‘Shattering Myths: Men, Boys, and Mental Health,’ the Focus of Eighth Annual Conference Hosted by the Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health Education at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, May 31

Event to Feature Remarks by Rabbi Capers Funnye, Profiled in The New York Times as “Obama’s Rabbi”

CHICAGO, April 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — According to the National Institute of Mental Health, it is estimated that 6 million American men will be diagnosed with depressive disorder in any given year and many have suffered silently. Four times as many men as women commit suicide. These critical issues and others will be the subject of “Shattering Myths: Men, Boys, and Mental Health,” the Eighth Annual Community Mental Health Conference presented by the Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute of Mental Health Education at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

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The program will take place from 12:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 31, at Beth Emet the Free Synagogue, 1224 Dempster St., Evanston, Ill. This year’s panelists and discussion groups will present facts and address many critical issues. Confirmed speakers include:

• Melvin G. McInnis, M.D., Woodworth Professor of Bipolar Disorder and Depression at the University of Michigan, where he also is a professor of psychiatry and associate director of the Depression Center. Dr. McInnis has written extensively and is known internationally as an expert in the field.
• Ronald Levant, Ed.D., ABBP, dean and professor of psychology at the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Akron. Dr. Levant is past president of the American Psychology Association and has appeared in a number of television and radio shows including 20/20, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Nightline.
• Joseph Rogers, president and CEO of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania. At age 19, Rogers was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and is currently diagnosed with bipolar depression.
• Closing remarks will be made by Rabbi Capers Funnye, spiritual leader of Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago. Rabbi Funnye was featured April 5, 2009, in a New York Times Magazine story titled “Obama’s Rabbi.”

The 2009 conference is open to the public and is expected to draw more than 300 attendees, including medical and health care professionals, community leaders, affected family members, and others. Included in the day’s activities are 12 discussion group sessions led by professionals and experts in their respective fields of mental illness. Cost of the program is $30 before May 25, $35 afterward. Scholarships to attend the conference are available.

The conference is made possible by the Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health Education at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. The institute is a nonprofit organization that promotes educational programs, supports organizations engaged in mental health research, self-help, anti-discrimination and advocacy.

About The Chicago School of Professional Psychology:

Founded in 1979, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is the nation’s leading nonprofit graduate university exclusively dedicated to the applications of psychology and related behavioral sciences. The Chicago School’s community service initiatives resulted in recognition on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to disadvantaged youth.

For more information about the event, call the conference hotline at 312.467.2552 or visit www.naomicohenfoundation.org.

For more information about The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, visit www.thechicagoschool.edu.

To connect with a Chicago School expert on depression, suicide, mental illness, or other psychology-related topic, contact Matt Nehmer at 312.329.6672, mnehmer@thechicagoschool.edu.

SOURCE Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health Education at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology