Today I talk with Graham Wiseman, as he shares the story of his son Colin, who lost his battle with anxiety, ADHD, and depression at age fifteen when he died by suicide. Graham speaks about grief and the different ways he and his wife have moved through the grieving process. Together, they have focused on a singular purpose--to advocate for change in youth mental health in schools and beyond. Through the nonprofit BeingwellCA, Colin's legacy has propelled state-wide integration of wellness centers in schools.

We discuss the essential role of caring adults--beyond a child's parent--and how their time and mentorship proves an invaluable part of helping students struggling with mental health issues. This is where you can get involved in your community. Perhaps you're a coach or an artist or a writer or a lawyer--the only requisite is the desire to listen and offer support to a single student. And this is where the most hopeful statistics on preventing youth suicide live--in this student & compassionate adult equation.

To fund more student wellness centers and offer critical mental health resources to school districts across the state, BeingwellCA has teamed up with California Department of Education to create a Mental Health Awareness License Plate. The unique license plate has one goal: To bring mental illness into the light--even if just a traffic light. Visit BeingwellCA.org to show your support of this urgent campaign.

Click Here for information on BeingwellCA.org
Graham speaks about Dr. Cheryl King's work that offers a potential strategy for success at keeping kids' mental health strong and the power of having a caring adult in their life. Click Here for Dr. King's Ted Talk.

Support the show

Give to Bipolar She & Support Podcast Production: buymeacoffee.com/bipolarshe

Music composed and performed by guitarist, JD Cullum

Edited by Brandon Moran

Sponsored by Soar With Tapping