Willis and Friends: A Monthly Live Webseries on Early Relational Health

In July 2021, PolicyLink, in partnership with Well Being Trust, conducted an equity project that resulted in a report entitled, Advancing Wellbeing by Transcending the Barriers of Whiteness, led by Michael McAfee of PolicyLink and Tyler Norris of Well Being Trust. Their study articulated that “centering Whiteness” is a social and institutional framework that prevents meaningful movement toward racial equity and social justice and requires new narratives for disruptive and transformational systemic and policy change. The release of their report included a webinar that inspired the basis of the January edition of Willis & Friends—which is to dig deeper about upstream preventive mental health and the promotion of early relational health in health systems and communities.

This first session of Willis and Friends for 2022 will bring a thoughtful dialogue with these two visionary leaders. They will share their thoughts about the new narratives and systemic and policy change that will be required to move far beyond “centering Whiteness” to realize the once in lifetime opportunity for young families of the Biden administration’s Build Back Better agenda. Can we build on this moment of racial reckoning and major policy change to disrupt structural racism, persistent poverty and long neglected neighborhoods, and communities to support foundational relationships and early relational health for young families? Can we finally address the growing epidemic of children and youth mental illness, by upstream promotion and prevention efforts? The wellbeing of the next generation of our children and nation will depend on it.