Duval County and surrounding areas....
“YOU MATTER!”
Hot 106.5 and Power 106.1 joined forces to have a serious conversation about Mental Health at our latest You Are Not Alone Mental Health Forum and Dinner in our Farah and Farah Performance Studio.
Moderated by myself and Wanda P, we invited a group of panelists along with our listeners in Duval and surrounding areas to have an open and honest conversation about the struggles with mental health in the African American community, as a whole and how we can come to a solution on how to know the signs and receive help.
Our panelist included Cheryl Deas from the DJ Deas Marvelous Light Foundation gave a raw and transparent story about starting a foundation after a tragic event. Her and her husband LT Darnell Deas, Sr. lost their 16-year-old son, Darnell Deas, Jr. (known as DJ) to suicide on June 14, 2018. DJ was an honor student and an athlete who did not seem to show signs of mental health struggles.
Due to this unfortunate incident this foundation honors DJ’s legacy by awarding $1,000 scholarships to senior high school students in cities where Darnell Deas, Jr. participated in community activities and high school football and track, including Flemming Island on the First Coast.
Also, Khalliah Bryant from More Life Wellness LLC was on hand to share her wisdom with over 10 years of experience in the psychology/behavioral health field. She has worked as a clinical therapist with foster care teens, their families, and Dept. of Juvenile Justice youth and finally Hailey Rigdon, MSW Therapist, Registered Mental Health Social Work Intern shared her passion when it comes to helping individuals reach their full potential and live joyful, meaningful lives, while also learning to accept and navigate life’s inevitable challenges.
Together we all talked about topics like mental health awareness and stigma from finding common misconceptions about mental health that people understood better and roles that social media play in shaping for better or worse conversations about mental health today along with other topics that left the audience inspired and finding the courage to address their mental health challenges.
A special thanks to Dr. Christine Cauffield Ph.D - CEO, LSF Health Systems and Executive Vice President, Substance Abuse and Mental Health at Lutheran Services Florida. While serving as CEO of LSF Health Systems the managing entity comprising 98 behavioral health organizations serving more than 1.2 million in a 23-county region.
Keep listening to Hot 106.5 and Power 106.1 for our next community forum.