In this episode, Bassam and Lana engage in a candid discussion on Suicide Awareness with local counselor Jamal Nesbitt.

Jamal Nesbitt believes that human beings are social and love environments that make them feel valuable, understood, and protected.

Hailing from Andros, Bahamas, he completed his master’s degree in counseling at Bethune-Cookman University in 2017. Jamal moved to Nashville, TN in 2019 after living in Daytona Beach for 9 years. Here in Nashville, he provides individuals and couples with the tools to create a healthy environment internal and externally. Jamal’s goal is to help people build healthy relationships, break through anxiety, leave the feeling of worthlessness behind, and build a life of stability. 

Jamal has worked with overwhelmed parents, unhappy couples, and anxious entrepreneurs to discover their inner peace so that they can create balance within their homes, joy in their relationships, and feel a sense of purpose in their professional careers.

Resources

All of the following provide crisis services for children and youth in Tennessee. Emergency counselors (triage specialists) handle calls 24/7 through their regional hotline and determine an appropriate response:

Youth Villages - https://youthvillages.org/services/specialized-crisis-services/ 
(866) 791-9221 (North Middle TN)
(866) 791-9222 (South Middle TN)
(866) 791-9227 (Rural West TN)
(866) 791-9226 (Memphis Region)
(866) 791-9224 (East Region)
(866) 791-9225 (Southeast Region)

Mental Health Cooperative - https://www.mhc-tn.org/  
(615) 726-0125 (Davidson County)

Frontier Health - https://www.frontierhealth.org/  
(877) 928-9062 (Upper East TN)

Helen Ross McNabb Center - https://mcnabbcenter.org/mental-health-care/ 
(865) 539-2409 (East TN)
(800) 826-6881 (Toll Free)

Throughout the state, specialized Crisis Services staff assess and evaluate children and youth, up to age 18, who are experiencing a psychiatric emergency.
If a child or youth under age 18 is experiencing a mental health crisis, please call the statewide crisis line or the regional phone number in your area. Your call will be routed to a crisis specialist for help.
24/7 STATEWIDE CRISIS LINE:  855-274-7471 (855-CRISIS-1)
tn.gov/behavioral-health/crisis-services

The Tennessee Statewide Crisis Line— available 24 hours/ day, 365 days/ year— is a resource for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis. All calls are routed to a trained crisis counselor in your area, who will provide you support and guidance, and work to connect you with appropriate community supports. 
This service is free! Call 855-CRISIS-1 (855-274-7471).

Are you or someone you know experiencing feelings such as:

• Sadness or loneliness
• Depression, Mood swings, Desperation
• Anxiety
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Powerless over drugs or alcohol
• Hearing voices or seeing things that others don’t
• Thoughts of harming yourself or others 
• Racing thoughts, or thoughts of helplessness
• Thoughts that others are out to harm you

Call the TN Statewide Crisis Line to help yourself or someone you know in a crisis: