Who Gets Left Out When We Talk About Mental Health Care in Southern Dallas?

To be of any help in boosting mental health services in southern Dallas, each of us must first flip our thinking to understand and embrace a too-long-ignored truth:The families and neighborhoods that make up the southern half of the city are not passive receivers of whatever aid is set in motion. Instead, they are the most indispensable resource — even as they are overlooked — to authentically fix this problem.That's among the best advice we've received as we begin our advocacy for improving mental health services in southern Dallas.Don't overlay solutions that you think will work. Listen to the voices of residents and enlist trusted long-timers to guide any solution-building.Even if people are hesitant to talk or communities are so fragmented that neighborhood elders are absent, don't rush in with answers.Just listen. Listen. Then listen some more.  Continue reading...