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In honor of Mental Health Awareness month, in this month’s episode of The Mental Minute podcast, co-hosts Jeremy Fallis and Will Heininger discuss their favorite strategies when it comes to self-care for their mental health. Will uses the several tools available via the Campus Mind Works Mental health toolkit, which help him stay consistent with good sleep and meditation practices. Jeremy talks about staying active as one of the steps he’s taking to stay mentally healthy, as well as planning.

Next, they engage in a Sports Minute with an emphasis on athletes’ mental health. Jeremy highlights ESPN writer Emily Kaplan for bringing mental health of NHL players to the forefront.

In the latter segment of the episode, the co-hosts interview Mark Collins, founder of the Chris Collins Foundation. Because of the foundation’s work, the Peer-to-Peer program was brought to Rhode Island schools, in memory Mark’s 20-year-old son. Chris, who died by suicide in 2018.

The 501(c)3 nonprofit’s mission was inspired by a letter from Chris’s friend who highlighted the immense impact he had on his peers through his music and kind, loving personality. After searching for peer led mental health programs to partner with, Collins came across Peer-to-Peer at the Eisenberg Family Depression Center. The foundation hopes to mitigate social stigma of mental illness and increase education and awareness, especially in younger populations. For the future, the foundation hopes to embed their mission on a community level, beyond middle and high schools. 

“Chris is just an every-day kinda guy,” says Collins, hoping to instill the idea that there are many people out there suffering in silence who could benefit from mental health support.

More information about The Mental Minute with Michigan Medicine as well as the full episodes can be found through the main Mental Minute page.