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Youth Mental Health: It’s Okay to Not be Okay
September 24 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Free
In honor of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, we’re hosting a hopeful and enlightening webinar focused on mental health for teen and young adult audiences. Three inspiring advocates will share their personal journeys, highlighting the struggles they’ve faced and the triumphs they’ve achieved. This event aims to educate attendees about the current challenges in teen mental health, while also providing a wealth of information on support systems and local resources.
About Mental Health Advocates:
Tori Leto, a Tampa native, overcame significant mental health challenges in high school with the support of dedicated individuals. Graduating during the pandemic, she completed her degree at USF in three years and earned the title of Miss Tampa in 2022. Now pursuing a Master’s in Social Work at USF, Tori leads the nonprofit Brighter Times, aiming to enhance youth mental health in her community. She also works as a Program Coordinator for the Down Syndrome Association of Central Florida and serves as a Graduate Research Assistant for USF’s STAY program, focusing on chronic absenteeism. As a certified life coach, she empowers students to overcome challenges and reach their full potential. More information: https://www.brightertimescan.org/about-5
Naomi Mack (she/her), a counselor at The Kathy Castor Centre for Counseling and Wellness, was born in Clearwater and grew up in Palm Harbor, Florida. She currently resides in Tampa and is working towards earning her master’s degree in counseling with a concentration in clinical mental health from Wake Forest University. As a former student-athlete, Naomi is committed to providing a safe, empathic space for her clients to process the mental health and well-being challenges associated with academics, competition, and personal growth as an emerging adult. She is enthusiastic about the intersection of mental, physical, and environmental health, and aspires to continue education in horticultural therapy, play therapy, and integrated approaches to care in the future.
Kathryn Averyheart is a Chicago native but has spent the past ten years living here in Tampa with her two children, 10 year old Jayne and 23 year old Aaron. They have a beagle, Gryffindor, adopted during Covid. Kathryn has been volunteering with AFSP off and on since 2006. She worked on the Chicago walk in a fundraising and day of support capacity for four or five years, and has been supporting here in Tampa for the last 18 months. She recently was honored to accept a position as secretary on the board. Kathryn believes talking about mental health and shining a light on suicide prevention is key to stopping suicide – and helping survivors. She’s grateful to be a small part of that giant task. In addition to AFSP Kathryn is a member of Tampa Bay Tech’s membership committee, CDW’s Tampa area charitable group, and recently became volunteer with her daughter , at the Humane society. In her day job she is a manager at CDW where she has the incredible privilege of leading some of the AI practice solution architects for customer experience.