Have you ever chatted with an Unapologetically Black Unicorn? Someone who symbolizes freedom, power, strength and is a true force of nature and thought, ‘WOW people need to hear this’? Now you can and learn how to be a U.B.U. too! Join the weekly conversation with host Keris Jän Myrick, an unapologetically black unicorn in their own right, and nationally recognized mental health advocate chatting with amazing U.B.U. folk who are advancing all things mental health, racial justice, and anything cool to enhance human existence.
Episodes
Tuesday Nov 07, 2023
Tuesday Nov 07, 2023
Dr. Ben Miller, PsyD (he/him) returns, he is a fighter of fragmentation, mental health marginalization, a champion of community-based change and an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. They discuss Dr. Miller’s blog entitled “Getting mental health right for all” and they break down the issues about involuntary commitment. They talk about moving beyond belief-based policy, asking why we have separate mental health systems and finding the overlap of mental health in everything.
“Getting mental health right for all” by Ben Miller:
https://mentalhealth411.substack.com/p/e84a1ee7-65e2-4b1a-9d0e-dee17a8602bc
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Tuesday Oct 31, 2023
Tuesday Oct 31, 2023
Keris is joined live by Angela Kimball (she/her) the Senior Vice President of Advocacy & Public Policy at Inseparable and Pooja Mehta (she/her) Senior Associate of Activist Engagement at Inseparable and they are Unapologetically Black Unicorns. This was recorded live during the Stopping the Stigma Summit to address mental health for children, youth and families. They have a conversation about the intersection of mental health stigma and policy and how people can become motivators, innovators and/or agitators.
Inseparable’s Hopeful Futures Campaign: https://hopefulfutures.us/
Stop Stigma Together: https://stopstigmatogether.org/
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
Tuesday Oct 24, 2023
Keris was the recipient of the Jim Preis Memorial Award at the annual event for the Mental Health Advocacy Services and she shares her experiences from the event. She talks about the honor of receiving the award and she was able the invite some important people that touched her life. Keris shares how it takes a village, being an example that recovery is possible and the impact of having someone to hold the hope for you.
Mental Health Advocacy Services 2023 Annual Celebration: https://www.mhas-la.org/blog/2023-annual-celebration
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Tuesday Oct 17, 2023
Tuesday Oct 17, 2023
Crystal L. Brandow, PhD (she/hers) is the Senior Consultant for Program Development for the Clear Pathways Initiative, Hakim Asadi, LMSW (he/him) is the founder of Beyond Living and Lawrence Hines (he/him) is a Marketing and Branding Consultant and a Mental Health Advocate and they are all Unapologetically Black Unicorns. They share why they developed this well-being model for Black people created by Black people. They talk about the nine domains for the well-being model, taking inventory on if your being is well and continuing to heal out loud.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
The Well-Being Model for Young Black Adults: https://www.meetclb.com/black-well-being
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
Tuesday Oct 10, 2023
Stancil Tootle (he/him) is a blind Black man from rural Georgia, in long term recovery who has been a life-long advocate, and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Tootle shares how his family and his road to recovery both influenced his advocacy. They talk about the recovery movement and the intersection of disability, encouraging everyone with a disability to vote and being more accessible.
Visit Third Eye Radio Network: https://www.thirdeyeradionetwork.com/
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Tuesday Oct 03, 2023
Tuesday Oct 03, 2023
Keris goes solo to reflect on some personal meaning behind the artwork of a few Tarot cards. There was one card in particular that resonated with her, the Tower card, and she draws the parallels between the card and her personal experiences. She talks about the old LA county general hospital, being involuntarily hospitalized and she ties it all together by sharing when she had her Tower Card moment.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Tuesday Sep 26, 2023
Tuesday Sep 26, 2023
Dan Gorenstein (he/him) is the Founder and Executive Editor of the health policy podcast “Tradeoffs” and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Dan shares his beginnings as a journalist and how he moved on to storytelling in podcasts and creating a non-profit media company. They talk about the policy tradeoffs, how their podcasts differ but how they both strive to lift up the tough issues and give a voice to those who need to be heard.
To learn more about Dan Gorenstein’s “Tradeoffs” visit: https://tradeoffs.org/
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
Tuesday Sep 19, 2023
Keris goes solo to share a story surrounding a rose and her recovery for National Recovery Month. Walking around Pasadena Keris came upon a rose and a voice told her to stop and smell the roses, why was this rose special and is a rose just a rose? Also, what’s your rose?
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Tuesday Sep 12, 2023
Philip Rutherford (he/him) is the Chief Operating Officer at Faces and Voices of Recovery and an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Phil shares what his organization is doing for Recovery Month and his story of navigating his pathway to recovery. They talk about how the “War on Drugs” was racially motivated, the experience of Black folks in the recovery community through a new initiative Black Faces and Black Voices and why it is hard for the Black communities to publicly grieve.
If you or someone you know is in a mental or substance use disorder crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255.
To contact Faces & Voices of Recovery go to:
https://facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/about/who-we-are/staff/
Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
Tuesday Sep 05, 2023
Vesper Moore (they/elle) is a mad liberation and disability justice activist, and they are an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Vesper defines mad liberation and neurodiversity and how they got involved in the field. They talk about opening Respites and the complications with funding, using advocacy in their peer training and learning lessons in everything and everyone.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
For more information visit:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vespermoore
Book Drop The Disorder: Second Edition - https://adisorder4everyone.com/
Website: www.vespermoore.com
Kiva Centers: www.kivacenters.org
Madness Network News: www.madnessnetworknews.com