>>> MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AND AWARENESS MONTH, WHICH AIMS TO NORMALIZE BEING OKAY WITH NOT BEING OKAY, AND SEEKING OUT. STILL, A LINGERING STIGMA AROUND THE TOPIC AMONG MEN IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY, >> A LOCAL ORGANIZATION WORKING TO BRIDGE THAT GAP IN ADVOCACY AND AWARENESS, THE FOUNDER, WE ARE STILL SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE, JULIUS. >> LIKE TO BE HERE. >> THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE TOPIC BUT I REALLY JUST WANT TO START OUT RIGHT, ONE YOU BELIEVE THAT BLACK MEN ESPECIALLY HAVE SUCH A HARD TIME DISCUSSING MENTAL HEALTH. >> I CAN'T BELIEVE WE ARE STILL HERE. >> I MEAN, REALLY. >> I THINK IT IS THE STIGMA, IT IS LIKE IF YOU SHOW ANY SIGN OF WEAKNESS, AS A BLACK MAN THAT SOCIETY IS GOING TO LOOK AT YOU AND SAY THAT YOU ARE WEAK. AND BEING HONORABLE. BUT STRONG PEOPLE DO, I ACTUALLY THINK THAT NARRATIVE IS FALSE AND I THINK THAT WHEN BLACK MEN HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH, THAT IS WHEN SOME OF THE MOST TRANSFORMATIVE THINGS HAPPEN IN OUR COMMUNITIES. >> WHAT IS THE PROCESS COME FROM? >> I THINK IT IS SOCIETY, I THINK IT IS THIS NARRATIVE THAT SAYS IF YOU ARE VULNERABLE AND IF YOU ARE OPEN AND IF YOU DO SHOW UP AS YOUR MOST TRUE AUTHENTIC SELF THEN YOU ARE WEAK, AND WE INTERNALIZE THAT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT SHOWS UP INSIDE OF OUR BODIES AND IT LIVES IN US. >> AND I KNOW WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION, I LOVE THAT YOU ARE DOING A LOT TO HELP ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. >> ABSOLUTELY. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE A MEN'S GROUP AT THE ASSOCIATION IN LARIMER, AND THESE MEN SHOW UP A COUPLE OF TIMES A MONTH AND THEY PROVIDE PEER SUPPORT FOR EACH OTHER AND THEY LEAN ON EACH OTHER AND PROVIDE COLLECTIVE CARE. >> IT IS AMAZING HOW MUCH THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY, CAN TRULY CHANGE SOMEONE'S OUTLOOK. AND AS FAR AS MENTAL HEALTH, AND BEING HONORABLE ABOUT IT. YOU NEED ONE PERSON TO SAY AT FIRST AND YOU WERE THERE ONE PERSON, SO IT IS INCREDIBLE. WHAT YOU THINK WAS THE MOMENT THAT YOU STARTED CHANGING YOUR PERCEPTION OF MENTAL HEALTH. I KNOW THAT'S ALWAYS THE TRIGGER. >> I HAD A MOMENT OF MY LIFE WITH A DEAR FRIEND THAT HAD SUICIDE. IT WAS A MOMENT I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF THE TIME BUT OVER THE YEARS I SAID JULIUS, THIS IS INSPIRATIONAL FOR YOU, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED TO CHANNEL AND FROM THAT POINT ON, I DEDICATED MY LIFE TO SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH. >> WHEN THAT HAPPENED TO YOU, DID YOU INTERNALIZE IT OR GIVE IT TO YOURSELF AND HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH IT? >> RELIGIOUS PUT INTO MY WORK. AND, I SAID IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT A DEAR FRIEND OF YOURS EXPERIENCED AND IN ITALY, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I HAD EXPERIENCED BEFORE, SUICIDAL IDEATIONS AND I SAID YOU KNOW WHAT, THERE IS SUPPORT OUT THERE AND YOU HAVE A DUTY AND OBLIGATION TO SHOW UP FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OTHER FOLKS. >> THIS IS YOU AND YOUR FRIEND