“She Says” with Lily Rocha
July is both BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month and Social Wellness Month. And as hard as it is to believe, with all of the resources that are available to us, the topic of mental health is still taboo in many communities, namely due to stigma and access. But if we could imagine a world where mental health services were more easily accessible, were part of more conversations, and were better funded, then maybe there wouldn’t be as much shame surrounding it. At least that’s what Lily Rocha, Associate Vice President of Policy for NAMI Chicago thinks.
Lily, who is also a former Women Employed (WE) staff member, has worked in the mental health field in various capacities throughout her career. From assisting with a stigma reduction campaign while working in Congress to advocating for funding for mental health services on Illinois college campuses, Lily understands the need for mental health services and how it can positively impact a person’s life. Especially in her current role where she is helping to create a better mental health system for people in Chicago and throughout Illinois.
In this month’s “She Says,” Lily Rocha talks with us about her work with NAMI Chicago, what people need to know about maintaining their mental health, and how to destigmatize the need for mental health care.
Can you tell me about yourself?
My name is Lily Rocha. I’m Associate Vice President of Policy for NAMI Chicago. I work with our mental health providers, the communities we serve, and decision-makers to try to create a better mental health system in Chicago and throughout the state of Illinois. I’m originally from Aurora, Illinois but was born in Mexico City, and I’m very excited to continue the work here in my home state.
For undergrad, I attended Columbia University in New York and lived on the East Coast, specifically in Washington, D.C., and New York, working in policy, advocacy, and government for about 10 years. Right before the pandemic, I moved back here and began working with an Illinois state legislator and dug more into Illinois state politics. And more recently, I was with Young Invincibles, a partner nonprofit, working in policy, advocacy, healthcare, and higher education.
What brought you to NAMI Chicago?
Honestly, it was my work with campus mental health services for young adults at Young Invincibles. I saw a growing need for mental health advocacy across the spectrum and knew how difficult it was for people to access services, especially those from BIPOC communities. It just felt like something that I really wanted to continue focusing on and being able to bring mental health care to them, as well as just reducing stigma. I think there are still a lot of conversations that we need to have surrounding what mental health care is, especially in Black and Brown communities where we might not be as open about those topics. So, working for NAMI Chicago really allows me to do that.
For those who don’t know, can you tell me a little bit more about NAMI Chicago?
NAMI Chicago is the largest affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Here in Chicago, we provide mental health services, such as our helpline, where people can call seven days a week and receive help, and resources on navigating the mental health care system. We also operate a 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline where people can call and be connected to a trained counselor if they’re in an emotional crisis or having thoughts of suicide. In addition to that, we have support groups where we help people in the community come together and help them either get on or stay on the right road to recovery. We provide all these services in Chicago and work in partnership with a lot of people on the ground. And what I do in our policy department is connect those services and those conversations that are happening on the ground in the communities that we serve in Chicago, and make sure that decision-makers are attuned to what’s going on.
With July being BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, as well as Social Wellness Month, can you tell me about some ways that we can maintain our mental health?
We’ve seen the need for mental health services go up in the past few years. Even before the pandemic, we already had a mental health crisis, and the pandemic only exacerbated a lot of existing issues. But there’s a lot we can do. From taking care of ourselves to making sure that we’re exercising, sleeping well, connecting with friends and networks around us, because the social connection is so important, to making sure that we’re accessing our mental health care when we need it.
One of the things that I really want to encourage people to do is call our helpline if they need help. It’s 833-NAMICHI or 833–626–4244, and we’re open seven days a week, Monday through Friday, from 9 A.M. — 8 P.M. and on Saturday and Sunday from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. And if you just don’t want to figure out how to navigate a mental health system, have no idea where to start, or are unsure of what kind of mental health professional you want to seek, call us. We have free, trained professionals who will be able to guide you through that.
Another resource that I mentioned before is 988 Lifeline. It’s for anyone who’s experiencing a crisis at that moment. We define crisis as just feeling overwhelmed, it can be suicidality, but it could also mean having a panic attack. People can call or text 988 and be connected with a trained counselor who will help them regulate their emotions and connect them to follow-up care if they need it.
I would say the other thing is to just keep talking about mental health and what it means for people, especially in Black and Brown communities. As I mentioned, there’s still a lot of education that needs to happen. I think there’s a lot of taboo around it, and there are a lot of people who think that maybe going to a therapist is something that “crazy people” do. Or they don’t feel comfortable talking to strangers about their problems. But we need to understand that our mental health care is the same as physical health care. So, just like you would go to a doctor if you have diabetes, if you’re feeling depressed, go see a therapist. There are different modalities and different opportunities for treatment which solely depends on what you have. But again, if you’re feeling lost or unsure where to start, call our helpline. We have plenty of resources to help you get started.
What are some ways to destigmatize the need for mental health care?
