Meet the newly-appointed treasurer of the Flinn Foundation Board of Trustees.
When Victor Hicks II, the newly appointed treasurer on the Flinn Foundation’s Board of Trustees, was growing up, mental illness was not openly discussed.
“Growing up in the black community, mental illness was not a thing. It was not accepted. But I always saw people having problems, though not necessarily directed to resources,” Hicks says. “My wife helped me see this because in her family, they did grow up acknowledging mental illness and she has a history of mental illness on her side of the family.”
Today, access to mental health resources and the stigma surrounding mental illness still impact the Black community, but Hicks is hoping to change that through his work with the Flinn Foundation.
Here, Hicks shares about his journey to Flinn and how he keeps himself grounded when life gets tough.
Hicks, a Romulus native, graduated from the University of Michigan’s Ross Business School and has been a certified financial planner since 1995. He was the first person in his family to graduate college, and he’s been the owner and managing principal of Lumin Financial, LLC since 1998. He spends his days helping clients plan for their futures.
“We essentially have two types of clients. They are either individuals and their families, or they are small businesses,” Hicks says of his company. “For our individuals, we would work to help you accomplish all your personal financial goals and to save for retirement, so you can live on your terms.” He even assists with estate planning.
Hicks is passionate about his work, and he wanted to be able to put his professional skills to use serving the community. That’s where his work with the Flinn Foundation began.
After meeting Flinn board member Duane Tarnacki through a mutual client, Hicks recognized an opportunity to bring both is personal and professional background together to help a cause that mattered to him.
“I’m passionate about what we do at the Flinn Foundation because it’s serving people first. Mental health is important to my family, my friends and so many people.”
When Hicks isn’t working with clients at Lumin Financial, LLC, or serving on the Flinn Foundation Board of Trustees, he is spending time with family and friends, watching sports — football is his favorite — and catching up on his favorite shows. While he loves to laugh, Hicks admits he rarely watches comedies and prefers procedural crime dramas like NCIS, which is his favorite show.
Hicks understands the importance of keeping himself grounded when life gets hectic. He finds peace through yoga, taking walks around the neighborhood and chatting with a confidant. He and his wife, Emily, love spending time on the water, too. The couple, who has been married for 32 years and have a 30-year-old son and 27-year-old daughter, love visiting Lake Michigan or simply hanging out by their pool at home.
“I love being around water for some peace and balance,” he says.
When it comes to protecting his own mental health, Hicks says, “I work at avoiding or minimizing my time around negative people, toxic people. I like to increase how much time I spend around people who are compassionate, who are loving, who are caring.”
When life is hard, Hicks says faith and thinking positively helps him — and can help others, too.
“We are either in a storm, going into a storm or coming out of a storm. We are usually in one of those three positions,” he says. “Life does get hard, but I would encourage people to get themselves connected with the right people, the right resources. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.”
Changes in behavior and mood could be a sign your child is struggling with suicidal thoughts.
Losing a child to suicide is a parent’s worst nightmare. Yet, each year 5,000 families mourn the death of their children to suicide.
The risk of suicide, which is the third leading cause of death among those ages 15-24, has increased in the past 12 years. In fact, back in 2011, 16% of high schoolers reported serious thoughts of suicide in the last year. That number rose to 22% in 2021, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which was released in March 2023.
Why the uptick?
“A lot of the teens that I work with that do have suicidal ideations, a lot of it is due to stressors at home and at school,” Cassidy Slade, Psy.D., LLP, of the Murray Center for Behavioral Wellness, tells Metro Parent in the May/June article on warning signs of youth suicide.
From academic stress to bullying to the pressure of meeting their parents’ expectations, kids are struggling and many are suffering from depression, which can manifest in a depressed mood, eating changes, low motivation and for some, anger and irritability.
While depression is a risk factor for suicide, there are many warning signs to look out for, Slade notes, including isolation, impulsivity, and making statements such as, “I would be better off dead.”
As parents, you may not know where to turn for help. That’s where a mental health professional comes in. He or she can help guide you and help assess your child’s suicide risk. In doing so, Slade says there are three things to consider: plan, access and intent, Slade says. Do they have a plan? Do they have access to that plan? Do they want to act on the plan?
Safety plans, which vary depending on the child, can then be put into place to help kids cope at home and avoid hospitalization, which may be needed for some.
“When it comes to the safety plan, we are just trying to put some time in between having this thought and getting a material or item to act on this thought,” Slade says.
For more information on the warning signs of youth suicide and how to help your child, read the full article at MetroParent.com.
