Unlocking Student Success with Tech-Enabled Mental Health Support I EP. 44

07/03/23 • 49 min

How can receiving a text make mental wellness easier to attain? How can we endeavor to boost the opportunities for individuals undergoing the continuum of mental and behavioral healthcare to receive support?

In a world with so many distractions, giving your full attention to one thing at a time is powerful. There is an existing struggle for many of us to be honest, open, and transparent with the things we feel in certain situations. Consequently, it influenced us to wear the mask of being strong and able as we present ourselves to the world.

However, we must realize that we all need a friend who can be there to listen, accept, support, and encourage us because we can surmount life's anxiety and hardships when our minds absorb positivity and honest conversations, especially when we're at the moment of struggling with our careers, family, and various responsibilities. Thus, we must explore user-friendly solutions that bring mental wellness to people's fingertips. We must recognize that we can leverage technology to integrate mental health into our daily routines so that we can efficiently deliver the message of positivity to someone and uplift them with some words of encouragement.

So, in this episode, we seek to help people recognize the advancement that our technology can contribute to assisting people in accessing mental health resources and supporting them in meaningful ways. Join us in an insightful conversation with Keenan about the supremacy of a simple message of encouragement can do to someone who's going through a tough time.

Today, we're joined by Keenan Hart, a growing business builder, positivity soldier, and healthcare entrepreneur that has been working in the mental and behavioral health space for a decade. He has been building a business with his family since 2014 and has enjoyed every step of this fantastic journey. Keenan prides himself in making mental wellness and mental health improvement as easy as receiving a text.

Keenan is the co-founder of FRANSiS and a mental health advocate who believes everyone should have access to mental health improvement in 2022. Technology can play an amazingly supportive role for mental/behavioral health providers to enhance how they care for their clients/patients in the digital world. He helps mental/behavioral health professionals utilize technology through personalized videos and simple text messages to meet their clients wherever and whenever needed.

"Sometimes, because of the stigma of mental health, we don't want to talk to a particular friend because that's scary. But if everybody could have the same experience having that person who's always willing to engage with them and always deliver that message of positivity and uplift them, then that would be amazing." – Keenan Hart

Show Highlights:

(00:00:00) Episode disclaimer, highlight, and introduction

(00:01:54) Welcoming today's guest, Keenan Hart

(00:04:26) The Passionate Entrepreneur: Who is Keenan Hart?

(00:05:09) Starting a Telehealth Company

(00:06:46) Technology: A Bridge for Efficient Telehealth Services

(00:07:27) What is Telehealth?

(00:08:17) Life is full of distraction.

(00:09:12) A Letter of Positivity

(00:11:30) We all need a message of encouragement and positivity.

(00:14:17) A Safe Place: The inspiration behind the Purple Gorilla

(00:15:50) Everybody needs a friend.

(00:17:49) HOT: Honest, Open, and Transparent

(00:19:09) Alignment with our true self

(00:21:31) Relationship Resilience

(00:22:44) The challenge of leading by example

(00:24:19) We need human connection.

(00:25:02) How can you find kindness around you today?

(00:26:41) Stephanie: A Testimony of Gratitude and Acceptance

(00:28:44) Keenan's letter of encouragement from Francis

(00:29:41) Phenomenal feedback from healthcare workers

(00:32:54) Some stigma and shame around mental health

(00:34:35) The Performance Anxiety

(00:36:33) Creating opportunities for helpful conversations

(00:36:59) Developing a Culture of Care

(00:38:09) If you need that support for your mental health, reach out to the National Suicide

Prevention Lifeline by calling 9-8-8 now. For local and national resources, go to

http://www.speaks2inspire.com/resources. Join the Unlearn The Lies About Mental Health

Facebook group: https://bit.ly/UTLcommunity.

(00:38:57) How can we eradicate the existing stigma of Mental Health?

(00:39:51) Providing lower-barrier conversations

(00:40:48) Mental Diet: Support rather than discouragements

(00:42:03) What is mental health for Keenan?

(00:42:57) Mental Health is a sense of self-awareness.

(00:44:19) Where to connect with Francis?

(00:44:34) Get your gift for a free 30-day subscription to Francis.

(00:45:16) Th...

Show Highlights:

(00:00:00) Episode disclaimer, highlight, and introduction

(00:01:54) Welcoming today's guest, Keenan Hart

(00:04:26) The Passionate Entrepreneur: Who is Keenan Hart?

(00:05:09) Starting a Telehealth Company

(00:06:46) Technology: A Bridge for Efficient Telehealth Services

(00:07:27) What is Telehealth?

(00:08:17) Life is full of distraction.

(00:09:12) A Letter of Positivity

(00:11:30) We all need a message of encouragement and positivity.

