EP 124 - Managing Mental Health and Depression

Al Levin is an assistant principal at a PreK-8 school in Saint Paul Public Schools. He has been in education for over twenty years, the past fourteen years as an administrator.   He is married,
has four children...and a puppy.

Al has completed all of the coursework in working towards a Co-Active coaching certificate
through the Coaches Training Institute and is certified in Cognitive Coaching. The coaching
work has allowed him to support the staff he works with within the public schools, as well as others who are seeking support in reaching their goals or working past challenging times in their lives.

Al is also a person who has recovered from two major bouts of depressive disorder, one of
which was quite debilitating for nearly six months of his life.  Through this experience, he has
become very passionate about learning more about mental health and supporting others with a
mental illness, particularly men with depression. In addition to a blog, Al has a podcast in which
he interviews men who have struggled with depression and/or other mental illnesses. Both his
blog and podcast can be found at TheDepressionFiles.com. Al also speaks publicly for the
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and, more often, on his own. Al was recently
appointed by the governor to the Minnesota State Advisory Council on Mental Health. You will
also find Al Tweeting @allevin18.

Al has been published in The Mighty, The Huffington Post, Psych Central, The Recovery
Letters, Made for More, and was featured in Esperanza Magazine.