HOPE In Harlem Conference combines faith, sports to promote mental health

NEW YORK — September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and this weekend, the HOPE in Harlem Conference will encourage mental health care among young people through sports.

The Saturday event is part of the innovative HOPE Center clinic at Harlem's First Corinthian Baptist Church, which continues to break the stigma in the Black community.

The HOPE in Harlem Conference happens Saturday at First Corinthian Baptist Church on Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by a Wellness Street Fair until 4 p.m.

HOPE in Harlem Conference to feature professional athletes, leaders in medicine and education

While teaching leadership skills and spreading the word about the 988 National Suicide Lifeline , the HOPE Center clinic also conducts community assessments to gauge the growth of participants.

"We get a sense from the parents," said HOPE Center executive director Dr. Lena Green, "our children's grades have increased. We see that they come home more respectful and we see that they're asking for permission or they're willing and open to engage in conversations with us."

To expand the helping hand, the clinic's HOPE in Harlem Conference will bring professional athletes alongside leaders in medicine and education. One of the program's champions is Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine Director of Mental Health Equity Research, Dr. Sidney Hankerson.

"Men are more likely to die by suicide than women," Hankerson explained, "so our hope is that by partnering with sports, by partnering with the church, we'll be able to engage men and reduce stigma among men so we can save lives."

The conference will also connect the clinic with a coalition, convening churches around the country that want to replicate the mental health model.

THRIVE program provides safe space for teens

Program participant Kacey Little, now 16 years old, started playing softball when she was 5 after watching Jackie Robinson videos online.

"That's my favorite player," Little said. "After that, I just fell in love with it. I felt like I could be the first woman in MLB."

Little's best friend lost his dream of playing in the NBA this summer, when he was killed by another group of teens in the streets of Harlem.

"I check on his mom, I text her," said Little through tears. "She tells me, 'have a good day on purpose, every day,' so that's what I try to do."

Now a junior at St. Raymond Academy, Little is determined to look forward to competing in college, complete with mental fortitude, fortified at THRIVE, the teen mental health program at the HOPE Center.

"We have good street cred with our teens," Green said. "They're telling their friends, 'hey, this is a safe space in a safe environment to talk about your feelings.'"

If you or someone you know needs help, you can call or text 988 to speak with a trained, caring counselor 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also chat online with a counselor at 988lifeline.org .

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