Mental Health Needs a New Approach.

As I’d shared over the past week, this holiday season hit me harder than expected.

Why? Non stop travel, presentations, workshops, different states at great distances, all in a short period of time. Then, I missed a medication dose (I’ve been tapering off of and so am super sensitive to) and with the combo of it all, I crashed right back into a short stint of the darkness I hadn’t visited in years. Right after I’d been feeling like I was thriving. The crash can always sneak up on you.

Once you’ve been “there” due to the impact of chronic stress & trauma, you don’t want to ever go back that place again. But life is gonna life.

Yesterday, members of this #SameHere🤙 community surprised me with an 8 minute video montage of love and “we’ve got you” messages from all over the North America.

Some still images from that video are on the 3rd slide ➡️. Thanks to @steinlauri for putting this together & unbeknownst to me; asking some of you to contribute. For those not asked, I’m sure Lauri was just trying to act fast and get something by Thanksgiving & so went to who she was connected with already. Please know that this community is vast and I’d have loved to have heard from even more of you.

Some stats on the video - I’ve not met, in person, about half the people in it. A good chunk of them live in Canada. ZERO of them live by me in the NYC area. But that’s the point - the distance…the lack of in-person…is less important when it’s true heart and care. For a guy who has a tough time accessing emotions, the video made me cry - true love came through the screen.

Reminder received loud and clear:

We don’t have to only celebrate or survive the holidays in the “hallmark” or “textbook” way we are sold.

I have a great family that is super supportive. But outside of that - we all can heal wherever people choose us.

Thankful for this community; and please know there are many folks here who care about and for you - even if they have never met you. Reach out when you need the help.

#ChosenFamily #MentalHealthMatters #YouAreNotAlone #HealingInCommunity #CommunityIsMedicine #HolidaySeasonRealTalk #HolidayTime #HolidayMessage #5in5

Today is International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day. It’s personal to me & us in many ways.

Sadly, the # of people observing today is the highest it’s ever been, bc we have the highest aggregate suicide numbers on record - especially in the US, at over 50k losses in 2024. That # has only been trending upwards since the 1970s.

When we launched #SameHere🤙 Global, we were asked if we were going to focus on “traditional mental health”…or topics like suicide, addiction, overdose, TBI, etc. My answer was - why wouldn’t we? They’re all factors. These issues are all “cousins living in the same house,” & if this topic is truly about #5in5 & lives on a continuum, we have to talk about everyone who’s on that continuum for all sorts of reasons.

It’s why, over the last 4yrs, we’ve become very close w a # of fams who’ve lost loved ones to suicide, & even those for whom we’ve partnered & done work.

A few yrs ago - we put together a call - w a # of fams who’d lost loved ones (many younger loved ones) in this way - fams who’d eventually start groups like Morgan’s Messages, RM43, Hope for Hallie, Hilinski’s Hope, Play for Jade, The McKenna Way, Chasing Tomorrow, 99 Smiles, Katie’s Save, The Sarah Shulze Foundation, Buckets over Bullying, etc. We expected that call to last about an hour. 4 hours later, so many tears were shed, & so many connections were formed. It’s a group that will be bonded forever.

We formed a L.I.F.E. Savers Family alliance (you can see 2 of them on the last slide ➡️) from that meeting - to show the solidarity, bravery, & selflessness of these families who put their stories out there.

And on this first slide, we’ve even partnered w fams like @kreneemorrison & their “Jack’s Fund” to bring educational programs & tools into schools. Kim, Jack’s mom, & their whole fam have become close friends in the process. We will ALWAYS be by their side.

Let’s honor them all today.

#SurvivorDay #SuicideLoss #SuicideLossSurvivor #InternationalSurvivorsofSuicideLossDay #GriefAndLoss #MentalHealthAwareness #YouAreNotAlone

Last night in Las Vegas, battle warriors became family for something so much bigger than football.

Before kickoff, Cowboys and Raiders players walked out wearing special “Marahawn” t-shirts - some the same, some unique to their connection to him. Dozens had “Marahawn” written in bold marker across their white wrist tape, some added “Forever” above his name, others a simple heart. Dak Prescott wrote “One Love.” On the Dallas sideline, Marshawn’s #94 jersey was on proud display. Players from both sides kept stopping to touch it, hug each other, and/or look up at his family in the stands, and point to the sky.

No trash talk around this topic. No division. Just two teams that battle between the lines, choosing to fight the same invisible opponent together prior to the game.

This is what love louder than rivalry looks like. This is what healing in front of millions feels like. This is what we need more of. Heartfelt speech by Coach Shottenheimer after the game ➡️.

Forever Marahawn 🤍

#MentalHealthMatters #SuicidePrevention #DallasCowboys #MarshawnKneeland #LoveLouder #CowboysNation #RaiderNation #VegasRaiders #SomeThingsAreBigger #SameHere🤙 #5in5

This is the 3rd time we’ve been back with La Salle University Athletics - the entire population of student athletes - to build sequential & interactive mental health programming. SameHere’s “5 Pillars” & methodically going through each with a: A)Presentation, B)Workshop, & C)Implementation Session.

It’s the 2nd time we have been back with Ticonderoga School District, thanks to the generous event & fundraising work of @kreneemorrison & her family on behalf of their son, Jack. With Ticonderoga, we got the teachers & staff up to speed on Pillar 2, while having assembly programs on Pillar 1 with: PreK-2, then 3-6, then their Jr/Sr HS students. Same message, just different delivery based on aptitude levels.

