INDIANAPOLIS (WISH-TV) — Being a voice for the voiceless and addressing mental health issues among youth was the focus of a live interview during News 8’s midday newscast Wednesday.
Chunia Graves, a mental health advocate and clinical therapist trained in youth mental health, discussed the importance of the topic and addressed the stigma that sometimes surrounds it in the Black community.
Graves says “underlying issues” need to be addressed when talking about mental health and youth.
“We need to address the social determinants of health in order to combat the symptoms that I see and really address the underlying issues that are so prevalent and that are being communicated to me by young people,” Graves said during a interview Wednesday with News 8 presenter Dakaraï Turner.
Graves spoke about the stigma surrounding mental health in the Black community, adding that perhaps for years in Black culture, this illness may not have been recognized or labeled appropriately.
“It only hurt. If we move forward and recognize mental health and all that encompasses…then we will be able to address all of the underlying issues.
Graves also worked as a mental health liaison for VOICEwhich, according to its website, works to “improve the lives of young people and families through self-expression, community involvement and providing them with options to change their lives.”
The group is “doing amazing things in the community,” Graves said. Graves and his VOICES team host a segment hosted by News 8’s Brittany Noble, called “Real Talk,” in which youth voices contribute to the dialogue. These segments can also be found on the WISH-TV website.
Graves said it was a “youth-focused media initiative.”
“They have difficult conversations and they interview both experts in the field and young people,” she said.
In addition to his clinical and advocacy work, Graves is a finalist for the Junior Achievement Best and Brightest Award which honors 100 of Central Indiana’s most outstanding young professionals across different industries.
