>>"Workin' It Out," a podcast show about diversity, equity, and inclusion in our workplaces, our communities, and our lives.

♪♪ >>♪ Got problems on the job?

♪ ♪ We're workin' it out ♪ >>♪ With Dr. V ♪ >>♪ Workplace got you stressing ♪ ♪ We're workin' it out ♪ >>♪ With Dr. V ♪ >>♪ Yeah, we're workin' it out ♪ ♪ Workin' it out, workin' it out ♪ >>♪ With Dr. V ♪ >>Welcome, I'm Dr. Vanessa Weaver, your host of "Workin' It Out."

For over three decades, I've been working in the workplace, unraveling workplace challenges and transforming career roadblocks into success stories.

But I have a little secret I want to share with you.

I'm a trained clinical psychologist, and my specialty before I joined Corporate America was in really working -- My specialty is in child clinical psychotherapy.

And so, that is a passion and a love that I've maintained, although I've been working in the private sector.

So, today's topic is one that's near and dear to my heart.

And we're going to be talking about teenage mental health.

And you know, this has been a real hot topic, particularly since the end of COVID.

And so, I'm going to share some facts with you that are a little disturbing, but you need to know.

Over 32% of our teenagers are affected by anxiety disorders.

So, you hear me, 1 out of 3 are affected by anxiety disorders, and those are between the ages of 13 and 18, and those anxiety disorders result in them performing poorly in school.

Missing out on important social experiences.

Engaging in substance abuse, seeming moody and disconnected, and it just really affects all aspects of their life.

And did you know that when you look at the stats for girls, compared to boys, over 60% of US teenage girls report feeling sad or hopeless in 2021.

And those stats were provided to us from The Centers for Disease Control.

And then, on top of that, looking at girls versus boys.

In 2021, 30% of adolescent girls reported considering suicide as a way to end their pain, their depression, their anxiety versus 14% of boys.

Hear that stat again, 30% of adolescent girls compared to 14% of adolescent boys consider suicide as a way of ending or dealing with their pain, or feeling depressed or feeling disconnected.

And then, when we take it down and look at race, we find that for black and Latino teenagers, they're 14% less likely to receive treatment for their depression than whites.

So, in this episode, this is an important episode.

Whether you're the teenager, the parent, a friend of a teenager, a grandparent of a teenager, we're going to really drill down on this mental health challenges, and we're going to really not only talk about those challenges, but this innovative solution that's been a brainchild of our guest today.

And I'm so excited about it because it is practical, it is hands on, and it is immediate.

And that's called the "VIBE CHECKUP."

And we're going to have with us today to talk about this, the creator, the inventor of this solution, it's Kimberly Fogg, and Kimberly is the founder and the chief, what they call mindfulness officer of Global Sustainable Partnerships.

So, I want to say welcome to this genius of a woman, Kimberly Fogg.

Welcome to our show today, Kimberly.

>>Oh, my gosh, Dr. Vanessa Weaver, I am so honored and so blessed to be here.

Thank you so much for having me on your show.

I'm very excited.

>>Well... Well, we're glad to have you to share this -- this really innovative solution with our viewers today.

So, tell us a little bit high-level about the "VIBE CHECKUP," because we're going to have a chance to drill down to it.

But when we talk about this vibe checker, what is it that -- how would you describe it?

>>I describe "VIBE CHECKUP " as basically making sure that our kids have all of the information, the knowledge, we give them the coping skills and the social, uh, and social management skills in order for them to navigate their either typical behavior and/or when something is starting to get a little bit more serious, like a little depression or some anxiety.

So, "VIBE CHECKUP" is really -- We're always training the adults.

We are now training our kids so that we're also empowering them to support themselves and their peers.

So, that's what "VIBE CHECKUP" is all about.

>>And that is such a novel approach, because usually we do put all the resources in training adults, and that's important.

But the kids are the ones who are dealing with this in the moment.

>>They are dealing with it.

>>And your "VIBE CHECKUP" trains them not only to understand what the symptoms are, but also for their peers to understand it, so they could be of support to them and dealing with some of those issues in the moment.

But before we get into that, let's kind of level set.