We always work with the teachers/staff first, before going to the students, even if it’s a day before. We want to make sure the stakeholders who have the most influence on the day-to-days, are getting the same education as the kiddos.

Diligent drilling of key concepts - and then tools to have consistent “track and act” - “SameHere Scale & STARR Exercise” - capabilities in a non diagnositc way is vital for the change needed in K-12s & colleges.

Props to my old friend from NBA days, Athleic Director, Ash Puri, for the vision and trust on La Salle. In just a few short years he’s put together a team there that gets “it” & has made a cultural turnaround possible.

If you want to hear more about school or college programming, DM us or write us at contactus@samehereglobal.org

#UpstreamMentalHealth #CultureShift #ProactiveEducation #Ticonderoga #LaSalleUniversity #MentalHealthInSchools #SchoolWellness #MentalHealthEducation #Collegesports #collegeathletementalhealth #SameHere🤙 #5in5

For far too many decades now, high school, college & pro sports has handled suicides w hushed press releases (without even mentioning the cause), locked locker rooms, & a “next player up” shrug—erasing the pain, silencing the questions, & teaching athletes & the community that vulnerability has no place in the game.

I’ve seen too many families who have lost loved ones face this reality of “the system” covering losses up & trying to make them “go away.”

But Marshawn Kneeland’s tragic loss at 24 seems to have begun to shatter that code: Mack Hollins arrived at Gillette in a hand-made 988 shirt listing “alone, scared, tired” on the front and “YOU ARE WORTH IT” ringed by “loved, brave, hopeful” on the back; Micah Parsons shared a tear-stained apology to his “lil brother” with a broken-heart emoji; Solomon Thomas stood at a vigil pleading “you just never know what someone’s going through” while posting “I wish you knew it was going to be okay”; teammates left flowers, candles, and handwritten notes at Marshawn’s locker; Shannon Sharpe broke down sobbing on Nightcap as Ocho offered quiet support.

See the slides for more examples.

These are not league-mandated moments—they’re players, coaches, & peers refusing to sweep another life under the turf.

I took the opportunity while presenting with La Salle University @goexplorers athletes (more to come on that visit) to address suicide directly (last slide➡️). My own ideations during the depths of my struggle. How common these ideations are (over 15 million reported in the US each year), the loss of a string of current & former athletes, recently, & the fact that families who have lost loved ones in the past have been told by their teams & schools that essentially they were going to “make it go away.”

Let’s not let it go away. That’s how it gets worse. That’s how shame silences us. Let’s follow the lead of these athletes & talk openly!

#MentalHealthMatters #988Lifeline #ItsOkayNotToBeOkay #NFLMentalHealth #MarshawnKneeland #Cowboys #cowboysnation🏈 #dallascowboys #YouAreWorthIt #SameHere🤙 #5in5

Today on Veterans Day, we honor the brave, the selfless, the ones who’ve carried so much (literally & emotionally), just to defend us.

From U.S. bases in Korea, where we (with our brother @rwalk56)stepped in after a wave of suicides to deliver education, our SameHere Scale app, and peer support tools… to partnering with the VA on mental health programs stateside… we work hand-in-hand with veterans and active-duty service members worldwide. We will continue to, because these warriors deserve our help.

The truth is sobering - here are some stats on top of the ones in the slides:
- Veterans are 72% more likely to die by suicide than civilians
- For Young Vets (18–34, & yes some come out of service that young) the suicide rate is nearly double their non-Vet peers
- 17.3% of Veterans have had suicidal thoughts in their lifetime (that’s reported, so the number is likely way higher)

These aren’t just numbers. They are brothers, sisters, parents, friends, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

We’re in a mental health crisis as a society—but Veterans face it on another level. Trauma, transition stress, isolation… the weight of service doesn’t end when the uniform comes off.

But here’s what changes everything: letting them know that - Their struggle is human. It’s expected. It’s not weakness.

Telling them: You’ve faced fire. You’ve protected us. Now let us protect - you.

Seeking help isn’t giving up—it’s fighting forward.
And we’re proud of you for it.

On this Veterans Day, let’s hold hands—civilians, veterans, active duty, families—and say:

You are not alone. Your pain is valid and even expected. Your strength is seen and just like we get help, we want you to feel comfortable getting help because you deserve it for all you’ve done for us and all you’ve sacrificed.

Veterans: We’ve got your six. Always. 🇺🇸💙

#VeteransDay #MentalHealthMatters #WeAllHaveStories #VeteranMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention #988Lifeline #HoldHandsForHeroes #ProudToServe #YouAreNotAlone #MilitaryMentalHealth #PTSDAwareness #ThankAVeteran #GlobalMentalHealth #SameHere🤙 #5in5

This is a start, but it’s not close to enough. And we should speak up.

I’ve worked at the NBA league office, and then NBA and WNBA teams, as well as NHL teams. I’ve consulted for teams in all of the major sports including soccer. There is WAY more that can and should be done, that’s not getting done. Many of the things I’ll propose here are already being done in other cause related areas - yet we lose more people under 50 to mental health related conditions than all the other ones that get this type of press - combined!

See the slides for examples. Please share as we need to get this topic out of the shadows. If not now, when?

#MentalHealthMatters #NFL #988 #SuicidePrevention #AthleteMentalHealth #WeAllStruggle #MarshawnKneeland #KyrenLacy #DougMartin #RudiJohnson #CheckOnYourPeople #GreenGame #SameHere🤙 #5in5