Mental Health Connecticut is fortunate to partner with many wonderful community organizations throughout the state that provide support and safe spaces for individuals facing various mental health challenges. We want to introduce you to three remarkable young adults who inspired and motivated by their personal experiences, are making a huge difference in our community.
JoJo Brame
Founder, Shades of Resilience
Inspired by her personal journey with mental health, JoJo Brame envisioned creating safe spaces where individuals feel secure, recognized, and heard. This vision led to the establishment of The Shades of Resilience: Mental Health in Communities Conference, a one-day interactive educational event designed to provide a safe environment for people of color to discuss mental health issues, navigate and overcome stigmas and barriers, and access
community resources.
The event also features interactive presentations, offering attendees opportunities to connect and discover collaborative ways to support their mental health. In 2024, it attracted around 70 in-person attendees, including high school students and members of mental health organizations. The conference also offered a virtual component for the first time, attracting 20 participants.
While in college, Brame experienced a mental breakdown and sought support and treatment, leading to a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder and General Anxiety Disorder. Over the past ten years, she has continued to study and work in the behavioral health field while balancing her treatment, which inspired her to find a way to pay it forward.
“My experiences have shaped the way I view mental health by understanding that this is not a taboo topic or something to be ashamed of,” said Brame. “Moments like the conference and other community initiatives are the catalysts to equitable mental health access and care for all.”
Chole Retuya
Founder & Director, Greetings for Healing (GFH)
Chloe Retuya recognizes that mental health is not a linear journey. After experiencing anxiety and depression in the past, as well as being a survivor of
PTSD, she was inspired to launch Greetings for Healing, an organization that creates digital cards of positivity for survivors of violence, crime, and abuse.
Since its founding in August 2023, Greetings for Healing has mobilized over 1,400 volunteers from over 40 countries, including students from over 25 high schools and universities, including Circle K International, Alpha Phi Omega, and Key Club.
They also collaborate with victim advocacy organizations, which help them print the digital cards and distribute them to various facilities. Volunteers have created over 3,000 digital cards, and GFH has partnered with organizations like Women Against Abuse in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Hummingbird Counseling and Trauma Center in Montclair, New Jersey.
“As a PTSD survivor, I feel that I am especially empathetic toward those who have faced traumatic events in their lives,” said Retuya. “Through being at the forefront of Greetings for Healing, I have learned that through aiming to spread healing to others, it is possible to bring hope to oneself and heal from the struggles one has experienced as well.”
Mimi Gonzalez
Founder, griefsense
After enduring extreme loss all before turning 30, Mimi Gonzalez was inspired to help others cope with similar profound grief by creating spaces for those
experiencing the same pain she faced. “I have experienced firsthand how isolating grief can feel, especially for young adults, and how little support exists for younger grievers,” shared Gonzalez.
Gonzalez began to share her story, speaking at high schools, colleges, and community organizations. After completing 100 speaking engagements, she realized she needed to do more. Gonzalez left her corporate job and founded griefsense, a multimedia company that helps young adults cope with grief.
“Grief is taboo in our culture, which often makes it isolating. griefsense addresses this by building a community where grievers can find connection and support,” Gonzalez added.
griefsense provides collaborative content, educational resources, and access to transformative events, including the griefsense podcast and the Grief Sala Fest, a retreat for young adults to explore their grief in a supportive environment.
“I am inspired every day by the people who share their stories with me, by the feedback from the griefsense podcast and by the courage of young grievers who choose to show up for themselves and others. This work is deeply personal, and it is a calling I feel privileged to pursue.”
Michaela Childs
Miss Mountain Laurel 2025
After suffering abuse for over a decade, Michaela Childs received a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which she feared would dominate her life.
However, her journey has revealed that it has been far from that.
Her involvement with Miss America Opportunity allowed her to quickly find fulfillment in something bigger than herself. “A lot of people within the Miss America Opportunity advocate for mental health resources,” Childs added. “However, after hearing my friend Emma Valgora’s story of her family’s resilience after trauma, I realized even just telling my own story to one person can make an impact.”
It inspired her to start The Mariposa Project. This three-phase initiative offers trauma survivors accessible mental health resources, prevention methods, and a platform to amplify their voices. The program is based on the three phases of overcoming trauma, which she discovered while researching treatment processes for trauma survivors.
“We can’t always control our circumstances, but we can gain back our story and decide what to do with it after trauma,” Childs said. “For me, I wanted to show others that life doesn’t stop after trauma. There’s a way to find a fulfilling life, break cycles, and make yourself heard by the public.”
In June, she will compete for Miss Connecticut and hopes that if she wins the state title, she can use it as a platform for advocacy. “If given the honor of the state title, I would then be able to compete at Miss America, allowing me to bring my initiative to a national level,” Childs added. Additionally, she is partnering with local and state-level nonprofits, including Mental Health Connecticut, to create a website for The Mariposa Project that would make resources more accessible for those seeking them.
