Ep 017 – Student Mental Health During a Pandemic w/ Dr. Michael Lindsey

June 30, 2020

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Our Guest:

This week on BeREAL, Diana and Ednesha are joined by Dr. Michael Lindsey. The episode focuses on how to uplift student mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Michael Lindsey is the Executive Director at the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research in the NYU Silver School of Social Work. Dr. Lindsey has multiple lines of research at the moment, but his work focuses on how to improve mental health experiences for the youth, especially in schools. He also works with moms who have PTSD and require mental health interventions through the program Save Mothers, Save Children.

This Week on BeREAL:

The episode begins as Dr. Lindsey explains the importance of improving student mental health. He views this effort as a way to break the cycle of generational poverty, and build a better future for people from all backgrounds. He ties this mission into the current day, and goes over the threats COVID-19 poses on student socialization. Schools play an important role in maintaining a healthy mental wellbeing for children. This comes from school sanctioned social workers, but also from everyday social interactions with classmates. How will this affect the students who currently have to do all their schoolwork online? Will mental health services dwindle because of online education, and are schools now just an educational institute? That is what Dr. Lindsey is here to discuss, how we can use virtual learning to be a tool of improving mental health instead of hindering it.

The conversation concludes as your hosts discuss the best way to administer adolescent therapy during these times. Due to stay at home orders, children are struggling to hold online therapy sessions in a place that is completely private. Dr. Lindsey is advocating for a collaboration of therapists, teachers, and parents to create the best environment for positive mental health stimulation at this time.

Thank you so much for tuning in this week to BeREAL. Be on the lookout for a brand new episode next week, but in the meantime, make sure to catch last week’s episode if you haven’ already.

As mentioned in the episode, if you would like to talk to a professional to get feedback on what is currently happening in your life, and if it warrants the involvement of a mental health professional please don’t hesitate to call +1(888)-NYC-WELL.