Breaking Barriers and Building Bridges – Part 2: Breaking the Silence

Sidney Hankerson, MD, MBA
Dr. Sidney Hankerson is Associate Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. His research is focused on reducing racial mental health treatment disparities by partnering with sports clubs, faith-based, and other community-based organizations.

He is Chair of the DOHMH Community Services Board and a member of the DOHMH Board of Health. Dr. Hankerson is a member of the National Football League’s (NFL) Mental Wellness Committee and is a Second Opinion Physician for the National Basketball Association (NBA). The National Academy of Medicine selected Dr. Hankerson as one of 10 physicians in the U.S. for its Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Program in 2021. He was recently awarded the American Psychiatric Association’s Distinguished Service Award for significant contributions to the field of Psychiatry in the United States.

Dr. Hankerson has been a Keynote or Featured Speaker at the White House, United Nations, National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and Aspen Ideas Festival, among others. He has presented at corporations including Wells Fargo, Deloitte, and Ernst & Young.

A native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Dr. Hankerson completed a dual MD/MBA program from Emory University, where he was Medical School Class President. He completed his psychiatry residency at Emory and was appointed Chief Resident of Psychiatry at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. He then completed a NIMH-funded research fellowship at Columbia University Medical Center and was on faculty at Columbia for 13 years before transitioning to his current leadership roles at Mount Sinai.

Dr. Rosalynn Thyssen
Dr. Rosalynn Thyssen is a nursing professor, mental health advocate, and founder of the Traeh Thyssen Have a hearT Foundation, based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She brings a unique blend of academic expertise, lived experience, and community-rooted leadership to her work in the mental health field—especially in suicide prevention among youth and communities of color.

Dr. Thyssen’s commitment to mental health advocacy began after the tragic loss of her 13-year-old son, Traeh, to suicide following prolonged bullying. Channeling her grief into purpose, she established the foundation in his honor. Through it, she leads public awareness campaigns, support initiatives, and culturally competent outreach programs aimed at disrupting stigma, building emotional resilience, and ensuring early intervention for Black and Brown youth and their families.

One of her most impactful initiatives is the “13-Minute Challenge”—a call for adults to dedicate 13 uninterrupted minutes each day to truly listen to the young people in their lives. This simple yet powerful act has helped open life-saving conversations in communities across Louisiana and beyond.

As a respected professor of nursing at Southern University and A&M College, Dr. Thyssen integrates trauma-informed and culturally responsive mental health education into the curriculum—preparing the next generation of nurses to recognize, respond to, and advocate for those facing mental health challenges. She also serves as a faculty advisor for student-led suicide prevention programs and has helped organize events, awareness walks, and safe-space forums for dialogue.

Dr. Thyssen is widely recognized as a compassionate, courageous voice in mental health education and suicide prevention. She is dedicated to fostering healing spaces where pain can be acknowledged, stigma can be dismantled, and young lives can be saved—especially in communities where mental health support has long been under-resourced or misunderstood.

Victor Armstrong
Victor Armstrong serves as Vice President for Health Equity and Engagement with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Victor previously served as the inaugural Chief Health Equity Officer for North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services. Victor has also served as Director of the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services. Prior to his NC state government roles, Victor spent 6 years as Vice President of Behavioral Health with Atrium Health, based in Charlotte, NC.

Victor has over 30 years of experience in human services, primarily dedicated to building and strengthening community resources to serve individuals who have been historically marginalized. He is a nationally recognized speaker on issues regarding health equity and access to healthcare, particularly as it relates to individuals living with mental health challenges.

Victor currently serves on the steering committee of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. He also serves on the Board of Directors for College for Behavioral Health Leadership and i2i Center for Integrative Health. He is a member of the NC Institute of Medicine and is the host of the “Strong Talk” podcast. Victor has received numerous awards over the course of his career including recently being named 2025 National Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers.

Victor graduated, Magna Cum Laude, from North Carolina Central University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and received his MSW from East Carolina University. He is the husband of Dr. Charletta Armstrong and the father of three sons, Carter, Alonzo, and Victor Jr.

Stephanie Robertson
Stephanie Robertson is NAMI’s Director Mental Health Equity Innovation, leading efforts to address disparities in mental health care, with a focus on Black/African Ancestry communities. She oversees the Community Health Equity Alliance (CHEA) and develops strategies to expand access to culturally relevant care, particularly for minoritized groups living with serious mental illness (SMI).

A graduate of Duke University’s Trinity College with a focus on German Language and Literature and International Comparative Studies, Stephanie began her career as a teacher in Germany. After returning to the U.S., she earned her JD from Georgetown Law and worked at a corporate law firm in New York City. Recognizing her passion for working with young adults, she transitioned to higher education, where she created pathways to business and law for underrepresented and minoritized students. Most recently, she led diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, where she integrated mental health advocacy into student life, fostering stigma-free environments, promoting open conversations, and providing peer support tools.

In her free time, Stephanie enjoys jogging, jewelry-making, and spending time with her partner and their mini-Goldendoodle, Indie.