Metta World Peace to speak on mental health at May event in Niles
Metta World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, will bring his story to the Mahoning Valley on May 4 to help raise awareness on the stigma associated with men seeking help for their mental health.
Metta will be the keynote speaker at “Unmute the Uncomfortable 2023: A Symposium on Racial Equity, Shattering the Stigma, and Reshaping our Community.”
What local leaders are saying about mental health
The daylong event will take place at the Eastwood Event Centre in Niles and is being presented by the nonprofit Coleman Health Services in partnership with the Trumbull County Mental Health and Recovery Board.
“We feel Metta will bring awareness to this critical issue in our community,” said Stacia Erdos, Development Executive for Coleman Health Services in the Mahoning Valley. “The statistics are startling and this forum will provide a safe place for education, discussion, and lived experience.”
“Data continues to show us that there has been an increase in suicide rates among Black youth and males. For this year’s symposium, it was critical for us to address racial equity and the stigma associated with men seeking mental health treatment, especially in the Black/African American community,” said Katie Cretella is Director of Clinical Services at TCMHRB and is also chair of the Trumbull County Suicide Prevention coalition.. “The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology reports that rates of suicide among Black youth have risen faster than in any other racial/ethnic group in the past two decades, with suicide rates in Black males 10-19 years-old increasing by 60%.”
The event this year features the former NBA legend turned mental health advocate, whose story is told in Showtime’s Quiet Storm: The Ron Artest Story, as well as the Netflix documentary “Malice at the Palace.”
Author and Warren native David Lee Morgan Jr. will join Metta for the discussion.
Here are the other speakers at the event
Former Youngstown Mayor and Obama administration member, Jay Williams, who is now President and CEO of The Hartford Foundation, will also speak.
Youngstown Municipal Court Judge Carla Baldwin, who spoke at the inaugural Unmute symposium in 2022 as well as the follow up Roundtable Discussion in September, will serve as event moderator.
Other speakers include: LaToya Logan – Founder and CEO of Project LIFT in Cleveland, Jewel Woods – Founder and Clinical Director of Male Behavioral Health in Columbus, and Jon Paul Robles – Director of the Greater Youngstown Community Dialogue on Racism.
“Because of the generosity of our sponsors we are able to bring these thought-provoking speakers to the Mahoning Valley, while offering a limited number of free tickets to college students and first responders,” Erdos said.
Last year’s symposium focused on racial justice, mental health awareness and suicide prevention and was sold out with many organizations, companies, and community members in attendance.
5.75 CEUs will be offered this year for social workers, counselors, school counselors, nurses and EMTs. The cost is $100, which includes breakfast and lunch. A resource fair with community providers will be held in conjunction with the event.
Any proceeds will go to serve Coleman’s nearly 7,000 low-income and homeless clients in the Mahoning Valley.
Registration will be taken at https://www.colemanservices.org/trumbull-unmute
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