i am emmanuel ford. first, i would like to thank our community partner gayle from total family coalition for connecting us to samhsa. i never experienced, i never in my life experienced what some would call a normal life. always knew there was something different about me. most people think about a loving household for a child, they think of a home having a mother and father, two people i have never had growing up. at the age of 7, my life took a drastic turn. i had to move to one of the worst neighborhoods in the city. i was placed in a home i thought would be peaceful and loving. instead, it was the opposite. while at this home, i was abused mentally, physically and emotionally. the saddest part is, i didn't tell a soul. i suffered every day for most of my childhood in solace. i was taunted by peers for any reason, i didn't have a stable home, didn't have food or my biological parents weren't around. i isolated myself. i did not let people into my life because i didn't trust anyone. as i got older, i t

ford. emmanuel is a remarkable young man from washington, d.c. d.c. publicended schools, graduated from the columbia heights educational campus. he is a survivor of adverse childhood experiences and suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, as well as suicidal ideation. he uses his experience and knowledge of integrated systems and care to help other youth achieve success. passion has found his in assisting others and investing in their mental health. he is now a certified youth peer specialist, and a leading advocate for young adults in the city. his efforts began by participating in the youth action research group, whose goal was to identify causes that are meaningful to young people to bring about change in the distri. he also joined the ymca youth and government program to create policies that will positively impact the nation's capital. in 2016, he implemented a summer program for transional youth called yield, youth institute for empowering, learning, development, a true leader. pursuing aly degree in anthropology to better under