Hi All,
This is a major theme that was most recently brought up at the Pushing Boarders conference. The social skate community, and skate industry have huge potential to raise awareness and build a worldwide support network.
Use this space to post resources, connect, plan, share and align your ideas around mental wellness and suicide prevention in skateboarding.
Talia
It appears that a lot of that conversation has continued on email. The following individuals have shows some interest and involvement in this conversation. Also below is the initial description. I suspect this will change and improve over time.
Will Ashton (Free Movement)
Thomas Callan (Pushing Boarders)
Jessica Forsyth (Harold Hunter Fdn)
Josh Freidberg (USA Skateboarding)
Leyla Garbozo (Concrete Jungle Fdn)
Chris Jones (SkatePal)
Talia Kaufman (Skateistan)
Chris Lawton (Nottingham UK)
Joel Pippus (Hull Services)
John Rattray (Nike Skateboarding)
Jim Thiebaud (Deluxe)
Madeleine Uggla (Suicide Zero)
Main mission: Mental health and emotional well-being as an ongoing part of skate culture....
What: End stigma, end suicide and simplify the conversation around mental health in skateboarding. Educate all skaters on the ubiquity, symptoms and pathology of anxiety, depression, addiction and mental health in general.
Why: To increase happiness and reduce unnecessary suffering. To create a more communicative, connected, open generation of people who understand. May we continue to make this a better place for this generation and the generation after them.
Here are a couple resources that were shared in the email chain Pete mentioned above:
https://www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org/take-a-course/ – Seems to offer FREE training courses on Mental Health First Aid all around the USA.
http://www.mhfainternational.org/international-mhfa-programs.html – Website showing similar training chapters in many countries around the world, though these trainings are not always free.