FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ALERT

DATE: MONDAY FEBRUARY 4, 2019*

TIME:  8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. 
DURING SCHOOLWIDE STUDENT ASSEMBLY
Interviews and photos before or after can be arranged

WHERE: JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM
1200 JACOB LANE CARMICHAEL, CA 95608

*Encore presentation for Jesuit parents will be held Monday, February 4, 2019, at 6:30 p.m.

Kevin Hines, a suicide survivor and author of “Cracked, Not Broken,” will share his story and how he learned to overcome mental illness at 8:00 a.m., Feb. 4, in the Father Barry Gymnasium on the Jesuit High School campus as the keynote speaker during Jesuit’s 12^th Annual Social Justice Summit.

Hines is among the one percent of known survivors who have attempted suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder before his jump, he learned how to live with the illness and became an activist for mental health. He has testified before the U.S. Congress in support of the Mental Health Parity Bill and presented at the White House Dialogue on Men’s Health in 2016.

Hines grew up in the Ingleside district of San Francisco, raised Irish Catholic by his adoptive parents. He attended St. Cecilia’s Interparochial Catholic School and Archbishop Riordan High School in San Francisco; he shared that his Catholic school experience will really allow him to connect and speak with personal understanding to the students at Jesuit.

Hines earned the Clifford W. Beers Award from Mental Health America, the Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Council of Behavioral Health, a Voice Awards Fellow and Award Winner from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and is an Achievement Winner by the U.S. Veterans Affairs Administration. He sits on the boards of the International Bipolar Foundation, the Bridge Rail Foundation and the Mental Health Association of San Francisco.

About the Annual Social Justice Summit

Jesuit High School (JHS) will host the 12th Annual Social Justice Summit, February 4-8, 2019 as part of the mission of forming young men of conscience, “Men for Others.”  The goal of these Summits is to help JHS students more deeply understand aspects of Catholic Social Teaching, engage in a conversation with that teaching, and formulate a more thoughtful personal position in response.

This year, the focus will be on Mental Health and Wellness; the week will be dedicated to thoughtful discussion and action on this topic through small group discussion, class assemblies, panel presentations, and activities. In addition to the keynote address by Kevin Hines, 12 guest speakers, as well as student leadership and peers, will engage the JHS student body in a wide range of topics including Mental Wellness and Military Service, Game Face Isn’t the Only Face, Mental Health and Homelessness: What’s the Connection, Suicide Awareness and Prevention, and The Bishops’ Call for Hope & Healing.

About the Jesuit Wellness Program

JHS understands that many members of the community struggle with mental health and are in need of support year-round. As part of the support to students dealing with these issues, JHS has recently implemented The Wellness Program on campus and developed an ongoing dialogue for students, faculty, and staff about health and wellness. In the tradition of cura personalis (care for the entire person), JHS recently welcomed a new Wellness Counselor to its team to be able to meet with students individually, in small groups, or when crisis intervention is needed.

“The Wellness Program is part of our outreach for students needing any additional support in mental health, meaning self-care,” said Director of Counseling Amanda Smith. “Jesuit recognizes there is a need for all teens across our country, and our campus is not different.”

About Jesuit High School

Jesuit High School (JHS) is a Sacramento regional Catholic high school that provides young men with a life-building experience. Founded in 1963, the school delivers an academically rigorous college preparatory education to graduates prepared for lives of leadership and service. Student enrollment is approximately 1070, representing diversity in geography, ethnicity, religious affiliation, and socioeconomic background. JHS draws from more than 90 zip codes throughout the Greater Sacramento Area, with 99% of graduates going on to college or university. JHS is home to one of the region’s most successful men’s athletic programs, visual and performing arts with more than 22 art offerings, robust honors and Advanced Placement® curriculum including the innovative international AP Capstone Diploma Program, an award-winning robotics program, and a club for every passion. A JHS education fosters a “Men for Others” culture, as students volunteer locally and all over the world, giving more than 27,000 hours annually, primarily to at-risk, underserved and homeless populations.

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Learn more about Jesuit High School at www.JesuitHighSchool.org