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BUCHANAN — One Buchanan, a local group committed to strengthening the city as a place of diversity and inclusion, will host part one of a mental health forum to discuss isolation and depression caused by the impact of COVID-19.

The free online event will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday on YouTube Live and Facebook Live. The event will be moderated by Harvey J. Burnett, Jr. who holds a Ph.D. in counseling psychology and a master’s of divinity from Andrews University and a bachelor’s of art in psychology from the University of Michigan-Dearborn. Three panelists will discuss the impact of the pandemic and offer solutions for residents to seek help now as well and to take heed of lessons learned during the pandemic to apply to the future.

To access the event on YouTube, visit: https://youtu.be/IKsLI9Kw_rg

To access the event of Facebook, visit: http://fb.me/e/1mJpA93rJ

Panelists include:

• Jose Gonzalez II, LPC, master’s level clinician and a sex positive sex therapist. He is a licensed professional counselor in Michigan and has been counseling since 2012. He completed a sexual health certificate program through the University of Michigan School of Social work in 2018.
• Vonetta McGinnis, M.S.W., L.M.S.W., is a licensed master social worker, and an adult, child, and family therapist. She is the owner and founder of Victory Counseling Services and said she has a unique approach to connecting with clients and motivating them towards mental, emotional, and behavioral change.
• Bernice Patterson, PhD, is a psychologist, speaker, consultant, preacher and author. She is the founder and CEO of Infinity Consultation Group, where she collaborates with clients to deliver workshops and seminars on challenging topics, including issues of cultural diversity and inclusion, self-care and burnout prevention, and mental health and spirituality.