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Junior hockey player Myles Mattila is a widely-recognized mental health ambassador

October 16th, 2017 | Posted by pfmarchive in uncategorized

picture 767people first media mixcloud18-year-old hockey player Myles Mattila has been recognized by the British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association for promoting education and awareness about mental health issues among young athletes

The death of Rick Rypien inspires mental health cause

picture 767aVancouver Canucks’ player Rick Rypien, suffering from depression, died by suicide on August 15, 2011

Myles Mattila “first became interested in mental health when he read a newspaper story about former Vancouver Canucks forward Rick Rypien, who suffered from clinical depression and took his own life in August 2011. That story led Mattila to mindcheck.ca, an organization that sprang from Rypien’s death and one that has become a valuable online resource for people coping with mental health issues. Mattila, who recognized first-hand the struggles being experienced by a friend and hockey teammate, became a spokesperson for mindcheck.ca.” [source: Prince George Citizen]

picture 767bMindRight is a mental health wellness program designed to educate Cariboo Cougar hockey players,
coaches, parents, and supporters about their mental health and the health of others

Myles has gone on to speak publicly on the topic of mental health among youth and athletes, and is now a spokesperson for the Cariboo Cougars hockey team’s program (and website) MindRight. MindRight is a mental health wellness program designed to educate Cariboo Cougar players, coaches, parents, and supporters about their mental health and the health of others. We aim to provide information about local resources available, and help players make connections with the services they might need. We are proud to work within the community of Prince George, BC and the surrounding areas to help reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.

Mattila was recognized in June 2017 by the British Columbia Amateur Hockey Association for promoting education and awareness about mental health issues among young athletes.

International Conference on Youth Mental Health

picture 767dMyles Mattila (right) with Jack.org founder Eric Windeler (left) at the 4th annual
International Conference on Youth Mental Health, in Dublin

Myles Mattila was recently in Dublin, Ireland, to participate in the 4th annual International Conference on Youth Mental Health. The conference’s parent organization, the International Association for Youth Mental Health, works to ensure that mental health services are developmentally and age appropriate, and that young people have an active voice in determining what is best for them.

We speak with Myles Mattila.

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Myles Mattila on Youtube


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