What if mental health wasn’t something we addressed only after a crisis, but something we intentionally built from the very start? Lili Clark sits down with Dr. Jessica Gomez, a licensed psychologist and Executive Director of Momentous Institute, to explore what prevention can look like when it’s woven into classrooms, families, and communities.
Dr. Gomez shares how Momentous Institute, established more than 100 years ago by the Salesmanship Club of Dallas, has evolved into a nationally recognized organization working at the intersection of education and mental health. Today, Momentous provides thousands of therapy sessions each year for children and families who otherwise wouldn’t have access, and how their laboratory elementary school teaches brain health, emotions, and relationship skills alongside academics. She also explains the organization’s ambitious goal to reach one million children and families by 2031, including the ripple effect created through curriculum partnerships and community collaborations.
This conversation also highlights the powerful community ecosystem that supports this work, including the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, Momentous Institute’s largest fundraiser and a major driver of its mission. Dr. Gomez explains how the tournament helps sustain the organization’s impact and serves as a platform for broader community engagement through Momentous’ Squeeze the Day campaign during Mental Health Month - which is May.
Together, they unpack today’s toughest pressures on students and educators, from post-COVID stress, school safety concerns, social media and AI, attention challenges, and bullying that’s showing up earlier than ever. Dr. Gomez also reflects on her own journey into psychology, the importance of culturally responsive and bilingual care, and the leadership practices she uses to normalize therapy and prevent burnout. If you’re a parent, educator, employer, or community leader, this conversation offers practical insight into how we strengthen resilience and human connection at every stage of life.
Episode Details:
Episode 4, Season 3 Host: Lili Clark | Vice Chair, The Cary Council; Senior Associate, LH Capital, Inc. / Lyda Hill Philanthropies - https://www.lydahillphilanthropies.org/
Guest: Dr. Jessica Gomez | Licensed Psychologist; Executive Director, Momentous Institute https://momentousinstitute.org/ | https://scdallas.org/ | https://thecjcupbyronnelson.org/
Producer: Dustin Magwire | Digital Media Senior Manager, Southwestern Medical Foundation www.swmedical.org
Videography: Brazos Film & Video - www.brazosfilms.com
Disclaimer:
The Southwestern Medical Foundation Podcast is intended solely for educational purposes. Nothing contained therein constitutes, nor should be interpreted as medical, healthcare, financial or legal advice. Southwestern Medical Foundation strives for accuracy in its publications, including the Podcast. However, due to the nature of the topics discussed, there frequently is not a clear-cut “right answer.” Consequently, Southwestern Medical Foundation cannot guarantee the accuracy or sufficiency of any information presented. The views of the hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of their employers or affiliated organizations, nor Southwestern Medical Foundation, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center or the University of Texas System. The inclusion of any guest or mention of any product or service does not constitute an endorsement thereof, nor of any company, employer, or organization with which the guest, product, or service is affiliated.
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(00:00):
I started to struggle with significant depression and anxiety, but I didn't know that's what it was called.
(00:05):
And in my culture, you know, it's not a conversation that's often had.
And so I struggled for many, many years until it got to the point where I couldn't function at school, at home.
And it was then that I said, I don't ever want another child having to go through this.
Learning loss, behavioral shifts, emotional issues, the stresses that are coming at us from our larger community,
(00:27):
whether it's financial, housing, political.
We know that stress levels for everyone across our country are the highest we've seen in generations.
So all of that is coming into the therapy room and it's coming into the classroom.
We are in a different ballpark completely.
Welcome to Learning from Leaders, a podcast from Southwestern Medical Foundation,
(00:48):
where we dive into a world of wisdom, mentorship, and innovation.
Exploring the insights and life lessons of seasoned community and business leaders.
I'm Michael McMahon, president and CEO of Southwestern Medical Foundation.
I invite you to subscribe now and join us on this empowering journey of growth and leadership.
Now, let's learn from the best and drive meaningful change together.
(01:11):
Welcome back to Learning from Leaders.
Today, we are talking about a big idea with a very practical payoff.
What changes when we treat mental health as something we build from the very start,
not something we only respond to in crisis.
Our guest today is Dr. Jessica Gomez, a licensed psychologist and the executive director of Momentus Institute,
an organization working at the intersection of education and mental health to help kids and families thrive.
(01:37):
Dr. Gomez, thank you so much for joining us today.
Thanks for having me today, Lily.
Well, to get us started, can you tell us just generally about Momentus Institute and about your mission?
Absolutely. Happy to.
Momentus Institute was established over 100 years ago by the Salesmanship Club of Dallas,
which is a group of business leaders who were invested in making their community stronger by working with children.
(01:59):
So fast forward 100 years later and our focus remains mental health, especially during this time.
And we do that by providing therapy services to individuals in our community who don't have access.
That's about 12,000 sessions a year.
12,000?
12,000 sessions to individuals who would otherwise not have access.
And we focus on strengthening the family system, so working with children and the people who love them.
(02:22):
And then we swim upstream in prevention.
We have a laboratory elementary school that focuses on learning all the math and science, all those rigorous academics,
but also by teaching them mental health about their brain, about emotions.
Then we research all of that and ensure that we're proving that it works and sharing it with the community
through rigorous research and by content and product that we share it with others.
(02:45):
So when you say laboratory elementary school, can you talk more about what that means in practice?
Absolutely. So what it means in practice is, and let me go back a little bit to how we started.
30 years ago, what we were noticing in our community, the children that came to our mental health services,
were still going back into their schools and struggling.
And we said, we wondered what would happen if we take what we know works for children and for humans in general,
(03:10):
and put it into a school and taught it as early as three years old.
So imagine this, you don't have to wait to get to graduate school to learn how your brain works
and how it's connected to your emotions.
We're teaching it to three-year-olds and four-year-olds and continuing through fifth grade.
And so the laboratory school really means is we're looking at what's cutting edge in terms of human potential
(03:31):
and making sure people can succeed over their life and then bringing it into an academic setting.
So we know that education isn't just about learning how to do math and science and critical thinking,
but it's about learning how to encompass the human experience.
So you all have a very ambitious goal of reaching, and correct me if I'm wrong, reaching a million children and families by 2031.
(03:54):
Can you talk about kind of what inspired that goal and where you all are at in that process?
Yes, I remember the day leadership was sitting around the table again with our highly engaged Salesmanship Club members
who are very integrated into our organization and saying, we hear the news, we're in a youth mental health crisis,
what are we going to do about it?
(04:16):
This is the moment to stand by our community.
And we said, well, what if we reached 100,000?
What if we reach 200?
One million, it was a number that scared us.
It was a number that said, this is ambitious.
And we all left out of there kind of sweating with anxiety of how are we going to cascade this message?
But it was really meant to inspire out-of-the-box thinking.
(04:38):
If we were really going to meet this moment, we had to push ourselves.
Now, fast forward 2026, we're a little under 700,000 to that goal.
And what it meant is innovation, stretch, expand our reach to children who will never make it to our campus in Dallas.
And we're doing that.
We're doing that.
And I'm happy to share how we're going about it because the numbers really work.
(04:59):
So it's face-to-face like you and I, Lily, making sure that we're reaching children in our community.
We're deeply committed to Dallas.
But what about that research article that's going to reach a clinician on the other side of the world?
Or our curriculum that we've taken from our school and now is working with 2,000 children in Lusaka, Zambia?
Or children in Turkey or in Canada?
(05:22):
So if an educator is using our curriculum, on average, we say that's 25 children that are being impacted for about five years.
And so that's our count.
So we direct impact and we have a ripple effect that we're focused on.
Okay. And how are you going about forming these partnerships around the world?
Well, word of mouth is one thing.
Second is relationships.
(05:44):
I mean, as we're trying to get out there, opportunities like this today allow us to get the message out there.
We're trying to make sure that we're partnering with different people in Dallas.
But also, for instance, First Tee National has become a really cool partner for us.
They have a reach of 3.3 million children that come to their programs.
Wow. That's incredible.
(06:05):
So they have the expertise in golf and leadership development.
We have the expertise in mental health.
What happens when community partners come together?
We have to go where the children are at.
