Description: Mental Health Awareness Month: Sharing a lived experience of resiliency and hope

May 19 | 6-7:30 p.m. | FREE

Jeff Zuckerman, a a freelance editor and writer living in Minneapolis, was an award-winning newspaper reporter, editor and university writing instructor, and for many years he directed the writing center at Walden University. Jeff was a reviewer of the seventh edition of the APA style manual and, over the past quarter century, he has read and edited more than 1,500 dissertations in the social and behavioral sciences. In an earlier career he was a social worker with migrant farmworkers and a community organizer.

In 2015, after 30 years of marriage, Jeff Zuckerman’s wife Leah experienced her first manic episode. A twisting four-year path begins with Jeff’s confusion and fear amidst Leah’s uncharacteristic — and undiagnosed — sleeplessness, grandiosity and rage. Leah is diagnosed with bipolar I disorder and, following her first psychiatric hospitalization, she crashes into a severe depression. As the cycle repeats itself, Jeff discovers deeper meaning from the ordeal, resulting in strengthened resilience and hope.

Please join us to hear Jeff read from his book describing his lived experience with experiencing and responding to his loved one’s mental health needs. There will be time for questions and we will also provide information about mental health resources in Cook County. It is essential that we all prioritize our mental health and stay connected with friends, family and peers. No one should feel alone in their mental health journey.

A native of Pittsburgh, Jeff earned a bachelor’s degree in English at Penn State University and master’s degrees in social work and in journalism at the University of Minnesota. For the past several years he has volunteered as a support-group facilitator with the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Jeff and his wife Leah have two married children and one toddler granddaughter, who delights them with her wry sense of humor and commitment to social justice.

Mental Health Awareness Month: When a loved one needs help, you need help - May 1, 2021 Article in the Star Tribune Written by Jeff Zuckerman

The free presentation is thanks to a partnership by Cook County Public Health & Human Services, Cook County Higher Education and North Shore Health

Register at: https://mycche.org/event/mental-health-awareness-month-sharing-a-lived-experience-of-resiliency-and-hope/

www.mycche.org | 218-387-3411 | office@mycche.org

Mental Health Resources:

24/7 Crisis Response - Birch Tree Center – 218-623-1800

MN Crisis Text Line – Text MN to 741 741

Cook County Public Health and Human Services – 218-387-3620

Grand Portage Human Services – 218-475-2453

Sawtooth Mountain Clinic – 218-387-2330