Helping Black & Brown students with their mental wellness

TONIGHT: WE HAVE ALLEXPERIENCED A LOT OF STRESSERSOVER THE PAST YEAR... BUT INTHE AFTERMATH OF GEORGEFLOYD'S DEATH... ANXIETY ADEPRESSION AMONG AFRICANAMERICANS SHOT TO HIGHER RATTHAN EXPERIENCED BY ANY OTHERACIAL OR ETHNIC GROUP.IN FACT... 41- PERECENT OFTHOSE SURVEYED... SAY THHAVE HAD SIGNS OF AT LEAST ONEOF THOSE SYMPTOMS. THAT'SACCORDING TO THE "U-S" CENSUSBUREAU.THAT'S WHY ONE LOCAL HIGHSCHOOL DECIDED TO TACKLE THEISSUE HEAD ON AS PART OF ITS"MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AWELLNESS DAY".

SEVENEYEWITNESS NEWS SENIORREPORTER EILEEN BUCKLEY HASMORE ON A PROGRAM THATSPECIALIZES IN RACE BASEDSTRESS}} (:18) (:26) (:56) (1:45)HEAVEN WALKER.

"YOU COULD GETDEPRESSED TO THE POINT WHEREYOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO COME TOSCHOOL OR DO YOUR WORK...JUSTPUT YOUR HEAD DOWN"14-YEAR-OLD HEAVEN WALKER AND15-YEAR-OLD CALEB BUTLER AREBURGARD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTSIN BUFFALO.

THEY SAY RACISMAND INEQUITY DOES AFFECT THEIRMENTAL WELLBEING.

EILEEN.

"HOWHAS IT EFFECTED YOU?===BUTT=== CALEB.

"IT'S NOTEQUAL NO MORE ....YOU CAN'TJUST WALK OUTSIDE AND HAVE THESAME...THOUGHT PROCESS."===BUTT=== HEAVEN.

"LIKE ALLEYES ON ME -- EVERYBODY JUSTSTARING AT YOU TO BE A CERTAINWAY --- EXPECT YOU TO ACT SOMETYPE OF WAY." BLACK AND BROWNCHILDREN FORCED TO NAVIGATEAROUND RACIAL TENSIONS....ANDFOR SOME...TRAUMA IN THEIRHOME LIVES IS HURTING THEIRMENTAL HEALTH.

ARLENE ADAMS."I ALWAYS SAY WE CRY DIFFERENTIN THE HOOD." ARLENE ADAMSLEADS PROJECT AWARE...A MENTALHEALTH PROGRAM AT BURGARD.

SHESAYS FOR MANY URBAN STUDENTS,TRAUMA IS DRIVING STUDENTMENTAL ILLNESS.

ADAMS. "OURSTUDENTS TEARS LOOKDIFFERENT....THEY MIGHT LOOKLIKE FISTS, IT MIGHT LOOK LIKEBULLETS, BUT THEIR TEARS ARESTILL TEARS NEVERTHELESS --JUST THE SAME." ===BUTT===ADAMS. "LOSINGPEOPLE...HOMICIDE S ...FAMILYMEMBERS GOING TO JAIL... IT'SBECOME SO NORMALIZED THAT IT'SNOT RECOGNIZED ASTRAUMA...WHEN IN FACT IT IS."EILEEN.

"WOULD SAY YOU THATTHAT RACIAL TENSION AND WHATTHESE STUDENTS, CHILDRENWITNESS IN THIS COUNTRY - HASRAISED THEIR ANXIETY LEVELSHERE IN BUFFALO?" ===BUTT===ADAM.

"IT DEFINITELY HASRAISED CONSCIOUS AND IT'SRAISED THE NEED.

WE'VE SEEN ALOT MORE SUICIDE IDEATIONS --BECAUSE OF THIS - SODEFINITELY." I REACHED OUT TOKARL SHALLOWHORN -- A MENTALHEALTH EXPERT HERE IN BUFFALO.HE SAYS LIVING IN ANENVIRONMENT WITH RISKS ANDVIOLENCE WILL CAUSE MENTALILLNESS IN YOUTH.

KARL.

"ANDWHEN THAT HAPPENS TO A YOUNGPERSON -- IT BASICALLY ALTERSTHEIR BRAIN CHEMISTRY."===BUTT=== EILEEN.

"HOW WOULDYOU SAY WE ARE DOING INBUFFALO IN TACKLING THISPROBLEM?" KARL.

"I THINK WE'REGETTING THERE -- WE HAVE AWAYS TO GO...BUT I THINK WE'RECERTAINLY FURTHER OFF THENWE'VE BEEN...BUT WE CAN'TFORGET ABOUT THE NEXTGENERATION." BUT THANKS TO AGRANT, BURGARD HAS IMPLEMENTA MENTAL WELLNESS PROGRAM.}WEDNESDAY, THEY PRESENTED ASPECIAL ZOOM EVENT FEATURINGDR. BRODERICK SAWYER -- ASPECIALIST IN RACE-BASTRAUMA.} THE SCHOOL ISCREATING THIS SPACE AS AMINDFULNESS ROOM AND STUDENTSTELL ME THEY'RE GLAD MENTALHEALTH IS BEING DISCUSSED.EILEEN/STUDENTS.

"ARE YOU GLADTHERE ARE CONVERSATIONS ABOUTIT?..YES...YEAH...HE LPS YOUGET SOME STUFF OFF YOUR CHEST,THEN BUILDING EVERYTHINGUP...YEAH.." IN BUFFALEILEEN BUCKLEY, 7 EWTONIGHT... WE'RE CONTINUINGTHE CONVERSATION SURROUNDINGMENTAL HEALTH EVEN FURTH