And Dr. Gomez, I also understand you all are connected to the Byron Nelson.
Can you talk more about that?
Absolutely.
The CJ Cup Byron Nelson is our biggest fundraiser and really supports about one-third of our operating budget.
(06:28):
So it's what keeps us running.
It's going to be Memorial Day weekend this year.
We're really excited because it's not only a great community event,
but it's also a time that we amplify the message of mental health through our Squeeze the Day campaign,
which will activate throughout the whole month of May and throughout the city of Dallas.
But we're really trying to make mental health accessible,
(06:50):
that you can cultivate it every single day by small acts like being in community,
at a golf tournament, having fun, being in nature.
Yeah. Yeah. I love that.
We'd love to learn more about the Squeeze the Day campaign.
What does that entail?
So May is mental health month around the globe.
And so we were trying to elevate the conversation on mental health during the month,
but in an accessible way because the conversation on mental health can often be a little heavy.
(07:15):
So we call it Squeeze the Day.
What do lemons have to do with mental health?
Well, it gets your attention, doesn't it?
It does.
But it's about every day you can do a small action to be proactive,
to improve your mental health and wellness overall.
So being in community, going out to lunch with someone, being in nature, sleeping well, eating well.
So it's all about what can you do every day to cultivate mental health.
(07:38):
Yeah.
And we do it with many iconic partners throughout the city of Dallas.
So, for instance, the Dallas Zoo.
This year we'll be working with the Perot.
What's it called?
I'm thinking about the other ones.
Nasher Sculpture Center.
There's so many. Parks and Rec also makes mini parks.
So we're partnering with many, and the list is pretty long.
(08:00):
That's amazing.
People that can amplify the message, and we'll be hosting events throughout the city.
So be on the lookout.
One of the things that I understand is really important to you all is having bilingual therapists working with these kids and families.
Can you talk more about why that's so important?
Well, when you look at the changing demographics of Dallas, of Texas, we know that we are largely looking Latino Hispanic, right?
(08:21):
It's also when we see kind of the patterns across our country, it's one of the growing languages.
And so I think we want to meet people where they're at.
Through my lived experience, I know what that matters.
I speak English, as you can hear.
But my first language is Spanish.
And what we know in terms of emotional expression and healing your mental health is it happens in your first language, in your emotional language.
(08:47):
And so if that is a need in our community, as we know, the growing diversity, we need to be able to meet the population where they're at.
And so you can't process that trauma if you're not using your emotional language.
For me, my husband always knows when something's up because I'll start speaking really fast in Spanish or the food gets really spicy.
So those are the emotional languages.
(09:09):
So we have to speak in those.
And right now, that's the demand in our state and country.
So I guess taking kind of a bigger picture view, May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
Can you talk about what you see as some of the bigger, more pressing challenges that schools or communities are facing when it comes to mental health?
Which I know that's, you know, there's so much to that.
(09:31):
So maybe, you know, first couple of things that come to mind for you.
The landscape has changed.
We are in a different ballpark completely.
And what I mean is post-COVID, something happened to us.
I call it a collective trauma.
And if people are wondering, why is she still talking about COVID?
Because the after effects are still very much with us.
(09:52):
This past fall, we welcomed some of our first generations that were born during this era.
And so we're noticing not just amongst that generation, but all the way up to our teenagers that are not doing good, our college kiddos.
Learning loss, behavioral shifts, emotional issues, the stresses that are coming at us from our larger community, whether it's financial, housing, political.
(10:15):
We know that stress levels for everyone across our country are the highest we've seen in generations.
So all of that is coming into the therapy room and it's coming into the classroom.
And I am also saying it's coming into the workrooms, into our offices.
And so if organizations are paying attention to that, not just from school all the way to the workforce, I think we're missing a bit.
(10:37):
We're humans at the end of the day.
Totally.
You have written some about how schools are responding to just rising gun violence and kind of making sure that they're balancing, obviously, the physical safety of their students, but also the emotional safety and well-being.
Can you talk about just some of the key themes that have come up in your writing on this topic?
(10:58):
Absolutely.
Again, a lot of what I write about is not forgetting that we are humans and humanizing so many of these policies.
So, yes, if we want to add security to the door and we want to arm our officers because we want to keep our campuses safe, we have to acknowledge that when my kindergarten children walk in, at their height level, the first thing they're seeing is not your eyes.
It's going to be.
(11:19):
And we had that, the curiosity around how do you talk to children about why there are now armed officers?
Why are they practicing?
In my generation, we practice.
I grew up in Illinois, so we practice tornado drills.
I didn't have to practice the things that children are practicing now.
So how are we talking about that?
How are we equipping parents with that?
So really being mindful of settling their glitter, equipping them with information, but also this isn't normative to see.
(11:46):
And so I don't want to normalize it, but we also want children to be prepared.
Yeah.
I mean, how do you think about like, you know, how do you thoughtfully like craft the right language to, you know, whether you're advising parents on what to tell their kids or teachers to what to what to tell their students?
Like, how do you think about what is like age appropriate?
Because, of course, that, you know, you're you're dealing with students of all different ages.
(12:10):
So I think first you have to have that developmental lens.
And I will acknowledge Momentous is blessed to have that mental health developmental lens of what helps humans feel settled, especially children.
That's why we felt compelled to write this op-ed and share it with the world, because we know not everyone has it.
But I believe that that's thought leadership and shaping the narrative.
So we have to acknowledge, again, that we're working with humans when we establish policies, laws, mandates of what is going to be the impact on the emotional and the felt sense of safety that we have.
(12:41):
When you're practicing this as an adult, it starts to make you wonder.
But imagine being a five or six year old and you're practicing these things.
So I think it's so important and especially equipping the parents and caregivers so that they know how to talk to the child when they get home.
Yeah.
But let's not normalize this without the right conversations.
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(13:05):
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(13:28):
One of the other huge things that I think we everyone listening has, you know, seen all throughout the news is just the way that social media and AI are, first of all, impacting students and kids' mental health greatly.
And also just impacting like what it's like to be in the classroom.
Could you talk about kind of what you think some of the challenges around social media and AI are?
(13:51):
But also, like, are there opportunities to use it for good?
What are you seeing at Momentous?
Yes, both things.
It is a tool.
So let's not throw it all out with, you know, but we also have to be mindful.
I think some of the things we're seeing is that we have to balance out how to use that technology in a responsible way.
So parents not giving carte blanche, they have to really provide boundaries around it.
(14:16):
And they have to remember that children need access to nature.
Nothing will replace that and connections.
Our brains, technology will never replace the need for a right brain to right brain connection.
We thrive and we heal in that.
That's why I think mental health providers have a future in this.
But the other thing is what I'm really worried about is I call it TikTok attention span.
(14:39):
Yeah.
That 30 second burst.
Yeah.
Children, if they are only getting that and learning in front of this, it's going to impact their ability to sustain attention for learning things like math, reading, ACT tests in the future.
So you have to utilize those parts of the brain.
And I'm not saying take it away, but boundary it up and make sure that they are learning how to grow those parts.
(15:01):
Something that, of course, is coming up often on social media, but, of course, translates into the classroom, too, is bullying.
Like, how are you seeing the interplay between the two, the online of it all, the in the classroom of it all?
And how do you think about managing these situations at Momentous, advising parents and so on?
Number one trend I am seeing that continues to grow and really concern me is that it's happening earlier and earlier.
(15:26):
We generally expected it, like, towards the end of elementary, fifth grade, you know, middle school, right aligned with puberty.
But we're noticing it's starting earlier and earlier, as early as kindergarten and first grade.
Why do you think that is?
So I think it's a layered effect, right?
I think we're losing our ability to have social skills and practice those.
(15:47):
And that's layered as well.
Technology, COVID, you know, friendship skills.
Did we learn how to do that?
But on top of that, we're also seeing pediatricians and endocrine specialists are starting to see puberty start younger and younger in our youth, especially girls.
So we expected that around 10, 11, 12, right?
It's now happening as early as seven and eight years old, which unleashes a whole physical and brain chemical reaction.
(16:15):
And so our kids are actually starting some of those behaviors earlier.
That is really fascinating.
