The National Mental Health Association will recognize five young people who have courageously shared their personal stories in order to help others better understand and recognize childhood mental health disorders. The awards will be presented Saturday, June 7, at a special ceremony during NMHA's annual conference in Washington, DC.
The NMHA Youth Medal of Excellence winners are:
Matilde "Matty" Amezquita is a 20-year-old from the Bronx, N.Y. As a youth advocate for the Mental Health Association of New York City, Inc., Matty speaks publicly and facilitates support groups for teens and families facing mental health problems. Having personally experienced the effects of AIDS on families, Matty works at the Bronx AIDS Services helping other families living with AIDS. In addition, Matty is a student in the Adolescent Skills Center and acts as a student mentor.
Kellyn Hill, a 15-year-old member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, attends Wakpala Public School in Wakpala, S.D. Kellyn is a "Spirit Rider" for the Wakpala Horse Program, an organization that sponsors horseback rides to recognize mental health, sobriety and historical occasions. In particular, he participates in the Bear Butte Ride, an event that strives to increase awareness about drug and alcohol abuse and mental health issues. Kellyn acts as a role model by leading a drug-free, healthy lifestyle and by sharing his experiences with mental illness to reduce stigma in his community.
Jake Novak, an 18-year-old senior at Kirkwood High School in St. Louis, Mo., drew upon his personal experience with mental illness to found Students Working Against Depression (SWAD) at his high school. Under Jake's leadership, SWAD has sponsored many events, including a depression and suicide prevention assembly and a benefit concert. Recently, he organized an in-school conference about teen depression and recruited Wendy Williams, a former Olympic diver who suffered from depression, as the keynote speaker.
Katie Slenker is a 17-year-old from York, Pa., and a student at Dallastown Area High School. Katie has overcome many obstacles since being diagnosed with a mental illness at the age of 8. In conjunction with the Mental Health Association of York County, she started Kids Coming Together —Coping with Mental Illness, a support group for kids and parents to help them understand mental illness. Recently, she was the youth keynote speaker at the Child and Adolescent Service System Program (CASSP) conference in State College. She also wrote an article titled, "My Life with Bipolar Disorder," for CASSP's March 2003 newsletter.
David Wells is a 16-year-old student at Sandy Creek High School in Glenvil, Neb. David used his personal experience with mental illness to co-found Y.E.S. (Youth Encouraging Support), a support group for young people with mental health problems. His latest project is the Y.E.S. "Cake Wall," a visual presentation that encourages people to look beyond stereotypes and learn the truth about mental illness. David also belongs to the No Limits Youth Council, a substance abuse prevention program sponsored by Tobacco-Free Nebraska.
NMHA's 2003 annual conference, "America's Mental Health Crisis: Finding Solutions Together," will bring together mental health consumers, advocates and other experts in the field June 4-7 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.
The National Mental Health Association is the country's oldest and largest nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and mental illness. With more than 340 affiliates nationwide, NMHA works to improve the mental health of all Americans through advocacy, education, research, and service.
For more information, or to contact National Mental Health Association, see their website at: www.nmha.org
