Mental Health Happens

I am Vivian Elaine Burns, M.A., a researcher, advocate, and community-centered professional passionate about mental health, urban wellness, environmental justice, and institutional equity. My work explores how people, communities, and the places where we live, learn, and work shape our well-being. I’m especially interested in environmental psychology and the connections between mental health and our surroundings, including clean air and water, pollution, public spaces, landmarks, and bridges. Through research, advocacy, lived experience, and community engagement, I aim to encourage meaningful conversations about mental wellness, social equity, public policy, and collective healing. I’m also interested in how education, the arts, and science fiction can help us imagine more inclusive and sustainable futures. I earned three degrees through the City University of New York: an A.S. in Public Administration, a B.S. in Public Policy and Law, and an M.A. in Urban Studies. I’m interested in how colleges, including CUNY and SUNY, and city and state programs can support learning, community well-being, and opportunity. This platform is a space for reflections, research, community initiatives, and conversations about mental health awareness, community empowerment, urban and environmental wellness, workplace and educational equity, public service, advocacy, and lived experience. I believe in creating spaces rooted in compassion, accountability, inclusion, and belonging. Thank you for visiting and being part of this journey. With gratitude, Vivian E. Burns, M.A.