Mental Health Matters Luncheon

The world is constantly changing – for better or for worse – and it can be overwhelming to deal with everything going on around you. Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in May in the United States since 1949 and was created by Mental Health America, the nation’s leading national nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of mental health, well-being, and illness prevention.

Closer to home, MHA Southeast Texas is striving to make mental health more mentionable in Southeast Texas. The roots of the local organization trace back to 1942, but its purpose has remained the same – enhance the lives of all individuals impacted by mental illness through community collaboration, education, and advocacy.

The organization’s first Mental Health Matters Luncheon is Thursday, May 9, at Beaumont’s Holiday Inn & Suites at 11:30 a.m. Individual tickets ($75) and sponsorships ($1,000-$10,000) can be obtained by email at director@mhasetx.org or by phone (409) 550-0134. Sports is the theme to the inaugural luncheon.

“We invite you to join our efforts in breaking the stigma surrounding mental health”, said luncheon co-chairs Sally Broussard, Mark Kubala and Shelley Tortorice. “It should be as easy to talk about as our favorite sports team. Too many times our mental health is ignored due to shame, judgment, or lack of understanding, causing our overall wellness to suffer. Let’s offer hope and support to struggling individuals and their families by having casual conversations and knocking stigma out of the stadium.”

Patrons will enjoy a lunch and will receive updates from Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas regarding their renovation and expansion of their behavioral health services.

Judges Terrance Holmes and Randy Shelton will be honored for their mental health court advocacy and efforts in meeting the needs of individuals with mental illness.

Dr. Roshni Koli, a board-certified adult and child and adolescent psychiatrist and an assistant Professor of Psychiatry within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, will be the guest speaker. She is currently the chief medical officer at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.

“Mental health is very important,” said Julie O’Malley, executive director of MHA Southeast Texas. O’Malley has worked with children with autism for more than two decades and despite only having the executive director position at MHA Southeast for less than a year, O’Malley continues to make her presence in local schools.

“I love to talk to kids,” said O’Malley. “There are different times of your life that are harder than others and when you need help you need to ask for it. We want to break the stigma of seeking help or even talking about it.”

O’Malley stated despite the pandemic being over, suicide rates continue to climb.

According to everytexan.org, a nonprofit organization that research, analyzes, and advocates for public policies to expand equitable access to quality health care, food security, education, and good jobs, reported that 31% of students say their mental health is not good “most of the time or always.” In the past year, 22% of students seriously considered attempting suicide and 20% of students reported to have planned on how they would end their lives. Only 13% of these students reported reaching out to someone for help prior to a suicide attempt.

“The last statistic is something we are working hard to change,” said O’Malley. “If someone is thinking about suicide, we want 100% of those individuals to reach out for help and know that it’s OK to have that conversation.”

O ’ M a l l e y also stressed the importance of promoting the “988” Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, seven days a week, across the United States and is available in more than 200 languages.

“Nationally and locally, we are facing an unparalleled mental health crisis,” said O’Malley. “At this event, we want the community to come together to improve understanding of mental health conditions, spread awareness, and reduce stigma surrounding mental health.”