So on the topic of social media and bullying, what are kind of the things that you were advising to parents as they're thinking about this?
So this was a really hot topic.
And so we actually developed a kind of like a curriculum or a guide for parents or anyone who has a child.
(16:38):
And actually, it's good for adults as well on how to navigate bullying, right?
How to understand it.
And the number one thing is we have to define it.
Most people don't know how to define it or understand it.
And not just the adults, but the children, making sure they're empowered to understand when is it bullying, when is it not.
But then also communication, making sure that we're understanding the experience and developing a plan with schools is super key.
(17:02):
So we have that available and it's a free resource on our website as well with some articles and there's a full curriculum.
But in terms of what technology is doing and what tips to give parents around how do you keep up with AI or the apps, get really involved with your child, set boundaries, clear expectations.
So often I hear parents be like, well, I just give them carte blanche an hour of iPad time.
(17:27):
Do you know what they're looking at?
Have you revised the apps?
Are they getting other dosages of things?
It's really hard to take away technology from children without replacing it with something.
For instance of saying, let's get you in sports or let's go outside for a bike ride.
Usually it'll take them a little bit, but the brain needs that as well.
So teaching them how to be good digital citizens.
(17:49):
And that starts by the adults modeling it as well, because often, how often are we scrolling?
A lot.
Yeah. And do we have time set aside where it's going to be digital away from digital technology?
Okay.
But you have to get in there.
You have to understand it.
If it's scary, yeah, we're all with you, but it's not going to go away.
(18:10):
It's a tool.
So look for those resources.
We have a lot on our blogs and on our website on how to navigate that.
Okay. Okay.
That's really helpful.
So you all did a study with the Center for Brain Health at UT Dallas.
And I want to get this right.
You all found that early brain health education can actually improve lifetime earnings.
Yes.
Can you talk more about that?
Absolutely.
(18:31):
So Center for Brain Health, great partners, and Dr. Nevin, who really helped coin the term brainomics,
had a conversation about how do we change the conversation, not just on brain health, but on mental health?
Because we keep publishing the findings, and we don't seem to get the public's attention.
And he had the wisdom, Dr. Nevin, of saying, what if we translated this to economic terms?
(18:53):
And so what we were able to prove is we took our longitudinal data from our alumni from Momentus School
and proved that given the education they received, that isn't just math and science, but it's brain health, it's mental health,
they have higher lifetime earnings, predicted lifetime earnings,
when compared to their same kind of socioeconomic peers, but also high-income peers.
(19:14):
And so the proof is there.
If we want to set up healthy communities and healthy humans, we have to start educating differently.
That is really fascinating.
Do you feel like that, like what were some of the key findings?
Is the reason for that that if someone is well-educated on their own emotional well-being or interpersonal dynamics,
they can enter a workforce, work environment stronger?
(19:37):
It's some of that.
But let's bring it down to resilience, right?
You have the resilience.
So if your brain is offline and you're really having an emotional day,
or you're distracted and don't know how to utilize kind of attention skills,
which is a lot of what we teach through brain health and mental health,
then you're not learning.
And we know that if by second grade you have fallen behind in math,
(19:58):
we can predict your academic success and financial earnings throughout your life.
So really it's teaching the skills so kids can learn what they need to,
but also to develop good relationship skills.
If we think about who we want in our lives,
it's people who are grounded and have healthy emotional skills.
So it's all of those things.
Okay.
(20:19):
And how do you think about like when you are coming out with research like this,
or you find these really compelling results,
like how do you think about communicating them and translating them to kind of a
policy or community setting?
Like how do you make sure that policy leaders,
community leaders have this in mind when they are shaping policy around
education and mental health?
Lily, that is the golden question.
(20:41):
And one that we are working on, we have a saying,
let's get louder about our findings and get them in front of key stakeholders
and leaders who are making decisions about our children's education and their
healthcare.
And so we are actively working with our state's leaders to get this,
send it to them, get it to the masses,
get it to parents because parents are such a powerful voice when they have the
(21:04):
information in hand.
And I'll say we haven't figured that out quite yet, right?
But we want our research to be leading decision-making across our country.
So when you look at kind of the next decade or so,
at the broader kind of mental behavioral health landscape,
what are the things that you think are the biggest challenges ahead?
(21:25):
And also on the other side, what are you really optimistic about?
Awesome. Challenges ahead is how to workforce and developing the workforce.
We know there are not enough mental health professionals.
So I think that's both an opportunity for us to make it attractive and
affordable.
When you look at the cost of becoming a psychologist like myself and what you
earn in the field, it doesn't line up, right?
(21:48):
So we have to have a paradigm shift in that and also recruiting the diversity
that the field demands so that we can meet the needs of our people in
communities. Outside of that,
I think we have a vast opportunity to really marry technology and AI.
It will never replace the human to human.
There will be a career for mental health professionals for decades to come.
(22:09):
And I don't believe we'll have enough.
So we're going to have to marry those.
And I also think we have an opportunity to almost develop entry level into the
profession. Like it really takes a master's or a doctorate.
But in reality, what about the people who are interacting with our children?
What would it look like if we equip them with the right knowledge so that they
(22:31):
can also help us stop this crisis?
Totally. So I want to talk about you and your journey.
Tell me how you got interested in psychology.
What was kind of like,
what planted the seed for the career path that you chose?
A long time ago. I would say it's through lived experience,
Lily. Starting with, I always knew I wanted to become a doctor.
(22:55):
I knew I wanted to work with children because I just loved being a child.
And I loved,
I come from a family where it's just that strong family relationship.
So I wanted to be a part of people's lives.
But then I think what accelerated it for me was my own experience,
probably right around middle school, before middle school, end of elementary,
(23:16):
I started to struggle with significant depression and anxiety,
but I didn't know that's what it was called. And in my culture, you know,
it's not a conversation that's often had. Yeah.
If you don't have the language for it, how would, yeah.
So, and my parents didn't know they did the best they could.
And so I struggled for many,
many years until it got to the point where I couldn't function at school at
(23:37):
home. And thankfully my parents were guided to a therapist,
but the therapist didn't speak our language, didn't understand my culture.
And it was then that I said,
I don't ever want another child having to go through this.
There's such a need. Like I'm having to explain my culture to them.
Why our family dynamics are the way they are.
And no one should have to struggle for nearly a decade.
(24:00):
Struggle with paralyzing anxiety and depression.
So it was that lived experience that really pushed me.
And then can you talk about kind of how,
how that experience and this kind of, you know,
piquing your interest in, in pursuing psychology as a career,
like how did that translate into kind of your early career? Like what were,
what was the journey to Momentous?
(24:22):
Well, it was an unexpected one.
So I grew up in Chicago, grew up seeing my own lived experience,
but in connection with growing up in the South side of Chicago and some of the
similar dynamics we see in many of our communities here in Dallas and really
wanting to give back to that community. Yeah.
But I also knew that for residency match, which is the, you know,
the end to become a doctor I wanted to go to the best programs.
(24:45):
And so I looked all over West coast, East coast.
And then I heard about the Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers,
which is what Momentous used to be called. And I'm like, Oh my God,
they're doing things in such a different way, low barrier,
working with community research.
And so I was lucky enough to match and I said,
I'll stay here a year and learn from them. And then I'll go back to my home.
It's been 15 years. Oh my gosh.
(25:07):
And so the trajectory and the opportunities,
I think Dallas is so ripe for innovation, for healthcare leadership.
And the ecosystem here has just been really exciting to be a part of.
Yeah. Well, I think to that point, I mean, Dallas and the North Texas region,
I think is pretty unique in its ability to bring organizations and leaders
together and really meaningfully collaborate.
(25:28):
Can you talk about how that dynamic and ecosystem to your point has impacted
your life, but also the mission of Momentous?
And I think it's exactly what you just said that has kept me here for so long.
I really feel that the Dallas community rallies around an issue to really be
strength space and provide solutions while still listening to the community.
(25:49):
Because the answers often come from community and the clients who are working
for. And so partnering with the right organizations is critical.
Who has buy-in with the community,
who understands those communities and what they need versus us coming in and
saying, here's what you need.
So I think there's a power in that and we don't have to reinvent the wheel.
