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cropped view of people stacking hands during group therapy session
cropped view of people stacking hands during group therapy session
A group of people from the Leadership Hoover Class of 2025 has created a new initiative designed to help address the pressing mental health issues people are facing today.
The initiative, called HooverTogether, includes a website with resources and a series of community workshops, with the first one being Tuesday, Sept. 16, in the banquet room at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
The Sept. 16 workshop, which starts at 6 p.m., is called “StrongerTogether: a Conversation on Mental Health, Mental Wellness and Suicide.” It will focus on the increasing number of children and young people who are dealing with overwhelming levels of mental health issues. The workshop will include presentations by local psychiatrist Dr. Leesha Ellis-Cox and Meesha Emmett, the Alabama area director for The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. There will be additional time for questions and answers.
The website — hoovertogether.org — includes a comprehensive resource library that provides guidance on depression, anxiety, suicide prevention, self-harm, post traumatic stress disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, bullying, digital safety, sexual assault and crisis hotlines.
There also is a vetted list of local agencies and counseling centers that provide assistance to people dealing with mental health issues.
The board of directors for HooverTogether includes: President Ann Marie Harvey, Vice President/Treasurer Tracy True Dismukes, Secretary Tony Halsey, Technology Chairman Alan West, Compliance Chairwoman Caroline Hollingsworth and Public Relations Chairman Miguel Vilchez.
“We built HooverTogether to give every resident — families, educators, individuals —a welcoming and easy way to find help when they need it most,” Harvey said in a news release. “In times of crisis or uncertainty, knowing where to turn can truly change outcomes. Our goal is to ensure no one in Hoover ever feels alone or lost.”
Having everything in one place — rather than having to hunt for the information across multiple sites — makes seeking help feel more accessible and less overwhelming, True Dismukes said.
Learn more at hoovertogether.org.
