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Mental Health Assn's new leader draws on personal experiences to guide his work

Chacku Mathai
Beth Adams/WXXI News
Chacku Mathai

The new leader of Rochester's Mental Health Association understands what it's like to be an immigrant who doesn't always feel welcome in a community.

He also knows what it's like to be bullied and battle addiction.

Chacku Mathai is drawing on his own life experiences for guidance as he works to address the mental health needs of the community.

Click on the LISTEN link above to hear Mathai talk about his personal history and how it will inform his work.  He also talks about how mental health access and screening fit into the national conversation about gun violence.

Beth Adams joined WXXI as host of Morning Edition in 2012 after a more than two-decade radio career. She was the longtime host of the WHAM Morning News in Rochester. Her career also took her from radio stations in Elmira, New York, to Miami, Florida.