HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Gov. Josh Green proclaimed May as “Huddle Up for Youth Mental Health Month” and called on communities to address children’s mental struggles.
At a kick-off event at Moanalua High School Friday, state and nonprofit leaders joined student athletes to underscore the importance of mental fitness.
Football players say they take on a lot of responsibility on and off the field, and while they do their best to tackle it all, there are times they need help, even if they don’t show it.
“I think that adults kind of just brush it off, they’re like ‘oh it’s not that big of a deal,’ or sometimes they just won’t even bother to ask because they just think the teenager is doing fine but some teenagers are pretty good at hiding it,” said Jayce Bareng, co-captain of Moanalua High’s football team. “They’ll be smiling all day, but deep down they might just be struggling with some mental health issues.”
Data shows every 40 seconds, a person dies by suicide, but it is preventable.
That’s why the Hawaii State Department of Education is working with nonprofits QB United and the Cook Center for Human Connection to launch a campaign to raise awareness of free resources to make conversations easier.
And they brought in some star power to help.
“We did a video with 57 quarterbacks from seven decades of quarterbacks from Joe Namath to guys that are playing now, all with a similar message of just, it’s OK to talk about it, stay here, you’re valuable, you’re worth it,” said Super Bowl-winning NFL quarterback and QB United founder Jeff Hostetler.
“Our goal is we want to be able to notice something, to see it, to be able to know what to do with it, to know how to talk about it, and to reduce the stigma,” he said.
If star athletes can talk about it, the hope is every adult can too, even if it’s uncomfortable. The important thing is to show you care.
“We’re all awkward and it’s OK and to be comfortable with who you are and to be like, ‘you know what, I might not be great at this, but I love you and I’m showing up for you and I just wanna ensure that you’re doing OK and I might not succeed in having the best conversation, but just know you can turn to me if you need me’,” said Ayada Bonilla, HIDOE school-based behavioral health lead.
And it’s not just parents who need to engage, but also teachers and anyone working with children.
“The quick reference to a mental health professional to understand what to do in real time can be valuable and extremely critical to be able to say the right thing, to provide the right amount of support, and to hopefully make a difference in the lives of kids,” said Tia Hartsock, director of the state’s Office of Wellness and Resilience.
For free resources, visit ParentGuidance.org.
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