About This Event
đź“… Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
đź•› Time: 11:30am - 1:30pm
đź“Ť Location: Journey Mental Health Center, Madison
🎟️ Tickets: $30.00
🍽️ Lunch included with your ticket
Mental health and substance use among young people looks different than it did ten years ago. The people closest to it - parents, teachers, clinicians - are often the last to get honest information about what’s happening and what actually helps.
At Journey, our staff work directly with teens and families across Dane County. We partner with schools and community organizations and facilitate screening for depression, trauma, and suicide risk in more than 4,000 middle and high school students. We’ll begin the luncheon with brief insight from our team on what we’re noticing locally.
From there, we’ll hear from voices who bring clinical expertise, lived experience, and youth perspective to the conversation.
Our panelists include:
- Dr. Jasmine Zapata - pediatrician, author, and youth advocate
- Kate Duffy - founder of Motherhood for Good, drawing from her own lived experience with mental health and recovery from substance use disorder
- Tyrone Creech -Â Executive Director of GSAFE and advocate for LGBTQIA+ youth in Madison
- Dr. Joe Gothard - Superintendent of Madison Metropolitan School District and longtime public education leader
- Youth panelist - because any conversation about what teens are going through should include a teen
Every ticket supports Journey Mental Health Center's programs and services in Dane County.
Meet The Panelists:
Dr. Jasmine Zapata
Dr. Jasmine Zapata aka “Dr. Jaz” is an award winning 7x author, speaker, and double board certified physician specializing in the fields of pediatrics and public health. As a medical doctor she does public health research, works in the hospital, and serves as a state public health official. Outside of her medical roles, she is extremely passionate about mentorship, next gen engagement, and youth empowerment. Her books, live events, music and courses have now reached schools, churches, families, health systems, and nonprofits both nationally and internationally. Her team recently completed a 14 city national book tour and they are excited about many big opportunities and partnerships in the works for the future. Overall, Dr. Jaz’s ultimate mission in life is to heal, uplift, and inspire.
Kate Duffy
Kate Duffy is a content creator, social impact strategist, and the founder of Motherhood for Good. Her work focuses on helping people understand systems of power, access critical resources, and engage in meaningful societal change through storytelling and community education. Drawing from her own lived experience with mental health challenges and long-term recovery from substance use disorder, Kate is a strong advocate for breaking down stigmas, compassion-centered care, and ensuring everyone has access to the support they need.
Tyrone (He/Him) is the Executive Director of GSAFE in Madison. He comes from one of the longest-standing Black families in Madison, going back four generations. After graduating from East High School in 2007, he attended UW-Platteville, where he discovered himself and came out at 21. He returned to Madison and joined the Madison Minotaurs, an LGBT rugby team, connecting with the local queer community.
At 27, he spent two years living in Australia, working closely with the LGBTQIA+ community. After returning, he continued his education at MATC, focusing on Communications with an emphasis on LGBTQIA+. Tyrone has also served as an adult mentor with GSAFE for over four years, supporting youth through the Leadership Training Institute.
With a lifelong connection to sports, he hopes to focus his advocacy on LGBTQIA+ young athletes, helping build confidence and leadership for their future.
Dr. Joe Gothard serves as Superintendent of the Madison Metropolitan School District. He has dedicated more than 30 years to public education, launching his teaching career at MMSD as a high school biology teacher. He has also served as an educational assistant, a football coach, a principal, dean of students and as assistant superintendent for secondary schools in MMSD. Before returning to MMSD, Dr. Gothard served as Superintendent of Saint Paul Public Schools. In 2024 he was awarded Minnesota Superintendent of the Year and honored as the School Superintendents Association National Superintendent of the Year.Â
About This Event
đź“… Date: Friday, May 15, 2026
đź•› Time: 11:30am - 1:30pm
đź“Ť Location: Journey Mental Health Center, Madison
🎟️ Tickets: $30.00
🍽️ Lunch included with your ticket
Mental health and substance use among young people looks different than it did ten years ago. The people closest to it - parents, teachers, clinicians - are often the last to get honest information about what’s happening and what actually helps.
At Journey, our staff work directly with teens and families across Dane County. We partner with schools and community organizations and facilitate screening for depression, trauma, and suicide risk in more than 4,000 middle and high school students. We’ll begin the luncheon with brief insight from our team on what we’re noticing locally.
From there, we’ll hear from voices who bring clinical expertise, lived experience, and youth perspective to the conversation.
Our panelists include:
- Dr. Jasmine Zapata - pediatrician, author, and youth advocate
- Kate Duffy - founder of Motherhood for Good, drawing from her own lived experience with mental health and recovery from substance use disorder
- Tyrone Creech -Â Executive Director of GSAFE and advocate for LGBTQIA+ youth in Madison
- Dr. Joe Gothard - Superintendent of Madison Metropolitan School District and longtime public education leader
- Youth panelist - because any conversation about what teens are going through should include a teen
Every ticket supports Journey Mental Health Center's programs and services in Dane County.
Meet The Panelists:
Dr. Jasmine Zapata
Dr. Jasmine Zapata aka “Dr. Jaz” is an award winning 7x author, speaker, and double board certified physician specializing in the fields of pediatrics and public health. As a medical doctor she does public health research, works in the hospital, and serves as a state public health official. Outside of her medical roles, she is extremely passionate about mentorship, next gen engagement, and youth empowerment. Her books, live events, music and courses have now reached schools, churches, families, health systems, and nonprofits both nationally and internationally. Her team recently completed a 14 city national book tour and they are excited about many big opportunities and partnerships in the works for the future. Overall, Dr. Jaz’s ultimate mission in life is to heal, uplift, and inspire.
Kate Duffy
Kate Duffy is a content creator, social impact strategist, and the founder of Motherhood for Good. Her work focuses on helping people understand systems of power, access critical resources, and engage in meaningful societal change through storytelling and community education. Drawing from her own lived experience with mental health challenges and long-term recovery from substance use disorder, Kate is a strong advocate for breaking down stigmas, compassion-centered care, and ensuring everyone has access to the support they need.
Tyrone (He/Him) is the Executive Director of GSAFE in Madison. He comes from one of the longest-standing Black families in Madison, going back four generations. After graduating from East High School in 2007, he attended UW-Platteville, where he discovered himself and came out at 21. He returned to Madison and joined the Madison Minotaurs, an LGBT rugby team, connecting with the local queer community.
At 27, he spent two years living in Australia, working closely with the LGBTQIA+ community. After returning, he continued his education at MATC, focusing on Communications with an emphasis on LGBTQIA+. Tyrone has also served as an adult mentor with GSAFE for over four years, supporting youth through the Leadership Training Institute.
With a lifelong connection to sports, he hopes to focus his advocacy on LGBTQIA+ young athletes, helping build confidence and leadership for their future.
Dr. Joe Gothard serves as Superintendent of the Madison Metropolitan School District. He has dedicated more than 30 years to public education, launching his teaching career at MMSD as a high school biology teacher. He has also served as an educational assistant, a football coach, a principal, dean of students and as assistant superintendent for secondary schools in MMSD. Before returning to MMSD, Dr. Gothard served as Superintendent of Saint Paul Public Schools. In 2024 he was awarded Minnesota Superintendent of the Year and honored as the School Superintendents Association National Superintendent of the Year.Â