Musician/Rapper/Actor T.O.N.E.-z Shares his Talents and Inspiration at Suicide Prevention Conference September 11 th

(MERCERVILLE, September 2, 2018) – American musician, rapper and actor T.O.N.E.-z will perform at

Attitudes In Reverse^® (AIR™) and the New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, Inc.’s (NJAMHAA’s) Sixth Annual National Suicide Prevention Day Conference, Back to School: Building Youths’ Resiliency, on September 11, 2018 at Carrier Clinic, 252 County Route 601, Belle Mead, NJ. The event is co-sponsored by Carrier Clinic and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – New Jersey Chapter.

 

T.O.N.E.-z is best known for his Emmy nomination for the theme song to the FX Network drama series Justified, produced by Gangstagrass, in the original main title theme music in 2010. All of his songs are personal and many relate to his experiences as an abused child and the impact they had on his mental health.

 

"Music and poetry are therapy for me," T.O.N.E.-z said. "Communication is essential. Even when I'm recording, I'm talking to myself."

 

"You can't run from yourself and whatever's bothering you. You need to channel your energy into something to prevent it from leading to hurting yourself. It could be exercise. You don't have to be an artist," he said.

 

T.O.N.E.-z’s acting career included a recurring character role in season 4 of Justified. He also appeared in I Chose Life: Stories of Suicide & Survival, a feature film produced by independent filmmaker Jacqui Blue with the goal of increasing suicide awareness.

 

In fact, a social media post about this documentary by AIR Co-founder Tricia Baker led to T.O.N.E.-z’s connection with AIR. “I saw that AIR is actually doing stuff, making moves - not just making posts,” he said, adding that this inspires him to stay involved with AIR. “I'll make myself available any way I can.”

 

Who Should Attend

 

School administrators, faculty and staff; providers in general and behavioral health care; and others who have children and/or work with youth are strongly encouraged to attend this conference.

 

To register for this event, visit the Events page of www.njamhaa.org.

 

 

The New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addiction Agencies, Inc. (NJAMHAA) is a statewide trade association representing nearly 150 organizations that serve New Jersey residents with mental illness and/or substance use disorders, and their families.  Our members – nearly 98 percent of behavioral healthcare providers in New Jersey – may be found in every county and almost every community statewide. They serve more than 500,000 children and adults each year and contribute to the economy through 61,000 direct and indirect jobs. NJAMHAA’s mission is to promote the value of its members as the highest quality behavioral healthcare providers for the residents of New Jersey through advocacy and professional development.

 

Attitudes In Reverse^® (AIR™) was founded in 2010 by Tricia, Kurt and Katelyn Baker in response to the death of their son and brother, Kenny, by suicide on May 19, 2009 and the discrimination they faced immediately following Kenny’s death. AIR’s mission is to eliminate stigma and prevent suicide through education about mental health and related disorders. As most mental health disorders develop between the ages of 14 and 24, AIR focuses on students in middle and high schools, colleges and universities. Since the first Coming Up for AIR™ presentation in January 2011, AIR has presented to more than 70,000 students throughout New Jersey and in seven other states across the nation. AIR teaches the signs and symptoms of mental health disorders and encourages students to speak up and ask for help when needed. AIR also recognizes the importance of talking to students at younger ages and has developed elementary level programs discussing brain health resiliency and coping strategies. AIR also offers Youth Mental Health First Aid to provide individuals who have and/or work with children the knowledge and skills to recognize when youth are experiencing mental health crises, intervene effectively and connect students to mental health services if deemed necessary. Lunch and learn sessions are also available for businesses. For more information, please visit www.attitudesinreverse.org, write to info@attitudesinreverse.org or call 609-945-3200.

 

Carrier Clinic a private, not-for-profit, behavioral healthcare system, has been a trusted source of compassionate help and supportive healing for patients and their families since we opened our doors in 1910. Carrier Clinic specializes in psychiatric and substance abuse addiction treatment, and provides a complete array of expert care and education for adolescents, adults, and older adults on the inpatient and residential levels. Carrier Clinic’s comprehensive array of specialized services includes: general adult psychiatric, adolescent, geriatric, dual diagnosis, residential, and educational services. Inpatient detoxification and rehabilitation treatment and intensive addiction outpatient services are also available for adults. Outpatient services are provided for ECT treatment and drug abuse addiction. Treatment is covered by most insurance plans. To make a referral, call Carrier Clinic at 800-933-3579. For additional information on Carrier Clinic’s programs and services and to see our new building and facility upgrades, visit CarrierClinic.org.

 

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) was established in 1987. It is a voluntary health organization that gives those affected by suicide a nationwide community empowered by research, education and advocacy to take action against this leading cause of death. AFSP is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that’s smart about mental health by engaging in the following core strategies: funding scientific research; educating the public about mental health and suicide prevention; advocating for public policies in mental health and suicide prevention; and supporting survivors of suicide loss and those affected by suicide in our mission. AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states with programs and events nationwide.