The 2022-2023 Psychological Well being America Younger Psychological Well being Leaders Council (YMHLC) represents younger leaders from throughout the U.S. who’ve created applications and initiatives that fill gaps in conventional psychological well being companies of their communities. This yr’s cohort is working to handle psychological well being throughout many areas together with training, housing, foster care, habit restoration, and state-level coverage.
Over the following a number of weeks, get to know the ten wonderful people utilizing their lived expertise and youth perspective to make huge variations within the lives of these round them.
Title: Mariama Bah
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Raleigh, North Carolina (emigrated from Guinea in 2009)
Management and different positions: Founding father of Nation of Range, a nonprofit group that focuses on decreasing homelessness and elevating consciousness for psychological well being by inventive arts
Photograph submitted by Mariama Bah
Why did you wish to be a part of the YMHLC?
I really like the Psychological Well being America Youth Psychological Well being Leaders Council as a result of it provides younger individuals the alternatives to advocate for psychological well being, they usually assist and lead the council in a greater path. The YMHLC has helped me notice I’m not right here to remedy the world or to remedy psychological well being, however to lift the attention of it and produce individuals collectively to point out compassion and love for others – as a result of all of us wrestle with psychological well being. Since I’ve joined the Leaders Council, my work has doubled, and I’ve extra alternatives with individuals all over the world making an attempt to attach with my nonprofit. I’m so grateful for this chance.
Inform us about your work and pursuits.
My nonprofit focuses on serving to adolescents and adults to deal with their psychological well being to stop them from being homeless. We do that by offering a peer group inventive arts house, doing all varieties of arts to speak about psychological well being and assist each other whereas creating on the similar time. I really feel like we’re all too near being homeless, and day-after-day we now have to work additional laborious mentally to be snug on this world. Each different week we give to individuals experiencing homelessness scorching meals and hygiene kits, together with some inspiring paintings to maintain going and native sources for shelter and remedy wants.
What’s the largest lesson you could have realized from different YMHLC members?
We’re right here to lift consciousness and assist others as a lot as we are able to within the midst of all that we now have to care for ourselves. All of us get so caught up giving to others, which as an individual who loves to present won’t ever cease, however I must care for myself within the course of, too, and to maintain remembering that I’m not right here to remedy psychological well being.
What are your psychological well being advocacy targets?
I wish to retailer confidence in individuals and make them notice they’re particular, that every one in all us on this world is completely different and all of us have a goal and one thing to supply and educate each other. I imagine all of us have particular presents, and we are able to make the most of these presents to unfold love.Simply because you could have anxieties, despair, or different sickness, it would not outline you. You might be nonetheless stunning.
Photograph submitted by Photograph submitted by Mariama Bah
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