Pirates legend Steve Blass shares his story at mental health panel in Cranberry Twp.
CRANBERRY TWP — Allegheny Health Network has been striving to be at the forefront of mental health resources for adolescents across Western Pennsylvania.
Representatives from the organization, in partnership with Pittsburgh Pirates Charities, developed AHN Chill Mobile as part of the Chill Project, which uses mindfulness-based exercises to equip students, teachers and parents with a common language and universal skills to identify, discuss and react positively to stress.
A mental health panel at South College Pittsburgh on Monday, Oct. 7 was highlighted by former Pirates Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Blass. It marked the introduction of the program and the Chill Mobile RV to a higher-education institution.
“Even pre-COVID, mental health crises were very much present for the youth population,” said Kate Kohne, clinical supervisor for AHN’s Chill Project. “We just couldn’t meet the needs of how many people wanted the program, so we thought, ‘Let’s take this to them.’”
Pirates in-game host Joe Klimchak hosted the mental health panel that included Blass, Rosyln Korai, a Chill Project behavioral health manager, and Ashley Burton, an AHN outpatient psychiatric nurse.
Blass, 82, won 103 games for the Pirates over 10 seasons and helped them win the 1971 World Series over the Baltimore Orioles when he tossed two complete games, including one in Game 7.
His playing career ended in 1975 after he lost the ability to pitch accurately in what’s come to be known as Steve Blass disease. He spoke about overcoming mental health issues in his final professional seasons.
“I was up in my backyard in the South Hills of Pittsburgh at four o’clock in the morning with tears running down my face knowing I wasn’t going to be a Pittsburgh Pirate anymore,” Blass said during his speech to dozens of students and staff members. “Those were the toughest two years I’ve ever had in my life.
“But my family, faith and the people of Pittsburgh who cared about me helped me get through it.”
The former All-Star hurler spent 34 years as a Pirates color commentator before retiring in 2019. Since then, he has advocated for properly managing mental health and encouraged the audience to reach out to those in need of support.
“It only takes a minute to make a moment,” he said. “Give a minute to somebody struggling, whether it’s physically or a mental illness, put a hand on a shoulder or stop and spend a minute instead of just walking by.”
While it is typically used for elementary and middle school children, the specially designed RV was set up in the college’s parking lot for students to relax.
“We have the classroom learning, and then for this school, we’re having open RV sessions where you can pop in,” Kohne said. “They (Pirates Charities) really helped make that what it is today. Inside of it, it’s an immersive SceneScape where it’s just a relaxing place to help reinforce the same coping strategies we’re learning in the classroom.”
AHN will also host a variety of psycho-educational lessons for South College students both in person and over Zoom throughout the upcoming week.
