Kickback puts focus on mental health

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A Brant-based initiative wants to hear your story of mental health and resilience for its 10th annual special.

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On the third Monday of each January — a day commonly known as “blue Monday” — a six-hour mental-health special on Rogers TV aims to destigmatize mental health.

Kickback is “really about showing people that they’re not alone and shining a nice, bright light on what seems to be a very stigmatized and dark subject,” Ben Strasser told The Spectator.

Since co-founding the initiative a decade ago, Strasser has facilitated over 70 hours of honest conversations, advocacy and personal stories from more than 200 community members, organizations and public figures, like Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea and sports journalist Michael Landsberg.

But Strasser wants to ensure he’s always “moving the needle.”

What that looked like last year was seeing more men come forward with vulnerability to share personal accounts of addictions, depression and homelessness — something Strasser hadn’t seen much of in previous years.

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“I had numerous men reach out to me and say, ‘We’d love to be involved. How can we do this? What can we do?’ And then I had other men reach out and say, ‘You know what, I have no interest in being recorded and showing my story, but I just want to tell you I appreciate what you’re doing,’” he said.

“It’s really been incredible to see that.”

For this year’s broadcast, Strasser is working with several themes — mental health for men, women, children and family; grief and bereavement; substance use and addiction; and an “actionable piece” looking at ways people can make a difference.

If you have a story to share, email [email protected].

Strasser is interested in hearing all stories — not just from residents of Brantford-Brant.

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But there’s one person in particular he would love to hear from: following his speech at the end of Game 7 of the MLB World Series, Blue Jay Ernie Clement.

“He was talking about crying and he thought he had got all his tears out, and just how much he loves his teammates, just the vulnerability that he showed in that moment is 100 per cent what we need to see more of, and especially in sports,” Strasser said.

This year, the Brant Haldimand Norfolk branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association has come on as the presenting sponsor, and community businesses are showing support as well, which Strasser is hoping will allow Kickback to have a larger reach.

“I’m really, really excited about this year,” he said.

Celeste Percy-Beauregard is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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