Spread the light with Dr Devika B
Welcome! We feature first-person accounts of living with mental illness that aim to dispel stigma and stereotypes and instead, spread hope and light. Because stigma festers in the dark and scatters in the light. ||| I'm your host, Dr Devika Bhushan, a pediatrician, public health leader, and equity and health changemaker. In 2022, I served as the Acting Surgeon General for California. I also have lived experience as a woman of color, a parent, a person with bipolar disorder, and an Indian-American immigrant to the US by way of the Philippines. ||| Join our transformative well-being newsletter community — with written versions of interviews like this, along with deep dives into evidence-based trends in health, innovation, and culture: www.askdrdevikab.substack.com/about and watch video versions of our conversations here: www.youtube.com/@drdevikab
Spread the light with Dr Devika B
Ashanti Branch on redefining healthy masculinity
Ashanti Branch has over 20 years of experience in building healthy relationships in schools — he’s a pioneer in reforming education, youth mental health, and traditional masculinity. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Ever Forward Club, a non-profit organization that takes students who are disengaged and dropping out to 100% graduation rates, 90% college enrollment, and 0% incarceration, using tools like the Taking Off the Mask workshop. Ashanti received the 2023 US Surgeon General’s Medallion (the highest honor a civilian can receive from the Surgeon General).
Trigger warning: In this episode, we talk about systemic challenges inherent to working within the US public education system and youth mental health issues.
Transcript with sources here. Video conversation here.
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SPREAD THE LIGHT WITH DR DEVIKA B:
Because stigma festers in the dark and scatters in the light.
* Join our well-being newsletter community that examines evidence-based trends in health, innovation, and culture, and destigmatizes mental illness — centering lived experience, equity, justice, and cross-cultural nuances: askdrdevikab.substack.com
You'll also find written versions of this interview and others like it there — and links to relevant sources.
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If you or a loved one needs help for a mental health crisis in the US, don’t hesitate to call or text 988 — or reach them online here. Find other resources here, search for a treatment facility here, and find a therapist here. Here are resources specifically for LGBTQ people. If you’re a US-based clinician or health student dealing with “any issue, not just a crisis,” reach out to the Physicians Support ...
Full transcript and sources: https://askdrdevikab.substack.com/p/ashanti-branch-on-taking-off-the