May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but D.C. Director of the Department of Behavioral Health Barbara Bazron is emphasizing that addressing mental well-being should be an everyday practice.
Bazron said that since the pandemic, the public does seem to be more aware of how important it is to take care of their mental health as well as physical health.
Bazron said that there are a number of ways people can reach out and get help.
Calling or texting 988 is just one way to start the process. She explained, however, that it’s much more than a crisis line: “988 provides people with someone to call, someone to talk to, and a place to go if mental health services are needed.”
“We are available 24/7. Somebody will answer that line any time of the day or night, and they will not only just have a conversation to determine what your need is, but connect you to the services that you need,” Bazron told WTOP.
Bazron said the District has invested funding to address mental health issues, noting that services are available in D.C.’s public schools.
“In addition to that, the full array of services are available within the Public Health Service system and are actually paid for by Medicaid, so ability to pay should not be a barrier to care,” she said.
Bazron said there are a number of ways to take care of your mental health that you can do on your own.
“One is to make sure that we take care of our physical self by exercising, doing something that we like to do well and that brings us joy,” she said.
Other things include having “meaningful engagement with people around us,” she said.
“Talk to others about the way you feel, and also practice mindfulness. … Mental wellness is key to overall health. I want everyone to mind their mental health, not just during the month of May, but every day,” Bazron added.
‘You are not alone’
D.C.’s mental health programming includes the use of peer specialists — people who’ve addressed their own mental health that went through training to become certified to help others.
Tanya Hawkins is one of those certified peer specialists. Hawkins said she was inspired to deal with childhood trauma when she was introduced to therapy in a group setting.
“When I realized that I could also do this in a group setting and get advice and coping mechanisms and other skills from my peers, I pretty much fell in love with all things” related to mental well-being, she said. “And I’ve completely changed my entire lifestyle so that I can work in the field, so I can be an encouragement to others.”
If there’s one thing Hawkins could emphasize to people, she told WTOP, it’s this: “You are not alone, and anything that you face, you’re never by yourself.”
“There’s always a group of people who have shared experience and are willing to share their experience with you,” she added.
The experience that put Hawkins on the path to becoming a certified peer support specialist was a group session with women like her: “I experienced a conversation that blew my mind. It opened up my world and let me know that I wasn’t alone.”
The second thing Hawkins said she learned and likes to share is, “Self-care is the most important tool that you’re going to have.”
When people neglect their own needs, Hawkins said, “You cannot take care of the people who are directly in your charge. You won’t be able to contribute as much to your community as what you have to offer,” and your own well-being suffers as a result.
Lastly, Hawkins advised people to get involved in mental health awareness. Specifically, she’s a big fan of having people of all ages involved in “mental health first aid,” learning about mental health strategies and helping young people learn ways to address their mental health needs.
Hawkins pointed to the work of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
“It’s just one of those things that as a community and as a nation, really, if we all were educated in this fashion, the world be so much more of a better place,” she said.
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As a member of the award-winning WTOP News, Kate is focused on state and local government. Her focus has always been on how decisions made in a council chamber or state house affect your house. She's also covered breaking news, education and more.
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