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Ex-NFL QB to speak at YSU on depression
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Eric Hipple, former Detroit Lions quarterback
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
YOUNGSTOWN
Eric Hipple, former Detroit Lions quarterback, whose son committed suicide at 15, will speak here during May, National Mental Health Month, on how to live and enjoy life after depression and loss.
Hipple, author of “Real Men Do Cry,” is the featured speaker at a May 28 program from 8 a.m. to noon at Youngstown State University’s Chestnut Room.
The former TV football analyst’s public-speaking work shifted to raising awareness of depressive disorder and treatment and suicide prevention in 2000 after the death of his son.
Hipple also helps communities become more educated about how depression affects men and those around them, local mental-health officials said.
Saturday is the registration deadline for the Hipple event. The cost is $15 per person and includes breakfast at 8 a.m. Hipple is scheduled to speak at 9:15 a.m.
The May 28 event is one of several planned for May that are designed to draw attention to mental-health services and challenges in the community, said Ronald A. Marian, executive director of the Mahoning County Mental Health Board.
Designating May as National Mental Health Month provides the board with opportunities to highlight the services its 20-plus contract agencies provide throughout the year, Marian said.
Even with the $3.1 million cut in state funding for fiscal year 2010, which began July 1, 2009, and ends June 30, the agency is continuing to fulfill its mission to county residents through innovative programming and increased collaboration with other systems, Marian said.
At the same time state funding is being cut, there has been a sharp increase in the demand for services as people attempt to weather difficult economic times, he added.
Foreclosures, job loss and economic uncertainty all contribute to increased symptoms of anxiety and depression. The Help Hotline Crisis Center reports a dramatic increase in the number of crisis calls they are receiving, Marian said.
The mental-health board has responded to the increase in demand for services and decrease in funding by revamping its funding protocols to ensure services are getting to those most in need, said Toni M. Notaro, administrative director.
“We’ve gone to more of a drawdown system of payments to our agencies that ties funding to specific services rather than making a general allocation to the agency. We want to make sure that when budget cuts occur, our services stay intact and minimize the impact on clients as much as possible,” she said.
Two local mental-health property-tax levies are vital to the program and the people it serves, Notaro said.
One, a 0.5-mill, five-year levy, which will be up for renewal on the November ballot, generates about $939,000 a year. A 0.85-mill, five-year levy, which was renewed in 2008, generates about $3.168 million a year. Together, they represent about one-fourth of the county mental-health board’s operating budget, which was some $16 million for fiscal 2010, she said.
“The mental-health board is extremely grateful for and appreciative of the support of the voters in Mahoning County, as funds generated by our levies provide critical services to individuals suffering from severe and persistent mental illness. I shudder to think where we would be without the levies,” Marian said.
This week: National Children’s Mental Health Week. Wear a green ribbon to bring awareness to the needs of children with emotional and behavioral disorders and their families across Ohio.
Wednesday: Help Hotline Crisis Center, 8 a.m. to noon, Adult Care Facility training, Community Center, 1344 Fifth Ave., Youngstown. Call Anna Masi at (330) 743-8947.
Wednesday: Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health, 7 p.m., “A Personal Story,” a family member will share a personal story, D&E Counseling, 142 Javit Court, Austintown. Call Chrysann Mitzel at (330) 533-4949.
Wednesday: Catholic Charities Regional Agency, noon to 1 p.m., “Self-Help Strategies for Coping with Stress” presented by CCRA Family Support Counselors, YMCA, Champion Street, Youngstown. Free and open to the public. Call Marlene or Nancilynn at (330) 744-3320.
Friday: Mahoning County Mental Health Board, consumer luncheon, noon, Community Center, 1344 Fifth Ave., Youngstown.
Saturday: Help Hotline Crisis Center/Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull Counties Suicide Coalitions, 2 p.m., SOS (Survivors of Suicide) Walk, Courthouse Square, Warren. Call Cathy Grizinski at (330) 747-2696.
May 19: Catholic Charities Regional Agency, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., “Self-Help Strategies for Coping with Stress,” CCRA Family Support Counselors at the Boardman Library, Glenwood Avenue, Boardman. Free and open to the public. Call Marlene or Nancilynn at (330) 744-3320.
May 19: Help Hotline Crisis Center, 7 p.m., Survivors of Suicide Support Group for families and friends who have lost a loved one to suicide, Boardman Christian Church, meets third Wednesday of every month. Call Cathy Grizinski at (330) 747-2696.
May 21: Mahoning County Mental Health board of directors meeting, 11 a.m., Mahoning County Mental Health Board Luncheon, celebration and awards program, noon, call Michele Petrello at (330) 746-2959, ext. 7975, for luncheon reservations, donation, $20. Both events are at Holiday Inn, Boardman.
May 21: Turning Point Counseling Services, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., “Practical Assessment Tools to Assist in Diagnosing” presented by William Rooney, Ph.D., Turning Point Counseling, 611 Belmont Ave., Youngstown. The cost is $80. Four continuing-education unites are available. Call Amanda French at (330) 744-2991, ext. 106.
May 23: Arc of Ohio, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Benefit: Style and Cut-a-Thon, $12 for cut or style, $5 for eyebrow waxing. Call the Salon at Macy’s to schedule at (330) 758-9105. Proceeds will benefit children and adults with disabilities in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.
May 28: Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana Counties Suicide Coalitions/Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., “Tackling Depression, Suicide Prevention and Surviving Suicide Loss,” keynote speaker is Eric Hipple, author of “Real Men Do Cry” and former Detroit Lions quarterback and former Fox Sports analyst. The $15 cost covers breakfast and two CEUs. Call Help Hotline Crisis Center at (330) 747-2696 for reservations.
Help Hotline Crisis Center: Television public service announcements, featuring U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, and John Boccieri of Alliance, D-16th, will run during May. The PSAs are funded by the Mahoning County Mental Health Board and the Ohio Suicide Foundation.
Help Hotline Volunteer Training Program: For volunteer training information, call (330) 747-2696. Classes are one day a week for six weeks. Training sessions are in the winter, spring and fall.
Source: Mahoning County Mental Health Board