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Living In Victory Recovery Sober Living, [LIV] held its inaugural Men’s Mental Health Brunch at its facility in the Old North neighborhood of St. Louis on June 16, 2023. It was good for the body and soul.
Owners Derrick and Cameo Jones opened the rehab center in August 2022, and called planning the event “emotionally taxing but rewarding,” because it led to open, and honest discussion about men’s mental health.
“We wanted to focus on a variety of individuals in the room who are decision-makers, but also have real-life experiences,” said Cameo Jones.
“We wanted to make sure we touched different perspectives, especially the experience for a Black man. I thought it was equally as important to have women of all ethnicities as a part of the conversation as well; to have a place to listen and absorb what was being shared in such an intimate setting.”
LIV in Victory co-founders Derrick and Cameo Jones in their north St. Louis rehab center in the city’s Old North St. Louis neighborhood Mon. Dec. 12, 2022.
The Jones opened the Living In Recovery Sober Living homes in August 2022, and hosted its first Men’s Mental Health Brunch on June 16, 2023.
The couple wanted to highlight Black men’s mental health, especially with it being the weekend of Father’s Day and Juneteenth. They created a safe space for men to be honest about their experiences and what can be done about them.
Derrick Jones said the men’s mental health brunch is part of an action plan “to further push out the work they are accomplishing through their rehab center and community partners.”
Dr. Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, St. Louis director of health said during a panel discussion, “This is the type of leadership, and the type of message of how funding needs to be addressed, how policy needs to center around Black health equity.”
In 2020, 29.3% or 73.8 million Americans had a mental illness suffered from substance use disorder according to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
The data also showed 21.0% or 52.9 million people 18 or older had a mental illness, among those with a mental illness 1 in 4 26.9% or 14.2 million had a serious mental illness.
To help decrease these alarming numbers, the Joneses suggest increasing access to mental health services, providing education and awareness about mental health, reducing stigma around mental illness, and promoting early interventions.
Policies should address the root causes of mental illness, including poverty and social inequality. Hiring more Black and brown therapists and social workers would give more individuals someone to identify with when discussing mental health.
Joe Salvador Palm, Region 7 director for the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, wants to help elevate the rehab center in any way that he can to the work LIV Recovery Center.
“I want [LIV Recovery Center] to get the funding it deserves to help the people that need the health outcomes,” said Palm. “There is a sense of urgency we have to start helping our men.”
Jaime Hudson, a staff therapist at LIV Recovery Center, said the disparity among men suffering from mental illness is “a universal crisis” and that LIV is working diligently to be a part of the solution by having policymakers in the room, in the conversation so they are more aware of what’s going on in the community.
Hudson, a former educator from St. Louis Public School District, said there is not enough information surrounding mental health.
“When young minds go untreated, they then become adult minds that have gone through life suffering in silence, masking hurt, and trauma that can lead to substance use or mental breakdowns,” she said.
“We need to normalize men having access to mental health services.”
She noticed a transformation from the men that she counsels at the center. Many begin with an ‘I attitude,’ only concerned about themselves. They develop into a person who has compassion for others.
“We are encouraging open and honest conversations about mental health and reducing the stigma around seeking help for mental illnesses. Men should not feel weak for needing support,” said Derrick Jones.
Through LIV Recovery Center Derrick and Cameo Jones provide access to mental health resources and men’s support groups. The staff is educating men and families on the signs of mental illness or just needing extra support so there can be early intervention.
Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.
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