CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Outside HopeWay, a mental health treatment facility in Charlotte, the site offers a certain tranquility.
"Hopeway is a treatment center, and now we are serving adults and teens. We serve people with depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, really to look at their overall health and set them up for success," Dr. Alyson Kuroski-Mazzei, Hopeway's CEO and Chief Medical Officer said. "So for somebody like him to be able to have those conversations, is really important."
Somebody like him, is the Carolina Panthers quarterback, Bryce Young.
Young visited the facility Friday to take part in a panel discussion with clients here about mental health.
"Especially in my profession, there's such a stigma, that asking for help equates to weakness," Young said. "We all work through things, we all have stuff to work on."
To have an NFL quarterback open up about the topic was meaningful for all involved.
"To have someone of his status show up and be genuinely concerned with mental health," Cameron Maxwell, a former Hopewell veteran client said "It just gave me hope."
The panel was moderated by Dr. Justin Johnson, HopeWay's director of veteran and first responder services.
"Having someone like Bryce and the rest of the panelists with their platform, hopefully, it will help more men come forward and talk and be ok to focus on both their physical and mental health," Johnson said.
This is a topic that Young is using his platform to champion.
We were there last weekend as he launched his Young 9 Foundation, which focuses on offering young people mental health resources and support.
It's something he's learned throughout life coming from a family of mental health professionals, including his father.
"When people see their heroes talk about their challenges, and say it's ok to have challenges, that helps change the stigma," Craig Young said. "And I'm just very proud of Bryce using his platform to help."
It's certainly something he seems intent on continuing and exploring.
"Now being blessed to be in the position I'm in, I'm going to try to do the best that I can to try and help," Bryce Young said.