(26:11):
There are some organizations doing great work,
kind of like Center for Brain Health. We've worked with them.
They have the neuroscience. We have the mental health.
Those two things are part of the human experience. How do we work together?
And there's countless others that I'm leaving out right now.
Like the YMCA, MetroCare,
Grant Halliburton have been great players that have come together to tackle this
(26:35):
mental health crisis in our local community.
That's wonderful. Could you,
so because this is a podcast about leadership,
I'm curious like at Momentous,
you all are dealing with really complex and nuanced issues.
How do you think about kind of modeling like self-care and taking care of your
own mental health and avoiding burnout and things like that to your team?
(26:58):
I think first of all,
it's being authentic and that we don't have it all figured out and
acknowledging that with staff.
So that it opens up the door that if they think there are solutions,
let's talk about it. Let's integrate it. So you're never quite done.
We're on a journey, even though mental health is our expertise.
The other thing is I'm very vocal about my own journey and talking about
(27:21):
normalizing therapy.
It took me so long to even be able to acknowledge the fact that I go to
therapy and I continue to go to therapy and I'll tell my team, Hey,
I'm not available every other Friday at 8am because I'm investing in myself.
And it's probably been the best leadership experience I've had by getting to
know yourself and how you impact others. Totally.
But it's also encouraging our staff to take a moment.
(27:43):
You know, sometimes we'll take outdoor meetings.
Let's go outside and take that meeting,
walking around the campus or take a brain break or let's have lunch outside.
But we're constantly working on it. We're not perfect.
We haven't figured it all out yet, but it's opening up the conversation.
Absolutely.
And as you all are thinking about kind of the road ahead at Momentous,
(28:04):
you all have been around for a really long time.
And I mean, to our conversation today,
like we're in a moment of kind of a lot of technological change and
modernization.
How do you think about kind of potential like obstacles that you all are
overcoming as an organization or challenges with that modernization going
forward?
I think what's really great about the Salesmanship Club of Dallas and
(28:28):
Momentous Institute,
which is their charity that they've established and really kind of
cultivated this amazing organization is over their hundred year history.
They have demonstrated that they can meet the moment.
If you think about what was happening over a hundred years ago,
I think we were coming out of a great depression or entering one.
Children, high orphan rate throughout our country.
(28:49):
And then this community and they met that moment.
And I don't think that they're afraid to continue to challenge themselves and
meet the current moment. For instance, asking themselves in 2021, okay,
we've had local impact. How do we broaden that?
How do we meet children that will never ever make it to Dallas?
But if we have something that can be shared, so I don't think,
(29:11):
I think they encourage us and they push us to take bold challenges to
innovate, to change things. We weren't always a school.
We weren't always a mental health center.
In fact, we started out with programs that help children who were orphaned.
And then that involved into a residential camp where children were living
but in the seventies, eighties,
we realized children should really be in their community to thrive.
(29:34):
And so we closed the residential program and we opened outpatient mental health
therapy and the school developed 30 years ago.
So innovation has been part of our history.
So I think it's the challenges,
how do we meet this moment authentically and in a way that really adds to the
conversation.
Yeah, well,
it's an incredible journey that momentous has had and certainly like it's so
(29:58):
clear that your leadership has just been phenomenal for the organization,
for Dallas, for the region.
You were part of the Dallas business journal,
40 under 40 list in 2021.
You were a Dallas 500 leader in 2024 and you led momentous institute to a DCEO
nonprofit organization of the year award in 2023.
(30:19):
There's so much more that we could list.
But I'm curious how those milestones,
how you think about those milestones and what they mean to you.
Lily, when you were mentioning those,
I think about the village around me.
I think about the village that it takes to make momentous work from our club
members to the staff, to the front line.
(30:40):
That is a demonstration of what happens when people rally around a core belief
and that we believe we can help transform the lives of children for the better
and beat this mental health crisis.
That's what happens when you have community.
Yeah.
So when you are speaking with maybe students or next generation about if they
potentially are interested in being part of the kind of mental behavioral
(31:04):
health world and pursuing this as a career, what advice do you have for them?
I think it's tap into your why.
And if you are really moved by making real change in community,
I believe that the future is in human potential.
Mental health is part of the human experience.
(31:26):
And so the only way we're going to get out of this crisis is by getting back to
our humanity and relationships.
That's the pathway out.
So I think there's a lot of hope for mental health.
I know it feels dark, it feels heavy,
but we're also having the conversation in a very different way than I've ever
had it in my lifetime.
And that gives me hope.
Do you think that is stemming from kind of more of the sense of openness?
(31:49):
Like how do you think the conversation has changed?
I think what happened before COVID and where everyone experienced the stress of
it, that collective trauma,
my perception is it was seen as something that happened to some communities.
But what we've realized is no, this is part of the human experience.
None of us gets out of this life without facing our own mental health.
(32:12):
And so I also think that our youth are so brave, so courageous.
When I hear them,
like I was walking down the hallway and someone was going to interview me and a
kindergartener stopped me and said, Dr. Gomez, don't forget to breathe.
Oh my gosh.
And I was like, that gives me chills.
And I was like, you're right, I'm tense.
And then gave me a hug and then walked away and got back in line and went to
(32:38):
their next kind of gym session. And I was like, wow, that gives me hope.
it's such a testament to what you all are teaching and instilling in these
students too.
The fact that that is like top of mind as they're going about their every day.
That's an incredible, incredible anecdote.
We call that being a change maker.
For a kindergarten student to really feel like I'm noticing something,
this must be a tense moment. It's the power of relationship.
(33:01):
So one of the things that we always ask our guests on Learning from Leaders is
who is a mentor or someone that you have,
has helped you along your career path in some way or that you've tried to
model after?
There are so many people and I'm going to leave someone out,
but the one that is a constant for me is my mother.
My mother, there are not enough words to really,
(33:24):
she's just an anchor and you can see the emotion.
And I only aspire to be like her one day. So she's strong. She's wise.
She's bold. And man, she has been a trailblazer.
Can you talk about maybe an example or two of what I'm sure are like
countless of lessons that she's taught you that you carry with you today?
(33:45):
The one I still remember and I can see her right now in my mind's eye is she
would whisper to me when I was a little girl,
dream big and don't ever forget where you come from.
And so no matter what,
as I continued on my personal and professional journey,
she has always say, remember where you come from and who you are.
And that to me is staying rooted in my core values and my family and my
(34:09):
culture. If I know that,
then I can weather any storm that comes my way.
That is really, really beautiful. Thank you. Before we wrap up,
we do have some rapid fire questions for you.
So this is just like first thing that comes to mind. Okay.
First question is Dallas or Chicago.
Dallas is a future Chicago's home. Okay.
(34:30):
I can't pick one. I'll lose one way or the other. Yeah. Okay.
More specifically Chicago deep dish pizza or Dallas Tex-Mex.
Oh, deep dish all day. It's so good. It's so good. Yes.
It is so good. Keeps you warm for a reason. Oh yeah. Okay.
What is your favorite spot in Dallas to find some moment of Zen white rock
lake? It's so beautiful. It's so beautiful. Do you like,
(34:53):
do you bike or walk around it or do you just like go have a picnic?
All the things, all the things, but that is one of my happy places here.
Yeah.
What is your go-to source for any sort of like leadership inspiration,
whether it's a book or a podcast or a person?
My go-to place or person. It's definitely the person is my mother.
She's my constant, my compass in many ways. And then nature,
(35:17):
sunset, sunrises, sunshine. Yeah.
What is one mental health habit that you practice every day?
I think you saw it on display is I will always find a moment to a
snuggle my Yorkie,
but also to take a moment to look at the sunrise, the sunset,
or just breathe in the air.
I think we are so connected to it and we often forget we need it to thrive.
(35:40):
What is your Yorkies name? Picasso, like the painter.
How did you come up with that? Are you, are you a Picasso fan?
I'm an art lover. But when I met him,
he's a rescue and I literally rescued him off the highway.
Someone had, you know, kind of let him go.
And he had this personality when I would take him to the doggie park and just,
(36:01):
you know, was kind of like a magnet to all the dogs. And I'm like, Oh,
you're kind of like Pablo Picasso's personality.
