Bridging Faith, Community & Mental Health: Recognizing It’s Ok to Not be Ok

This event created for African American Faith Leaders is to inform and equip with relevant and effective information to best support their congregations and communities through mental health challenges and connection to resources. The event will feature:

Keynote speaker, Shantel Thomas, Ph. D. PCC-S, LSW President and CEO of A Sound Mind Counseling Service and Founder of the Center For Healing The Hurt

Rev. Vanessa Cummings

Jesiah and Ebony Brock

Each speaker will cover a specific topic centering around mental health, faith and community support within the African American community. Additionally, there will be opportunity for participants to discuss the material presented in small groups. The conference officially ends at 1:15 but QPR Suicide Prevention Training will be an optional offering from 1:15-2:30 pm for those who have not had the training or need to recertify (2 years).

Please email Shane Joseph at [email protected] if you plan to opt in to the training.

To help cover the cost of the delicious lunch prepared by Afromeals, the ticket price for this event is $10. Scholarships are available. This cost should not be a barrier to anyone attending. Please email Shane Joseph at [email protected] for more information.

This conference was made possible by a generous donation from Confidential Confessions Counseling.

Info: Shantel Thomas, Ph. D. PCC-S, LSW is a published author, President and CEO of A Sound Mind Counseling Service and Founder of the Center For Healing The Hurt, a free trauma based therapy center for kids and teens in the inner city. Dr. Thomas has been trained and certified in
numerous counseling techniques and provides individual, couple and group therapy to people of all cultural backgrounds and ages. In addition, she has presented both locally, nationally and internationally in corporate, academic and church settings. She believes that everyone can receive total mind, body and spiritual wellness. In 2024, Dr. Thomas was honored by the Mayor of Cincinnati for Women's History Month. Dr. Thomas received her B.A., M.Ed. from the University of Toledo on a full athletic scholarship where she was inducted into the Hall of Fame. There she had a stellar career, traveling the world competing and receiving various honors, including NCAA Woman of the Year for OH. Here doctorate is from Kent State

Info: Rev. Vanessa R. Cummings, is a pastor, inspirational speaker, meeting facilitator, an comedienne. She has been in ministry for 33 years and is an ordained itinerant elder in the AME Church, currently serving as the pastor of Payne Chapel AME Church. Rev. Vanessa is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a B.S. in Psychology, and a graduate of Payne Theological Seminary with a M.Div. Degree. She is the owner and chief consultant of Ms. V Consulting, LLC. Rev. Vanessa is a community activist who recently ran for State Rep. She is serving as VP of the Oxford NAACP, is a member of the Butler County MentalHealth and Addiction Recovery Services Board, serves on the Cincinnati MBAC Advisory Board, and is the convenor and facilitator for the Coalition of Concerned Citizens in Butler County. She is a former City of Oxford Vice Mayor and City Council member. Rev. Vanessa's motto is, “What matters most is not the sermon you preach, but the sermon you live.”

Info: Jesiah Asa Brock is a visionary leader, community builder, and faith-driven strategist who serves as Chief Program Officer at CityLink Center in Cincinnati; Founder/Chief Steward of Disrupt LLC; Asst Pastor at Grace Christian Fellowship Ministries International; and Founder/Exec. Pastor of Freedom to Move Forward. He strives to help people and organizations unlock their God-given potential and disrupt cycles of limitation with faith, vision, and action. Ebony M. Brock is a transformational leader, facilitator, and speaker dedicated to inspiring positive change in individuals and communities. She serves as the Exec. Director of the Booker T. Washington Community Center where she works to strengthen community connections, develop leaders & expand opportunities for youth and families. Ebony holds a B.S. in Psychology, is a certified Life Coach, mentor, and licensed minister. Each live out their values in both their professional and personal lives w/each other and with their son Jesiah.

Info: QPR stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer: the 3 simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. In this training, community members will learn:
• How to identify the warning signs and risk factors of suicide
• How to ask the suicide question and persuade a suicidal person to not end their life
• How to appropriately refer a suicidal person to behavioral healthcare professionals
Just as people trained in CPR help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to help someone in crisis seek the support they need.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Kemba Credit Union, 8763 Union Centre Boulevard, West Chester Township, United States

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