OUR MINDS MATTER GAINS MOMENTUM IN ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY B Y D Y L A N RO C H E
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hen Severna Park High School students Lauren Carlson, Parker Cross, Sabina Khan, Megan Moulsdale and Katrina Schultz united in spring 2019 to make a statement about the need for mental health awareness in their community, they had no way of predicting the momentum their advocacy would gain. But gain momentum it did, and several months later, the grassroots movement known as Our Minds Matter has caught the attention of and brought together government officials, educators, religious leaders, parents and teens to address the growing problem of the youth mental health crisis that has been building in their community. “It didn’t seem like anything was going to change unless someone was going to do something about it,” says Khan, who found herself moved to action after the suicide of a classmate in March. Parents and students alike were talking about the overwhelming pressures teenagers face to be perfect—to get straight A’s, to excel at sports, to get into the best colleges—and despite the overwhelming expectations, there was a lack of resources available for those who were struggling mentally and emotionally from the stress. Even worse, people didn’t take mental health struggles seriously and didn’t address them openly. Khan reached out to the other girls and soon enough they were collaborating on how they could create real change for teenagers struggling with mental health. “Some adults think that because we’re so young, we have no idea what we’re talking about or no idea how to do it,” Moulsdale says. “But the thing is, we’re the ones who are directly affected by this.” Although the girls were acquainted with one another, they weren’t especially close friends until this common cause drew them together. Their advocacy work commenced with a
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NOVEMBER 2019
march on May 1, 2019, when hundreds of students gathered in Severna Park with signs calling for mental health to be destigmatized and offering a show of support to those who were struggling in silence. “It was difficult growing up viewing mental illness as some taboo scary thing,” says Carlson. “It’s normal and it should be talked about more.” Our Minds Matter seeks primarily to destigmatize mental illness, opening the conversation for young people to admit when they are struggling and need help. Just as important, the group wants to see increased funding for mental health resources and real policy changes. Among those helping along the way is Delegate Heather Bagnall of Maryland’s 33rd District. “I have great admiration for the fact that they were willing to lead this and not allow the naysayers to defeat them,” Bagnall says. Coming from a background working with youth in theater and education before she entered politics, Bagnall recognized the potential in this student-led initiative when the girls first reached out to her. “I often see that young people have great ideas, great energy, and it’s often very hard for them to find a champion who will give them a platform to be heard,” she says. “These young women were articulate and engaged and wanted to see changes in communication and how we respond to tragedy, and they wanted to make sure students are included in that process.” Among the changes Our Minds Matter advocates is lowering or eliminating a minimum age at which students can seek help from Anne Arundel County’s Crisis Response System. As the law stands, those younger than 16 cannot seek help from Crisis Response, and students 16 and older can do so only with a parent’s permission. Our Minds Matter is also fighting for a better ratio of guidance counselors to students so that each student has
