Director of Social and Emotional Learning at ENGAGE and HEAL FOUNDATION - Austin, Texas, United States
Established in 2019, community members came together to erase the stigma of mental health and encourage conversation to shatter the silence. Engage & Heal is an acronym for Erik Hanson; my daughter's best friend who died by suicide in August 2018. Erik was an Eagle Scout, cadet in the Corps at Texas A&M, 3-year varsity swimmer and varsity football player his senior year at Lake Travis High school, outside Austin, TX. A scholarship was started in his name and then, the foundation was born to do more. Through our efforts, we strive to bring the topic of mental health into the open and educate our community. We need to bridge the gap between those who feel unheard and disconnected with those who want to help. We hope that our understanding and presence will be the first step in the healing process.