The Chatham News + Record and Our Chatham’s “One Chatham” panel discussion on teen mental health in Chatham County is slated for next week, and the panelists and location have been finalized.
The free event takes place from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room in Building 42 on the Pittsboro campus of Central Carolina Community College. Moderated by N+R Reporter Zachary Horner and Our Chatham Reporter Adrianne Cleven, the discussion is an extension of “The Age of Anxiety,” the first season of the new podcast “The Chatcast.”
Featured panelists include:
• Abigail Holmes, 15, a Chatham Charter School sophomore featured in the podcast
• Wilder Horner, social work supervisor, Chatham County Department of Social Services
• Tracy Fowler, executive director of student support services, Chatham County Schools
• Rep. Robert Reives II, defense attorney and member of the N.C. House of Representatives
• George Greger-Holt, community outreach coordinator, Chatham Drug Free
All five panelists were interviewed and featured in episodes of “The Age of Anxiety,” which is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn and Buzzsprout.com.
Greger-Holt, former director of student support services for Chatham County Schools, said mental health and substance use are “inextricably linked” when it comes to teenagers and that addressing both together is critical to finding solutions.
“Parents and the community are integral parts of the both the support young people need to navigate teenage years and supervision necessary to help with decision-making,” he said. “Attending the forum will help parents and other community members hear from professionals on both issues and will be better equipped to address these issues with their own children and know how to seek help if needed.”
Holmes was featured in a December 2018 article in the News + Record in which she talked about her struggles with depression and anxiety which led her to consider suicide. She said she hoped attendees would understand the widespread nature of mental health problems among teens.
“I hope attendees learn that mental health is just as much a priority as physical health is,” she said. “It is something that needs to be addressed and taken care of immediately. I want people to learn that it’s OK to not be OK, as long as you are taking care of yourself. My desire and passion is to help others who don’t understand what they’re going through.”
You can RSVP to the event on Facebook at facebook.com/vents/2334174416874302/.
Any updates on the event, as well as bios of the panelists, will be posted there. The event will also feature a Q&A time with panelists, as well as light refreshments.