(00:14:17) A Safe Place: The inspiration behind the Purple Gorilla

(00:15:50) Everybody needs a friend.

(00:17:49) HOT: Honest, Open, and Transparent

(00:19:09) Alignment with our true self

(00:21:31) Relationship Resilience

(00:22:44) The challenge of leading by example

(00:24:19) We need human connection.

(00:25:02) How can you find kindness around you today?

(00:26:41) Stephanie: A Testimony of Gratitude and Acceptance

(00:28:44) Keenan's letter of encouragement from Francis

(00:29:41) Phenomenal feedback from healthcare workers

(00:32:54) Some stigma and shame around mental health

(00:34:35) The Performance Anxiety

(00:36:33) Creating opportunities for helpful conversations

(00:36:59) Developing a Culture of Care

(00:38:09) If you need that support for your mental health, reach out to the National Suicide

Prevention Lifeline by calling 9-8-8 now. For local and national resources, go to

http://www.speaks2inspire.com/resources. Join the Unlearn The Lies About Mental Health

Facebook group: https://bit.ly/UTLcommunity.

(00:38:57) How can we eradicate the existing stigma of Mental Health?

(00:39:51) Providing lower-barrier conversations

(00:40:48) Mental Diet: Support rather than discouragements

(00:42:03) What is mental health for Keenan?

(00:42:57) Mental Health is a sense of self-awareness.

(00:44:19) Where to connect with Francis?

(00:44:34) Get your gift for a free 30-day subscription to Francis.

(00:45:16) Th...

Previous Episode

From Stigma to Support: Creative Ways to Support Student Mental Health | EP. 43

Have you ever wondered how we can break down mental health's complexities into a language everyone can understand? Do you want to be part of a movement that embraces mental health and empowers individuals to seek support and understanding?

Mental health is a deeply personal journey that is unique to each individual. It is essential to recognize that mental health is not a one-size-fits-all concept. What works for one person may not work for another. It includes medications, therapies, and the overall healing and recovery process. Embracing the individuality of mental health treatment requires acknowledging the need for personalized approaches and understanding that it often involves a trial-and-error process. Consequently, it can be a challenging and disheartening process, but it is crucial to maintain hope and resilience. Understanding that setbacks are a normal part of the journey allows individuals to persevere, learn from their experiences, and seek strategies that bring about positive change.

In this episode, we want to help individuals recognize the importance of addressing mental health and the supremacy of peer support with those that struggle with mood disorders, anxiety, and depression. Join us as we discover strategies to break down mental health into a language that anyone can understand to lead us to create a society that values and supports the mental well-being of its people, especially our young generation. Prepare to be enlightened as we uncover strategies that broaden our understanding of mental health, equipping us to support ourselves and others better.

Today, we're joined by Jasmin Kotek, the Miss South Central, Partner of CultureChange, and Brand Ambassador of You Matter MN. Jasmin is a Minnesota State University Mankato graduate and is currently a mathematics teacher at Faribault middle school. She is also an 8-year coach, the head coach of the Northfield Hiliners Dance Team, Tri-City United Cheer Team, and the Cannon Falls Fall Dance Team. Jasmin is also the author of a children's book, "Believe, Bella," which strives to break mental health down to the vernacular that any age can understand. When she isn't in the classroom or coaching, she serves as Miss South Central and will compete for the title of Miss Minnesota this coming June.

With mental health being one of her passions, deriving from her personal experiences and the experiences around her, she helped co-found a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, CultureChange, in which she helped pass a 4-part initiative at universities across the midwest providing access to mental health resources. Today she is a partner of theirs aiming to provide mental health resources through education and policy change. She also works with Change to Chill programming to promote her community service initiative as Miss South Central across Minnesota.

"Mental health is not one size fits all. A medication that works for me won't work for someone else. If a therapy's right for me, that might not work for someone else either. And it was a lot of trial and error, and it got a lot worse before it got better." – Jasmin Kotek

Show Highlights:

(00:00:00) Episode disclaimer, highlight, and introduction

(00:02:22) Welcoming today's guest, Jasmin Kotek.

(00:02:53) Who is Jasmin Kotek?

(00:04:21) A children's book: Believe, Bella

(00:06:09) The Minnesota State University Mankato experience

(00:07:52) How did Jasmin start to become a mental health advocate?

(00:08:58) Mental health is not one size fits all.

(00:11:00) The desire to get over the depression and forget

(00:12:45) The Suicide of Brandon

(00:14:06) How does Brandon's suicide affect little Jasmine?

(00:16:02) Helping children process their emotions.

(00:18:22) Having no safe place to express anxiety is painful.

(00:19:28) Depression is a real thing.

(00:21:17) What does it mean to be a mental health advocate?

(00:22:19) What did mental health support look like for students at Minnesota State University?

