The 2022-2023 Psychological Well being America represents younger leaders from throughout the U.S. who’ve created packages and initiatives that fill gaps in conventional psychological well being providers of their communities. This yr’s cohort is working to deal with psychological well being throughout many areas together with schooling, housing, foster care, habit restoration, and state-level coverage.
Over the subsequent a number of weeks, get to know the ten wonderful people utilizing their lived expertise and youth perspective to make large variations within the lives of these round them.
Identify: Savannah Frye
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Location: Tysons, Virginia
Management and different positions: Northern Virginia Regional Coordinator for Peer Restoration Specialists and Household Help Companions
Photograph submitted by Savannah Frye
Why did you need to be a part of the YMHLC?
I used to be searching for and located an area the place all of us could be our genuine selves and speak about greater than surface-level topics. I additionally wished to affix the YMHLC to study from and be impressed by my fellow advocates. I’ve discovered about all of the wonderful initiatives my fellow members are spearheading and am rejuvenated by the fervour and compassion behind them.
Inform us about your work and pursuits.
I’m keen on advocacy and schooling on the position of peer restoration specialists and household help companions in our behavioral well being system. My different passions embrace work on barrier crimes, crime reform and associated legislative advocacy, rising information and funding for hurt discount strategies, funding and advocating for youth help college packages to fight rising youth psychological well being and substance use challenges, and native governments and neighborhood service boards using friends.
What’s the largest lesson you’ve discovered from different YMHLC members?
Every member performs completely different roles in every of our lives, and, oftentimes, we base our price off the progress that we’re making in our advocacy {and professional} efforts. This council has been a possibility for me to acknowledge that whereas we’re all doing wonderful issues in our advocacy sphere, we’re all nonetheless individuals who have batteries that have to be recharged. The significance of self-care can’t be understated in advocacy work.
What are your psychological well being advocacy objectives?
My objectives embrace considerably lowering barrier crimes for peer help employment, creating peer packages, and providing peer certification trainings in class and jail-based settings. As well as, I’m advocating for rising the Medicaid reimbursement price for peer providers. In Virginia, I’d wish to see the creation of a peer respite middle and a profession ladder for friends and household help companions.
Photograph submitted by Savannah Frye
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Funded, partly, by a donation from JCPenney.