INDIANAPOLIS (WISH-TV) — Being a voice for the voiceless and addressing youth mental health issues was the focus of a live interview on Wednesday’s midday news show News 8.
Tunia Graves, a mental health advocate and clinical therapist trained in youth mental health, discussed the importance of this topic and noted the stigma that sometimes surrounds it in the Black community. .
Graves said when we talk about mental health and youth, we need to address the “underlying issues.”
“To combat the symptoms that I see and truly address the underlying issues that are so prevalent and communicated to me by young people, we have to address the social determinants of health. Hmm,” Graves said in an interview with News 8 anchors Wednesday. Dakarai Turner.
Graves spoke about the stigma surrounding mental health in the black community, adding that mental health has probably not been properly recognized or labeled within black culture for many years.
“It just hurt. If we move forward and recognize mental health and how it’s all-encompassing, we’ll be able to address all of the underlying issues.”
Graves is the director of mental health at VOICES, which aims to “enhance the lives of youth and families through self-expression, community engagement, and empowering life-changing choices,” according to its website. He also worked as a person.
The group “does great things in the community,” Graves said. Graves and her VOICES team have created a segment called “Real Talk,” hosted by her News 8 girlfriend Brittany Noble, where young voices join the conversation. These segments are also available on the WISH-TV website.
Graves said this is a “youth-centered media initiative.”
“They have difficult conversations and interview both experts in the field and young people,” she said.
In addition to his clinical and advocacy work, Graves is also a finalist for the Junior Achievement Best and Brightest Award, which recognizes Central Indiana’s 100 most outstanding young professionals in a variety of industries.