What do we define?

How do you define mental illness... >>So... >>...in teenagers.

>>So, mental illness, there's just different components of mental illness.

But mental illness really is looking at people's, like, emotional, psychological, and well-being.

And when you drill it down to teens, we're looking at the different aspects of their life that trigger these kind of things.

And it has to do with, you know, peer relationships.

It has to do with, you know, emotions.

You know, kids are now going through coming -- you know, from coming -- becoming a teenager to maybe going into adulthood.

You know, you have a lot of, um, family dynamics that are a part of this and a lot of these things, academic pressures, uh, being in the sports and what's required of you to, you know, to be the star or not be the star.

So, there's a lot of things, um, that actually trigger, uh, some disorders, uh, depression, anxiety.

You have eating disorders.

So there's a -- There's, you know, different things that we consider mental illness, that's the difference between a typical mental health and, um, uh, something that's serious, more serious.

>>I'm glad you raised that, because we know during teenage adolescence, there's the normal teenage angst.

>>Yes.

>>And if you're a parent, you know what I'm talking about.

All of a sudden, there's a level of drama that your teenagers display and you wonder, well, where did that come from?

>>Exactly.

>>So -- So, what's the difference between normal teenage angst and really something more serious as a mental health episode or issue?

>>So, that's a really good question, because a lot of times the parents don't even recognize if there's something that's changing with their kids.

So, one of the things that we train our parents is that you've got to look, and you've got to listen, and you got to start observing and seeing if there's different changes, you know, that's going into their life.

Like, maybe they are not participating in family events, maybe they don't want to go to school.

So, you know, you got to kind of make sure that we're paying attention.

And that's why our program is called "It Takes A Village," because it really does take a village to notice and to identify if there's something going on with our kids, because parents are busy, teachers are very busy.

And the scenario that I give is maybe the lady in the cafeteria notices that a kid is not eating.

That could be the very first sign of our village that is saying there's something wrong with -- there's something going on with the kids.

Let's make sure that we are looking into it further, because we're all about preventative measures so that it doesn't become a crisis.

>>So, Kimberly, can you just give us some of the common symptoms and we're going to show this... >>Okay.

>>...on the screen.

So that parents can say, okay, I know that they're maybe not eating as much, or maybe they're trying to lose weight, or they're not happy, but maybe their boyfriend or girlfriend broke up.

But what are some of the common symptoms or impressions of mental illness when it gets to a mental illness stage in teenagers?

>>So, all kids are different.

So, you know, it may show up in different ways, but, you know, mood swings, you know, if somebody is sad for more than a week or two, if you're noticing that your kid, you know, is waking up and they're still sad, they don't want to do anything, they're lethargic.

You know, what if your kid is, um, not wanting to participate in anything, right?

They're not eating.

I mean, there's different things that, you know, uh, parents can actually, you know, start looking at when their -- their kid is acting a little different.

And it starts happening, you know, like at around 12 or 13, 11.

Um, but then you also have to realize that could be typical teen behavior as well.

And that's why we really look at what the duration is of, um, if you're seeing that your kid is, you know, not eating or not participating or not wanting to be a part of anything.

So, if it's more than a week or it's like more than 2 weeks, I say a week to 2 weeks, then that's when you really got to start -- start asking them questions, you know, and say, "Hey, listen, I'm noticing that, um, you know, you, maybe, you know, you're not participating in some things.

Is something going on?"

And having the conversation.

A lot of times parents don't think that they can just outright have the conversation.

But you love your kid, right?

And so you want to make sure that you're tracking them and supporting them and connecting to them in any way that you can.

>>And really demonstrating that it's okay to have this conversation, right?

>>It's definitely okay to have the conversation.

Absolutely.

>>Well, let me ask you, Kimberly, this whole topic of mental illness seemed to really explode, uh, as we were in COVID, and particularly as we talked about COVID ending, although it has not ended.

>>Correct.

>>So, Kimberly, I mean, thank you for sharing those symptoms.

Um, when teenage angst is more than just the angst, and it really might be evolving to what we call a mental health episode of status.

So, we -- The whole conversation around mental health as it relates to teenagers picked up a lot post-COVID.

