PICKERINGTON, Ohio — According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, only one in three Black adults who need help actually receive it, and only one in four actively seek help. 

What You Need To Know

• Zion Walker created the Black Teen Mental Health Coalition at just 17 years old


• She started it to created to create a support system for her peers and offer help to those facing mental health struggles 


• Walker's goal is to remind people they're not alone

Those numbers stirred a change in an Ohio community with the work of a teenager. 

At just 17 years old, Zion Walker created a safe space for Black teens dealing with mental health like herself, but her eagerness to help others started even earlier.

It began when she was dealing with struggles of her own.

"In eighth grade, my parents were going through custody issues,” said Walker, “and then COVID happened. I was like, 'Oh no, what do I do? I'm like in isolation. I'm all alone.'"

It was then that she shifted her focus. 

Walker became involved with the Bring Change to Mind Club at school, but she still wanted more. So, she decided to start one of her own, specifically for Black teens.

With the help of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and other nonprofits, she turned the Black Teen Mental Health Coalition into a reality. 

The group comes together to discuss different mental health challenges for people of color. 

"There is stigma within the communities of color, like maybe your parents don't believe mental health is a real thing, but that's definitely not the case," said Walker.  

Not only that, but Walker's peers, like Ama Mensah-Arhin, get a support system out of it. 

"It brings me a sense of family, and I have someone to go to,” said Mensah-Arhin, “and someone to feel connected to and know that I am not alone with anything I am going through." 

As long as Walker's around, she wants nothing more than to help others like herself.

"You're definitely not alone in your struggles. It seems like you're alone. You're not alone. People have gone through this and came out on the other side. Things will get better they always do," she said.

For those facing mental or substance use disorders and want to seek help, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).