TOWN HALL OVERVIEW
On September 18, 2025, Dr. Tucker and her Health Disparities and Health Promotion Research Team held a Town Hall at Springhill Church in East Gainesville, Florida, where the pastor is Pastor Adrian Taylor. The aims of the Town Hall were to give an overview of the VMHSC Program, share program outcomes with the community members and leaders, gather feedback about the program and its outcomes, and explore ways to expand the program across Florida.
Attendees included pastors, local nonprofit leaders, students, former MHSC participants and coaches, many other community members and leaders, and Ms. Susan Wildes, who represented the Florida Blue Foundation.
POWERFUL TESTIMONIES
Highlights of the Town Hall were the powerful testimonies from former VMHSC coaches and participants. Coaches shared how rewarding it was to address the mental health needs they saw in their communities, positively impact others' lives, and simultaneously develop skills to manage their own stress, loneliness, and depression.
A MHSC Mental Health Support Coach shares her experience in the program.
One former participant noted that the program's skills and strategies were exactly what she needed to navigate a particularly challenging time in her life.
HANDS-ON SKILLS DEMONSTRATION
Following the testimonies, Dr. Tucker guided attendees through mental health promotion skills and strategies taught in the VMHSC Program, including those for managing stress, anger, and depression. True to the program's hands-on approach, it was not just a lecture—attendees actively practiced techniques such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation.
Dr. Tucker presents strategies for managing stress, including demonstration and practice of the progressive muscle relaxation technique.
PANEL DISCUSSION
As a means of accomplishing one of the main objectives of the Town Hall—to learn ways to improve and make the VMHSC Program available throughout Florida, a question-and-answer panel session was included in the Town Hall. Panelists were former coaches and participants, members of the Health Promotion and Health Disparities Research team, Dr. Tucker, and the Program Manager, Ms. Juanita Miles Hamilton.
Dr. Tucker addresses questions and comments during the panel discussion.
Key Recommendations from the Panel
- The VMHSC Program should be expanded to specifically include individuals who live alone
- More Black men should be included, with suggestions to:
- Implement a peer-invitation model that involves having Black men Program participants "bring another man with you"
- Develop a mental health support coach training track or program for Black men
Throughout the discussion, the community emphasized the importance and dire need for mental health support programs, urging Dr. Tucker and others to continue holding VMHSC Program sessions.
RECOGNITION AND AWARDS
To conclude the Town Hall, Dr. Tucker was delighted to present Ms. Susan Wildes from the Florida Blue Foundation with the Culturally Sensitive Community Positive Impact Award. Similarly, Ms. Susan Towler, who is Executive Director, CSR of the Florida Blue Foundation was awarded the Drum Major for Health Care Justice Award.
Dr. Tucker presents Ms. Susan Wildes with the Culturally Sensitive Community Positive Impact Award.
VIRTUAL TOWN HALL FOR YOUTH
On October 11, 2025, Dr. Tucker and her research team held a Virtual Town Hall specifically for youth and their families, with similar goals and activities to the previous Town Hall. Former youth MHSC coaches and participants, parents, grandparents, and youth who did not go through the MHSC program attended the Town Hall over Zoom.
Youth Coach TestimonY
Again, a critical portion of the Virtual Town Hall was hearing from former youth Mental Health Support Coaches. One youth coach emphatically shared that the program helped coaches as well as participants. For her, the program was helpful not only in self-managing emotions like anger and grief, but also that it helped support her career goals to study psychology and ultimately, to help others.