So, I'm curious, from your perspective, how has -- how have teenagers navigated or how has the landscape of mental health changed with teenagers since COVID?

Maybe change is too strong of a word?

How has it maybe evolved in the recent years?

>>So, a lot of it has to do with -- Let's just go back to COVID for a minute, because during COVID, these kids were isolated, right?

They had to stay home.

They weren't able to deal with their peers, uh, they were dealing with family issues.

And so, once they went back to school, you know, kids started connecting to one another again.

And so, you had a lot of social media time and kids were really on social media.

And so, they started, uh, getting, you know, even more anxiety because there's so much pressure in terms of these kids, um, being on social media and looking at the -- the different pictures and, you know, do they look like these people, and then, you've got the cyberbullying.

And so the landscape has changed so much is because now the kids are exposed to so many other things, um, outside of their house, in addition to now they're getting over the isolation.

Now they're getting over to getting back with their peers.

And so, that whole landscape of the social media piece is terrible, because that's what's also bringing on depression and anxiety.

>>And it's interesting because those 2 or 3 years, we were just immersed in just all of the craziness and paranoia of COVID and the reality of people dying from it, the interaction that's so important for teenage development was missed, right?

The live interaction that we look for teenagers to experience with each other wasn't available.

>>And thank you for even saying something about the loss.

And a lot of times we don't even think about how that impacts a kid.

And during COVID, and especially in our African American communities, there was a lot of deaths in our families due to obesity or, you know, high blood pressure.

I mean, COVID really ran havoc, you know, in our communities.

And a lot of these kids lost their loved ones, and nobody talked to them about what it means to lose -- a loss when nobody gives kids grief counseling.

It's kind of like nobody was giving kids mental health counseling, right?

So, "VIBE CHECKUP" actually makes sure that we give kids information, in terms of grief.

We give information on bullying.

We give them scenarios and coping skills.

"Hey, listen, what if you broke up with your boyfriend and, you know, you're all sad?"

I mean, we give them real life scenarios, and we put them together as a group, and we actually allow them to come up with solutions that teenagers can actually identify with, not us as adults, right?

Because we think totally different, we have got to give them the information so that they can come up with their own strategies so that not only can they help themselves, but they can actually help their peers.

And the beautiful thing about teaching our kids is that they are the ones that are going to go back to their parents and start sharing what they've learned.

>>So, you saying there's "VIBE CHECKUP" versus young people being isolated or isolating themselves when they're having this anxiety or having depression, or just feeling just out of sorts.

They come into a community of their peers, and they're able to talk about it, or they come, or they're able to get more information about it, and the peers are able to help them talk through that.

Is that what "VIBE CHECKUP" does?

>>That's exactly what "VIBE CHECKUP" does, because what has happened over the past 3 years is their peers have come to them about helping them and discussing what's happening with them.

And like we said before, they don't have those coping skills or those management skills to play that role.

So, now we are actually helping these kids with sharing knowledge with them, giving them these coping strategies, giving them real life scenarios that happen.

What happens if you're being bullied?

Are you going to be a bystander, or are you going to step in, and you're going to help your friend because it could be you the next, you know, in the next time."

So, we teach them how to -- There's a 911 call, when you talk to that 911 operator, you tell them exactly what's going on.

There's a young Black or Latino, male or female.

They're having a mental health crisis.

There are no guns.

Those are the kinds of scripts and things that we talk to the kids so that when the emergency happens, it's that memory, right?

It's that brain memory that comes back to them and then they're allowed to be -- And that enables them to be able to respond in a way, um, that's helpful for everybody around them.

>>And this is what I loved about "VIBE CHECKUP," because as opposed to just waiting for an adult to come in with the solution or being able to identify what's happening.

You teach young people how to identify this and talk about it in the moment.

>>We do, and a lot of times people don't want kids.

You know, it's so funny, but people don't want to have, uh, share real life experiences with kids.

And so, with "VIBE CHECKUP," how are they going to learn?

How are they going to learn how to manage things if we're not telling them, "If something happens, this is what you need to do in order to be safe and to be able to take care of yourself," right?

Because it really is all about self-care.

