Carey Peña | Contributing Writer It was a busy weekday afternoon when my cell phone rang with a number I didn’t recognize. I stared down deciding whether or not I should pick it up. I’m glad I did. On the other end was Robert Meza, a well-known member of Arizona’s State Senate. I’d interviewed him on various news stories over the years and had always known him to be a champion of positive change. Meza told me he was working with a group that he felt was going to revolutionize behavioral health in Arizona, and they wanted to know if I would emcee their “Champions Luncheon.” Heavy hitters were to be honored for their ongoing commitment to mental health, including Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Suns owner Robert Sarver and Rep. Greg Stanton, to name a few. Resilient Health is a group that works to create a Taking a diverse approach to mental health A CALL TO ACTION “resiliency experience” with a variety of therapies and activities specific to each patient, and I did end up as the emcee for their luncheon. What happened on stage that day was remarkable. One by one, honorees and speakers dug deep and talked in personal (and sometimes painful) terms about what it means to be resilient and how, in our struggles, we have the opportunity to find strength. The chair of the event, journalist and media executive Mi-Ai Parrish, gave an emotional speech about mental health battles in her own family. She talked about a long history of “fighting monsters.” You don’t often hear people open up that much on stage. It was so moving, I wanted to learn more about what’s being done right now in Arizona to combat the mental health crisis. CAREY’S CORNER {carey peña reports} 16 FRONTDOORS MEDIA | SEPTEMBER 2019

Event photos by Brad Reed Robert Sarver Mi-Ai Parrish and Carey Peña A lineup of community leaders lent their voice and expertise to the challenge of creating a more resilient world, one person at a time at the Resilient Health “Champions Luncheon” that spring. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema Rep. Greg Stantion SEPTEMBER 2019 | FRONTDOORS MEDIA 17