SUMMARY

There have been far too many times that we, as black and brown women, wanted or needed somewhere to go that will allow us to just "be".

A place where we can retreat without having to deal with the stigma of needing to get away from everything and everyone.

A place where we can simply focus on ourselves.

This campaign will fund an exciting new brick-and-mortar experience called The Well On High, a mental wellness and healing boutique created by a woman of color, designed for women of color.

INTRODUCTION

I’m Dr. Stacie Otey-Scott. I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the C.E.O. of Doctor SOS. The calling on my life has led me to provide mental wellness services to those in need of mental health and emotional support across Virginia.

Since my formal studies in clinical psychology began, I have had the opportunity to work in extremely diverse settings, attending to individuals ranging in age from seven to eighty-plus. It has been my honor and privilege to serve thousands of amazing people during some of their most difficult times.

JOURNEY

My journey to today’s announcement has taken me on a windy and nontraditional path. My journey zigged and gave me time to work with veterans in the Veterans Health System, providing me with in-depth training in trauma, while increasing my appreciation of our veterans one hundred-fold.

My journey zagged and I found myself working as a Crisis Intervention Clinician in our community hospitals. While there, I was provided the opportunity to support individuals who were experiencing some of the darkest moments of their lives. With far too many barely coping with despair and suicidal thoughts. As someone who has been in a similar place at one time in my life, I understood the need and value of coming alongside them and reminding them to leave a little room for hope.

My next steps would take me full circle from student to teacher as if to ensure a well-rounded outlook. As a professor and clinician at several local universities, colleges, and a medical school in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area, it has been my honor to teach the next generation of clinicians how to use our training and expertise to honor the lives of those we serve. I committed to teaching the next generation with an attitude of compassion and dignity. I often sought to see the world through the perspective of the young adults I was teaching, to better understand their mental health needs and their struggles. My belief is that today’s young adults are growing up in a world that is far less kind than that in which I grew up.

The ultimate zig and zag of my journey was my time spent working in a local mega-church which taught me so much about who I am, who God is, and who He has called me to be. It was the singular most transformational experience of my personal and professional life and I will never be able to thank my leaders and church family enough for their support and encouragement. During my time there, I learned how to lean into the practice of honoring our minds, bodies, and spirits which creates space for God to heal all. He is the Wonderful Counselor and Healer of our hearts. All of my training has prepared me for a time such as this.

ENDURING

While my training has been exceptional, it is my lived experience that initially led me down the path of mental wellness. I have lived with depression since I was 23 years old. It has had a pervasive impact on every aspect of my life, every day of my life since. Everyone who has ever been connected to me has been exposed to my varying degrees of mental health and wellness. My search for healing and growth has pushed me to explore, to work, to forgive, to accept, and to love.

While there have been some extremely difficult and painful moments I have had to grow through, growth has become the gift that keeps on giving. My depression forced me to rely on others as resources and ask for help, while at the same time teaching me that God is the ‘Source’ and He always provides.

– The journey has not been easy, but anything worth having rarely is, and I can tell you that the difficulties, struggles, and pain have been worth the price I’ve had to pay. –

PROBLEM

As someone who has needed mental health care, I noticed there were parts of my experiences that those who were assigned to help and wanted to support me could not relate to nor understand. While I had not seen myself, nor my needs as unique, as a black woman, I came to realize that to some degree they were and our traditional mental health systems, services, and providers were not adequately equipped or prepared to attend to all aspects of my mental, emotional and spiritual wellness needs.

As an African-American, female clinician, I learned that the only way I could change the systems, services, and faces of the providers so that they were more in tune with and aware of the unique needs of women of color was to work from the inside out. I realized in many ways our current system is broken and when it comes to black and brown individuals, some areas are broken beyond repair. I asked myself what can be done to fix a system that is beyond repair and my spirit cried out – you must build a new system, create new services, and train new providers.

This new system, services, and providers must reflect the communities they are designed to serve. They must offer experiences that are uniquely designed to support, elevate, restore, and heal.

My answer to this call is The Well On High.

SOLUTION

The Well On High is a brick-and-mortar experience that intends to provide a safe space for women of color to find solace, restoration, and guidance during unexpected and challenging times. It differentiates itself from traditional wellness services by acknowledging and addressing systemic inequities and their multi-generational effects on black women and women of color. The Well will provide high-quality, evidence-based, trauma and culturally-informed, mental wellness boutique services.

LOCATION & TIMELINE

Our suites will be housed in a newly remodeled facility in Hampton Roads, Virginia. We are designing our space to create an experience that places you at ease from the time you walk through our doors. Our space will feature mental wellness suites capable of hosting small and mid-size groups, along with individual studios for private one-on-one sessions. Our current design plan includes options for discrete entry to and from our space to maximize your privacy and security.

That’s not all, The Well On High will be an anchor tenant that exclusively features women-owned businesses and will be home to a variety of therapy-based services and professionals. This allows The Well On High to refer its clients to on-site providers that offer additional therapy types including art, cooking, and dance therapy.

The Well On High is targeting its grand opening for September 2023.

YOUR SUPPORT

Any gift that you share with me through GoFundMe will go towards making this vision a reality. You will have taken part in creating a regional resource that women from all over Virginia can utilize as a resource in their time of need.

This campaign will launch in late June 2023 to a small private group, open to the public in July and conclude in the fall of 2023.

With all of my gratitude, thank you.