Meet Heidi Baskfield | Youth Mental Health System Fixer and Film Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Heidi Baskfield and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heidi, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I love taking risks and find it as a strength. Being willing to take risks, both big and small has been instrumental in shaping my career. Most of the time really good things come from the risks, either in the form of amazing outcomes that helped move work to an important next chapter. Or, there was a big learning from risks taken that didn’t pan out. Either way, having a high degree of comfort in taking risks has been helpful, not a hinderance.

I would be remiss if I didn’t say that timing plays a major role in effective risk taking, especially when bringing teams along for the ride. Trying to move too quickly fractures healthy teams and can be highly problematic. So getting teams to at least put their toe up to the edge before shoving them out of their comfort zone is important.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a funny combination of lawyer, lobbyist, system change advocate and story teller. I run a nationally-focused non-profit organization, Speak Our Minds, and non-profit film company, Rebel With A Cause Films, dedicated to building a working system of youth mental health. I bring advocacy, policy and story telling together to motivate and support an entire movement demanding better mental health care for our children and youth.

What sets me apart from others is the the ability to do the work that ensures the rubber meets the road. The work extends beyond raising awareness, or proposing change, the work does in fact result in meaningful difference.

I got here after a long winding road that started with defending youth with mental health needs that couldn’t get access to services they needed to live and thrive. I saw young kids being restrained, secluded and even tased and I have been on a crusade to change things ever since.

It has never been easy but nothing worth doing ever is. The key to overcoming challenges is doing work I believe in with people I enjoy working with – that simple.

I want the world to know that we should in fact demand better from current systems that support kids and that large systems are just made up and run by people just like you and me. So system change is possible and its about telling the truth over and over again and not backing down and being resilient.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
A show at Red Rocks is a must – there’s no place quite like it and to hear a good act there is almost spiritual. Next, I like a good art walk and so a stroll through DAM with lunch at the Ponti. I think shopping along almost any part of Broadway is fun so quirky shop stroll with a wrap up at the best bar in town, the Englewood Grand makes for a great time!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My incredible family: Tyler, Gray and Hank without whom I would not do this work. To powerful mentors I have had all along the way who have supported, guided and pushed me. I am never working alone – everything I work on is with and through the help and support of others. So for all the people who have and continue to work with me get all my gratitude.

Website: https://www.speakourminds.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@spkourminds

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-baskfield-16612253/

Youtube: https://www.YouTube.com/@spkourminds

Other:
https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/speak-our-minds/id1763327547
https://open.spotify.com/show/1G16MYlMkiXKzyGe25TGXh?si=766182a98f5049f1

Image Credits
Image Credits go to Mani Escobar and Gustavo Espinal with Lab Co.