An LNH Impact Story: How a short film on youth mental health was sparked by an LNH moment
Every LNH class has opportunities to learn about important issues in our state from the people working on them, spurring new ideas, collaboration, and action. So, it came as no surprise that a 2023 class assignment, to watch former NH Supreme Court Justice John Broderick’s moving story on youth mental health, began a chain reaction.
John’s story details how unrecognized mental health issues in his youngest son came to devastate their family and ultimately set him on a path of advocacy for youth mental health. As Kaarin Milne, LNH ’23 and co-producer of TEDx Portsmouth explains, it made her uncomfortable to realize that intelligent, caring, well-intentioned parents could unintentionally normalize behaviors that may signal mental health challenges in their kids. “If it could happen to his family, it could happen to any of us,” Milne said. So, at the end of his story, when John directly stated, “I need your help,” she wanted to offer to help in some way.
The two connected through a LNH Staff introduction and it was clear that Broderick had an important idea worth sharing, and that his earnestness, insights, and compulsion to help others do better made him an ideal messenger to influence change. Milne and TEDxPortsmouth co-producer Anna Goldsmith invited Broderick to give a talk at their event to connect with local community members and TEDx viewers around the world who, like LNH alums, are known for taking initiative to drive positive change. The project grew bigger when, with support from Kennebunk Savings Bank, Jay Childs was enlisted to develop a short film on youth mental health to accompany John’s talk and “We Can Fix This” was born. Childs, an Emmy honored, mission-driven documentarian, is a frequent presenter at LNH and is well known for his “Communities & Consequences” series on maintaining and creating vibrant communities in NH, including addressing issues such as housing.
The group worked for months developing content that would connect with the audience, expand perspectives, and inspire people to take small actions that make big impacts on youth mental well-being. The team was consistently met with “How can I help?” from individuals at Dartmouth Health, Seacoast Mental Health, Exeter High School, as well as from the young people and their families who graciously shared their own stories.
The nine-minute film intentionally placed the perspectives of young people, the true experts of their own lived experiences, on par with those of mental health professionals. It was lauded by TEDxPortsmouth attendees including city councilors, teachers, parents and leaders in business, academic and non-profit organizations. However, Childs & Milne wanted the message to reach as many as possible. To help “We Can Fix This” gain traction, Bangor Savings Bank provided grant funding to get the We Can Fix This tool-kit (the film and its accompanying discussion guide) into the hands of individuals who could use it to support their current efforts to improve youth mental well-being. It was distributed in September, coinciding with the early weeks of the school year, reaching 800+ targeted individuals and organizations statewide. Business NH Magazine shined a light on the initiative with an interview that fittingly brought everything full circle back to the LNH Class of 2023, as Nathan Karol, LNH '23, is co-owner and editor of Business NH Magazine, along with fellow alumni Matt Mowry, LNH ’07, and Christine Carignan, LNH ’24.
When we asked Kaarin about the impact that her LNH experience had on this project, she said, “It wouldn’t exist without LNH and I’m sure that the connections and impact will continue to grow. It’s one of many examples of LNH catalyzing change in our communities by bringing together people of action. The hand-raisers, organizers and believers know that despite our differences we can do better together."
To view and share this short film, visit https://www.wecanfixthisnh.org/jbc
When LNH classmates or alums share projects they’re working on, a typical response is: “How can I help?” This simple validation and support feeds initiatives that improve our communities. “How Can I Help” is a key ingredient in the secret sauce that makes New Hampshire so special.