Boston, MA, June 16, 2021 — The Massachusetts Department of Mental Health will present a virtual event, The Impact of Covid-19 on the Mental Health of BIPOC Children and Families, on Saturday, June 19 at 1pm. The event will be moderated by radio producer and personality Jamn 94.5’s Santi DeOleo and a panel of mental health experts, healthcare and financial health experts.
The focus of the one-hour event will be to help parents and caregivers learn how to recognize and cope with changing behaviors caused by the pandemic. There will be a special link given to attendees to submit questions and concerns at the prior to and during the event to foster a more interactive session.
The event will start with DeOleo reading Isaac’s Story, an illustrated book written by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health to help destigmatize and reframe how students talk about mental health for elementary school-aged children. A panel discussion will follow to and explore how Covid has impacted the mental health of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) children and families.
In addition to DeOleo, the expert panel features Financial Health Coach Curtis Chambers, Earl Miller of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health and Luis Borrero, also of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health.
Again, attendees for the virtual event are encouraged to participate and submit questions for the panelists. The public is asked to register for the virtual event at https://dmh_covid19bipoc.eventbrite.com
About the Panel:
Curtis Chambers has worked as a Financial Coach in the Greater Boston area since 2017. He prides himself on delivering culturally proficient financial coaching and education practices to his clients-partners. He has also volunteered as a Financial Coach for local non-profits and in the community at-large. Curtis currently provides financial literacy classes for high school age and college bound youth. Prior to becoming a Coach, he provided in-home therapy in the Greater Boston area through a renowned nonprofit. It was through this work that the links between financial and mental wellness became crystallized for him.
Curtis has completed the Financial Health Counselor Program via the National Association of Certified Credit Counselors. He will be sitting for the Accredited Financial Counselor designation in August. Curtis received his BS in Psychology and Human Services from William James College.
Earl Miller first entered the psychiatric and foster care systems when he was 12. He went on to spend as much of his teen years in the system as he did out, which continued into early adulthood and included experiences of homelessness, hospitalization, and a great deal of trauma. Nowadays, Miller is the father of two healthy and full-of-life girls who he credits with helping to tether him to this world. He currently is the Director of Recovery in the Western Mass Area of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health.
Luis Borrero is the site director for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health’s Erich Lindemann Mental Health Center in Boston. He’s an experienced clinical manager with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital, health care industry and non-profit sector. Borrero earned a master’s degree in Social Work from Boston College Graduate School of Social Work.
About the Moderator:
Santi DeOleo is a media personality based in the Boston area. Santi is currently the Co-Host and Executive Producer of Ashlee and The NEW JAM’N Morning Show on JAM’N 94.5.
With more than 20 years of experience in the media world, Santi’s led multiple successful media campaigns both as a brand ambassador, social media, and content strategist. Along with partnering with companies to successfully promote products, brands, and events, Santi runs Silo Space Media which collaborates with companies to create a distinguished and superior digital message and content. A native of the Dominican Republic, he grew up in Salem, Massachusetts. Completing his early education in his hometown of Salem, he went on to earn a Communications degree from Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts. Most importantly, Santi’s a husband and father of four.
For complete registration to The Impact of Covid-19 on the Mental Health of BIPOC Children and Families on Saturday, June 19 at 1pm, visit https://dmh_covid19bipoc.eventbrite.com.
About the Department of Mental Health (DMH):
The Massachusetts Department of Mental Health provides services to adults, children, and adolescents with long-term or serious mental illness and serious emotional disturbance; provides early and ongoing treatment for mental illness; and conducts research into the causes of and treatments for mental illness. Through state-operated inpatient facilities and community mental health centers and through community services and programs provided by nearly 200 mental health providers, DMH directly serves 29,000 residents, including about 3,500 children and adolescents, with severe and persistent mental illness and serious emotional disturbance.