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 12 months’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 subsequent a number of weeks, get to know the ten superb people utilizing their lived expertise and youth perspective to make massive variations within the lives of these round them.
Title: Savannah Frye
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Location: Tysons, Virginia
Management and different positions: Northern Virginia Regional Coordinator for Peer Restoration Specialists and Household Assist Companions
Photograph submitted by Savannah Frye
Why did you need to be part of the YMHLC?
I used to be on the lookout for and located an area the place all of us could be our genuine selves and discuss greater than surface-level topics. I additionally wished to hitch the YMHLC to study from and be impressed by my fellow advocates. I’ve discovered about all of the superb initiatives my fellow members are spearheading and am rejuvenated by the eagerness and compassion behind them.
Inform us about your work and pursuits.
I’m eager about advocacy and training on the function of peer restoration specialists and household help companions in our behavioral well being system. My different passions embrace work on barrier crimes, crime reform and associated legislative advocacy, rising data and funding for hurt discount strategies, funding and advocating for youth help faculty applications to fight rising youth psychological well being and substance use challenges, and native governments and group service boards using friends.
What’s the largest lesson you’ve gotten discovered from different YMHLC members?
Every member performs completely different roles in every of our lives, and, oftentimes, we base our value off the progress that we’re making in our advocacy {and professional} efforts. This council has been a possibility for me to acknowledge that whereas we’re all doing superb issues in our advocacy sphere, we’re all nonetheless individuals who have batteries that must be recharged. The significance of self-care can’t be understated in advocacy work.
What are your psychological well being advocacy targets?
My targets embrace considerably lowering barrier crimes for peer help employment, creating peer applications, and providing peer certification trainings at school and jail-based settings. As well as, I’m advocating for rising the Medicaid reimbursement fee for peer companies. In Virginia, I’d prefer to see the creation of a peer respite heart and a profession ladder for friends and household help companions.
Photograph submitted by Savannah Frye
Keep updated on our youth and younger grownup psychological well being assets by signing up for our e mail checklist.
Funded, partly, by a donation from JCPenney.
