'Life Is Better With You Here' campaign drives outreach and advocacy in Black communities

There are statistics and there is culture.  And sometimes, when the two mix, the outcome, to be very blunt, can be deadly.   Black children 5-12 years old have been dying by suicide at double the rate of their white counterparts.   Myriad factors contribute to that, including schools, poverty, hunger, crime, and access to healthcare.  A recent survey of Black people points to nearly two-thirds of them saying a mental health condition is a sign of weakness.  As with just about everything with mental health and suicide prevention, there's a lot of work to do.  Fortunately, in Ohio, we have national leaders and advocates doing the work every day. There is also a campaign, “Life is Better With You Here,” solely focused on the mental health of the Black community.  In this episode, renowned researcher, clinical psychologist and OSPF Consultant, Dr. Josephine Ridley, and entrepreneur and advocate Tracee Garrett join the show to talk about how this dynamic campaign helps address mental health obstacles facing Black communities.    As Dr. Ridley adamantly shares, hope is powerful in someone's mental health journey but so is hopelessness.    And we have to talk about both.