“Student voices are listened to at the Capitol. And you don’t necessarily have to have an answer. You can just say, ‘This is the problem I see and experience.’”
State Senator Julia Kirt visited with Pre-Nursing students at Francis Tuttle Technology Center about mental health issues in the state.
Kirt, who is the current Senate Minority Leader and founding member of the Legislative Mental Health Caucus, was invited by students to come speak as part of their HOSA competition project. After talking about the importance of mental health awareness both within and outside of a healthcare setting, Kirt answered questions about advocacy at the local and state level.
“The fun thing about being at the Capitol is getting to elevate these people and give them a platform to tell their stories,” Kirt said. “The hard part is that nothing comes easy.”
Pre-Nursing students Alexa Cruz, Amaris Tolis, Lee-Roy Nji, and Skylett Villanueva Ramos invited Kirt to speak to the class as part of their HOSA competition project. Their project focuses on increasing awareness of prolonged grief disorder and how it can affect long-term mental health.
“A lot of people start the grieving process and don’t ever stop, but they find better ways to maintain,” Tolis said. “For people with this disorder, their grief literally prevents them from doing everyday things.”
They reached out to Kirt’s office about speaking to the class as part of their project and she quickly responded. Kirt said she has seen improvements in how mental health issues are viewed in Oklahoma. Prevention, rather than treatment, is a more economic model when it comes to mental health issues.
“If we invest early and help young people seek out the treatment they need, that’s how we make a real difference,” Kirt said.
Kirt encouraged students to speak up about issues they care about. Whether its school board members or state legislators, she said they love to hear from students.
“Student voices are listened to at the Capitol,” she said. “And you don’t necessarily have to have an answer. You can just say, ‘This is the problem I see and experience.’”
She also praised the students for pursuing a career in healthcare, where they will be faced with managing and treating patients who suffer from mental health issues.
“Thank you for going into the healthcare field,” Kirt said. “The state needs more people in these jobs.”