come out here and talk with this man right now
Stacy comes back to the door I give her
Stacy comes back to the door I give her my schpeel
my schpeel
my schpeel and she invites a complete stranger into
and she invites a complete stranger into
and she invites a complete stranger into her house
her house
her house I listen as Stacy shared stories about
I listen as Stacy shared stories about
I listen as Stacy shared stories about PTSD depression and anxiety
PTSD depression and anxiety
PTSD depression and anxiety I listen as Stacy shared stories about
I listen as Stacy shared stories about
I listen as Stacy shared stories about treatment resources and supports I even
treatment resources and supports I even
treatment resources and supports I even listened as Stacy shared stories about
listened as Stacy shared stories about
listened as Stacy shared stories about faith family and friends at the end of
faith family and friends at the end of
faith family and friends at the end of our conversation I gave her 20 bucks I
our conversation I gave her 20 bucks I
our conversation I gave her 20 bucks I left my phone number and we took a
left my phone number and we took a
left my phone number and we took a picture together now at the time I had
picture together now at the time I had
picture together now at the time I had no idea but that was the birth of our
no idea but that was the birth of our
no idea but that was the birth of our grassroots culturally competent in human
grassroots culturally competent in human
grassroots culturally competent in human centered mental health service efforts
centered mental health service efforts
centered mental health service efforts in the community over the next year we
in the community over the next year we
in the community over the next year we were blessed with the privilege of
were blessed with the privilege of
were blessed with the privilege of hearing some of the most traumatic and
hearing some of the most traumatic and
hearing some of the most traumatic and triumphant stories ever people would
triumphant stories ever people would
triumphant stories ever people would often ask how do you get community
often ask how do you get community
often ask how do you get community members to tell you their deepest and
members to tell you their deepest and
members to tell you their deepest and darkest secrets I would always try to
darkest secrets I would always try to
darkest secrets I would always try to come up with some therapeutic spiritual
come up with some therapeutic spiritual
come up with some therapeutic spiritual or even scientific explanation but the
or even scientific explanation but the
or even scientific explanation but the only thing I could think to say was we
only thing I could think to say was we
only thing I could think to say was we listen people didn’t like that response
listen people didn’t like that response
listen people didn’t like that response so I’d give it some more thought and the
so I’d give it some more thought and the
so I’d give it some more thought and the only thing I could think to say was we
only thing I could think to say was we
only thing I could think to say was we listen and they say of course you listen
listen and they say of course you listen
listen and they say of course you listen we listen to people every single day
we listen to people every single day
we listen to people every single day but they don’t bare their souls with us
but they don’t bare their souls with us
but they don’t bare their souls with us so there has to be something that you do
so there has to be something that you do
so there has to be something that you do what is it so after doing a little more
what is it so after doing a little more
what is it so after doing a little more research and reflecting here’s what we
research and reflecting here’s what we
research and reflecting here’s what we were able to come up with we don’t go
were able to come up with we don’t go
were able to come up with we don’t go into anyone’s community with the intent
into anyone’s community with the intent
into anyone’s community with the intent to diagnose assess or prescribe we don’t
to diagnose assess or prescribe we don’t
to diagnose assess or prescribe we don’t come in as a clinician who’s looking to
come in as a clinician who’s looking to
come in as a clinician who’s looking to fix a client we enter as a broken human
fix a client we enter as a broken human
fix a client we enter as a broken human being who’s looking to connect and begin
being who’s looking to connect and begin
being who’s looking to connect and begin our healing process together with
our healing process together with
our healing process together with another broken human being we meet
another broken human being we meet
another broken human being we meet people exactly where they are whether
people exactly where they are whether
people exactly where they are whether it’s a barber shop a liquor store or a
it’s a barber shop a liquor store or a
it’s a barber shop a liquor store or a church we want our community members to
