MENTAL health stakeholders, including the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation, the Public School System, the Offices of the Governor and Lt. Governor, gathered at Crowne Plaza on April 30 to proclaim May as Mental Health Awareness Month and Adolescent Health Awareness Month.
Heather Pangelinan, director of Public Health Services, said the theme for this year is “Wellness in Action.”
In her remarks, she emphasized going beyond conversations about mental health.
“Wellness in action means checking in on our loved ones. It means creating safe spaces for our youth to express themselves. It means making health care accessible and normalizing asking for help. And it means continuing to break the silence on issues that for too long [have gone] unspoken,” she said.
As for adolescents, Pangelinan said their teen years are a time of “growth, self-discovery” and also a “time of challenge.”
“They need us to show up for them not just with words but with real support, real listening and real resources,” she said. “When we put wellness into action, we build environments where young people can thrive emotionally, physically and socially.”
Joshaun Kisa, a Kagman High School student athlete, shared his experience with PSS Mental Health’s Sources of Strength Program, and discussed how mental health coping strategies helped him.
He said through the program, he learned how to focus on “building up the good things in our lives that help us feel better when times are hard.”
“One of the most important things I learned is that I don’t have to wait until I’m feeling really bad to take care of my mental health. I can check in with myself every day,” he said. “I ask myself, how am I feeling today? Do I need to rest? Do I need to talk to someone? This kind of self-check helps me stay balanced.”
He said some “sources of strength” include family support, positive friends and mentors, healthy activities like sports, doing good deeds for others, and more.
Student athlete Joshaun Kisa delivers his remarks at the proclamation signing for Mental Health Awareness Month and Adolescent Health Awareness Month.
