Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative (SWMJC) is a dynamic group of 12 partners representing media, educational or community organizations dedicated to strengthening local journalism. We support and enhance the news ecosystem in Southwest Michigan, to provide accurate and equitable coverage, and to promote diversity of voices among journalists and sources alike.
A solutions-oriented journalism initiative covering mental health issues in Southwest Michigan.
Experts in the field agree that some old methods of treating mental illness belong in the past. But one may be due for revival, a professor at Western Michigan University said.
When Jeffrey Tavarez and Agustin Leal-Diaz heard yet another story of suicide among college youth, they knew they had to do something to help — and they had to do it loudly, with the sound of thunder.
The two recent graduates of Western Michigan University also wanted an effort specifically targeted for Spanish-speaking young adults, like themselves.
A sudden lack of baby formula can be another mental health stressor for parents at a time of intense pressure. Formula can be a nutritional life saver, but its prominence has come at the expense of unrivaled mother nature’s milk.
In 2006, Susan Brown lost a close friend to suicide. Another friend died the same way in 2011. The two incidents left her reeling. Both men were highly accomplished, with plenty of resources at their disposal. If even people in that position could succumb to mental illness, what did that say about the status of mental-health care?
Maybe it’s because of spikes in anxiety and depression during the pandemic. Or maybe it’s the fact so many more people — celebrities and ordinary folks alike — are opening up about their own mental-health struggles.
Call it a silver lining of the pandemic. After generations of being an issue swathed in shame and stigma, mental health is finally getting the attention it deserves. The stigma is easing. Positive changes are happening. State and federal policymakers are allocating hundreds of millions of dollars to expand services and improve access.
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