OETA and Well Beings, the public media campaign to address critical health needs in America, announced today that they are hosting a free virtual event and discussion on youth mental health. The event, “Oklahoma in Crisis: Identifying and Preventing Teen Suicide,” will take place on Thursday, September 9, 2021 at 4 p.m. CST, with perspectives from local experts and young people. Visit Well-Beings.org to stream the live event; tickets and/or registration is not required. Questions for the panelists can be left at Well Beings’ or OETA’s Facebook page.

As Oklahoma’s teenagers return to school, it’s more important than ever for parents, caretakers, and educators to recognize and support their mental health needs. Participants will see a collection of videos from the national Well Beings tour, hear from Oklahoma teenagers, and take part in a frank discussion about terms, warning signs, resources, and tips on how to discuss suicide in an open and healthy way. Panelists include Julie Geddes, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse; Kirk Smalley, representing Stand for the Silent; and Paula Stratford, Director of Affiliate Relations with NAMI Oklahoma. The event will be hosted by Ebony Skillenz who has worked in the field of mental health for the past 10 years. Skillenz specializes in child and family therapy and is the CEO and founder of Amayesing Skillz Counseling Services. Additionally, she operates Ebony Dawn Consulting Services, designed to assist and train therapists to reach their full potential in private practice. As a part of this event, Well Beings and OETA have pulled together a toolkit of local resources for youth who may have mental health concerns, which is available at WellBeings.org/oeta.

“If you have a teenager in your life, this discussion is for you,” states Polly Anderson, OETA executive director. “The physical and mental well-being of Oklahoma’s youth is more important than ever as these children face extreme, ongoing challenges due to the pandemic. We want to ensure they’re getting the support they need. A 2020 report from the Oklahoma State Department of Health states that Oklahoma had the 10th highest rate in the nation for youth suicide deaths from 2012-2016. It’s time we talk openly and honestly about this crisis and work to prevent teen suicide.”

The public, and particularly youth, are facing an increase in mental health concerns as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, compounded by ongoing racial injustice and structural inequality. On July 14, 2020, WETA Washington, D.C., the flagship public media station in the nation’s capital, launched the national Well Beings campaign. The launch featured a virtual event with young people, experts, and notable personalities urging the country towards a more thoughtful conversation about mental health conditions. Well Beings unveiled the Youth Mental Health Project, which features original broadcast and digital content, a national tour of impactful community events, social media campaigns, interactive storytelling on WellBeings.org, and information on mental health resources from project partners — all emphasizing the mental health needs, lived experiences and voices of youth.

The public is able to share their stories via the We Are Well Beings Storywall which showcases the shared stories and experiences of mental health from people across the country. As part of Well Beings, the space offers hope, fosters understanding, builds community, and breaks down stigma, encouraging users to share videos, photographs, or short text stories about their experiences with mental health.

This OETA event is part of the Well Beings Tour(2020– 2022) featuring virtual and in-person events where local organizations and community members with lived experiences of mental health challenges will discuss youth mental health today and provide resources and information on best practices, including youth-focused engagement and support systems. The Well Beings Tour has already held 20 events in major US cities including Baltimore, Anchorage, Los Angeles to date.

Also a part of the campaign, Well Beings is creating youth-focused digital and broadcast content, including the digital-first documentary BRAVE TEENS, student reporting about mental health from PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs, additional live events with CALL TO MIND at American Public Media, and a series of short films entitled OUT OF THE DARK (w.t.). The Well Beings Youth Mental Health Project will culminate with a new four-hour documentary, produced and directed by Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers of Ewers Brother Productions and executive produced by Ken Burns. HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT: OUR MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS (w.t.), slated to premiere in 2022, will explore how young people are addressing their mental health needs and the impact of mental health stigma and stress on today’s youth.

The public can view all Well Beings content, screen past events, and join the conversation on youth mental health by using #WellBeings, visiting WellBeings.org, or following @WellBeingsOrg on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Funding Support

The Well Beings Youth Mental Health Project is made possible by Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc., Kaiser Permanente, Bank of America, Liberty Mutual Insurance, American Psychiatric Association Foundation, One Mind, Movember, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Dana Foundation, Dauten Family Foundation, The Hersh Foundation, Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission, John & Frances Von Schlegell, Sutter Health, Robina Riccitiello, and Jackson Family Enterprises. Partners include CALL TO MIND at American Public Media, PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs, WE Organization, Forbes, PEOPLE, Mental Health America, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, The Steve Fund, and The Jed Foundation. The project sponsors and partners are leveraging their organizational resources, chapters and affiliates at the local and national levels to support Well Beings and have created a video, available to view here.

Engagement & Content Partners

WETA has assembled a wide range of partners to collaborate on the project, both for digital content and the Well Beings Tour. In addition to local public media stations, the project includes Support provided by Otsuka, Kaiser Permanente, Bank of America, Liberty Mutual Insurance, American Psychiatric Association Foundation, One Mind, Movember, National Alliance on Mental Illness, Dana Foundation, Dauten Family Foundation, The Hersh Foundation, Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission, John & Frances Von Schlegell, Sutter Health, Robina Riccitiello, and Jackson Family Enterprises.

Partners include PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs, WE Organization, National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Mental Health America, CALL TO MIND at American Public Media, PEOPLE, Forbes, The Steve Fund, and The Jed Foundation.

Oklahoma partners include the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Oklahoma Healthcare Authority, HeartLine, Mental Health Association Oklahoma, NorthCare, Diversity Family Health, NAMI Oklahoma, Stand for the Silent, Pivot, Inc., Amayesing Skillz Counseling, Q Space, Red Rock Behavioral Health Services, and Indian Health Care Resource Center of Tulsa (IHCRC).

About OETA

OETA provides essential educational content and services that inform, inspire and connect Oklahomans to ideas and information that enrich our quality of life. We do this by consistently engaging Oklahomans with educational and public television programming, providing educational training and curriculum, outreach initiatives and online features that collectively encourage lifelong learning. For more information about education curriculum and programs, local productions, digital television, community resources and show schedules explore OETA.tv.

About Well Beings

Well Beings is a multi-platform, multi-year campaign from public media to address the critical health needs in America through original broadcast and digital content, engagement campaigns, and impactful local events. The campaign begins with the Youth Mental Health Project, engaging youth voices to create a national conversation, raise awareness, address stigma and discrimination, and encourage compassion. Well Beings was created by WETA Washington, D.C., the flagship public media station in the nation’s capital, and brings together partners from across the country, including youth with lived experience of mental health challenges, families, caregivers, educators, medical and mental health professionals, social service agencies, private foundations, filmmakers, corporations and media sponsors, to create awareness and resources for better health and wellbeing.

About WETA Washington, D.C.

WETA is the leading public broadcaster in the nation’s capital, serving Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia with educational initiatives and with high-quality programming on television, radio and digital. WETA Washington, D.C., is the second largest producing-station of new content for public television in the United States, with productions and co-productions including PBS NEW-SHOUR, WASHINGTON WEEK, THE KENNEDY CENTER MARK TWAIN PRIZE, THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS GERSHWIN PRIZE FOR POPULAR SONG, LATINO AMERICANS, ASIAN AMERICANS and documentaries by filmmaker Ken Burns and scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Sharon Percy Rockefeller is president and CEO. More information on WETA and its programs and services is available at www.weta.org.