Leadership Chattanooga, the annual talent development program hosted by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, encourages class members to divide into groups and create from scratch a community project to help Chattanooga residents thrive. MindReach, a new podcast focused on bringing mental health education and resources to Chattanooga’s youth, is the result of one group project.

MindReach features accessible conversations around mental health topics, from anxiety to grief to suicide and more, with certified and licensed mental health professionals. The aim of the podcast is to bring mental health education to Chattanooga’s youth, normalize mental health struggles, break down barriers to accessing much needed resources, and to provide parents, educators and other youth leaders with resources to help the young adults they serve.

“We started this podcast in hopes of addressing the stressors brought out of the shadows from the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Callie Lance, owner of Chattanooga Sports Chiropractic Institute and one of the group’s members. “We wanted to have a single resource to help narrow in on the vast resources Chattanooga has to offer for our teens that may be experiencing a wide array of difficulties and may not know where to turn.”

The MindReach podcast was created by Kenneth Burke, vice president of marketing at Text Request; Katrina Clark, program director, Office of Inclusion & Diversity at Unum; Kerrie Hunter, executive assistant, marketing at MBI Companies; Dr. Callie Lance, owner at Chattanooga Sports Chiropractic Institute; Bill Lloyd, senior vice president, Commercial Banking at Truist; Jennifer Pukenas, executive assistant to the county mayor at Hamilton County Mayor’s Office; Dr. Desiree Seay, assistant principal at East Lake Middle Academy of Fine Arts; and Shannon Stephenson, CEO at Cempa Community Care.

“It’s been a great experience for all of us to come together and create this resource,” says Mr. Burke. “We would not have worked together in this way without Leadership Chattanooga, and we just may be able to make a significant impact. We hope this will help listeners feel understood, and encouraged enough to reach out for any help they need. If we benefit one person, it’s all worth it.”

Cempa Community Care will distribute and carry on MindReach as the 2021 class of Leadership Chattanooga concludes, and will continue to record and distribute conversations around mental health with licensed professionals ongoing. To listen to MindReach and share with your network, visit MindReach on Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.