Adriana D’Alleman

I've been working in my current role for about three years with the Mental Health Association in New Jersey, doing work that I absolutely love. My days usually don't look too much the same, which is something I really enjoy - sometimes I'm going to visit the schools I work with, sometimes I'm answering emails and making calls. I work with counseling teams at schools to help them implement teen mental health first aid, which is evidence-based, research-backed education on how to recognize signs and symptoms of mental health challenges and how to respond in non-crisis and crisis situations. We talk about self-care and general public health education and literacy around mental health. What makes my work especially meaningful is that I'm somebody with lived experience of mental health and substance use challenges, and I've recovered. I consider myself a peer, someone with lived experience, and I'm an advocate for mental health literacy, education, and awareness. I really lean into that, thinking about my younger self that would have needed this education, needed those teachers to be equipped with the skills to respond and know what's going on at a deeper level. One of my proudest accomplishments has been seeing the schools I work with flourish - I have teachers who are so passionate and amazing that they're really changing the culture in their schools, pushing through advocacy, going to board meetings, talking with administrators to make this program happen. This year, one of my schools was even featured as panelists at the Mental Health First Aid conference. Connecting with teens and seeing how it impacts them, and when I teach classes, just seeing how people maybe think a little bit differently around mental health - a little less stigma, a little more understanding, a little more empathy, taking on those listening skills - seeing people think about mental health just a little bit differently is so rewarding to see in real time.