SMA Healthcare Foundation Hosts 7th Annual Who Is Jay Mental Health Symposium

The SMA Healthcare Foundation (the Foundation) is pleased to announce it will feature suicide prevention keynoter Jeff Yalden and This Is My Brave – The Show at the 7th Annual Who is Jay? Mental Health Symposium, coming up on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.

Jeff Yalden is an author, Veteran, and motivational mental health speaker whose speaking career has taken him to all 50 states, 49 countries, and every providence in Canada over the past three decades.  He has served as a consultant and educator for school communities across the country in the aftermath of student suicide deaths.  He has educated and consulted with mental health professional leaders, top rank military personnel and over 5 million people.  Jeff is a TEDx speaker and the author of four best-selling books, including Teen Suicide: The “Why” Behind America’s Suicide Epidemic.  From 2006-2012, Jeff was the Celebrity Teen and Family Life Coach for MTV’s hit reality television show, MADE, in which 75 million people watched over 7 years.

This Is My Brave – The Show, brings together a cast of people who believe in the power of storytelling to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness.  It is a live presentation of touching essays, original music and poetry performed by individuals living with, or, who love someone with a mental illness.  There will be a special guest appearance by former This Is My Brave cast member Johnny Crowder, the CEO and Founder of COPE Notes.

“We are once again excited to bring some extraordinary speakers and talent to this year’s symposium,” said Jennifer Secor, Executive Director, SMA Healthcare Foundation.  “The intention of the symposium is to bring mental health awareness and education to our community and we believe the topics that were chosen are current and relevant to what individuals and professionals are faced with on a daily basis.”

Presentations throughout the day will include the following:

• Wellness, Well played: Music for Mental Health and Well-being – presented by Jennifer Buchanan, MBA, MTA
• The Team Approach to Successful Treatment of Mental Illness and Co-occurring Disorders: Combining Medications with Therapy, Primary Care and Case Management for Individualized Treatment – presented by Dr. Yusef Canaan and a panel of behavioral health professionals from SMA Healthcare
• Stopping Self-Sabotage – presented by Anthony Poponi
• Treatment Resistant Depression: Beyond Medications and Therapy – presented by Dr. Geoffrey Grammer

The cost to attend is $50 if registered and paid on or before April 8th ($60 after).  Students are $25, and NAMI members can attend for free.  The registration fee includes the full day of speakers and presentations, parking at the Ocean Center, lunch and refreshments.  Health professionals can also earn up to 4 CEUs.  To register or for more information on speakers and presentations, please visit https://www.whoisjay.org.

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Funding for the event is provided in part by the Jay’s Hope Fund (managed by the SMA Healthcare Foundation), registration fees and sponsorships.  Current sponsors include C. James Montgomery Trust, AdventHealth, Brown & Brown Insurance, Nature’s Garden-Orange City, Simpkins Family Foundation, Emergency Medicine Professionals, Volusia Recovery Alliance, Synergy Billing, Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, COPE Notes, JB Music Therapy, Flagler Cares/One Voice for Volusia, Florida Power & Light, La Amistad Behavioral Health, Realty Pro Title and Synergy Billing.

Limited vendor space is available for organizations or companies that provide resources to the community.

If you are interested in sponsoring the event or becoming a vendor, please contact Cyndi Hines, Public Relations & Events Specialist at SMA Healthcare Foundation 386-254-1136 or chines@smahealthcare.org.

If you are interested in supporting SMA Healthcare and the SMA Healthcare Foundation, please contact Jennifer Secor, CFRE, Executive Director, at 386-254-1139 or jsecor@smahealthcare.org.