That's what we're going to call you.
That's amazing.
What is a TV show that you're currently hooked on or would recommend?
God, I love shrinking. And it's season just started.
I haven't seen it because it's so good.
And it's season just started.
I haven't seen it because it's all the things that you shouldn't do.
(36:23):
If you want to stay licensed and have a career.
And then there's others that kids are watching that I stay on top of.
What is an alternate career? If you did not pursue psychology,
like what would you be doing?
Oh, I'd still be a nerd, probably a pediatrician or an obstetrician,
anything that works with children. Children are just, I'm drawn to them.
(36:46):
I'm a child just in an adult body still in many ways.
Last question is if you could put any word or phrase on a giant billboard in
like New York or, or you name it, what would it say?
Something around mental health. How about pause, breathe,
release and something around mental health matters because we're often going
(37:11):
like this. It's just possible.
Yeah. Well, Dr. Gomez, thank you so much for being with us today.
You were, it's really,
really inspirational seeing your leadership in this community and at Momentous
and really appreciate you taking the time to speak with us today.
Thank you, Lily.
And to our listeners, thank you for joining us.
You can find more information about the Momentous Institute in our show notes,
(37:35):
and we will see you next time on learning from leaders.
Thanks for listening to learning from leaders. If you enjoyed this episode,
we invite you to subscribe now for monthly episode drops so that you can
continue to learn from experienced business and community leaders to help you
drive meaningful change in your community.
I started to struggle with significant depression and anxiety, but I didn't know that's what it was called.
(00:05):
And in my culture, you know, it's not a conversation that's often had.
And so I struggled for many, many years until it got to the point where I couldn't function at school, at home.
And it was then that I said, I don't ever want another child having to go through this.
Learning loss, behavioral shifts, emotional issues, the stresses that are coming at us from our larger community,
(00:27):
whether it's financial, housing, political.
We know that stress levels for everyone across our country are the highest we've seen in generations.
So all of that is coming into the therapy room and it's coming into the classroom.
We are in a different ballpark completely.
Welcome to Learning from Leaders, a podcast from Southwestern Medical Foundation,
(00:48):
where we dive into a world of wisdom, mentorship, and innovation.
Exploring the insights and life lessons of seasoned community and business leaders.
I'm Michael McMahon, president and CEO of Southwestern Medical Foundation.
I invite you to subscribe now and join us on this empowering journey of growth and leadership.
Now, let's learn from the best and drive meaningful change together.
(01:11):
Welcome back to Learning from Leaders.
Today, we are talking about a big idea with a very practical payoff.
What changes when we treat mental health as something we build from the very start,
not something we only respond to in crisis.
Our guest today is Dr. Jessica Gomez, a licensed psychologist and the executive director of Momentus Institute,
an organization working at the intersection of education and mental health to help kids and families thrive.
(01:37):
Dr. Gomez, thank you so much for joining us today.
Thanks for having me today, Lily.
Well, to get us started, can you tell us just generally about Momentus Institute and about your mission?
Absolutely. Happy to.
Momentus Institute was established over 100 years ago by the Salesmanship Club of Dallas,
which is a group of business leaders who were invested in making their community stronger by working with children.
(01:59):
So fast forward 100 years later and our focus remains mental health, especially during this time.
And we do that by providing therapy services to individuals in our community who don't have access.
That's about 12,000 sessions a year.
12,000?
12,000 sessions to individuals who would otherwise not have access.
And we focus on strengthening the family system, so working with children and the people who love them.
(02:22):
And then we swim upstream in prevention.
We have a laboratory elementary school that focuses on learning all the math and science, all those rigorous academics,
but also by teaching them mental health about their brain, about emotions.
Then we research all of that and ensure that we're proving that it works and sharing it with the community
through rigorous research and by content and product that we share it with others.
(02:45):
So when you say laboratory elementary school, can you talk more about what that means in practice?
Absolutely. So what it means in practice is, and let me go back a little bit to how we started.
30 years ago, what we were noticing in our community, the children that came to our mental health services,
were still going back into their schools and struggling.
And we said, we wondered what would happen if we take what we know works for children and for humans in general,
(03:10):
and put it into a school and taught it as early as three years old.
So imagine this, you don't have to wait to get to graduate school to learn how your brain works
and how it's connected to your emotions.
We're teaching it to three-year-olds and four-year-olds and continuing through fifth grade.
And so the laboratory school really means is we're looking at what's cutting edge in terms of human potential
(03:31):
and making sure people can succeed over their life and then bringing it into an academic setting.
So we know that education isn't just about learning how to do math and science and critical thinking,
but it's about learning how to encompass the human experience.
So you all have a very ambitious goal of reaching, and correct me if I'm wrong, reaching a million children and families by 2031.
(03:54):
Can you talk about kind of what inspired that goal and where you all are at in that process?
Yes, I remember the day leadership was sitting around the table again with our highly engaged Salesmanship Club members
who are very integrated into our organization and saying, we hear the news, we're in a youth mental health crisis,
what are we going to do about it?
(04:16):
This is the moment to stand by our community.
And we said, well, what if we reached 100,000?
What if we reach 200?
One million, it was a number that scared us.
It was a number that said, this is ambitious.
And we all left out of there kind of sweating with anxiety of how are we going to cascade this message?
But it was really meant to inspire out-of-the-box thinking.
(04:38):
If we were really going to meet this moment, we had to push ourselves.
Now, fast forward 2026, we're a little under 700,000 to that goal.
And what it meant is innovation, stretch, expand our reach to children who will never make it to our campus in Dallas.
And we're doing that.
We're doing that.
And I'm happy to share how we're going about it because the numbers really work.
(04:59):
So it's face-to-face like you and I, Lily, making sure that we're reaching children in our community.
We're deeply committed to Dallas.
But what about that research article that's going to reach a clinician on the other side of the world?
Or our curriculum that we've taken from our school and now is working with 2,000 children in Lusaka, Zambia?
Or children in Turkey or in Canada?
(05:22):
So if an educator is using our curriculum, on average, we say that's 25 children that are being impacted for about five years.
And so that's our count.
So we direct impact and we have a ripple effect that we're focused on.
Okay. And how are you going about forming these partnerships around the world?
Well, word of mouth is one thing.
Second is relationships.
(05:44):
I mean, as we're trying to get out there, opportunities like this today allow us to get the message out there.
We're trying to make sure that we're partnering with different people in Dallas.
But also, for instance, First Tee National has become a really cool partner for us.
They have a reach of 3.3 million children that come to their programs.
Wow. That's incredible.
(06:05):
So they have the expertise in golf and leadership development.
We have the expertise in mental health.
What happens when community partners come together?
We have to go where the children are at.
And Dr. Gomez, I also understand you all are connected to the Byron Nelson.
Can you talk more about that?
Absolutely.
The CJ Cup Byron Nelson is our biggest fundraiser and really supports about one-third of our operating budget.
(06:28):
So it's what keeps us running.
It's going to be Memorial Day weekend this year.
We're really excited because it's not only a great community event,
but it's also a time that we amplify the message of mental health through our Squeeze the Day campaign,
which will activate throughout the whole month of May and throughout the city of Dallas.
But we're really trying to make mental health accessible,
(06:50):
that you can cultivate it every single day by small acts like being in community,
at a golf tournament, having fun, being in nature.
Yeah. Yeah. I love that.
We'd love to learn more about the Squeeze the Day campaign.
What does that entail?
So May is mental health month around the globe.
And so we were trying to elevate the conversation on mental health during the month,
but in an accessible way because the conversation on mental health can often be a little heavy.
(07:15):
So we call it Squeeze the Day.
What do lemons have to do with mental health?
Well, it gets your attention, doesn't it?
It does.
But it's about every day you can do a small action to be proactive,
to improve your mental health and wellness overall.
So being in community, going out to lunch with someone, being in nature, sleeping well, eating well.
So it's all about what can you do every day to cultivate mental health.
(07:38):
Yeah.
And we do it with many iconic partners throughout the city of Dallas.
So, for instance, the Dallas Zoo.
This year we'll be working with the Perot.
What's it called?
I'm thinking about the other ones.
Nasher Sculpture Center.
