"On My Way" wins a Voice Award.
On August 22, SAMHSA and its Voice Awards program partners honored consumer/peer leaders in recovery from mental health and/or substance use disorders, as well as television and film professionals, for their efforts to educate the public about the real experiences of people with behavioral health problems. We celebrated Voice Award-winning individuals, community leaders, and productions that included “Take Shelter” (Sony); “Castle” (ABC); “Glee” (FOX); “Homeland” (Showtime); “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (NBC); “Necessary Roughness” (USA); and “Parenthood” (NBC).
The Voice Awards honor consumer/peer leaders who share their stories of recovery and work to promote the social inclusion of people with mental health and/or substance use disorders throughout the Nation. The event also recognizes entertainment programming that promotes dignified, respectful, and accurate portrayals of people with behavioral health problems. This year, SAMHSA spotlighted the strength and perseverance of athletes who face unique challenges in managing mental health and/or substance use disorders while continuing to train, compete, and remain in the public eye.
GLEE
(Season 3, Episode 14: On My Way)
At his new school, Dave (Max Adler) finds himself the victim of a vicious hate crime. His teammate Nick outs him in the locker room after spotting Dave and Kurt (Chris Colfer) on a date on Valentine’s Day. Returning home to find his Facebook page covered in hateful, homophobic rants, Dave cracks. He methodically puts on his best suit, and then uses his belt to try to hang himself.
Teachers and administrators at McKinley High discuss breaking the news about Dave’s attempted suicide to his former classmates. Will (Matthew Morrison) notes how social media makes anonymous attacks so much easier than they used to be, making kids feel the pressure of their reputations even more. Sue (Jane Lynch) admits that she should have done more to help Dave when she was principal and the problems between Kurt and him escalated. Will says that they were all hard on Dave, fearing that he might hurt Kurt, but never thinking he might hurt himself. Though Figgins (Iqbal Theba) tells them it was not their job to know, the staff still feel responsible.
The incident makes Sebastian (Grant Gustin) deeply regret an encounter at a gay club when he cruelly criticized Dave and advised him to “stay in the closet.” Will reminds his students that many kids contemplate suicide, and encourages them to envision something to look forward to in their futures. When Kurt visits Dave in the hospital, he prompts Dave to do the same, which encourages him. Since Dave cannot imagine returning to his school, Kurt urges him to simply go somewhere else, with the support of those who love and accept him.
Writers: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Matthew Hodgson, Ross Maxwell
Producers: Ali Adler, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Ian Brennan, Bradley Buecker, Robert Del Valle, Dante Di Loreto, Brad Falchuk, Michael Hitchcock, Alexis Martin Woodall, Ryan Murphy, Marti Noxon, Zach Woodlee
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
The Voice Awards honor consumer/peer leaders who share their stories of recovery and work to promote the social inclusion of people with mental health and/or substance use disorders throughout the Nation. The event also recognizes entertainment programming that promotes dignified, respectful, and accurate portrayals of people with behavioral health problems. This year, SAMHSA spotlighted the strength and perseverance of athletes who face unique challenges in managing mental health and/or substance use disorders while continuing to train, compete, and remain in the public eye.
GLEE
(Season 3, Episode 14: On My Way)
At his new school, Dave (Max Adler) finds himself the victim of a vicious hate crime. His teammate Nick outs him in the locker room after spotting Dave and Kurt (Chris Colfer) on a date on Valentine’s Day. Returning home to find his Facebook page covered in hateful, homophobic rants, Dave cracks. He methodically puts on his best suit, and then uses his belt to try to hang himself.
Teachers and administrators at McKinley High discuss breaking the news about Dave’s attempted suicide to his former classmates. Will (Matthew Morrison) notes how social media makes anonymous attacks so much easier than they used to be, making kids feel the pressure of their reputations even more. Sue (Jane Lynch) admits that she should have done more to help Dave when she was principal and the problems between Kurt and him escalated. Will says that they were all hard on Dave, fearing that he might hurt Kurt, but never thinking he might hurt himself. Though Figgins (Iqbal Theba) tells them it was not their job to know, the staff still feel responsible.
The incident makes Sebastian (Grant Gustin) deeply regret an encounter at a gay club when he cruelly criticized Dave and advised him to “stay in the closet.” Will reminds his students that many kids contemplate suicide, and encourages them to envision something to look forward to in their futures. When Kurt visits Dave in the hospital, he prompts Dave to do the same, which encourages him. Since Dave cannot imagine returning to his school, Kurt urges him to simply go somewhere else, with the support of those who love and accept him.
Writers: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Matthew Hodgson, Ross Maxwell
Producers: Ali Adler, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Ian Brennan, Bradley Buecker, Robert Del Valle, Dante Di Loreto, Brad Falchuk, Michael Hitchcock, Alexis Martin Woodall, Ryan Murphy, Marti Noxon, Zach Woodlee
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.