My Experience at MHA's Suicide Prevention Community Conversation by Haley Stern

Note: These journals entries are excerpts from a journal kept during my time interning at MHA Westchester between January and June, 2015. These entries are not in chronological order.


Wow. Today I helped out at the Suicide Prevention Community Conversation hosted by MHA at the Chappaqua Library Theatre. I took pictures, helped set up information tables, and helped sign people in when they arrived at the event...hundreds of individuals showed up, which was incredible. The panel included a survivor of a suicide attempt, who is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a father who lost his son to suicide, a psychologist who lost her sister to suicide, and an MHA staff member who is extremely knowledgeable about the topic.

The stories of these individuals, each of whom have been impacted by suicide in a unique and equally heartbreaking way, opened my eyes to this issue in a new and powerful way, and gave me a deeper understanding of why the work MHA does is so important. 
 

Every time I meet someone who has been affected by MHA in some capacity, and displays an incredible amount of courage in sharing his or her story with the world, I realize just how powerful speaking up about mental health can be. I was truly hit with this realization at the Suicide Prevention Community Conversation in Chappaqua. The journeys of the panelists truly serve as examples of what it means to be strong in the face of tragedy. These individuals teach us that being honest about the messiest of situations is crucial, as doing so will instill hope in others who may be struggling in similar circumstances.

At the event, audience members, inspired by the dialogue amongst the panelists, began to stand up out of the crowd and share their own perspectives and feelings relating to the topic. I can not imagine the bravery it must take to stand up in front of hundreds of people and be so vulnerable, but by doing so, these individuals are changing the culture surrounding mental health struggles, which is not only inspiring, but necessary. 

It became so clear in my mind at the Suicide Prevention Community Conversation that the work MHA does truly matters, as I witnessed firsthand how talking about mental health can change lives.

-Haley Stern



The panel at MHA's Suicide Prevention Community Conversation.



My First Days at MHA by Haley Stern

 

Me in the first month of my internship at MHA!

Note: These journals entries are excerpts from a journal kept during my time interning at MHA Westchester between January and June, 2015. These entries are not in chronological order.

February 4th, 2015

What I am currently working on is compiling a list of high schools with mental health related clubs, in the hopes of encouraging these clubs to run in the "MHA on the Move" 5K Run/Walk as teams.

Sadly, there are not many clubs focused on mental health awareness itself, so I ended up just writing down related clubs...  I guess the thing about mental health is that it can encompasses many different different topics, because one’s whole life is technically related to “mental health.” I finished going through the entire list of schools, and it was almost time to go. 

All of a sudden, Audrey came to me asking if I could help her and Connie with the Powerpoint they were working on. They were putting together a slideshow to music, in an effort to promote the "MHA on the Move" 5K. Although by the time I got to their office they had already figured out what they were going to ask me , it was interesting to have a moment in their office, and to have the opportunity to see what they were working on. I am excited to go back to MHA next week and see what is in store for me next!

February 11th, 2015

Today I went to MHA right after school. I thought that it was going to feel like a long time, only because I had a really busy day at school today, but it went by so fast...the first time I looked at the clock it was already 4:30pm! I know I am truly enjoying my time here at MHA because I never feel the need to ask myself how much longer I have to stay - it is a very positive and relaxing environment. 

The interesting thing about going to MHA is that, unlike high school, I am completely in charge of what I’m doing. Unless I pop my head in to say "hi" to my supervisor or to ask a question, I have to be completely self-driven and focused. It is excellent work experience, and I love the atmosphere here at MHA. (If I could do all my schoolwork at my cubicle at MHA it would probably get done five times faster!)

Today continued finding contact information for the clubs I think would be good to reach out to. After I finished my list (and my computer finally allowed me to save it!) I drafted an email to send to the club advisors.

I then came up with another idea; to make a list of all the school psychologists in Westchester county high schools, and contact them to see if they could potentially bring awareness to the 5K run “MHA on the Move,” as it happens to be the only mental health 5K in Westchester, which is so cool! Go MHA!

-Haley Stern