Mark your calendars and set your radio dials for the September 9 two-hour broadcast “I’m Listening,” a program to inspire community awareness on depression while highlighting the start of National Suicide Prevention Week. The event is sponsored locally by the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council (DFWHC) in a continuation of its 2018 mental health and substance misuse efforts in the community.

“The goal of the radio program is to create community awareness and to end the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide,” said W. Stephen Love, president/CEO of DFWHC. “While the program will originate from Seattle and feature national celebrities, it will also include local medical professionals who will share stories and resources.”

The live broadcast will air commercial-free from 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. on radio stations 98.7 KLUV, Jack FM, Alt 103.7 and 1080 KRLD; and from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. on 107.5 La Grande.

Local hospital participants to help promote the radio broadcast are:
• Ashley Rodriguez, community health worker manager at Baylor Scott & White Health;
• Sue Schell, vice president and clinical director of behavioral health at Children’s Health;
• Sherry Cusumano, vice president of community education at Medical City Green Oaks;
• Kimberly Branum, director of behavioral health and addiction recovery at Methodist Health System;
• Catherine Carlton, communications director at My Health My Resources of Tarrant County.
• Teresita Oaks, strategic planner at Parkland Health & Hospital System;
• Catherine Oliveros, vice president community health improvement at Texas Health Resources;

National celebrities to participate include Michael Phelps and Jared Leto.

“As the ‘Community Health Needs Assessment Report’ conducted by our Foundation in February revealed, the lack of behavioral healthcare in North Texas is troubling,” Love said. “The time to start initiating change for our population is well overdue, and this radio program will play a vital role to inspire awareness and change.”

The DFWHC Foundation report revealed seven North Texas counties have no psychiatric care beds and the number of behavioral care providers throughout North Texas are below national and state levels.

“This radio program is a first step in ongoing efforts to empower our community through research and education to take action against suicide numbers,” said Love. “DFWHC and these crucial local experts are dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to so many affected. We hope programs such as ‘I’m Listening’ can create a culture of support and empathy.”