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U.S. Gold Medal Swimmer To Speak About Mental Health And Depression

U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Allison Schmitt is coming to Fort Wayne on Tuesday, March 7 to deliver a message of hope as she talks about her struggles with mental illness and depression. “Healing Our Community with Hope: Part 2” is a free event co-sponsored by The Lutheran Foundation and the University of Saint Francis. Schmitt will deliver two programs on March 7 at the USF Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center in downtown Fort Wayne.

The first program will be a lunch seminar at noon for athletic trainers, high school and college athletes and their coaches. Schmitt will talk about the importance of understanding mental health issues, especially in athletes, and she will share her primary message that it is okay to ask for help. This portion of Schmitt’s appearance in Fort Wayne is also sponsored by Parkview Sports Medicine and will be moderated by Tommy Schoegler, director of Parkview Sports Medicine. School representatives can register their students through usffutureofhealthcare2017.eventbrite.com.

The keynote event at 2:30 p.m. begins with a presentation from LookUpIndiana.org and Remedy Live. Both organizations promote resources to help those struggling with depression or other mental health concerns. Allison Schmitt will then deliver the keynote followed by an opportunity for audience members to ask questions about her experiences.

After the session, Schmitt will participate in a brief meet and greet. Registration for the meet and greet is limited. Passes for the meet and greet will be handed out prior to the 2:30 p.m. event. Guests are encouraged to arrive early if they are interested in meet and greet passes.

“We are tremendously excited to welcome Allison to Fort Wayne this year,” said Dr. Mindy Yoder, dean of the USF School of Health Sciences. “We had such a wonderful turnout last year for Part I with more than 1,500 people participating. With Allison’s perspective on mental health and how it affects young people, she can help us spread an important message of hope and success to practitioners, parents, educators and our next generation.”

Marcia Haaff, CEO of The Lutheran Foundation, agreed: “What Allison brings us is a true reflection of the future of healthcare and specifically the future of mental healthcare. We know that many in the next generation will deal with depression or some form of mental illness at some point in their lives. For her to be willing to open up and discuss her issues will certainly help erase some of the stigma that so many young people with depression are facing.”

To register for either the lunch seminar or the keynote event or both events, please visit usffutureofhealthcare2017.eventbrite.com.