Webinar: A Community Approach to Youth Mental Health

Tampa Bay Thrives

Explore new insights on youth mental health in Tampa Bay! Also, see how our wellness rooms are making a difference for local students.

Join Tampa Bay Thrives for a powerful webinar exploring the state of youth mental health in Tampa Bay. Melissa Erickson from the Alliance for Public Schools will present the latest research on youth mental health, offering key insights into the challenges and opportunities facing young people in our community.We’ll also hear from Courtney Blair, Emery Ivery, and Carrie Zeisse, who will share the impact of our wellness room, the Zen Den, at Sligh Middle School. This space has become a vital resource, offering students a safe and supportive environment to manage their mental health. Learn how this pilot program is paving the way for future wellness rooms in schools across Tampa Bay.In addition to unveiling this important research, we will be previewing Tampa Bay Thrives’ new Advisory Council. Discover how you can join the movement and be a member of this innovative council.Don't miss this impactful webinar! Keep reading to see the speaker's bios...Carrie Zeisse: Carrie Zeisse is President &amp; CEO of Tampa Bay Thrives; a multi-sector mental health coalition launched by leaders in the Tampa Bay region who care deeply about the community’s mental health. Carrie was hired in 2020 to develop and lead a multi-county approach to mobilize the community to strengthen behavioral health outcomes for depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder by focusing on early intervention, access, and awareness.Carrie’s previous experience in the non-profit sector has been focused on developing transformational partnerships that engage businesses, individuals, community partners and government entities in important mission-focused work. She served as Chief Operating and Strategy Officer at United Way Suncoast, Chief Operating Officer at United Way of Greater Portland in Maine, and as the Vice President of Economic and Business Development at the Boston Harbor Island Alliance in Massachusetts. In these roles she led strategic planning, operations, finance, marketing, and volunteer engagement functions to align teams and community vision.Carrie holds a Master in Business Administration degree from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and Bachelor of Fine Art from the Maine College of Art. Melissa Erickson: With over a decade of experience engaging students, families, and the community in the Tampa Bay Area, Melissa Erickson is an educator, advocate, and community organizer dedicated to fostering stakeholder engagement and community investment in public schools. Melissa’s career has been driven by the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, live, and thrive within vibrant communities.In 2008, she co-founded the Alliance for Public Schools, to uplift student-centered, equity-based public education and in the role as Executive Director has designed, implemented, and evaluated engagement programs in districts serving over 2 million students, collaborating with leaders to amplify family participation and cultivate student voice and leadership.Melissa holds a BA in Psychology and a master’s degree in education in from Boston University. Her professional career began as a National Science Foundation Fellow, focusing on attracting underrepresented populations to advanced STEM classes, igniting a lifelong passion for equity. During her time as a community leader in Tampa Bay she has contributed to significant initiatives such as the GradNation campaign to raise high school graduation rates and the Empowering Effective Teaching Initiative with the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation.Recognized as a White House Champion of Change, an American Graduate Champion by PBS, and a Community Builder by the FBI Citizens Academy and a Tampa Bay Lightning Community Hero, she is committed to advocating for children and families in our area and at the state and national level. Courtney Blair: Courtney Blair is the Wellness Center Program Coordinator for the Thaddeus Bullard Academy and serves as a Resource Teacher for the Bullard Family Foundation at Sligh Middle Magnet. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary English Education and a Master’s in Educational Psychology from Florida Atlantic University. With eight years of experience in public education, Courtney has excelled in roles such as ELL Resource Teacher, Literacy Subject Area Leader, TIP/TOP Liaison, and Athletic Support. A passionate advocate for holistic student development, she drives mentorship and programmatic initiatives that prioritize the needs of the whole student.

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}

Webinar: A Community Approach to Youth Mental Health

More events from Tampa Bay Thrives

Discover more events from Tampa Bay Thrives, from Health to other experiences you might love.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all online events to browse and filter by date, category, and more.

Webinar: A Community Approach to Youth Mental Health

More events from Tampa Bay Thrives

Discover more events from Tampa Bay Thrives, from Health to other experiences you might love.

More Health events

Browse more Health events with different dates, prices, and formats to find your next great experience.

Still looking for the right event?

Explore all online events to browse and filter by date, category, and more.