Jhene Aiko: Singer and Mental Health Champion Named Ambassador in Los Angeles | LOOK

*Los Angeles, CA – Didi Hirsch, home to the nation’s first suicide prevention center and one of the leading providers of mental health and crisis care for the whole person, as well as the office of council member Nithya Raman, proclaimed May as Mental Health Month is Health Month (MHIHM) in the City of Los Angeles. With this proclamation, Didi Hirsch announced a national campaign for equity and parity in mental health including 2022 MHIH Ambassadors such as Jhene Aikoan outspoken and courageous lawyer, and MTV Entertainment Group.

The pandemic, trauma, loss, and inequality have further impacted people’s mental well-being. In the past year alone, ten percent of Los Angeles residents have thought about suicide and 13.9 percent have experienced serious psychological distress. Additionally, on average, two Los Angeles County residents die by suicide each day. This growing crisis is being felt across the country, especially among young people, as the country has seen a 15-year rise in mental health issues on college campuses. With 60% of adolescents and young people with depression unable to access care, the current risk is heightened and the need for available resources is magnified even more. Didi Hirsch is experiencing a 13% increase in calls, chats and texts, with an average of 136,000 received per year on the Suicide Prevention Center’s English/Spanish hotline, available 24/7 7. This proclamation is a significant step in raising awareness about mental health.

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To address this growing crisis, the City of Los Angeles and mental health advocates, along with Didi Hirsch, proclaimed May as Mental Health East Health Month – an action-oriented approach to National Mental Health Awareness Month as awareness of gaps in mental health and addictions care is at an all-time high. More than 25 years ago, Didi Hirsch started a movement to erase the “interpersonal stigma” of mental illness by launching the first national Erasing the Stigma leadership awards, honoring those who have courageously shared their stories for others. Today, Didi Hirsch’s month-long campaign will draw attention to ‘structural stigma’, which experts say are more systemic laws, policies and practices that treat patients with mental illness as less important. Calls to Action to Advocate, Donate and Activate through 4 weekly themes of Health Heroes, Youth, Crisis Care and Whole-person Care, seek to ensure that all healthcare finally sees and treats the spirit and the body as inseparable and no child, family, or adult is left without access.

Didi Hirsch Mental Health Month 2022 Ambassadors include:

• Jhene Aiko, six-time Grammy nominee and mental health advocate;
• MTV Entertainment Group with a decades-long legacy of mental health work;
• Adia Fadaei, Mental Health is Health Youth Ambassador, a 19-year-old mental health and suicide prevention advocate in Los Angeles, California.

Throughout the month, Didi Hirsch will share powerful stories from this year’s Ambassadors, lead highly engaging social media activations, and host curated opportunities to educate and activate individuals in advocacy.

“We are grateful that the City of Los Angeles did not stop at raising awareness of mental health needs in our communities in May, but chose to de-stigmatize the systems with its investments and this concrete message of ‘hope and fairness,’ said Didi Hirsch CEO Jonathan Goldfinger. , MD, MPH, FAAP. “As we celebrate 80 years of service, Didi Hirsch will highlight to the public what world-class mental health and suicide prevention services look like, especially for young people, healthcare professionals, BIPOC and others. communities where discrimination and injustice limit access. With the support of the City of Los Angeles, we are confident that this action-oriented campaign will help save and transform lives. »

“As someone who has struggled with depression and anxiety, I am keenly aware that mental health is health,” said Jhene Aiko, singer, mental health advocate and mental health ambassador. “I am honored to be recognized and grateful to Didi Hirsch, the City of Los Angeles and Council Member Raman for creating a culture of positivity around mental health.”

“Over the past few years, we’ve seen mental health issues soar — in large part due to the pandemic — affecting the lives of Angelenos, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status.” , Council member Nithya Raman said. “I am very proud to join forces with Didi Hirsch, who has a long-standing commitment to the local Los Angeles community, to proclaim May as Mental Health Month and to ensure that anyone struggling with mental health issues are connected to support and resources. they need”

“We greatly admire the lifesaving work of Didi Hirsch and are honored to be recognized for our commitment to demystifying, de-stigmatizing and normalizing conversations about mental health, especially among today’s youth,” said Brianna Cayo Cotter , Senior Vice President of Social Impact, MTV Entertainment Group. “Whether it’s harnessing the power of storytelling or bringing together cross-industry partners, we pride ourselves on amplifying the message that Mental health is health.”

“I’m hopeful for young people across the country amid our mental health crisis as Didi Hirsch, mental health advocates and local elected officials prioritize eliminating mental health stigma and suicide,” said Adia Fadaei, Didi Hirsch’s youth mental health ambassador. “As a member of the country’s First Mental Health Youth Action Forum, I strive to present how to break down barriers to access, saving lives together, one student at a time.

Didi Hirsch’s MHIHM campaign aims to spark social change and empower the public through advocacy, donations and social media participation. Click Advocacy will create a multi-demographic effort for mental health policy change. Easy-to-activate opportunities, including a How I Look/How I Feel social media challenge, will encourage participants to post the juxtaposition of their appearance with an image illustrating how they “really” feel on the inside. For Ask a Therapist, Didi Hirsch will invite one to two influential therapists each week to answer questions on their Instagram account. In a daily Just Checking on You campaign, Didi Hirsch’s Instagram followers can expect another influencer and VIP to tune in to ask how they’re doing and feeling. The Power of Giving will educate the public that, as a collective, their contribution will have an impact, especially in our communities most vulnerable to recent trauma and long-standing inequality. The campaign will include data, real stories and vital statistics, highlighting the importance of treating mental health as equal to physical health.

Didi Hirsch acknowledges supporters, including Bubble Skincare and Patterson’s Auto Team, for donating a portion of their profits to Didi Hirsch’s MHIHM. Additionally, the owners of SUR Restaurant and Lounge, Nathalie and Guillermo Zapata, are making a donation in loving memory of their brilliant and dear friend Chris Huvane.

Today, Didi Hirsch is also building on 80 years of impact by leading the growth of California’s 13 988 crisis centers toward a successful and equitable launch of 988. With $20 million from the Newsom administration, $14 million from dollars more just received from the Biden administration for the 13 centers, plus $12 million from the federal government for Didi Hirsch to expand its unique capacity for Spanish speakers and chat and text services that are disproportionately used by young people. The new easy-to-remember three-digit number for mental health crisis care will go live on July 16, 2022. Recently, Didi Hirsch has partnered with Mantra Health to provide the best virtual, 24/7 mental health services on-demand support for students who need immediate mental health, addictions, or suicidal crisis care.

For the month of May, Didi Hirsch has created a social media toolkit HERE to advocate, donate and join the Mental Health is Health movement. Didi Hirsch invites social media users to raise awareness of the cause with educational and inspirational content using #HowILookHowIFeel and tagging @Didi_Hirsch. Visit mentalhealthishealth.org for weekly activations.
The source: DISRPTPR.com