Unapologetically Black Unicorns

Gaby Arriaga (she/ her) is a passionate advocate for kids and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Gaby shares how she got involved in the field of social work and how she leads with kindness and being genuine They talk about having empathy for kids and their situations, supporting struggling families, the issues with kids getting pushed out of school systems and Gaby’s vision for a new nonprofit.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Nze Okoronta (they/them) is the Peer Services Program Director for SOAR Case Management Services overseeing Solstice House Peer Run Respite and Peer Run Warmline and they are an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Nze shares their mental health journey and how they are working with the same Warmline they called while in crisis. They talk about their experiences with peer respites, not using anything carceral in the program and dealing with crisis through a lens of grief.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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