NYC Men Heal helps young men of color build careers in mental health

I had these heavy feet I was carrying, and there was no one I could turn to and talk to about it. Elante Richards wants to be that resource he says he never had growing up. The Guyana native studies at Hunter College and is one of the 25 scholars in NYC Men Heals program. It's important to have that level of support. The pilot officially launched back in June with orientation just this month. It helps young men of color studying social work or mental health counseling with living stipends, mentors, and career guidance. We have healthier men in our communities than we have healthier communities. And so programs like this are helping to develop and just support the young men in our communities who can now engage in mental health support. Now getting to that point also means filling gaps in care. Across our city-funded mental health programs, we are experiencing a workforce shortage. We get the opportunity to support men of color who are also very much underrepresented in the mental health workforce. Specifically as a black man, society doesn't really view you as whole. Alante is already connecting with men through a video project he launched under his company Jar of Hearts. He sees this program as a way to build on that work. I always be giving back to the community to do the things that are necessary. And I'm happy to be a part of it. And that first group is expected to graduate this spring. They're going to gather all the feedback from that pilot and use it to shape what comes next. In Lower Manhattan, it's your Jack Robinson News 12.