Paramount Media Networks & MTV Entertainment Studios launches Hidden Healers, a mental health series that elevates BIPOC voices and communities

Featuring a group of young mental health creators and advocates, Hidden Healers will develop culturally-grounded content for MTVE's platforms with a focus on taking action

First content initiative from MTVE's Mental Health Youth Action Forum with Selena Gomez, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden and US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy

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NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This World Mental Health Day, Paramount Media Networks & MTV Entertainment Studios (MTVE) introduces Hidden Healers, a digital content series created in partnership with a group of four mental health young leaders to drive mental health actions that honor the heritage of BIPOC communities and cultures.

The digital series was created in partnership with the four young leaders who developed and presented the idea at MTVE's first-of-its-kind Mental Health Youth Action Forum hosted at the White House in May 2022 with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Ambassador Susan Rice, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and Selena Gomez. They include:

• Mahmoud Khedr, an Egyptian immigrant, is the founder and CEO of FloraMind, a mental health innovation lab building radically accessible and equitable solutions addressing the youth mental health crisis.
• Kheira Bekkadja, a Muslim Algerian American whose involvement with Our Minds Matter has informed her passion for creating safe spaces that destigmatize mental health and promote wellness.
• Maddox Guerilla, a social impact visionary from the concrete jungle of NYC who embodies the idea of protopia, the idea that everyday we get to work towards the world we want to see. MADDOX is also co-creator of the first ever direct cash transfer program targeting youth experiencing homelessness.
• Ayanna Kelly, an Afro-Latina veteran and mother who is passionate about diversity, equity, inclusivity, belonging, and accessibility in company culture and HR. She uses her expertise and personal experiences to amplify mental health through her podcast, Sazón y Corazón.

The first of these digital videos will be released in November as part of Native Peoples Heritage Month.  Other videos will be released throughout 2023 including during Black History Month (February), Women's History Month (March), Arab American Heritage Month (April), Asian American Pacific Islander Month (May), Caribbean American Heritage Month (June), and Latinx Heritage Month (September 15-October 15.)

"We spearheaded the Mental Health Youth Action Forum to empower young people and help them to develop mental health content that would resonate with their communities and drive people to action," said Brianna Cayo Cotter, SVP of Social Impact, Paramount Media Networks & MTV Entertainment Studios. "We are excited to be able to bring to life this unique and timely Hidden Healers initiative which further drives our shared mission to normalize and expand the conversation around mental health."

"Practicing mental wellness is not always easy for our young people, particularly those with intersectional and marginalized identities. This is due to many barriers to professional care like therapy, medication and accurate diagnoses, which are impacted by pervasive cultural stigmas that prevent people from taking action," said Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble, founder of The AAKOMA Project and co-mentor to the Hidden Healers creators. "The Hidden Healers is a group of diverse innovators who bring awareness to attainable, affordable and inclusive methods of care, ultimately allowing everyone to envision themselves as people who can flourish."

As part of our commitment to convene brands and build movements toward meaningful change, many of the industry and nonprofit partners who joined the Mental Health Youth Action Forum are working with the young leaders to develop mental health content for their constituents and platforms. Some of these collaborations include:

• Pinterest will be working alongside six young leaders, Jorge Alvarez, Thea Touchton, Davida Padi, Uele Boxill, Alexandria Ang, and Zoe Cain, on developing a new mental health campaign for their platform.
• Anchor by Spotify will be working with Zane Landin, Nancy Su, Diana Chao, Justine Bautista, Adia Fadaei, and Bhavya Rai to start the production of a mental health podcast called Mind In Progress.
• Selena Gomez's Rare Impact Fund by Rare Beauty selected Adia Fadaei, Carla Ibarra, Davida Padi, Zoe Cain, and Meera Varma to be among the first-ever Rare Impact Ambassadors.
• Dayna Altman launched a mental health-focused Pinterest TV series called Stories by the Stove where she invites guests to bake in her kitchen while interviewing them about their mental health story.
• Ayanna Kelly served as one of the Americas Global Advisors for Zoom Cares' Social Impact grants, and started a podcast Sazon y Corazon.
• Bhavya Rai launched a podcast called Off the Pedestal to share untold, and underrepresented mental health stories from the world's changemakers. She has featured a number of other Forum participants in her show.
• Carmel Alshaibi spoke with Al Jazeera about her experience representing Arab Muslims at the Mental Health Youth Action Forum and the work needed to be done to improve mental health within Arab and Muslim communities.

SOURCE Paramount Media Networks & MTV Entertainment Studios