There's so many. Parks and Rec also makes mini parks.
So we're partnering with many, and the list is pretty long.
(08:00):
That's amazing.
People that can amplify the message, and we'll be hosting events throughout the city.
So be on the lookout.
One of the things that I understand is really important to you all is having bilingual therapists working with these kids and families.
Can you talk more about why that's so important?
Well, when you look at the changing demographics of Dallas, of Texas, we know that we are largely looking Latino Hispanic, right?
(08:21):
It's also when we see kind of the patterns across our country, it's one of the growing languages.
And so I think we want to meet people where they're at.
Through my lived experience, I know what that matters.
I speak English, as you can hear.
But my first language is Spanish.
And what we know in terms of emotional expression and healing your mental health is it happens in your first language, in your emotional language.
(08:47):
And so if that is a need in our community, as we know, the growing diversity, we need to be able to meet the population where they're at.
And so you can't process that trauma if you're not using your emotional language.
For me, my husband always knows when something's up because I'll start speaking really fast in Spanish or the food gets really spicy.
So those are the emotional languages.
(09:09):
So we have to speak in those.
And right now, that's the demand in our state and country.
So I guess taking kind of a bigger picture view, May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
Can you talk about what you see as some of the bigger, more pressing challenges that schools or communities are facing when it comes to mental health?
Which I know that's, you know, there's so much to that.
(09:31):
So maybe, you know, first couple of things that come to mind for you.
The landscape has changed.
We are in a different ballpark completely.
And what I mean is post-COVID, something happened to us.
I call it a collective trauma.
And if people are wondering, why is she still talking about COVID?
Because the after effects are still very much with us.
(09:52):
This past fall, we welcomed some of our first generations that were born during this era.
And so we're noticing not just amongst that generation, but all the way up to our teenagers that are not doing good, our college kiddos.
Learning loss, behavioral shifts, emotional issues, the stresses that are coming at us from our larger community, whether it's financial, housing, political.
(10:15):
We know that stress levels for everyone across our country are the highest we've seen in generations.
So all of that is coming into the therapy room and it's coming into the classroom.
And I am also saying it's coming into the workrooms, into our offices.
And so if organizations are paying attention to that, not just from school all the way to the workforce, I think we're missing a bit.
(10:37):
We're humans at the end of the day.
Totally.
You have written some about how schools are responding to just rising gun violence and kind of making sure that they're balancing, obviously, the physical safety of their students, but also the emotional safety and well-being.
Can you talk about just some of the key themes that have come up in your writing on this topic?
(10:58):
Absolutely.
Again, a lot of what I write about is not forgetting that we are humans and humanizing so many of these policies.
So, yes, if we want to add security to the door and we want to arm our officers because we want to keep our campuses safe, we have to acknowledge that when my kindergarten children walk in, at their height level, the first thing they're seeing is not your eyes.
It's going to be.
(11:19):
And we had that, the curiosity around how do you talk to children about why there are now armed officers?
Why are they practicing?
In my generation, we practice.
I grew up in Illinois, so we practice tornado drills.
I didn't have to practice the things that children are practicing now.
So how are we talking about that?
How are we equipping parents with that?
So really being mindful of settling their glitter, equipping them with information, but also this isn't normative to see.
(11:46):
And so I don't want to normalize it, but we also want children to be prepared.
Yeah.
I mean, how do you think about like, you know, how do you thoughtfully like craft the right language to, you know, whether you're advising parents on what to tell their kids or teachers to what to what to tell their students?
Like, how do you think about what is like age appropriate?
Because, of course, that, you know, you're you're dealing with students of all different ages.
(12:10):
So I think first you have to have that developmental lens.
And I will acknowledge Momentous is blessed to have that mental health developmental lens of what helps humans feel settled, especially children.
That's why we felt compelled to write this op-ed and share it with the world, because we know not everyone has it.
But I believe that that's thought leadership and shaping the narrative.
So we have to acknowledge, again, that we're working with humans when we establish policies, laws, mandates of what is going to be the impact on the emotional and the felt sense of safety that we have.
(12:41):
When you're practicing this as an adult, it starts to make you wonder.
But imagine being a five or six year old and you're practicing these things.
So I think it's so important and especially equipping the parents and caregivers so that they know how to talk to the child when they get home.
Yeah.
But let's not normalize this without the right conversations.
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(13:05):
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(13:28):
One of the other huge things that I think we everyone listening has, you know, seen all throughout the news is just the way that social media and AI are, first of all, impacting students and kids' mental health greatly.
And also just impacting like what it's like to be in the classroom.
Could you talk about kind of what you think some of the challenges around social media and AI are?
(13:51):
But also, like, are there opportunities to use it for good?
What are you seeing at Momentous?
Yes, both things.
It is a tool.
So let's not throw it all out with, you know, but we also have to be mindful.
I think some of the things we're seeing is that we have to balance out how to use that technology in a responsible way.
So parents not giving carte blanche, they have to really provide boundaries around it.
(14:16):
And they have to remember that children need access to nature.
Nothing will replace that and connections.
Our brains, technology will never replace the need for a right brain to right brain connection.
We thrive and we heal in that.
That's why I think mental health providers have a future in this.
But the other thing is what I'm really worried about is I call it TikTok attention span.
(14:39):
Yeah.
That 30 second burst.
Yeah.
Children, if they are only getting that and learning in front of this, it's going to impact their ability to sustain attention for learning things like math, reading, ACT tests in the future.
So you have to utilize those parts of the brain.
And I'm not saying take it away, but boundary it up and make sure that they are learning how to grow those parts.
(15:01):
Something that, of course, is coming up often on social media, but, of course, translates into the classroom, too, is bullying.
Like, how are you seeing the interplay between the two, the online of it all, the in the classroom of it all?
And how do you think about managing these situations at Momentous, advising parents and so on?
Number one trend I am seeing that continues to grow and really concern me is that it's happening earlier and earlier.
(15:26):
We generally expected it, like, towards the end of elementary, fifth grade, you know, middle school, right aligned with puberty.
But we're noticing it's starting earlier and earlier, as early as kindergarten and first grade.
Why do you think that is?
So I think it's a layered effect, right?
I think we're losing our ability to have social skills and practice those.
(15:47):
And that's layered as well.
Technology, COVID, you know, friendship skills.
Did we learn how to do that?
But on top of that, we're also seeing pediatricians and endocrine specialists are starting to see puberty start younger and younger in our youth, especially girls.
So we expected that around 10, 11, 12, right?
It's now happening as early as seven and eight years old, which unleashes a whole physical and brain chemical reaction.
(16:15):
And so our kids are actually starting some of those behaviors earlier.
That is really fascinating.
So on the topic of social media and bullying, what are kind of the things that you were advising to parents as they're thinking about this?
So this was a really hot topic.
And so we actually developed a kind of like a curriculum or a guide for parents or anyone who has a child.
(16:38):
And actually, it's good for adults as well on how to navigate bullying, right?
How to understand it.
And the number one thing is we have to define it.
Most people don't know how to define it or understand it.
And not just the adults, but the children, making sure they're empowered to understand when is it bullying, when is it not.
But then also communication, making sure that we're understanding the experience and developing a plan with schools is super key.
(17:02):
So we have that available and it's a free resource on our website as well with some articles and there's a full curriculum.
But in terms of what technology is doing and what tips to give parents around how do you keep up with AI or the apps, get really involved with your child, set boundaries, clear expectations.
So often I hear parents be like, well, I just give them carte blanche an hour of iPad time.
(17:27):
Do you know what they're looking at?
Have you revised the apps?
Are they getting other dosages of things?
It's really hard to take away technology from children without replacing it with something.
For instance of saying, let's get you in sports or let's go outside for a bike ride.
Usually it'll take them a little bit, but the brain needs that as well.
So teaching them how to be good digital citizens.
(17:49):
And that starts by the adults modeling it as well, because often, how often are we scrolling?
A lot.
Yeah. And do we have time set aside where it's going to be digital away from digital technology?
Okay.
But you have to get in there.
You have to understand it.
If it's scary, yeah, we're all with you, but it's not going to go away.
(18:10):
It's a tool.