(00:26:13) The perfect timing of investing in student mental health

(00:28:12) What did having conversations on campus about mental health look like?

(00:29:41) How can educators support the students that they serve?

(00:31:14) Come to Jasmine's meeting

(00:33:38) Peer support is powerful.

(00:34:47) The struggle of not being perfect

(00:36:17) Strive for progress, not perfection.

(00:37:30) I am enough and will always be.

(00:38:21) Celebrating our survival and resilience

(00:39:12) Don't compare yourself to others.

(00:42:00) How can we eradicate mental health stigma?

(00:42:53) What is mental health to Jasmin Kotek?

(00:43:21) This episode is powered by Speaks to Inspire, the mental health solution for young adults suffering in silence. Speaks 2 Inspire works w...

Next Episode

The Importance of Mental Health Education in Empowering DEI Initiatives I EP. 45

Diversity is a factual reality, equity is a conscious choice, inclusion requires proactive action, and belonging is the ultimate result. The episode highlights the significance of choosing equity to create a just and inclusive environment.

In this episode, we want to help individuals better understand diversity, equity, and inclusion. As we live in a highly diverse society, encompassing various backgrounds and identities. Equity, on the other hand, is a choice, and it involves treating individuals fairly and providing them with what they need to succeed, rather than treating everyone the same. Join us as we discover how we can create a sense of community and self-assuredness, where individuals feel wanted and needed for their unique talents and contributions.

Today, we're joined by Blane Allen Harding, the former Director of Diversity Engagement for the Office of Inclusion and Diversity at Virginia Tech University and currently serves as a national consultant. He also served as the Director of Advising, Recruitment, and Retention for the College of Science at the University of Nevada, Reno from 2017-2020 as well as the Director of The Cultural Center at the University of Nevada Reno from 2015-2017. He retired from Colorado State University, after 24 years of service, in 2012 where he served as the Director of Advising, Recruitment, and Retention for the College of Liberal Arts as well as a professor in the Ethnic Studies Department.

Blane served as a retention faculty member with the Council for Opportunity in Education which oversees the national TRIO programs as well as a faculty member, for 16 years, and past Chair of the Summer Institute Advisory Board for the National Academic Advising Association and Chair of their Multicultural Concerns Commission. In 2018 he was recognized as the Leading Light Award Winner presented to a NACADA member in recognition of significant contributions to diversity within NACADA.

"Belonging is an outcome. There's got to be a feeling of community, self-assuredness, and the feeling that people not only want you there, but they need you there." - Blane Harding

Show Highlights:

[00:04:54] Exploring Interests in Auburn, New York: Blane's Involvement with Community College and Cougar Museum.

[00:07:08] Unplanned Career Shift: Blane's Story of Becoming a Teacher at Colorado State University.

[00:11:08] The Importance of Genuine Student Relationships.

[00:13:30] Embracing Flexibility: Blane's Message to Young People on Seizing Opportunities.

[00:16:17] Defining Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

[00:19:23] Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

[00:22:52] Measuring Outcomes: Blane Highlights the Significance of Belonging.

[00:24:06] Learn how you can bring a Speaks 2 Inspire speaker to your campus by visiting www.speaks2inspire.com/speakers.

[00:25:15] Importance of having sufficient staffing and funding for effective DEI efforts.

[00:25:45] Recognizing the value of knowledge and experience in the field.

[00:26:22] The significance of convincing those on the fence about the importance of DEI.

[00:27:27] The need for tangible results and benefits for the institution.

[00:28:36] Advocating for collaboration and partnership in developing effective DEI programs.

[00:29:27] Highlighting the need to include student voices in DEI initiatives.

[00:30:03] Discussing the need for customized approaches for different audiences.

[00:32:05] Emphasizing the value of authentic relationships with students.

[00:34:01] The need to break down the stigma around mental health in certain communities.

[00:38:33] Open conversations without judgment.

[00:42:59] Recognizing the value of mental health support for everyone, regardless of background.

[00:45:26] The importance of cultural competence in mental health services.

Key Takeaways:

"You learn from everybody. If you're not learning from them, then your interactions with them are not being very productive." - Blane Harding

"Just use the skills you have. We all have different skills, and it's all different too. My way of presenting isn't other people's ways of presenting." - Blane Harding

"Diversity is a fact. Equity is a choice. Inclusion is an action. Belonging is an outcome." - Abraham Sculley

"Equity is fairness, and equality is sameness." - Blane Harding

"If you're of good character, you believe in fairness, and if you believe in fairness, then you believe in equity." - Blane Harding

"If it's personal and emotional, it's a choice. If you are of good character, you believe in fairness, and if you believe in fairness, then you believe in equity." - Abraham Sculley

"You've got to take your time, and it's going to be, it's going to happen, but you gotta take your t...