Matt Gesicki is currently Community Outreach and Education Coordinator with NAMI Greater Cleveland, where he is responsible for organizing community outreach and educational initiatives on the topic of mental health to college students, law enforcement, faith communities, healthcare workers, community organizations, and other professionals. He is also responsible for coordinating the peer and family/caregiver volunteer presenters of the NAMI Greater Cleveland Speakers Bureau program. His previous professional experience includes roles in hospice and palliative care and higher education administration.

Matt is currently completing his Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Cleveland State University, with a projected graduation date of May 2025. In 2023, he completed certification as a spiritual director through the Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center. In 2018, he earned a Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary in New York City, where he studied Psychology and Religion. In 2014 he earned a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude in English Literature and Religion from Baldwin Wallace University.

 

Matt will be providing an overview of signs and symptoms of common mental disorders, reduces stigma by sharing facts about mental health, highlights coping strategies and how to manage a crisis, and outlines strategies for communicating with more empathy with individuals with mental illness in one’s personal or professional life.