Welcome to From Living In Silence to Living Out Loud — a podcast about mental health and wellness.
This episode is dedicated to exploring the mental health challenges facing our students and teachers in schools.
Host Talli Dolge is joined by Dr. Tony Walker from The Jed Foundation to discuss the current state of mental health in our schools.
According to recent statistics, one in five students is struggling with a mental health issue in our schools today. This is a staggering number that cannot be ignored.
Teachers are also facing their own mental health challenges, with high levels of stress and burnout leading to increased absenteeism and turnover rates.
Dolge and Walker discuss the impact of recent tragedies on school communities and the importance of providing support and resources for students, teachers and families.
Walker shares his insights on innovative practices and programming that can help address these challenges and create a more supportive and inclusive school environment.
Real talk is essential in this conversation, and we delve into the stigma surrounding mental health and how it can prevent students and teachers from seeking help. We also discuss the importance of early intervention and prevention in addressing mental health issues.
As we near the end of the school year, it is important to continue this conversation and prioritize mental health in our schools.
This podcast is a must-listen for anyone who cares about the well-being of our students and teachers. Join us as we explore the challenges and opportunities for improving mental health in our schools.
This podcast wants the listener to dictate where you want to see the topics go in relation to mental health and wellness.
You can find us on all podcast platforms, KSAT’s YouTube channel, KSAT.com and KSAT+, the free streaming app for Smart TVs.
Find other KSAT podcasts here.
About host Talli Dolge
Talli Dolge is a vocal mental health and wellness advocate who lives in San Antonio.
Talli has been a mental health contributor with KSAT since the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic began in 2020.
She earned her Master’s Degree in Counseling Education from SUNY(State University of New York).
Talli is the Founder and Creator of the Mobile Mental Wellness Collaborative. The unique program provides a holistic approach to mental wellness by bringing services right into the school districts. This program works to eliminate transportation, cost, and language barriers by bringing wraparound, no-cost mental wellness services to not only students, but their families, teachers, and district staff.
Talli currently is working as a national mental health and wellness consultant; helping foundations and nonprofits build sustainable mental health programs.
She also currently serves on the UTSA College for Health, Community, and Policy Advisory Council. She was a 2022 Distinguished Speaker for SA Health Cell and was featured in the SA Lights section of the SA Express-News in August 2022.
She has an outstanding history of leadership and service in the mental health community, as well as in previous positions with Jewish Family Service of San Antonio, the Witte Museum and Walt Disney World.
Each month she will bring community leaders, experts, and people living with mental illness to talk about various mental health and wellness topics.
About host Tony Walker
Tony joined The Jed Foundation in November 2022 as Senior Vice President of Academic Programs.
In his role, he structures, expands, and leads JED’s high school and higher education programs to meet the organization’s strategic plan objectives. To fulfill this work, he connects strategy, people management, operations, fiscal responsibility, partnerships, and school recruitment functions.
Prior to joining JED, Tony served as Vice President of Education Strategy and Innovation at the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, where he led a team of school-mental health consultants and contributed to the public policy discussion around school-linked mental health in Texas and beyond.
He previously worked in multiple roles in public education, including as a teacher, school counselor, and most recently as an executive district leader over Student Support Services at Uplift Education, a high performing network of schools serving more than 23,000 students in North Texas.
Under his decade of leadership, Uplift developed and implemented one of the largest school-based mental health systems in Texas.
Tony is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified School Counselor, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Missouri, a Master’s degree in Counseling, and PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Texas Tech University.