Feb. 23, 2022: Youth Mental Health in the Age of Anxiety

 

…And Why it Matters to Everyone

Dr. Sislena LedbetterEven before COVID forced schools to go virtual, leaving students isolated from their teachers and peers, today’s youth were struggling.  Maybe it’s social media, maybe it’s the looming climate crisis, maybe it’s the stress of life in the 21st century.  Dr. Sislena Ledbetter, a clinical psychologist and Western Washington University’s Associate Vice President of Counseling, Health and Wellbeing, will look at some of the root causes and talk about ways adults can help address these mental health issues so that society as a whole will be healthier in the future.

More about Dr. Ledbetter…

Sislena Grocer Ledbetter, Ph.D. is the Associate Vice President of Counseling, Health, and Wellbeing at Western Washington University. Dr. Ledbetter is a social psychologist, researcher, lecturer, author, and life coach. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from North Carolina Central University, Magna Cum Laude. She earned with honors her master’s and Doctoral degrees in psychology from Howard University. Her post-graduate studies include educational leadership training at Georgetown University Graduate School of Professional Studies and Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She has received several fellowships and internships, including an internship during the Clinton administration. Dr. Ledbetter has held many higher education leadership roles, including Assistant Professor of Psychology, Executive Director of Counseling, Health and Wellness, Director of Counseling and Student Development, and Associate Vice President of Student Development. She’s written and attracted millions of dollars in grants funds for behavioral health issues addressing HIV-AIDS, substance abuse, suicide prevention, and domestic violence. As the Associate Vice President of Counseling, Health, and Wellbeing at Western Washington, within two years, she led the institutional adoption of the Okanagan Charter, which calls on higher-education institutions to embed health into all aspects of campus culture and to lead health-promotion action and collaboration locally and globally. For almost 10 -years, she was the host of the DC Cable Television program “A Healthy Mind,” where she interviewed guests on topics related to wellbeing and mental health. Her research interests include exploring wellbeing, power, and leadership for women of color at home and in the workplace and exploring factors that enhance healthy intimate relationships in the Black community.

*Zoom link will be posted on the website on the day of the meeting.