Chirlane McCray, the first lady of New York City, talked about efforts to improve mental health programs in urban areas at AHCJ’s Urban Health Journalism Workshop in New York on Oct. 19. She chatted with independent journalist Katti Gray following her keynote address.
McCray noted that people wait an average of 10 years before seeking treatment for mental health issues. She said that her initiative, ThriveNYC, has trained more than 75,000 New Yorkers in mental health first aid.
McCray said that improving mental health means, “We need to change our shaming, punitive culture” to break community stigma around mental disorders.
In her address, she told the roomful of health journalists, “Finally, I ask you to take care of yourselves. Journalism can be a high-stress job. We need you take care of yourselves so you can cover the stories of mental health.”
AHCJ Director of Engagement Cynthia Craft contributed to this post.