The Ethel and James Flinn Foundation is pleased to announce that we are accepting proposals from non-profit organizations that deliver mental health care and services in southeast Michigan (Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw).
All applications must be submitted through our Online Grant Application Process which is accessible directly from our website
A tutorial is available to help familiarize you with the process
The deadline for all applications was Thursday, June 29, 2023 – before 4:00PM
Please click on the following Request for Proposals (RFPs) links for details:
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES – ADULTS
EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES – CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE
CAPACITY BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES
MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS, EDUCATION AND OUTREACH MINI-GRANTS PROGRAM
The Ethel and James Flinn Foundation is proud to announce new Board appointments among its Board of Trustees. Susan Perlin is the Vice Chairman, Victor Hicks II is the Treasurer and the Honorable Freddie G. Burton, Jr. has been appointed Chairman of the Board.
“We are so pleased to have these incredible professionals help us with our mission to improve mental health awareness and access in southeast Michigan,” said Andrea Cole, Flinn’s President and CEO, who was also appointed Board Secretary.
Susan B. Perlin, CPA, is a retired partner at Plante Moran, one of the country’s largest public accounting and business advisory firms. Perlin was the leader of Plante Moran’s not-for-profit industry group and has 38 years of experience serving nonprofit organizations.
“The Foundation was a client of mine when I was with Plante Moran,” Perlin said, “and I always admired the work the Foundation was doing and the active engagement of all of the Board members.”
Victor H. Hicks II is the Owner and Managing Principal of Lumin Financial, LLC. He’s been a certified financial planner since 1995, specializing in running employee benefits plans and managing retirement assets.
“We’re excited to have Sue and Victor step up into these new roles on our Board,” Cole said. “And Judge Burton has been a long-time partner in our mental health advocacy mission. His appointment to Chairman of the Board is a natural progression of his dedicated service.”
Judge Burton has been a member of the Wayne County Probate Court since 1987 and served as Chief Judge from 1990 through 1997. He has partnered with the Flinn Foundation on the Wayne County Jail Mental Health Initiative, which works to get nonviolent offenders mental health assistance instead of incarceration.
“I am honored to be the Chairman of the Board,” Burton said. “The Board members bring diverse skills with mutual focus on the Flinn mission. This combination gives me great confidence that we are moving in the right direction for the delivery of better mental health services in our community.”
Burton replaces Duane L. Tarnacki, one of the state’s top nonprofit attorneys, as Chairman of the Board.
“Duane is one the foundation’s longest-serving Board members, and we thank him for his exceptional leadership and continued dedication,” Cole said. “We’re grateful he’s still a Flinn Board trustee. We are grateful to all of our trustees for their generosity in offering their time and talents to our organization and its important work.”
Does bullying contribute to youth suicide? It’s not as simple as you think, says a local expert.
Bullies have been lurking in school hallways and on playgrounds forever, and while bullying is nothing new, the places where it takes place have expanded online. In fact, dosomething.org notes that 37% of kids ages 12-17 have been victims of cyberbullying.
“More than half of my patients have had some bullying throughout their young lives,” Gigi Colombini, a psychotherapist and founder of the Institute for Hope and Human Flourishing, tells Metro Parent in its March/April 2023 article “Does Bullying Contribute to Youth Suicide?,” which is part of a special 2023 content series sponsored by the Flinn Foundation.
Bullying can still look the way it did years ago, such as being called names, pushing and being left out. No matter how the bullying happens (whether it’s in-person or online), it can seriously impact a child’s mental health.
But can it cause a child to commit suicide? Don’t be so quick to assume that, Colombini urges.
“It’s a risk factor. It’s not a warning sign,” Colombini says. “If somebody is already suicidal and then they start being bullied, the risk will increase because that’s another disempowerment, another stressor, another thing they feel hopeless about.”
Children who have been both the bully and the bullied are at the most risk in terms of suicide-related behavior.
If your child is bullying someone at school, start asking questions: What was going on inside of you? What can you do to help yourself feel better? You ultimately want them to strive to behave better.
When it comes to a child who is being bullied, keep an eye out for shifts in behavior, including acting out, not wanting to go to school, complaining of stomach aches and headaches to get out of class and more.
If you see any shifts, ask your child if there is anyone you’re having a hard time with. Listen, and then ultimately get in touch with the school. It’s essential to work together with your child’s school, Colombini says.
For even more insight and advice on how bullying impacts youth suicide, read the full article at MetroParent.com.
Why does youth suicide happen? A southeast Michigan expert offers insight.
