NCSS Here for You, Teen Mental Health Struggles

The month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this show serves as part of our initiative to raise awareness about the importance of balancing mental health in conjunction with physical health to achieve well-being. 

Did you know that 1 in 5 people in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties experience a mental health challenge each year?  Do you also realize the significant increase in substance abuse in our two-county area? Anxiety, depression, suicide, and self-injury are also prevalent mental health disorders for teens and adults alike. Although stigma remains a barrier for many to seek treatment those who do can achieve satisfying results that change their lives.

Today on the show my special guest is Alexina Federhen, Miss Vermont 2022, whose platform focuses on teen mental health with her social impact initiative of Speak Out, Reach Out: Supporting Mental Health Awareness.  We’ll learn about the journey that Alexina has taken in overcoming depression and anxiety.  Alexina’s involvement with organizations such as, NAMI Vermont, has found her speaking on the importance of mental health in schools and communities throughout Vermont.