The NBPA`s First Mental Health Director Has an Ambitious Plan for the Future

....This is the kind of thing Parham will have to contend with as he finds his way in his new role. He counts players like White and Love as having been instrumental in moving the needle forward—"This is a player-led initiative," he says—but he also credits coaches like Tyronn Lue, who has talked about his anxiety, as having had some sway. "It`s not just a player challenge," Parham says. "It`s a human challenge—health and wellness. That`s played out in every context and venue in America and in the world."....
...."One of my several mantras I live by is that people don`t really care how much you know until they know how much you care," Parham says. "I want the players to know I care. And that relational capital is a foundation of getting things to work. I can put systems into place. The question isn`t putting the system in place. It`s having people access the system that`s there for their benefit."....   ...more

Bethany`s Notes: It`s taken a good 6 years since Royce White`s conflict with the NBA. Finally, the NBA has a Director of Mental Health. This articles outlines the four top priorities for Dr. William Parham as he seeks to rewrite how professional sports view mental health. Will the other professional sport teams follow??