One of the things we’ve seen that research supports is just being able to share personal stories with one another. So, allowing ourselves to be vulnerable with friends and family, will help them be vulnerable in return. During one of our busiest times of year, I called the 988 Lifeline for myself because I wasn’t feeling very well. I shared that with a few friends who either didn’t know what it was or cared to use it and explained what happens when you call, and their ears perked up. They were more willing to use the service because somebody they knew, who looked like them, also used it.
Another part is just making sure that we’re on a more systemic level when funding these services so that when somebody does finally get the courage to seek help, they’re able to find and use those services because we’ve funded them, because mental health providers are there, because they’re geographically available, and because we’ve thought of transportation options. It’s important that we have systemic investments, as well as in the mental health care system, so people can access those services, especially those who don’t know where to start.
Another opportunity is peer support groups. What’s really awesome about peer support groups is that they’re led by people with lived experience. These people are trained in various techniques that are more therapeutic and help the conversation flow, help people be able to emotionally regulate a little bit better, and just be reassured that mental health care is for them and that they can access it. At NAMI Chicago, we have a listing of our peer support classes available throughout the city and are expanding our Spanish language programming.
What is your connection to Women Employed’s mission?
I actually worked for Women Employed (WE) in 2010, fresh out of college as a Program Coordinator. One thing that I learned at WE was just how intricate these political and economic systems are, and that’s what sparked my interest in federal policy. Women Employed does a lot of great work on higher education and has been really great about making sure that there are resources for students on campus. I appreciate the work that WE has done in the higher education space and with economic empowerment because I think it all ties into people’s behavioral health.
Did you envision a career in the mental health field?
I didn’t think that would initially because I wasn’t a big fan of the field and because of the stigma surrounding mental health. People didn’t talk about it and there wasn’t as big of an advocacy field as higher education or some other spaces. But in recent years, there’s been a lot more advocacy, due to people being more willing to talk about it. Which I think is partly fueled by the younger generation which is more willing to address these conversations. We definitely see a generational gap in willingness and ability to talk about mental health, and I think that translates into some of the work.
When I was in Congress, one of the opportunities that I had to work on mental health was working for a Congresswoman from California, who happened to be a former psychologist. She really wanted to get involved in mental health and asked me to help come up with some ideas. So, I worked with a lot of stakeholders, as well as federal agencies to figure out how we could do that. We came up with the idea of a stigma reduction campaign and worked on a bill that we got introduced and had some support for. It wasn’t enacted, mainly due to funding, but it was my first exploration into the Federal landscape and mental health policy, which spurred an interest in that field.
From there, I moved to New York and worked in anti-sexual assault and with survivors of sexual assault, and that’s where I delved even more into the neurobiology, and biology of trauma, and learned a lot about mental health services for victims of sexual assault and learning about the dearth of those opportunities. And like mental health, there’s a stigma around it. So, I learned a lot about stigma reduction and trauma, and that got me more involved in mental health.
When I got to Young Invincibles, I was able to work on a campaign to get funding for mental health services on Illinois college campuses. And through that, I think I was just even more energized to continue in this work. I’m glad that I’m finally full-time working on mental health. I feel like it’s always been part of my job, so it’s nice to finally be able to focus on it full-time.
What makes you proud about the work that you do?
I think that there are so many people doing good work. What I love most about working at NAMI Chicago is that I work with people who are direct service providers. My colleagues are 988 counselors. They’re case managers of people with serious mental illnesses. They’re peer ambassadors who help people in recovery and transition from psychiatric hospitals to community care. And so, being able to go to them and ask how to fix these issues is really inspiring. They make me proud of the fact that I’m championing these reforms because I look at all the work that my team has done and think about how they can do so much more if we support them and give them the resources that they need.
How are you going ALL IN on mental health?
I’m delving more into the nitty-gritty of the policy topics and debates. That’s something that is always changing. The 988 Lifeline is only two years old and there’s a lot of work that still needs to be done. So, I’m really going ALL IN and learning everything I can about that, working with our team, and having those stakeholder conversations at the state level to improve it.
And then I’m going ALL IN on my personal life and really getting into my wellness. For me, that means I don’t check my email after work unless it’s urgent, and having an employer who supports that has been very impactful. I’m also trying to get back into my running. I used to run a lot before the pandemic, so I’m trying to go ALL IN on my exercise. I’m setting a goal for myself to be able to run a race. I’m not sure if it will be a 5k or 10k but I want to run something just to give me something to work towards. Doing that is beneficial for my mental health in terms of making sure that I have goals and things outside of work. But then also, exercise is just a natural mood booster and anxiety reliever.
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Everyone deserves time to care for their mental health, without risking their paycheck or their job. In both Illinois and Chicago, Women Employed recently helped win paid leave laws that allow working people to take paid time off work for any reason — including to care for their mental health. Learn more about your paid leave rights in Illinois, and in Chicago.
