Since George Floyd’s death May 25 in Minneapolis, friends have been telling their own stories to Carmen White Janak in Tulsa.

“Things that I never knew happened to them,” Janak said Monday. “Things that they have been holding in for three, five, 10 years.”

To give others a similar chance to open up, Janak will host a weekly online support group “for people dealing with the trauma and stress related to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery and the ongoing crisis in America,” according to the Mental Health Association Oklahoma.

Janak has worked as a diversity, equity, and inclusion speaker and non-denominational minister for more than 30 years, the association said.

Weekly sessions will begin 7 p.m. June 15 with free access through ZOOM. More details can be found at mhaok.org/supportgroups.

“A lot of times people just want to be heard,” Janak said, “and know that somebody else is on the other side listening.”

For more immediate help, people can contact the Mental Health Assistance Center at 918-585-1213, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., or send emails to info@mhaok.org.

“I also want to spread the message that, yes, we should be outraged and saddened by the tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. And, yes, we must stand together and protest so tragedies like this never happen again,” said Mike Brose, CEO of the Mental Health Association.

“In addition, for the sake of individuals, families and communities across Oklahoma, our outrage and protests must stop short of violence of any kind.”

About OrionNet Systems

OrionNet is an Oklahoma small business founded in 2001. OrionNet has designed, developed and supported applications created both for the client-server and web environments, as well as developing, marketing and supporting a commercial application for the counseling centers industry.

Visit the OrionNet Systems’ website, www.iorion.com, or their social media pages, https://twitter.com/ThinkHealth & https://www.facebook.com/pages/OrionNet-Systems/139352156150090 for more information.

 ###