“Why?”
It’s a question that plagues parents of children who die of suicide — the second leading cause of death among kids ages 10-14 and the third leading cause of death among those 15-24, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
While every person’s situation is unique, there are some common themes when it comes to youth suicide, Chelsea Zuteck, a licensed clinical social worker at Horizon Counseling Center, tells Metro Parent in its January/February 2023 article “Why Youth Suicide Happens,” which is part of a special 2023 content series sponsored by the Flinn Foundation.
“As a broad statement, I would say that sometimes teenagers have trouble with coping with stressors that may be associated with being a teen such as dealing with rejection, failure, breakups, school difficulties, things like that,” she says.
Because the brain’s frontal lobe, which is its impulse control center, doesn’t develop until the mid-20s, brain development can play a role in youth suicide, as well. Other factors that increase the risk of youth include substance abuse, trauma, bullying and lack of access to mental health care, among others.
Zuteck advises parents to keep an eye out for any changes in their child’s behavior. If he or she is withdrawing, giving away belongings or making statements like, “I wish I wasn’t here anymore,” or, “The world would be better off without me,” he or she could be contemplating suicide.
Don’t ignore the signs, Zuteck suggests. Talk, talk and talk some more. Begin a conversation with your child about mental health and suicide. Share your own experiences (perhaps you’ve seen a therapist in the past or have struggled with your own mental health issues) and consider having your child work with a therapist.
“I think it’s good to have someone unbiased who is there to listen to you, hear your perspective,” she says.
For even more insight and advice on how to help your child who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide, read the full article at MetroParent.com.
With the help of the Flinn Foundation, this organization has been able to expand access to behavioral health treatment to clients suffering from addiction and mental illness.
Everyone deserves a chance to turn their life around, and with the help of Mariners Inn, that’s exactly what those struggling with substance abuse and homelessness receive.
“Mariners Inn is a substance abuse treatment and recovery center for homeless men. That was our original mission,” says David Sampson, the CEO of Mariners Inn. “We have since evolved based on some of the things that are going on now, but our goal is to help those who are struggling with the disease of addiction and homelessness develop some tools and coping mechanisms to re-enter society clean and sober regain their dignity and respect in the community, more importantly with their family and their friends.”
Recently, Mariners Inn took an important step in expanding its services to treat women who are homeless and struggling with addiction, as well. The organization broke ground on a new building in Detroit that will include services for female patients. The $24 million project will also include recovery housing apartments, therapy and job training.
About a decade ago, Mariners Inn turned to the Flinn Foundation for some help with an initiative that focused on the mental health of the people they serve. During studies and assessments, Sampson says, the group discovered that many of those they served had co-occurring disorders, meaning they are dealing with addiction coupled with mental health issues. Mariners Inn wanted to help, so they applied to get a grant to hire a cooccurring disorders therapist to work with the men they serve. They were successful in doing so, and every year since then they have applied for different funding related to mental health issues.
“Flinn Foundation’s support will allow Mariners to expand their residential treatment services for those dealing with addiction,” says Andrea Cole, Flinn Foundation’s executive director and CEO.
Grants were used to secure a psychiatrist to provide additional services to the people that they serve but to also help apply for additional funding.
“They helped us with the seed money to go out and find a psychiatrist to No. 1 assess our current population and No. 2 to help us apply for other funding to third party payers and things of that nature,” he says.
“The other one, which was a very important grant to follow up and follow through on, was a nurse practitioner that dealt with mental health and substance abuse and could also be the right hand or liaison to the current psychiatrist,” he adds.
These initiatives have been a success, Sampson notes, and it would not have been done without the help of the Flinn Foundation,
“That partnership has meant the world to us and to have that connection means that much more, and the reason I speak about that connection is because of our relationship and my relationship really with Andrea Cole, who I think is a dynamic leader. I think her foresight into mental health and helping those agencies who subscribe to treating mental health, I think her work and ambassadorship with them is phenomenal,” he says. “And we wouldn’t be where we are today if it had not been for the support and belief in our mission that Andrea and the Flinn Foundation has in us.”
Each year, the Ethel & James Flinn Foundation provides grants to southeast Michigan organizations who are doing their part to promote mental health awareness, access and understanding. For application information, visit the Flinn Foundation’s grant application information page.
The Ethel and James Flinn Foundation partners with Metro Parent to create a year-long series of articles promoting mental health awareness and understanding. We invite you to read the current article, Practical Ways to Handle Toxic Family.
To follow the series, go to www.metroparent.com. We encourage you to contact us with questions or comments.