RIGHT HERE. I LOVE THAT, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT PICTURE. >> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE POSITIVE EFFECTS THAT WE ARE SEEING FROM THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY. >> I THINK MORE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT WHEN THE PANDEMIC STARTED, AND THE MENTAL HEALTH EXPERIENCE AND NOT EVERYONE IS LIKE YOU IS YOUR THERAPIST, DO YOU HAVE ONE? AND TRYING TO GET ONE IS A CHALLENGE BUT MORE PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT, SO THAT IS AMAZING. >> AND TRULY CONVERSATIONS ME TO BE STARTED LIKE I SAID, ONE PERSON, IT IS REALLY AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH THIS, WHETHER OR NOT, THEY HAVE EVER GONE THROUGH BEFORE, PEOPLE WHO HAVE CHRONIC MENTAL ILLNESS, DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY, THE PANDEMIC BROUGHT A LOT OF THESE THINGS ON, BUT HOW CAN SOMEONE REALLY CHANGE THEIR LIFE, AND WHAT ACTIVITIES ARE THINGS CAN THEY BRING TO THEIR EVERY DAY, TO ENSURE THE WELLNESS OF THEIR MIND. BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS HARD FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. >> I WOULD SAY A GRATITUDE PRACTICE IS SOMETHING THAT IS SIMPLE THAT EVERYONE CAN DO, YOU CAN WRITE IN A JOURNAL, YOU CAN SAY THINGS OUT LOUD AND FOR ME, IT HELPS PUT THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE AND I SAY I AM REFLECTING ON WHAT I HAVE TO BE GRATEFUL FOR. >> AND SO WHATEVER YOU ARE IN A SITUATION, MAYBE IT IS A FRIEND OR A RELATIVE, HOW DO YOU APPROACH THAT PERSON IF MAYBE YOU SUSPECT THAT THEY ARE REALLY GOING THROUGH. SOMETHING DRAMATIC HAPPENS TO THEM AND YOU PROBABLY ASSUME, THAT THEY NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO. >> I WOULD SAY THE FIRST THING TO DO IS TO GROUND YOURSELF, OFTENTIMES WE TRIED TO THROW OURSELVES IN THESE SITUATIONS AND WE ARE NOT GROUNDED OURSELVES SO CHECK IN WITH YOURSELF AND LISTEN WITHOUT JUDGMENT, PEOPLE CAN SENSE WHEN THEY ARE BEING JUDGED. THEY CAN ALSO SENSE WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO GIVE THEM ADVICE AND WHEN YOU LISTEN WITHOUT JUDGMENT, THEY CAN FEEL THAT. AND ASKED THEM HOW CAN I SUPPORT YOU SOMETIMES WE GO AND I HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS, YOU SHOULD DO THIS, AND, >> AND I THINK THAT IS A QUICK GO TO. AND TO GO THROUGH WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH, AND YOU ARE TRYING TO RELATE TO THAT PERSON. AND WE AREN'T EVEN NECESSARY. >> NOT AT ALL, THEY WANT TO BE HEARD. >> THIS IS AN ABOUT YOU AND I HATE TO SAY IT, THAT IS A CRASS WAY TO PUT IT BUT I JUST THINK THAT SOMETIMES OPENING THE DOORS AND LETTING THEM WALK IN FULLY. IF THEY SAY I FEEL WEIRD AND THIS FEELS FOREIGN TO ME, I FEEL LIKE YOU CAN BE LIKE I HAVE BEEN THERE WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS. >> WHAT IS NEXT ORGANIZATION? >> WE ARE WORKING ON ASSET MAPPING, SO IDENTIFYING ALL OF THE MENTAL HEALTH ACIDS AND ALLEGHENY COUNTY ACTIVATING THEM AND MAKING SURE PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO BUY THEM. >> I LOVE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING. >> IT IS A BETTER PLACE WITH YOU IN IT. >> ABSOLUTELY AND STILL SMILING. >> WE ARE ALWAYS SMILING. IF