>>And again, that's so important because we know that peer influence is a major developmental experience for children.

I mean, not children, but for teenagers, they are influenced by their peers, they're interacting with their peers.

So to the extent that these peers understand what's going on, they're going to be much able -- much more able to support that young person that's having some type of mental trauma >>And that's just the beauty of it, because they will go to their peers.

Right?

And so, there are not enough therapists out there.

Parents are busy.

Teachers are busy, parents have their own issues.

There's a lot of generational trauma.

Teachers have their own issues.

They have their own trauma.

So, when you have adults that are coming with their trauma and trying to help our kids that already have the trauma, but they have not had the support of mental health, right?

How can we help our kids?

Right?

And that's why "VIBE CHECKUP" was created, because we cannot continue to put our kids in these situations, and the people that are trying to help them can't even help themselves, right?

Um, in a way that's going to be meaningful, and it's going to have a long-term sustainability to make sure that our kids are well.

>>Well, we know, uh, Kimberly, that there are some traditional approaches and treatments for, uh, uh, teenagers that are having anxiety disorders and depression.

I mean, there's therapy, uh, individual therapy.

There's group therapy.

There's all type of, uh, medicines that are -- psychotropic drugs that are prescribed to kids.

So, what makes "VIBE" so much better?

Or maybe I shouldn't say so much better, but an effective alternative?

What is it about "VIBE"?

>>So, we look at it as a community, um, crisis.

Right?

That's why it's called "It Takes A Village."

So, with our organization, we have community partners, um, that are culturally sensitive and culturally appropriate for the kids that they're actually, um, supporting.

And that's one of the big things that, um, "VIBE CHECKUP" is really, um, it's one of our very, uh, our big components because we want to make sure that we put our kids in front of people who mirror them.

We work with the Black Physicians & Healthcare Network.

They're an amazing organization.

Um, and we have access to mental health professionals.

We work with other mental health professionals that are with the Latino community.

Um, we are currently looking at, um, different, uh, other different, um, uh, ethnicities to -- to work with their kids.

And we also want to make sure that all the information that we have is their -- in their language, right?

Because we have a lot of immigrant kids, and their parents may not speak the language.

Right, and there's so many cultural nuances that go along surrounding mental health within their own culture, right, that we want to make sure, um, that we are actually being accurate and allowing the kids to be able to have the correct information so they could share it within their own language that is specific to their culture.

And that's what really separates "VIBE CHECKUP."

>>Well, Kim -- Kimberly, you talked about having partners.

And I know very recently you had -- you joined up with the Montgomery County Department of Recreation and within the Department of Recreation, they have schools that are affiliated with the Montgomery County Public Schools.

And I just like people who are listening to know that Montgomery County is a county within the state of Maryland, and historically, it has been one of the richest counties in the state of Maryland.

And for decades, if not centuries, it was predominantly white and Jewish.

But very recently, the population, at least the teenage population of the Montgomery County area school population, anyway, has grown to over 50% of teenagers of color.

So that county itself is experiencing a seismic shift in terms of how it used to, uh, handle situations versus now how these new what you call culturally diverse situations are occurring in the community.

So, tell me, like, how have you -- Tell me a little bit about this relationship with the Montgomery County Recreation Department, and how does that help you deal or transmit "VIBE" to the young people?

>>With Montgomery County Rec?

They just jumped in.

They -- They are amazing.

They work with these kids every day within the school systems.

And so, they know that the kids were really in crisis.

And, you know, sometimes these big school systems, it's a big ship to turn.

But when you have somebody like a Montgomery County Rec that really, um, has the resources and actually has that targeted, uh, demographic, you know, that's coming to their facilities every day and having the opportunity to talk to the kids.

That's why "It Takes A Village" philosophy really is important.

Um, it just makes it so much better, because that is really -- allows our "VIBE CHECKUP" to expand into Montgomery County Public Schools.

And we're in talks with them right now in terms of, um, integrating "VIBE CHECKUP," um, into some of their afterschool programs.

We've been working with Montgomery County Public Schools and some of our other, um, programs for kids.

So, it's a really great relationship.

