News of Charlamagne Tha God and iHeartMedia teaming up with the Mental Wealth Alliance to host the fifth annual Mental Wealth Exp in New Jersey is sparking conversation about when and how do other stations contribute to this important day.
World Mental Health Day is Friday, October 10th. You have a tiny bit of time, maybe a week, to get something put together. With the political and moral climate as it is, this isn’t a day you want
to skip. You, as the on-air staff, have a voice and a platform to ignite conversation on a touchy subject. In actuality, you can make this NOT a touchy subject.
Mental health talk has been taboo in the past. In most recent years, it’s brought up in conversation a little easier as it seems everyone has their own battle. When hosting the morning show, I openly talked about seeing a therapist for my anxiety. The amount of messages on social media and calls we received after this discussion was pretty interesting. We knew we’d get some as off brand as the convo was, but it was surprising the positive comments that were made.
This could be as easy as partnering with a mental health advocacy group in your area. First and foremost, meet with the organization and find out what their major needs and focus are. Build an outing around that. It could be as easy as renting a space and having counselors on hand, handouts on a table, music (obviously), and speakers…not for the music but actual people who are speakers.
Try to approach some “local celebrities” who would be willing to tell their stories. The more the listeners can relate, the better. Leaders from the organization you’re partnering with would be
phenomenal speakers to discuss matters such as anxiety, depression, PTSD and others. There could be people in attendance who are unsure if what they are overcoming is something dealing
with mental health. Those professional speakers could clear up some questions they may have. Sales, this is something you could get sponsors for. I urge you to do so. However, let’s not get
away from the major message here: Mental Health Awareness. Yes, sponsor the page on the station website, have a title sponsor THAT MAKES SENSE. This shouldn’t be brought to you by
the bar down the street. Make it make sense.
I’m all about community support and this is one of the major factors of getting behind your community. These are your listeners. Let them know they have your support.