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“Am I doing enough?”
After listening to various founders throughout this season, we know this is the biggest question founders ask themselves as they work towards various causes, especially Dr. Jamie Chiu, executive director and founder of The Brightly Project. In this episode we reconnect with Jamie to learn about mental health awareness for at-risk youth in Hong Kong and how The Brightly Project, and all of us, can play a part in preventing teen stress, struggle and suicide.
Having experienced anxiety and depression herself as a teen, Jamie knows the importance of creating a more supportive conversation around mental health. Her passions led her to found The Brightly Project so that vulnerable teens have a safe platform to talk about their mental health and build relationships for emotional support. We last spoke to Jamie all the way back in episode 6 during the first season of #impact. Since then, The Brightly Project has developed various programs and apps that both students, schools and parents can utilize in order to offer more comprehensive emotional support.
In this episode, you will learn about…
- Why many mental health issues are not addressed until much later than when they should be
- The status of mental health in Hong Kong and why it is a huge issue
- How Jamie uses technology to create innovative apps and programs to offer comprehensive support for at-risk teens
- The importance of listening intentionally and some of the strategies to help us to do so
- Some of the lessons and achievements Jamie has gained over the past few years as a founder
“I wish I knew that I would be okay. Things would be okay, and that I would be okay and could trust myself and have confidence in myself.”
Jamie mentions that schools are proficient at collecting students’ academic data but not social and emotional data. She hopes to give students, parents and schools the tools to combat mental health issues and stigma despite the fact that it can be a taboo topic to discuss, especially in Hong Kong. Ultimately, she wants students to know that they matter and to really feel that people care about them. She is inspired by those she has the privilege of working with and hopes to continue to do the good work she is already doing.
Do you know any teens who are struggling with mental health? Have you struggled with mental health yourself? Are you interested in learning more about stress and suicide prevention? Want to be part of this larger effort to drastically shift the way we support other’s social and emotional needs?
If you want to learn more about mental health and how to support others who may be struggling, you can follow Jamie’s Twitter @imjamiechiu or subscribe to their newsletter at knowmystudents.com and thebrightlyproject.com.
