To any outsider in his Massachusetts high school, star basketball player Chris Herren looked on top of the world, with broken records behind him and a promising career ahead of him. But what many did not know was that beneath his physical prowess was someone struggling with mental health challenges and substance use. 

In his return to Heart of the Matter, Chris connects with Elizabeth Vargas about parenting and the importance of focusing on our children’s social and emotional health as students across the nation return to school in the midst of a resurgence of COVID-19. The two also speak about the ripple effect of speaking up and why, as a former pro-athlete in recovery, Chris is inspired by Olympic gymnast Simone Biles’s stand against mental health stigma. 

Related reading: 

After you listen, explore these resources from Partnership to End Addiction to learn more about the topics and themes discussed in this episode:  

• School Stress: Raising Resilient, Self-Aware Kids 
• Worried About COVID-19, School and Substance Use? One of Our Specialists Offers Advice. 
• Words Matter: The Language of Addiction 

To learn more:
Partnership to End Addiction website
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