By Dave Kunicki/Hope For The Day
Hope For The Day has rallied a coalition of more than 40 organizations – from community non-profit agencies to academic institutions – to dedicate to a day filled with education, inspiration and activation on mental health.
The 2019 Conversations Summit will include interactive workshops and panels of community leaders and representatives, including U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly and Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris. The event will conclude with a call to action and musical performance by the musical artist Gnash.
The Summit will also feature workshops and speakers on topics crucial to youth today, all intersecting with mental health. These include school stressors, self-expression, economics, identity and orientation, social and criminal justice, personal agency, and family dynamics.
The event, which is free and runs from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, will be graciously hosted by the University of Illinois-Chicago the Isadore & Sadie Dorin Forum.
“We chose to hold the Conversations Summit during National Suicide Prevention Month because prevention starts with a conversation on our mental health,” says HTFD founder Jonny Boucher. ” Not only will attendees interactively learn about how mental health influences all of us, but also how each of us plays a critical role in starting the conversation beyond this summit in our personal and professional lives.”
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PANELS
Boys Don’t Cry: Confronting stigmas that compel silence on men’s mental health
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Panelists: Davey Muise (Musician & Lived Experience Advocate); Jordan Meyers (Banyan Treatment Centers); Jeremy Foster (CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters Chicago); Dan Carcillo (Retired, Chicago Blackhawks & Lived Experience Advocate)
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You Can’t Wear That: Exploring stigmas that impacts women’s mental health
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Panelists: Rosabelle Eales (Artist/Creative Management); Kelsey Huff (Shaped Podcast); Rebecca Langan (Working On Womanhood); Hannah Lucas (Founder, Not Ok App); Jenna Korsten (Mental Health Advocate & Stoneman Douglas HS Alum)
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Mental Health & Intersectionality: Examining the complex nuances of stigma and mental health in modern culture
1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Panelists: Dr. Nneka Jones Tapia (Chicago Beyond); Brandon Breaux (Artist & Designer) Swopes (Visual Content Creator & Social Influencer); Nick Heinman (SocialWorks)
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Our Minds & Our Voices: A discussion on public policies that impact mental health
3 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Panelists: U.S. Rep Robin Kelly; Illinois House Majority Leader Greg Harris; Officer Catherine Sanchez (Chicago Police Department)
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CLOSING ADDRESS
We Are In This Together: A call for today’s use to take proactive action on mental health
4 p.m. – 4: 45 p.m.
Speakers: Jenna Korsten, Hannah Lucas, Jonny Boucher
Performance: Gnash
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Summit Partners
University of Illinois-Chicago, Playworks, Reginald & Paul Sewell Foundation, Prevent School Violence Illinois, Youth in Crisis Coalition, Sarah’s Inn, NAMI Chicago, Westmont JR High School, Ben’s Memorial Mile, CASEL, Lisle Township, Angel Forever, M;nd Your M;nd, NotOk, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Mental Health America of Illinois, Youth Guidance, Prevention Partnership, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership, Banyan Treatment Center, State of Emerge-A-City, NAMI DuPage, Schultz Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, Young Invincibles.
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Comments welcome.
Posted on September 4, 2019