LAKERS ASSISTANT COACH JD DUBOIS HELD A NBA ALL STAR MENTAL WELLNESS PANEL FOR HIS NONPROFIT EVERYONE HAS A STORY

Published on February 21st, 2023 | by Cece Lewis

LAKERS ASSISTANT COACH JD DUBOIS HELD NBA ALL STAR MENTAL WELLNESS PANEL FOR HIS NONPROFIT EVERYONE HAS A STORY.

LA Lakers Assistant Coach JD DuBois held his mental wellness panel #TheRightConversation at the University of Utah on Friday, February 17th. Panelists included JD DuBois (Lakers Assistant Coach), Frank Jackson (NBA Player), Kayce K. (NBA/WNBA Freelance Host), Cuffs the Legend (NBA Insider), Dr. William Smith (Chief Executive of the Utah Mental Health Institute) and Dr. Corey Yeager (Pistons Life Coach). The packed-out event was free to the public and hosted by Rachel Jackson, who works for YouTube Music’s Partnership team. The panel opened with a mindfulness exercise led by Professional Yoga Instructor Kera Thompson.

“It was a full circle moment to be able to come back to SLC where we first started EHAS and hosted our first The Right Conversation Mental Wellness panel with Dr. Yeager. This Conversation ranged from how to handle the pressures of finals as a student, to grief and loss connected with losing a parent, and many other inspiring discussions throughout the evening,” said DuBois.

The event included a panel series, a Q&A session, and a post-event networking mixer. As guests walked into the venue they were greeted with a large sign that stated “The space you are entering is a safe space,” and for many, it was just that. People from all walks of life, age groups, students, and local and non-local residents were in attendance. While many guests asked questions regarding wellness practices and techniques, others shared heartfelt stories such as one mother who lost her son to suicide just 3 weeks ago.

The event became a full-circle moment for DuBois. He played college ball at the University of Utah before he founded Everyone had a story in 2016. The non-profit organization was created to advance and normalize the conversation around mental wellness in black and brown youth one story at a time, through service, outreach, and education. EHAS focuses on uniting sports environments to advocate for research, education, and advocacy for community investment in mental health. EHAS believes real change starts with collaboration and trusted partnerships to build mental wellness for youth and families. EHAS offers high-quality youth programs, counseling services, parenting support, and community leadership development to educate the public about the myths of mental illness and eradicate stigma. To date, EHAS has helped more than 4,000 people through programs that assist with social and emotional learning, psychoeducation, critical thinking, financial literacy, connection to the African Diaspora, and more.

The Huntsman Mental Health Institute (HMHI) partnered with DuBois on the event and Liz Prince who serves as the Associate Athletics Director for Sports Administration and Student-Athlete well-being led the production of the event alongside Thyra Busch.

HMHI was established in 2021 following the Huntsman Foundation’s historic gift of $150 million to the University of Utah. HMHI is a university-wide Institute with a reputation throughout the Mountain West as a leader in advanced psychiatric treatment and care, serving a diverse population from young children to geriatric patients. Researchers at HMHI develop and apply the most advanced methods in genetics, imaging, epidemiology, and big data analysis. HMHI is also the regional training center for psychiatry and other mental health disciplines. HMHI’s main 170-bed full-service hospital is adjacent to the University of Utah campus, and HMHI’s 1,644 faculty, staff, and students provide clinical, research, and training programs in more than 20 locations across Utah and Idaho.

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