Positive Mental Health Committee

MEET OUR Rotary District 5890 committee chair

Evelyn Traylor, Positive Mental Health Committee Chair
The Positive Mental Health Committee, a subcommittee of our Peace Committee, plays an important role in promoting peace because individuals with positive mental health are more likely to be productive members of their communities and less likely to engage in violence or conflict.
Visit Our Peace Committee & Other Peace Subcommittee Webpages
Peace Committee - Click here
 
Subcommittee webpages:
Anti Human Trafficking Committee - Click here
Girls & Women Empowerment Committee - Click here 
Refugee Task Force Committee - Coming Soon!
1.  Video Presentations From 2025 Rotary District 5890 Peace Committee "Mental Health Wellness Summit 2025"
In May 2025, the District 5890 Positive Mental Health Committee held a "Health and Wellness Summit" in Houston.
 
This event was organized by Evelyn Traylor, District 5890 Committee Chair of the District 5890 Positive Mental Health Committee.  Evelyn is the Founder and CEO of Advocates of Health Minds which provides education, advocacy, awareness, and programs for all those suffering from mental health issues.  
 
Below is the link to watch videos of all four presentations by each of the following speakers sharing knowledge about positive mental health:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FtyVIdh6ghPuORUOPSxxcpx7be356TrG 
Summit Video 1:  Speaker:  Diane Kaulen, Texas Children’s Initiative - Click to watch video
Community Initiatives Senior Coordinator at Texas Children’s Hospital,
Co-chair Houston Area Suicide Prevention Coalition
 
Summit Video 2:   Speaker:  Jennifer Battle, Harris Center and 988 - Click to watch video
Vice President of Community Access and Engagement at The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD
 
Summit Video 3:   Speaker:   Rachel Eddins, Coping with Anxiety - Click to watch video
Executive Director, Eddins Counseling Group
 
Summit Video 4:   Speaker:   Johann D’Souza, PHD – Social Media and the Effects - Click to watch video
Anxiety and OCD Certified Psychologist,
Founder of Values First Therapy    
2. Message The "Be The Hope" Cell Phone App THE "BE THE HOPE" CELL PHONE APP - Supporting Social and Emotional Learning for School Students Everywhere! 
The Be Hope App is a cell phone application that makes social and emotional learning (SEL) universally available to schools and students to support improved academic performance and to mitigate stress, depression, and behavioral problems. Unlike existing social and emotional learning methods, the application imposes almost no burden on teachers and supports students around the clock not only at school but also at home. Although SEL is always a highly desirable part of the school curriculum, a student experiencing a crisis can leave them feeling isolated, stressed, prone to depression, and with poor academic focus.
 
3.  A Message from Gordon McInally, 2023-2024 President of Rotary International About Mental Health
4.  Rotary International Articles About Mental Health "Rotarians Address Mental Health Issues Head On"
 
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL ARTICLE:  "ROTARIANS ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES HEAD ON"
Click here to read a Rotary International article, Rotarians Address Mental Health Issues Head On"about mental health and ways that Rotaract and Rotaract clubs can help make a difference.  This article includes information about "Wellness in a Box" which builds communities to really around teens.
The statistics on teenage suicide and depression are troubling — in the United States, suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15- to 19-year-olds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — and the global pandemic has meant that kids are more isolated than ever.
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL ARTICLE:  "SEEDS OF HOPE FOR FARMERS' MENTAL HEALTH"
Long overlooked, farmers are finding supports tailored to the stresses of rural life
Farmers’ livelihoods are shaped by many factors beyond their control, from fluctuations in global markets to extreme weather that can derail an entire growing season. These stressors are contributing to a mental health crisis in agriculture. The suicide rate among male farmers and ranchers in the U.S. is about 60 percent higher than that of all working-age men, and farmers have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide risk than the general population.
Click here to read about a project of The Rotary Club of Iowa Great Lakes (Spirit Lake) which distributed 760 of goody bags as part of a coalition including local health providers, school officials, and county resource officials aiming to connect residents with mental health supports.
Below, Kathleen Carey, of the Rotary Club of Iowa Great Lakes, Iowa, USA, distributes a bag containing mental health resources for farmers
WHY ROTARACT AND ROTARY CLUBS SHOULD GET INVOLVED
Mental health is an area that has been neglected by many people for too long because of the stigma associated with it. The involvement of Rotary clubs will gradually reduce the stigma, and more and more people will begin to be comfortable around the issue.
 
Below is information from the World Health Organization about mental health:
  • More than 264 million people worldwide are affected by depression.
  • Although there are effective treatments for mental disorders, between 76% and 85% of people in low- and middle-income countries receive no treatment for their condition.
  • Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds globally.
  • Depression and anxiety disorders cost the global economy $1 trillion per year.
  • There are 800,000 deaths per year from suicide. 
  • Mental health conditions are especially common in populations affected by humanitarian crises. 
  • Source: WHO
5.  Rotary Action Group on Mental Health Initiatives
The Rotary Action Group on Mental Health Initiatives (RAGMHI), an official Rotary Action Group with Rotary International, focuses on Mental Health Initiatives worldwide facilitating discussions and projects among Rotarians, clubs and districts.  Members are a passionate collective of Rotarians and non-Rotarians committed to reshaping the landscape of mental health across the globe.  Since their charter in 2016, they've united members from five countries around a common vision:  to empower communities with the tools, knowledge, and support they need to flourish mentally and emotionally.   Click here to learn more.
 
Click here to learn more about their mission and goals.
 
Their website includes resources about "Breaking Stigma", "Raising Awareness", plus "Prevention and Intervention" with links to organizations about positive mental health.  Click here to learn more.
 
OCTOBER 2025 EXCLUSIVE OPEN SESSION WITH PSYCHOLOGIST AND RAGMHI BOARD MEMBER, PDG DR. LARRY KUBIAK
In October 2025, the global Rotary Action Group on Mental Health Initiatives (RAGMHI) Rotary Action Group held an exclusive open session featuring their Board Member PDG Dr. Larry Kubiak, which is a Psychologist.  Below is a video where he discussed "Building Resilience Through Positive Actions" where he discussed the importance of mental health and resilience, strategies, awareness, support, forgiveness, healing, and being a non-judgemental listener. 
 
He shared his experience developing a quiz on positive mental health and a resilience assessment tool for Rotary Youth Exchange students. He explained that resilience involves adapting well to adversity and can be developed through behaviors and actions, rather than being an innate trait. Larry shared strategies for improving resilience, including making connections, practicing gratitude, and maintaining a positive outlook, emphasizing that resilience involves moving forward from experiences rather than simply bouncing back.
District 6940 PDG Dr. Larry Kubiak, Physchologist and
Board Member of Rotary Action Group Mental Health Initiatives