Ask the Experts
Ask the Experts is where attendees are empowered to engage directly with knowledgeable professionals in the field. This interactive segment invites participants to traverse through a diverse array of subject areas.
The premise is simple yet effective: get your bingo card at check-in, festival-goers traverse the festival grounds, seeking out experts stationed at designated booths. With each encounter, attendees delve into discussions, posing questions, and absorbing invaluable advice and information. As they engage, their bingo cards are checked off.
The quest for knowledge and understanding unfolds amidst a backdrop of camaraderie and empowerment, as individuals gain insight from seasoned professionals. Whether grappling with personal challenges, seeking clarification on mental health topics, or simply curious to expand their understanding, participants find themselves immersed in a dynamic exchange of ideas and expertise.
Upon completing their bingo cards, attendees can return to the ICS hub, armed not only with newfound knowledge but also with a tangible reward—a prize that symbolizes their journey of exploration and growth. "Ask the Experts" transcends mere information-sharing; it embodies a collective commitment to fostering understanding, resilience, and support within our community, one conversation at a time.
Meet our Experts
Dr. Nathan J. Sessoms -Anti-Racist Brain
Dr. Nathan J. Sessoms is the Principal & CEO of Success Beyond Measure, Incorporated, a Diversity & Educational Equity consulting firm that provides support to community-based and non-profit organizations, for-profit entities, and academic institutions interested in combating systemic racism and creating equitable outcomes for all. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, he has conducted research on race relations at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, contributed to several National Science Foundation-funded reports, and published in several peer-reviewed journals, including Urban Geography, The Professional Geographer, and Kalfou. Dr. Sessoms is the former director of the Office of Black Student Services at Loyola Marymount University, where he also worked closely with the University’s Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Jewish, Muslim, and LGBTQIA communities while assisting the campus community in navigating the realities of race and racism. He continues to serve as a Clinical Assistant Professor in LMU’s Department of Sociology.
Josh Roberts: Neuro Diversity
He was born and raised in South Africa, and then traveled to over 24 countries, living and working in many of them. He claims, though, that the most fascinating place he explored is the mysterious terrain of his own mind. He actively uses his lived experience of being diagnosed bipolar type 1 in combination with his education (BA in Psychology from the University of South Africa and MA in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena) to integrate mental health and faith. He has opportunities to do this, as well as to contribute towards ushering in new paradigms for mental health diagnoses, in his work for MHS IHOT North as a Peer Support Specialist serving treatment resistant individuals with diagnoses, as well as through his roles with NAMI and Agile Restoration.
Jake McCook, Laurette McCook,The Cliffs of Schizophrenia
Jake McCook is a multi-talented artist and accomplished video editor. His journey through the world of visual arts led him to the Los Angeles Film School Graduate Program and Video Symphony's Avid Professional Program. In 2007, his talent was recognized when he won the Best Editor award at the Elevate Film Festival for a music video. Currently, he continues his artistic pursuits by studying under the guidance of Tom Wudl. Notably, his drawings were featured in a downtown Los Angeles exhibition last year. "The Cliffs of Schizophrenia" marks his foray into the world of literature, offering a unique perspective on mental health and resilience. * Laurette McCook is a writer, and former television actress best known as “Cassiopea” in the original Battlestar Galactica. She recently completed her novel “A Tempest in the Blood” and hopes to publish it sometime early next year. She volunteers each week in the ER at Providence Tarzana Hospital, as well as 20 years at the Getty Center Museum in Los Angeles.
Interfaith Community Services Chaplains
Interfaith Community Services has a chaplaincy program that assists in addressing the spiritual needs of the clients. Whole-person wellness is a key focus in providing social services and mental health support. While whole-person wellness typically focuses on the mind and body, there is also a component of spiritual wellness that our Chaplains work to support as they support individuals in building a foundation for their progress. Our chaplains represent a variety of religions and denominations in order to meet people wherever they may be spiritually and they are happy to engage in conversation about how spirituality can be used to support your mental health.
