WS Chronicle

By Felecia Piggott-Long, Ph.D.

More than 50 supporters and advocates for healthy mental health among young adults gathered at the a/perture cinema located at 311 West 4th Street, on Saturday, Aug. 24, to witness the outpouring of knowledge and wisdom on the theme, “Your Mind Matters: Focus on Mental Health with High School Students.”  Cynthia Collins, producer of the documentary and founder of Empowering You Ministries, and her assistant producer Selena Sierra, who attends the Winston-Salem Street School, interviewed students as well as advocates for youth in the field of mental health to connect with the local community regarding matters of the mind.

“The purpose of this documentary is to enlighten the community and bring awareness to the struggles of mental health among high school students. According to the CDC morbidity and mortality weekly report, 37.1 % of students surveyed experienced poor mental health during the pandemic,” said Collins. “It is important that every student receives the support and guidance that is needed for growth and peace of mind.”

Selena Sierra has been diagnosed with autism, OCD, bipolarism, manic depression, and severe anxiety. According to Sierra, her mental health has had an impact on her relationships with her mother, her siblings, and with her friends.

“I missed more than half of the school year because of my poor mental health. However, because I was an honor student, my mental health status was overlooked because I still maintained straight As in my classes,” Sierra said. “But when COVID came, my good grades were not attainable. I could not do online work. I struggled throughout the pandemic, so I just decided not to attend school. My mother eventually had to call the school, and I took a test and passed it with a 78. Yet, my social skills were not up to par. It really hit me hard on January 22 when I tried to take my own life for the third time. I realized that God was saving me for some reason. I realized that I was important to my family, my church family, and to God.”

Jayla Page-Thomas, who attends Middle School Forsyth and Forsyth Technical Community College, always thought that she was a burden to the people around her. 

“I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and OCD. I got it in my head that I thought people hated me. I felt that people were just simply putting up with me. Since I felt this way, I found myself pushing people away from me,” Page Thomas said. “I missed my senior prom since I did not have any friends in my close circle, did not go out, did not attend any of my homecoming games. Although I am happy with my life now, I see how much I missed out on that I could have experienced.”

John and Katlyn Kimbrough withdrew from school when several of their family members passed away after the COVID pandemic. They are both 2024 graduates of Carver High School.

Yolanda Lawrence has worked with the Alexander Youth Network and the Lifeline Resource Center for 25 years. 

 “I am an advocate for children. Teens want to be heard. They want a voice. They also need guidance and connection to the community,” said Lawrence, who works at Carver High School. “Many of our recreation centers have resources. Students can call 211 to reach the United Way services where they can find food, clothes, and mental health support. They can also call 988 to reach the suicide hotline to call or to chat. These are connections to the community.”

Dr. Artina Dawkins is co-director of Diversity and Inclusion; founder and director of Kennedy and Hopkins Scholars Program, Workforce Diversity, Mentorship and Leadership.

“There are three key factors that lead to mental health disparities in the minority communities:  health outcomes, access to care, and the quality of care, based on my research,” said Dawkins. “Access to care can be affected by language barriers, economic barriers, even transportation. Quality of care concerns the cultural competence of those who take care of the youth.”

Keisha Horton has served as the director of student services at Parkland Magnet High School for the last five years, but she has been in the district for 13 years. She is an executive therapist and youth advocate. She has many concerns about youth in the local community.

“It is important that parents play an active role with their children. If parents are proactive, then their children understand how they cope. Mental health is inherited,” Horton said. “Healed people heal people. We have to create safe spaces for teens in the home, in the school, and in the community. Mental health is the elephant in the room. We need to talk about it!”

“I feel very good about the outcome of this documentary. Our consultants and students did an excellent job of educating the community,” said Collins. “My assistant producer, Selena Sierra, did an outstanding job of connecting with the community.”

You can see the documentary at : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_ZFL0p_vZWibiGj2GZye34XIwE7U9LcV/view?invite=CKiF2JgC&ts=66df0bd9.