This month The Executive Innovation Show in collaboration with the non-profit Humans Helping Humans debuts the series “Mental Health is Health!”. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we will be releasing five podcasts all covering the topic of mental health. 

In this episode of The Executive Innovation Show Podcast, Carrie Chitsey and Daniel Miller speak with Jordan Lichay and Dr. Anitha Iyer of Vibrant Emotional Health. 

Jordan Lichay is Co-founder and Chair of Minds Ahead, a group of next-generation philanthropists and leaders who support the mission of Vibrant Emotional Health. She is also a moderator at the peer-to-peer online community 18percent. 

Dr. Anitha Iyer is a NYC Licensed Clinical Psychologist. As Chief Clinical Officer and Vice President of Crisis and Behavioral Health Technologies, for Vibrant Emotional Health, Dr. Iyer provides clinical leadership and management oversight to ensure Vibrant’s services, including crisis support services like BRAVEline, incorporate the highest clinical standards, training, and best practices in the field. She is a recognized leader in the innovative use of technology in delivering crisis services, is an advisor to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.  

Listen in as we discuss topics such as: 

• Learn more about Vibrant Emotional Health, while based in New York City, they have both a national and local reach. You may be familiar with some of the hotlines such as National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, NYC Well, HOPEline, Veteran Crisis Line and BRAVEline. Listen to hear how they are making an impact. 
• Who understands the youth better than youth? Hear why Jordan Lichay, the Youth Council Chair, found it important to start the youth council and how it’s helped Vibrant Emotional Health relate to youth and Millennials. 
• BRAVEline, started in 2011, was an early hotline for anti-bullying in NYC public schools. Started with the Teachers Union, hear how BRAVEline began and the lessons learned over the past eight years. How has it changed with cyberbullying vs. when they started 8+ years ago when social media depression and anxiety wasn’t at its peak. 
• How has communication preference changed when you look at Millennials compared to Gen Z? Carrie talks about Gen Z’s being a video-first calling demographic vs. most national hotlines adding text chat years ago to accommodate Millennials. Learn how Vibrant Emotional Health is staying innovative to reach Gen Z now and in the future. 
• Who should be responsibility is it to have the conversation “What is Mental Health?” with our youth? Should it be the parents or schools? Dr. Anitha Iyer shares how we should all be having a conversation from parents to schools that help youth understand what mental health is.
• Peer-to-Peer counseling is on the rise. How does peer-to-peer increase the percentage of individuals who are scared or don’t think they need to talk to a professional to get help? Listen to and learn more about the future of video peer-to-peer counseling. Support groups and traditional hotlines should think about when mental health starts in youth ages 10-24 years old and building authentic relationships if we want to really impact behaviors. 

To learn more about the missions and hotlines of Vibrant Emotional Health. 

To join a free, peer-to-peer online support community for mental health, visit 18percent. 

All month long we will be covering mental health topics in honor of Mental Health Awareness month. To learn how to get involved with Humans Helping Humans to raise awareness for mental health donate and become part of our influencer network.

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