The MRI revealed that a large brain tumor was causing his headaches, and subsequent tests found that his cancer was aggressive and had spread throughout his entire body. Without his mental health and substance use issues, he might have found the disease earlier and had a chance to fight it. Instead, he died a few months later.  

Our family’s story is not as uncommon as one might think. According to research from the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, there are 1.6 million Texans struggling with substance use disorder, and a vast majority are receiving no intervention. It is common for them to also have mental health concerns.  

When I began my work in adult literacy, I realized that many of my students struggled with these issues. They reminded me of my dad, and I realized that I owed it to these adult learners – and the children in their homes – to use my experience to ensure our health literacy program included education about mental health and substance use. My hope was to turn our personal tragedy into something very positive. 

As part of our program, we connected with mental health providers in our community to find free or low-cost services, and we invited social work interns from the local university to join our team. We also partnered with a local chapter of Narcotics Anonymous to host weekly meetings in one of our classrooms. I did not sit in on the meetings, but the highlight of my week was knowing that room would become a safe space for a community of men and women learning how to create a healthier life.  

As organizations are looking to begin or expand health literacy at their learning centers, I encourage leaders to remember mental health and substance use as important components to a well-rounded program. I cannot help but think about how those supports might have made a difference for my dad and for our family.