Episodes
Listen to The Unheard Forum's episodes on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! Linked down below.
Today's episode is Part 2 of my conversation with Ms. von Jess, a social worker of 30 years and the Director of Counseling at The Hotchkiss School, where she has worked for the past 12 years.
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Ms. von Jess and I spoke about how social media affects mental health, particularly in the context of high-pressure environments like boarding schools. She describes Instagram and TikTok as “both exposing and comforting,” and invites students to reflect on whether their online behavior is helping or hurting their self-image as well as how they treat others.
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We also explore the impact that living in a residential community has on a teen’s mental health, especially at a place like Hotchkiss where students between the ages of 13 to 20 live together and constantly transition through different developmental phases. Ms. von Jess emphasizes that with each year, students face new responsibilities, and with that, perhaps a need to lean on a counselor’s shoulder.
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She also discusses common misconceptions around therapy, including the idea that one needs to have a "major" issue to seek help. Ms. von Jess encourages students to use the resources available, explaining how talking to a counselor can reduce self-judgment and in turn, create a more compassionate community.
Thank you, Ms. von Jess, for your wise words and warmth. I hope you all will tune in for Part 3 of our conversation!
In today's episode, I have a conversation with Ms. von Jess, a social worker of 30 years and the Director of Counseling at The Hotchkiss School, where she has worked for the past 12 years.
Ms. von Jess shares how mental health issues most commonly manifest in high-pressure academic settings, resources that students can rely on, and recent trends or changes in how students experience and manage stress. She also speaks about the role of parents in supporting students' mental well-being, especially at boarding school when kids do not live with their parents. Subsequently, Ms. von Jess emphasizes the student-teacher relationship, and the importance of finding dependable adults in the community.
Thank you, Ms. von Jess for your insightful comments and wise words. I hope you all will tune in for Part 2 and Part 3 of our conversation!
In a continuation of my conversation with Chloe, we touch on the racism, sexism, and ableism that pervade the mental health support system, and how some may not be able to access help for their condition due to these issues. Chloe says that in her role as a Peer Support Group Coordinator, she tries to serve everyone no matter where they come from, their positionality, or what they’re able to give in return. Chloe discusses how you can reach out to your school’s guidance and counseling department to promote the dialogue around mental health. Beyond that, you can reach out to non-profit organizations local enough that are accessible to you.
“There’s a lot out there, you just have to be willing to do a little bit of digging.”
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Thank you, Chloe! We learned so much!
In today’s episode, I speak with Chloe, an advocate for mental health. As with the previous episode, we discuss the largest misconceptions in her specific line of work: assumptions that those with serious mental health conditions are violent, and that a mental health diagnosis defines your life. Chloe feels especially passionate about changing the notion that we have to fear people with mental health conditions. As a Peer Support Groups Coordinator, Chloe brings groups of people together, whose experiences are related in some way. For example, they may share the same mental health illness. Chloe says that “having the solidarity of people who understand the challenges they’re up against makes them feel a lot better equipped to tackle some of those challenges.” We also begin a discussion on how socio-economic status is the biggest barrier to accessing care behind a paywall. For instance, some therapists and practices only accept pay out of pocket, and not insurance. We talk about marginalized groups in terms of race, ethnicity, and gender identity. Chloe believes there is a lack of professionals in the field who share these identities, which makes it difficult for many people to find therapists who fully understand their lived experiences. She stresses the importance of finding a professional who truly “gets” you.
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Thank you, Chloe, for this insightful conversation, and I look forward to continuing our discussion in the next episode!
In the second part of my conversation with Caitlin, we discussed the most pressing issues she sees daily, ways YOU can become a mental health advocate in your community, what you can do to seek out support, and the concept of having others around you to lean on if you're having a tough time. Thank you, Caitlin, for this wonderful introduction to mental health and mental health advocacy. We appreciate it very much.
"Understand that [family members and supporting figures] can not like their loved one's illness but still love their loved one."
To begin our focus on mental health awareness and advocacy, today I had a conversation with Caitlin, Manager of Public Policy and Advocacy at the National Alliance on Mental Illness' NYC branch. In Part 1, she speaks about the definition and purpose of mental health advocacy, her daily routine and responsibilities at NAMI-NYC, and common misconceptions regarding mental health. "The big thing we always say is that one in five people live with mental illness. The other four are their friends, families, and colleagues."
Thank you Caitlin, I learned so much. Looking forward to Part 2!
This third and final episode of a three-part series is a continuation of a conversation with Ms. Nicole, a preschool teacher in Bergen county who used to be a special education teacher and behaviorist. Ms, Nicole informs us that every child in the public school system is entitled to a Free Appropriate Public Education; no matter how costly or time-consuming a student’s education is, the school district must fund all aspects of it. Ms. Nicole points out that schools may not always be transparent with families about available resources due to financial constraints. Ms. Nicole says, “I don’t think it’s this malicious thing that they do, but [school districts] don’t outwardly go and give out all that information because of how it’s going to be costly.” By “all that information” she refers to additional resources that many parents are unaware of. Tune in to hear the end of a beautifully spoken story by Ms. Nicole!
This second episode of a three-part series is a continuation of a conversation with Ms. Nicole, a preschool teacher in Bergen county who used to be a special education teacher and behaviorist. We talk about the role that parents play in a child’s special education and how there are so many guardians who have no idea what they can ask for from the school district. Α parent has to be an advocate. But no one informs them. Ms. Nicole also speaks on how a child’s school district affects their education; “if you can afford to live in a town with a very good school system, then you get to reap those benefits. But if you cannot, you’re not going to be given access to certain things, unfortunately,” said Ms. Nicole. Ms. Nicole also adds that she hardly sees any due process cases or the initiation of disputes outside of affluent areas. Because again, the parents are not fully aware of their rights. Thank you, Ms. Nicole!
In this first episode of a three-part series, we get an introduction Ms. Nicole, a preschool teacher in Bergen county who used to be a special education teacher and behaviorist. Ms. Nicole talks about her job as a parent trainer, someone who works closely with parents, teaching them how to be successful in a special education environment. She says her role as a parent trainer is her favorite part of her career. We also discuss Ms. Nicole’s shocking experiences teaching “COVID-babies” and the impact of lack of sufficient funding for the special education system. This is only the beginning of the stories Ms. Nicole will tell us in the next two episodes. Thank you, Ms. Nicole!
In this episode, I spoke with Mrs. M, a special education teacher, an in class supervisor and a math teacher who teaches middle school. Mrs. M absolutely adores her job as a teacher and makes it her mission to make her students feel welcomed. We talked about a variety of topics: a typical work day for her, her favorite part of her job, how she collaborates with teachers/parents, a story that really resonated with her and more! Thank you, Mrs. M, for setting the stage for future discussions about the special education system and the marginalized voices within it.
Trailer. A quick 3 minute chat with me about what The Unheard Forum is! A trailer on what I will discuss, who I will talk with, and how I will do it.