So look for those resources.
We have a lot on our blogs and on our website on how to navigate that.
Okay. Okay.
That's really helpful.
So you all did a study with the Center for Brain Health at UT Dallas.
And I want to get this right.
You all found that early brain health education can actually improve lifetime earnings.
Yes.
Can you talk more about that?
Absolutely.
(18:31):
So Center for Brain Health, great partners, and Dr. Nevin, who really helped coin the term brainomics,
had a conversation about how do we change the conversation, not just on brain health, but on mental health?
Because we keep publishing the findings, and we don't seem to get the public's attention.
And he had the wisdom, Dr. Nevin, of saying, what if we translated this to economic terms?
(18:53):
And so what we were able to prove is we took our longitudinal data from our alumni from Momentus School
and proved that given the education they received, that isn't just math and science, but it's brain health, it's mental health,
they have higher lifetime earnings, predicted lifetime earnings,
when compared to their same kind of socioeconomic peers, but also high-income peers.
(19:14):
And so the proof is there.
If we want to set up healthy communities and healthy humans, we have to start educating differently.
That is really fascinating.
Do you feel like that, like what were some of the key findings?
Is the reason for that that if someone is well-educated on their own emotional well-being or interpersonal dynamics,
they can enter a workforce, work environment stronger?
(19:37):
It's some of that.
But let's bring it down to resilience, right?
You have the resilience.
So if your brain is offline and you're really having an emotional day,
or you're distracted and don't know how to utilize kind of attention skills,
which is a lot of what we teach through brain health and mental health,
then you're not learning.
And we know that if by second grade you have fallen behind in math,
(19:58):
we can predict your academic success and financial earnings throughout your life.
So really it's teaching the skills so kids can learn what they need to,
but also to develop good relationship skills.
If we think about who we want in our lives,
it's people who are grounded and have healthy emotional skills.
So it's all of those things.
Okay.
(20:19):
And how do you think about like when you are coming out with research like this,
or you find these really compelling results,
like how do you think about communicating them and translating them to kind of a
policy or community setting?
Like how do you make sure that policy leaders,
community leaders have this in mind when they are shaping policy around
education and mental health?
Lily, that is the golden question.
(20:41):
And one that we are working on, we have a saying,
let's get louder about our findings and get them in front of key stakeholders
and leaders who are making decisions about our children's education and their
healthcare.
And so we are actively working with our state's leaders to get this,
send it to them, get it to the masses,
get it to parents because parents are such a powerful voice when they have the
(21:04):
information in hand.
And I'll say we haven't figured that out quite yet, right?
But we want our research to be leading decision-making across our country.
So when you look at kind of the next decade or so,
at the broader kind of mental behavioral health landscape,
what are the things that you think are the biggest challenges ahead?
(21:25):
And also on the other side, what are you really optimistic about?
Awesome. Challenges ahead is how to workforce and developing the workforce.
We know there are not enough mental health professionals.
So I think that's both an opportunity for us to make it attractive and
affordable.
When you look at the cost of becoming a psychologist like myself and what you
earn in the field, it doesn't line up, right?
(21:48):
So we have to have a paradigm shift in that and also recruiting the diversity
that the field demands so that we can meet the needs of our people in
communities. Outside of that,
I think we have a vast opportunity to really marry technology and AI.
It will never replace the human to human.
There will be a career for mental health professionals for decades to come.
(22:09):
And I don't believe we'll have enough.
So we're going to have to marry those.
And I also think we have an opportunity to almost develop entry level into the
profession. Like it really takes a master's or a doctorate.
But in reality, what about the people who are interacting with our children?
What would it look like if we equip them with the right knowledge so that they
(22:31):
can also help us stop this crisis?
Totally. So I want to talk about you and your journey.
Tell me how you got interested in psychology.
What was kind of like,
what planted the seed for the career path that you chose?
A long time ago. I would say it's through lived experience,
Lily. Starting with, I always knew I wanted to become a doctor.
(22:55):
I knew I wanted to work with children because I just loved being a child.
And I loved,
I come from a family where it's just that strong family relationship.
So I wanted to be a part of people's lives.
But then I think what accelerated it for me was my own experience,
probably right around middle school, before middle school, end of elementary,
(23:16):
I started to struggle with significant depression and anxiety,
but I didn't know that's what it was called. And in my culture, you know,
it's not a conversation that's often had. Yeah.
If you don't have the language for it, how would, yeah.
So, and my parents didn't know they did the best they could.
And so I struggled for many,
many years until it got to the point where I couldn't function at school at
(23:37):
home. And thankfully my parents were guided to a therapist,
but the therapist didn't speak our language, didn't understand my culture.
And it was then that I said,
I don't ever want another child having to go through this.
There's such a need. Like I'm having to explain my culture to them.
Why our family dynamics are the way they are.
And no one should have to struggle for nearly a decade.
(24:00):
Struggle with paralyzing anxiety and depression.
So it was that lived experience that really pushed me.
And then can you talk about kind of how,
how that experience and this kind of, you know,
piquing your interest in, in pursuing psychology as a career,
like how did that translate into kind of your early career? Like what were,
what was the journey to Momentous?
(24:22):
Well, it was an unexpected one.
So I grew up in Chicago, grew up seeing my own lived experience,
but in connection with growing up in the South side of Chicago and some of the
similar dynamics we see in many of our communities here in Dallas and really
wanting to give back to that community. Yeah.
But I also knew that for residency match, which is the, you know,
the end to become a doctor I wanted to go to the best programs.
(24:45):
And so I looked all over West coast, East coast.
And then I heard about the Salesmanship Club Youth and Family Centers,
which is what Momentous used to be called. And I'm like, Oh my God,
they're doing things in such a different way, low barrier,
working with community research.
And so I was lucky enough to match and I said,
I'll stay here a year and learn from them. And then I'll go back to my home.
It's been 15 years. Oh my gosh.
(25:07):
And so the trajectory and the opportunities,
I think Dallas is so ripe for innovation, for healthcare leadership.
And the ecosystem here has just been really exciting to be a part of.
Yeah. Well, I think to that point, I mean, Dallas and the North Texas region,
I think is pretty unique in its ability to bring organizations and leaders
together and really meaningfully collaborate.
(25:28):
Can you talk about how that dynamic and ecosystem to your point has impacted
your life, but also the mission of Momentous?
And I think it's exactly what you just said that has kept me here for so long.
I really feel that the Dallas community rallies around an issue to really be
strength space and provide solutions while still listening to the community.
(25:49):
Because the answers often come from community and the clients who are working
for. And so partnering with the right organizations is critical.
Who has buy-in with the community,
who understands those communities and what they need versus us coming in and
saying, here's what you need.
So I think there's a power in that and we don't have to reinvent the wheel.
(26:11):
There are some organizations doing great work,
kind of like Center for Brain Health. We've worked with them.
They have the neuroscience. We have the mental health.
Those two things are part of the human experience. How do we work together?
And there's countless others that I'm leaving out right now.
Like the YMCA, MetroCare,
Grant Halliburton have been great players that have come together to tackle this
(26:35):
mental health crisis in our local community.
That's wonderful. Could you,
so because this is a podcast about leadership,
I'm curious like at Momentous,
you all are dealing with really complex and nuanced issues.
How do you think about kind of modeling like self-care and taking care of your
own mental health and avoiding burnout and things like that to your team?
(26:58):
I think first of all,
it's being authentic and that we don't have it all figured out and
acknowledging that with staff.
So that it opens up the door that if they think there are solutions,
let's talk about it. Let's integrate it. So you're never quite done.
We're on a journey, even though mental health is our expertise.
The other thing is I'm very vocal about my own journey and talking about
(27:21):
normalizing therapy.
It took me so long to even be able to acknowledge the fact that I go to
therapy and I continue to go to therapy and I'll tell my team, Hey,
I'm not available every other Friday at 8am because I'm investing in myself.
And it's probably been the best leadership experience I've had by getting to
know yourself and how you impact others. Totally.
But it's also encouraging our staff to take a moment.
(27:43):
You know, sometimes we'll take outdoor meetings.
Let's go outside and take that meeting,
walking around the campus or take a brain break or let's have lunch outside.
