AANCHAL VASH came to Canada at 17 with her twin brother, carrying the dream of an older brother who passed away before he could come. After her twin brother passed away, she says she saw a gap in how people recognize and respond to declining mental health, and decided to fill it.

Aanchal Vash started Reach Out Together, which began with free monthly Mental Health First Aid workshops. She is certified in Mental Health First Aid through the Mental Health Commission of Canada and says she has written five books.

She explains:
◼ What she did right away as a newcomer to find counselling and community
◼ The signs of declining mental health she says she didn’t recognize in her twin brother
◼ What a mental health first aider does, and why she says the first step is to build connection rather than push someone toward therapy
◼ The equation she says she repeated in her head the day police came to her door
◼ Organizing a funeral and wrapping up an estate at 24
◼ Her first program, which had zero attendees, and why she kept going
◼ Why she says getting stuck in a war zone in Dubai led her to start a support circle for Canadians abroad
◼ Why she sees mental health as a continuum, and a morning check-in on a scale of one to 10

📍 FOLLOW AANCHAL:
Website: https://voteforaanchal.ca/
Reach Out Together: https://reachouttogether.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aanchalvash/

📍 FOLLOW JORDANA:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jordanagoldlist/
Website: https://www.jhgcriminallaw.com/