And I feel very blessed, um, that we've been able to forge a good relationship.

>>In fact, I think you're, what, you've been approved for about 34?

>>So, we -- we haven't been approved yet.

We're -- We're still working on that.

But the beautiful thing is that they're listening, and they're interested.

Um, and I think that that's like the first step.

And, you know, they know what our track record is because, you know, we have been working with Montgomery County Rec, we've been working with the National Center for Children and Families, um, working with their foster care kids, working with their social workers.

Um, so we really have developed these great community partners who understand that "VIBE CHECKUP" really is here to help take some of that stuff off of their busy plates.

Right?

Um, and that's how we look at it as a partnership.

Um, um, as an add on to say, "Hey, what?

How can we help you help our kids?"

And that's why "It Takes A Village" philosophy is so important to us.

>>Well, Kimberly, I knew that we would not have enough time to just go through all of this.

So, we're going to have you back on the show.

But as we close out our show today, can you give parents a couple of points of advice around, um, how they might -- how they can access the "VIBE" and use it in support of them connecting better with their -- their teenagers?

>>Yeah, um, I -- You can go to Global Sustainable Partnerships and, uh, Dr. Vanessa, um, you, sometimes, you just got to be present, um, and -- and listen because some -- most times your kids are already giving you clues, right?

They're already trying to say something to you, and you're just missing it.

And that's why, once again, "It Takes A Village" philosophy is so important, because maybe that kid is saying something in the school or the cafeteria or the bus driver.

And that's our first line of defense to go back to the parent and say, "Hey, listen, there's something that may be bubbling up.

Let's pay attention."

>>And I know that "VIBE" also respects, you know, the confidentiality.

And you have all of those elements built into this new app that you're going to be introducing in a couple of months.

>>Absolutely.

>>We're going to have -- We're going to have you back on the show to talk about that VIBE app, because... >>That is amazing.

>>It's your 24/7 best friend.

>>Oh, my gosh, that is going to be the best friend that these kids and the parents and the teachers, because it's a three-way communication that is with their ever present smartphones, that is really going to change the trajectory of how we talk to our kids, how kids can help themselves, help their peers.

This peer-to-peer network is amazing, so I cannot wait to come back and talk about, um, the "VIBE CHECKUP" mobile app.

Yes, exciting.

>>We'll definitely have you back for that.

Well, Kimberly, I just want to thank you.

>>No, thank you.

>>For having this innovative approach and not only having an ideal about it, but making it -- making it a reality.

>>Oh, thank you.

>>And the fact that you're in the Montgomery County Recreation Department, which has relationships with the schools, many of them are in the schools, it's just phenomenal progress that you made.

So, I just want to thank you on behalf of the parents and teachers, but more importantly, those teenagers to that you -- that you're -- that you are present, and you're supporting other people in present and helping them navigate some of the mental illness challenges that they may be facing.

So, thank you so very much for being here today, and we will come back to you.

>>Okay, one thing I want to say is everybody wake up, write down a very positive affirmation so that you can start your day positive, because it will take you through your day, and it really will change how you feel going through the day.

Everybody do that.

I'm telling you, it works.

>>Well, you know, Kimberly, and I know we're close to running out, but I was just reading a study this morning.

Um, um, in the, uh, you know, in this, like, this news feed that I get about how important a positive, kind affirmation is to make to oneself and to somebody you care about every day.

It changes their life, their day, tremendously.

So, thank you for sharing that.

>>It does.

>>So, remember, mental health matters and your support can make a difference.

So, stay positive, stay present, and -- and engage in these conversations.

And so, we're going to -- we're going to have to sign off with our traditional... Be safe and have a be happy week.

I'm your host of "Workin' It Out," Dr. Vanessa Weaver.

And we'll talk to you again next week.

Bye-bye.

>>♪ Got problems on the job?

♪ ♪ We're workin' it out ♪ >>♪ With Dr. V ♪ >>♪ Workplace got you stressing ♪ ♪ We're workin' it out ♪ >>♪ With Dr. V ♪ >>♪ Yeah, we're workin' it out ♪ ♪ Workin' it out, workin' it out ♪ >>♪ With Dr. V ♪