But we're constantly working on it. We're not perfect.
We haven't figured it all out yet, but it's opening up the conversation.
Absolutely.
And as you all are thinking about kind of the road ahead at Momentous,
(28:04):
you all have been around for a really long time.
And I mean, to our conversation today,
like we're in a moment of kind of a lot of technological change and
modernization.
How do you think about kind of potential like obstacles that you all are
overcoming as an organization or challenges with that modernization going
forward?
I think what's really great about the Salesmanship Club of Dallas and
(28:28):
Momentous Institute,
which is their charity that they've established and really kind of
cultivated this amazing organization is over their hundred year history.
They have demonstrated that they can meet the moment.
If you think about what was happening over a hundred years ago,
I think we were coming out of a great depression or entering one.
Children, high orphan rate throughout our country.
(28:49):
And then this community and they met that moment.
And I don't think that they're afraid to continue to challenge themselves and
meet the current moment. For instance, asking themselves in 2021, okay,
we've had local impact. How do we broaden that?
How do we meet children that will never ever make it to Dallas?
But if we have something that can be shared, so I don't think,
(29:11):
I think they encourage us and they push us to take bold challenges to
innovate, to change things. We weren't always a school.
We weren't always a mental health center.
In fact, we started out with programs that help children who were orphaned.
And then that involved into a residential camp where children were living
but in the seventies, eighties,
we realized children should really be in their community to thrive.
(29:34):
And so we closed the residential program and we opened outpatient mental health
therapy and the school developed 30 years ago.
So innovation has been part of our history.
So I think it's the challenges,
how do we meet this moment authentically and in a way that really adds to the
conversation.
Yeah, well,
it's an incredible journey that momentous has had and certainly like it's so
(29:58):
clear that your leadership has just been phenomenal for the organization,
for Dallas, for the region.
You were part of the Dallas business journal,
40 under 40 list in 2021.
You were a Dallas 500 leader in 2024 and you led momentous institute to a DCEO
nonprofit organization of the year award in 2023.
(30:19):
There's so much more that we could list.
But I'm curious how those milestones,
how you think about those milestones and what they mean to you.
Lily, when you were mentioning those,
I think about the village around me.
I think about the village that it takes to make momentous work from our club
members to the staff, to the front line.
(30:40):
That is a demonstration of what happens when people rally around a core belief
and that we believe we can help transform the lives of children for the better
and beat this mental health crisis.
That's what happens when you have community.
Yeah.
So when you are speaking with maybe students or next generation about if they
potentially are interested in being part of the kind of mental behavioral
(31:04):
health world and pursuing this as a career, what advice do you have for them?
I think it's tap into your why.
And if you are really moved by making real change in community,
I believe that the future is in human potential.
Mental health is part of the human experience.
(31:26):
And so the only way we're going to get out of this crisis is by getting back to
our humanity and relationships.
That's the pathway out.
So I think there's a lot of hope for mental health.
I know it feels dark, it feels heavy,
but we're also having the conversation in a very different way than I've ever
had it in my lifetime.
And that gives me hope.
Do you think that is stemming from kind of more of the sense of openness?
(31:49):
Like how do you think the conversation has changed?
I think what happened before COVID and where everyone experienced the stress of
it, that collective trauma,
my perception is it was seen as something that happened to some communities.
But what we've realized is no, this is part of the human experience.
None of us gets out of this life without facing our own mental health.
(32:12):
And so I also think that our youth are so brave, so courageous.
When I hear them,
like I was walking down the hallway and someone was going to interview me and a
kindergartener stopped me and said, Dr. Gomez, don't forget to breathe.
Oh my gosh.
And I was like, that gives me chills.
And I was like, you're right, I'm tense.
And then gave me a hug and then walked away and got back in line and went to
(32:38):
their next kind of gym session. And I was like, wow, that gives me hope.
it's such a testament to what you all are teaching and instilling in these
students too.
The fact that that is like top of mind as they're going about their every day.
That's an incredible, incredible anecdote.
We call that being a change maker.
For a kindergarten student to really feel like I'm noticing something,
this must be a tense moment. It's the power of relationship.
(33:01):
So one of the things that we always ask our guests on Learning from Leaders is
who is a mentor or someone that you have,
has helped you along your career path in some way or that you've tried to
model after?
There are so many people and I'm going to leave someone out,
but the one that is a constant for me is my mother.
My mother, there are not enough words to really,
(33:24):
she's just an anchor and you can see the emotion.
And I only aspire to be like her one day. So she's strong. She's wise.
She's bold. And man, she has been a trailblazer.
Can you talk about maybe an example or two of what I'm sure are like
countless of lessons that she's taught you that you carry with you today?
(33:45):
The one I still remember and I can see her right now in my mind's eye is she
would whisper to me when I was a little girl,
dream big and don't ever forget where you come from.
And so no matter what,
as I continued on my personal and professional journey,
she has always say, remember where you come from and who you are.
And that to me is staying rooted in my core values and my family and my
(34:09):
culture. If I know that,
then I can weather any storm that comes my way.
That is really, really beautiful. Thank you. Before we wrap up,
we do have some rapid fire questions for you.
So this is just like first thing that comes to mind. Okay.
First question is Dallas or Chicago.
Dallas is a future Chicago's home. Okay.
(34:30):
I can't pick one. I'll lose one way or the other. Yeah. Okay.
More specifically Chicago deep dish pizza or Dallas Tex-Mex.
Oh, deep dish all day. It's so good. It's so good. Yes.
It is so good. Keeps you warm for a reason. Oh yeah. Okay.
What is your favorite spot in Dallas to find some moment of Zen white rock
lake? It's so beautiful. It's so beautiful. Do you like,
(34:53):
do you bike or walk around it or do you just like go have a picnic?
All the things, all the things, but that is one of my happy places here.
Yeah.
What is your go-to source for any sort of like leadership inspiration,
whether it's a book or a podcast or a person?
My go-to place or person. It's definitely the person is my mother.
She's my constant, my compass in many ways. And then nature,
(35:17):
sunset, sunrises, sunshine. Yeah.
What is one mental health habit that you practice every day?
I think you saw it on display is I will always find a moment to a
snuggle my Yorkie,
but also to take a moment to look at the sunrise, the sunset,
or just breathe in the air.
I think we are so connected to it and we often forget we need it to thrive.
(35:40):
What is your Yorkies name? Picasso, like the painter.
How did you come up with that? Are you, are you a Picasso fan?
I'm an art lover. But when I met him,
he's a rescue and I literally rescued him off the highway.
Someone had, you know, kind of let him go.
And he had this personality when I would take him to the doggie park and just,
(36:01):
you know, was kind of like a magnet to all the dogs. And I'm like, Oh,
you're kind of like Pablo Picasso's personality.
That's what we're going to call you.
That's amazing.
What is a TV show that you're currently hooked on or would recommend?
God, I love shrinking. And it's season just started.
I haven't seen it because it's so good.
And it's season just started.
I haven't seen it because it's all the things that you shouldn't do.
(36:23):
If you want to stay licensed and have a career.
And then there's others that kids are watching that I stay on top of.
What is an alternate career? If you did not pursue psychology,
like what would you be doing?
Oh, I'd still be a nerd, probably a pediatrician or an obstetrician,
anything that works with children. Children are just, I'm drawn to them.
(36:46):
I'm a child just in an adult body still in many ways.
Last question is if you could put any word or phrase on a giant billboard in
like New York or, or you name it, what would it say?
Something around mental health. How about pause, breathe,
release and something around mental health matters because we're often going
(37:11):
like this. It's just possible.
Yeah. Well, Dr. Gomez, thank you so much for being with us today.
You were, it's really,
really inspirational seeing your leadership in this community and at Momentous
and really appreciate you taking the time to speak with us today.
Thank you, Lily.
And to our listeners, thank you for joining us.
You can find more information about the Momentous Institute in our show notes,
(37:35):
and we will see you next time on learning from leaders.
Thanks for listening to learning from leaders. If you enjoyed this episode,
we invite you to subscribe now for monthly episode drops so that you can
continue to learn from experienced business and community leaders to help you
drive meaningful change in your community.
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