In this episode, our guest is Cortez Patton - a 17 year old entrepreneur in the 12th grade; born and raised in West Philadelphia. He started to pay more attention to the importance of mental health after he began to see people close to him struggling. Even though he had dealt with his own mental health, he hadn't truly understood the importance until he really saw the people he cared about struggling. So, since he likes seeing people happy and coming together, he started a event called Philly Showcase, which is  a talent show to highlight the unique talent within teens in Philadelphia, but the main goal is to raise awareness about teen mental health. He believes that teen mental health often gets overlooked and so now it’s time to END THE SILENCE! Cortez believes that his past has led him to do great things in life and that while he may not be THE change, he can be at least 1% of it!

To find out more about Cortez... stay tuned for Part 2 of his story in the coming weeks! And in the meantime, check him out online at:

Instagram: @_.Moetez._ or @philly.showcase

His website: www.thephillyshowcase.com - where you can find out more details about his upcoming events and other places to find him online!

The YANApodcast:

Instagram: @the_yanapodcast 

New episodes every Tuesday!

NAMI Philly:

Instagram: @NAMIPhiladelphia or @namiphilly_ETS

Website: www.namiphilly.org 

NAMI Philadelphia Warmline: 267.687.4381 OPTION 1

CRISIS RESOURCES:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800) 273-TALK (8255)

Crisis Text Line is a free, 24/7 support for those in any type of crisis. If you text, “NAMI” to 741741 from anywhere in the United States you will be connected to a trained Crisis Counselor.

Philadelphia Suicide and Crisis Intervention Hotline (215) 686-4420

SAMHSA (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration): 1-800-662-HELP (4357) - available 24/7 to help those suffering from addiction find immediate help.