Ray Lewis, the famed former linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, told an auditorium full of Baltimore County Public Schools students he’d give $30 billion to see his son again and let him know he’s not alone.
Ray Lewis III died of an overdose three years ago at age 28. His father is now a passionate advocate for mental health, the Pro Football Hall of Famer told students at the annual Mind Over Matters student conference Wednesday.
“You guys are carrying so much pressure,” he told the room. “Sometimes y’all walk around life like y’all by yourselves.”
During his address, Lewis announced his Ray of Hope Foundation will partner with the school system to get students the mental health support they need. Starting in late April, Baltimore County students in 15 schools will be screened for depression, anxiety and other risk factors for behavioral health problems. Families will be notified immediately if their children are considered at high risk.
“It could be the very thing that brings resources to our students that helps to save their lives,” Superintendent Myriam Rogers said at a news conference after the talk.
Rogers said research following the COVID-19 pandemic indicated screening tools could identify mental health concerns early and improve long-term student development. The screening tools school officials came across, however, were “cost prohibitive.”
Ray of Hope will offer one at no cost to the school system. It’s called the Rising Together Schoolwide Mental Health Screening Program, developed by the company Possibilities for Change, which creates tools and technology to improve mental health and well-being for young people. After testing it at select schools, the district hopes to roll it out countywide for students ages 8-18.
The screenings will be in the form of a questionnaire, Rogers said. Information on the screenings will be sent ahead of time so parents have the option to decline their students’ participation.
A Wednesday news release from the school system said the screenings will be confidential and staff will receive training on the program. “Schools will receive data-driven insights that help guide interventions, referrals, and ongoing support for students and families,” the release said.
Ray of Hope is working with school districts in Colorado, Michigan, Louisiana, Florida and New Jersey to implement the screenings, Lewis said.
The 50-year-old spoke to the students at Wednesday’s event sounding at times like a coach and a pastor.
Brittany Watkins, a Baltimore County Public Schools counselor, hands out swag bags to students arriving for the event. (Jerry Jackson/The Banner)
Lewis announced his Ray of Hope Foundation will partner with the school system to get students the mental health support they need. (Jerry Jackson/The Banner)
He recalled the time his son knocked on his door at 2 a.m. looking “zoned out” because he was using fentanyl and cocaine. He didn’t know how to help him, Lewis said, but checked him into a rehabilitation facility for a six-month stay.
Fourteen days in, his son checked himself out, Lewis said. He died two weeks later.
Lewis said students face a lot of pressure and technology doesn’t help.
“If you spend more time on social media than you spend in your Bible, you’re in trouble,” he said.
Growing up in a single-parent household with four other siblings, Lewis said, he created a process to keep himself focused on something productive instead of the turmoil between his mom and stepdad. He’d use a deck of cards to determine how many reps of an exercise he’d do. He recommended that students have their own processes to keep them focused on their goals.
Lewis called on Jamari Shade, a Pikesville Middle School student, to share his goal: become a state champion wrestler. Lewis then pulled Shade onstage and revealed he was a state champion wrestler, too.
About the Education Hub
This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.