Mental Health Advocate Pushes for Reform and Education

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Vandana Ramanathan. Read her story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Seventeen-year-old Vandana Ramanthan is only a senior in high school, but has already recognized the power the government and advocacy have to affect change. Her dedication to civics moved her to start the Youth Civic Network where she works alongside 10 peers across the U.S. to create a database that empowers young people to engage with local politics. She also serves as the Minnesota director and associate director of training for Spring Group, a youth-led think tank that focuses on research and policy reform.

As a member of both her school’s speech and debate teams, her ability to present an argument and move people to action has led her to competitions across the country. She credits her participation for the discovery of her passion for policy advocacy and the resulting nonprofit, the Youth Equity Project.

A year and a half ago, along with co-founder Aadya Pandey, Vandana created the organization to build more mental health resources within schools and fighting for bills and policies that expand access to treatment. With 50+ executive members across the US, the organization has raised $10,000 to conduct research and host workshops, and they have reached 80,000 people on social media. Vandana’s work has earned her the Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award and helped influence 18+ policy initiatives Youth Equity Project has introduced or supported, from the local to the national level.

What inspires you to volunteer?

I’ve experienced my own mental health struggles, but I didn’t realize how common it was amongst youth until I got more involved with advocacy. I also saw the inequality surrounding things like people getting treatment and the large demographic disparity.

I come from a South Asian culture in which mental health isn’t prioritized. It’s considered more of a weakness, and that really influenced the way that I viewed myself as I wrestled with it. In high school, I noticed people struggling to get the treatment they needed because of the stigma surrounding it. That led me to found my nonprofit, to turn that initial anger about this into tangible change.

Tell us about your volunteer role with the Youth Equity Project.

I focus on outreach, and my co-founder focuses on the internal aspects of the organization. My day-to-day involves recruiting people and working with policymakers. I also handle administrative tasks, like seeking partnerships.

A large part of my time is spent in the capital giving speeches and testifying for specific pieces of legislation. We also conduct state- and nationwide surveys and research to gather data and to gage the importance of an issue. I consolidate all of that and find ways to boost our visibility, so we can make sure mental health issues are prioritized both politically and socially. We often work with other organizations to host workshops for students to educate them on things like how mental health works and how to seek resources.

You’ve fought for several historic bills. Could tell me about some that are important to you?

One of the biggest bills last year provided broader mental health services in schools and implemented co-located service options where a mental health provider has an office in a school where students can seek treatment.

One of my favorites we’re introducing this year is an initiative for a peer struggle identification unit. It would add a unit to standardized health curriculums nationwide that would teach students to identify things like suicidal ideation and mental health issues.

Another one we’re working on is to enforce mental health standards in the health curriculum. It’s similar to the previous one, except this creates a mandate on what needs to be taught. Right now, in Minnesota, there are zero requirements. I hope we can pass a bill that makes it mandatory to teach about specific mental health issues. A change as simple as talking about it in educational environments could help youth take that step to pursue treatment.

What are your long-term plans or goals for the organization?

Right now, our biggest goal is to increase our social media presence. We also want to create an app to connect individuals seeking mental health treatment with pro bono therapy options and peer support groups. One of the biggest problems I’ve seen from our surveys and speaking with people is that there are resources out there, but nobody really knows about them. And if they do, they don’t know or feel uncomfortable with how they work. We want to educate them about what they are.

Another goal is to coordinate more mental health education workshops for youth. And finally, we’re creating a program that will put mental health care packages in schools across Minnesota and the country to boost resource awareness. These boxes include resource pamphlets and items for mental health like stress balls and journals.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

This is a long-standing issue that has really only been talked about for a few decades now. There have been amazing reforms, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. I’m just glad that I can even be a small part of that change. Seeing my peers being more open about mental health is the best part of all of this, because destigmatizing it is really hard. It means a lot when my peers tell me my words or actions have made a positive impact on their life.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

I used to think you didn’t really directly impact the lives of other people as a volunteer, but that is simply not true. It makes me excited to help my community, knowing that even if it’s a small difference, it’s a difference. And that difference eventually adds up. The same is true of voting.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

Making change, especially when it comes to mental health, isn’t easy. It can be very difficult to challenge norms. Something as small as giving somebody a smile or inviting them to sit down at lunch makes a difference. I encourage others to be more vulnerable with the topic. It’s a step that could potentially impact others’ lives as much as your own.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Vandana? Find local volunteer opportunities.