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HEADSTRONG: Mental health summit for high-schoolers in Sudbury Sept. 20

Features guest speakers who have lived experience of mental health issues
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Asante Haughton, who grew up in Toronto caring for his ill mother and dealing with an absent father, has experienced debilitating depression and anxiety. He's the guest speaker at a Sept. 20 conference on mental health for teens in Sudbury. (Supplied)

Rainbow District School Board hosts secondary students from Sudbury, Espanola and Manitoulin Island for HEADSTRONG, an evidence-based anti-stigma initiative aimed at inspiring students to Be Brave, Reach Out and Speak Up about mental health. 

The summit takes place Thursday, Sept. 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Lockerby Composite School Auditorium.

The day-long conference brings together some 100 students from Rainbow District School Board, Sudbury Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire public du Grand Nord de l’Ontario, Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario and the Wikwemikong Board of Education.

Spearheaded by the Mental Health Commission of Canada, the HEADSTRONG movement educates youth ages 12 to 18 to recognize the signs of mental health problems, and to help reduce the associated stigma. 

“Mental health and wellness is a significant priority for Rainbow District School Board,” said director of education Norm Blaseg. “Hosting HEADSTRONG is part of our ongoing commitment to support students by nurturing their physical, mental, social and emotional well-being.

“Through the HEADSTRONG experience, students will be inspired to become leaders and stand up for change in their schools.”

The HEADSTRONG event features various stigma-fighting activities that promote hope and resiliency. Students will also hear from two keynote speakers who have lived with and recovered from mental illness.

The first keynote speaker is Asante Haughton. Growing up in downtown Toronto, he spent his adolescence trying to navigate the complex social world of high school as he cared for his ill mother, dealt with an absent father, and dodged the lures of gang life. 

Although Haughton experienced debilitating depression and anxiety, he gathered the strength to find help, stay well, and motivate others.

Haughton studied Psychology at the University of Toronto, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science. Passionate about positive social change, equality, and mental health, Haughton has dedicated himself to help build stronger communities. 

A poet, thinker, researcher, and speaker, Haughton has made several TV appearances. He was featured in a TED Talks special for youth and the documentary "Three Voices.” Haughton was also selected as one of Canada’s 150 Difference Makers in 2017 by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

The second keynote speaker is Megan Potestio. She knew at an early age that something was different with her. Living with a mother who relied on alcohol to cope, and a father who worked up to 80 hours a week, Potestio experienced constant stress, depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. 

Throughout high school, Potestio, like her mother, turned to substances to mask her pain. During this time, she made two attempts to take her life, followed by eight months in an adolescent psychiatric rehabilitation facility. 

Since 2004, Potestio has dedicated her time to sharing her story of recovery and hope with thousands of youth. 

She received the 2010 Kaiser Foundation Award for Excellence in Youth Leadership, was featured on Global TV’s “Into the Mind,” and is noted as the youngest recipient of the Mary Neville Memorial Award for community members making outstanding contributions towards prevention and early intervention in children’s mental health services. 

Potestio is now married with two children, and, for the past eight years, has been working as a Mental Health Case Manager in Toronto.


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