May 13, 2025

On the occasion of Mental Health Month, practitioners from several Charlotte area groups offering assistance to individuals and families facing mental health challenges presented this morning.

The focus was not really on the labyrinth of assistance programs, and certainly not on all the terminology that families become immersed in when helping a family member get help.

Instead, the focus was on how lay people can assist in helping save a life “when, not if” they encounter a person struggling a bit. Training is available, but the key, these practitioners said, is a willingness to ask a simple question, and then listen. “How are you doing today?” was one variation. There were others.

But the key part is listening with empathy as a person struggling with something begins to respond. Hence begins a conversation, in which the struggling person’s sense of isolation might ease, and healing might begin.

Participants in the panel were Barbara Baker and Ericka Ellis-Stewart of Mental Health America of Central Carolinas; La Becky Roe of Let’s Talk About It – The Autism Center; and Diana Merrifield, board chair of NAMI Charlotte. Mental Health America local Executive Director Ayo Johnson also spoke.

As mental health providers offer additional information on this subject, it will be posted here. And for people who doubt they can afford to pay for the help they need, note that the word “free” was used a number of times in the video below.