church we want our community members to
church we want our community members to know that we value and deeply appreciate
know that we value and deeply appreciate
know that we value and deeply appreciate their surroundings so if someone feels
their surroundings so if someone feels
their surroundings so if someone feels most comfortable in a specific setting
most comfortable in a specific setting
most comfortable in a specific setting then that’s where we are with them we
then that’s where we are with them we
then that’s where we are with them we don’t judge and we acknowledge
don’t judge and we acknowledge
don’t judge and we acknowledge everything we know that all of us are
everything we know that all of us are
everything we know that all of us are carrying the weight of our guilt our
carrying the weight of our guilt our
carrying the weight of our guilt our shame and our wrongdoings it’s not our
shame and our wrongdoings it’s not our
shame and our wrongdoings it’s not our responsibility to highlight that our
responsibility to highlight that our
responsibility to highlight that our purpose is to nurture a space that
purpose is to nurture a space that
purpose is to nurture a space that promotes authenticity and acceptance
promotes authenticity and acceptance
promotes authenticity and acceptance that’s what we mean when we say we just
that’s what we mean when we say we just
that’s what we mean when we say we just listen after one conversation the
listen after one conversation the
listen after one conversation the community a gentleman asked me why did
community a gentleman asked me why did
community a gentleman asked me why did you stop and talk
you stop and talk
you stop and talk with me again I found myself trying to
with me again I found myself trying to
with me again I found myself trying to come up with some in-depth explanation
come up with some in-depth explanation
come up with some in-depth explanation but the only thing I could think to say
but the only thing I could think to say
but the only thing I could think to say was sir I don’t know his answer blew my
was sir I don’t know his answer blew my
was sir I don’t know his answer blew my mind he said I know why it’s because
mind he said I know why it’s because
mind he said I know why it’s because you’re an angel and you were sent to
you’re an angel and you were sent to
you’re an angel and you were sent to listen to me he added I’m a war vet and
listen to me he added I’m a war vet and
listen to me he added I’m a war vet and I’ve been struggling with PTSD for
I’ve been struggling with PTSD for
I’ve been struggling with PTSD for almost 30 years there are youth in our
almost 30 years there are youth in our
almost 30 years there are youth in our community who tease me not because
community who tease me not because
community who tease me not because they’re malicious but because they don’t
they’re malicious but because they don’t
they’re malicious but because they don’t understand what I’m coping with so today
understand what I’m coping with so today
understand what I’m coping with so today I was going to do one of two things I
I was going to do one of two things I
I was going to do one of two things I was either going to hurt myself or
was either going to hurt myself or
was either going to hurt myself or someone else but you came along and you
someone else but you came along and you
someone else but you came along and you listened and I don’t want to do that
listened and I don’t want to do that
listened and I don’t want to do that anymore so I’ll leave us with this if we
anymore so I’ll leave us with this if we
anymore so I’ll leave us with this if we ever find ourselves feeling like our joy
ever find ourselves feeling like our joy
ever find ourselves feeling like our joy our pain and our well-being
our pain and our well-being
our pain and our well-being doesn’t matter to those around us please
doesn’t matter to those around us please
doesn’t matter to those around us please know that we’re loved valued and
know that we’re loved valued and
know that we’re loved valued and appreciated if we ever find ourselves
appreciated if we ever find ourselves
appreciated if we ever find ourselves filling overwhelmed unwanted or unheard
filling overwhelmed unwanted or unheard
filling overwhelmed unwanted or unheard please know that there’s someone who’s
please know that there’s someone who’s
please know that there’s someone who’s willing able and qualified who wants to
willing able and qualified who wants to
willing able and qualified who wants to listen and if we ever find ourselves
listen and if we ever find ourselves
listen and if we ever find ourselves asking the question
asking the question
asking the question how can we possibly save someone’s life
how can we possibly save someone’s life
how can we possibly save someone’s life please know that it starts with us just
please know that it starts with us just
please know that it starts with us just listening thank you
listening thank you
listening thank you [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
”
Be First to Comment