Coping 101: Bringing Color to Life w/ Esmeralda Vasquez

en-usOctober 10, 2023

Coping 101

About this Episode

The first artist to emerge from her family, Esmeralda Vasquez discovered the power of art to dive deeper into her culture, and highlight the colors and the beauty that come from it. Esmeralda is a Latina from the Yakima Valley, currently working in Seattle as a multi-disciplinary artist, muralist, painter, and teacher. She recently sat down with high school senior Luz to share the inspiring story of finding her voice and empowered identity through activism, public art, and teaching in the community.

Co-presented by 4Culture, Coping 101's Artist Mental Health Stories amplify voices from King County's cultural sector to empower individual artists, uplift the creative community and destigmatize mental health from a teen's perspective. No matter our age or background we all face challenges, and there are many healthy ways to find balance. Get started with more episodes and resources hosted at c895.org/coping101

Follow Esmeralda: instagram.com/esoveresmeralda/
More about The Feels Foundation: thefeelsfoundation.org/
More about Urban Artworks: urbanartworks.org/

Recent Episodes from Coping 101

Coping 101: Invisible Impact

Have you ever stopped to consider all the ways you’re connected with your neighbors and your community? Many of us are affected in ways we aren’t even aware of because of the dynamic and complex nature of how our lives are interconnected with one another. Whether we realize it or not, when our neighbors receive care, when a family member starts therapy, when someone living on our streets has a safe place to go – our lives are improved, even if we aren’t a direct recipient of care. In this episode we're joined by Tom Kozaczynski, Chief Advancement Officer for Compass Health to focus on what it looks like to develop and literally build behavioral health care structures in communities of need. From treating behavioral health issues, to addressing homelessness, chronic mental illness and substance use disorders, we discuss the ripples that happen in communities when health needs are met in accessible ways - and what we can do to continue to build a healthier future.

Presented by C89.5 in partnership with Seattle Children's, Coping 101 is an ongoing series led by students in Nathan Hale High School's Podcast Club that destigmatizes mental health from a teen's perspective, made possible with local support from 4Culture, Hansmire Builders, and Compass Health - NW Washington's Behavioral Healthcare leader. No matter our age or background we all face challenges, and there are healthy ways to cope. Get started with more episodes, and find community-centric resources online at c895.org/coping101

Compass Health's locations and resources: www.compasshealth.org/
Compass Health's Broadway Campus Redevelopment Project

Coping 101

en-usMarch 05, 2024

Coping 101: The Fresh Professor

“As artist Yasiin Bey said, ‘the arts are something we forget we need, until we need them.’ In this episode of Artist Mental Health Stories we're joined by one of Seattle's cultural thought leaders James Miles, fondly known as the Fresh Professor. Miles is an Assistant Professor at Seattle University and former Executive Director of Third Stone, the nonprofit known for reviving the Bumbershoot Arts and Music Festival in 2023 to widespread acclaim. James has worked internationally as an artist and educator, and was inspired to foment change after seeing so many children who looked like him being disregarded and treated like criminals by our educational systems. James sits with Nathan Hale High School Junior Gavin M. to discuss his evolution from accountant, to actor, to professor and cultural activist using “arts as a tool to navigate the systems of educational inequity.”

In New York City, he was the Director of Education at Urban Arts Partnership, where he created the Fresh Education program that used original hip-hop music and theater to boost academic success in middle school ELA and social studies classrooms. The arts-infused and standards-aligned curriculum guide he designed has been used around the world and has inspired many educators and adults to shift how they teach, work with, and speak to students of all ages. A graduate of Morehouse College and Brandeis University, James has provided professional development to teachers across the world, and has presented at SXSW EDU, NYU’s IMPACT Festival, New York Creative Tech Week, Ted Talks, EdTechXEurope, Google Educator Bootcamp, and more. He's on the Board of the Frye Art Museum, MoPOP, on the Advisory Board for SXSW EDU, and was recently appointed as the City of Seattle's Creative Economy Manager.

More about James Miles: https://freshprofessor.com/
James Miles' Seattle University profile: https://www.seattleu.edu/artsci/about/directory/profile/james-miles.html
Leaders Don't Lead: https://www.leadersdontlead.com/

Coping 101

en-usJanuary 12, 2024

Coping 101: Dancing with Deafness

How do you identify? Identity can be informed by many factors, including cultural background, abilities, religion, gender, geography and more. Growing up with deafness in a strict religious family on the island of Samoa, Loki Tiatia experienced many layered challenges that have informed his identity and influence his work today as an ASL instructor and Deaf Advocate. As a husband to a deaf spouse and father to a deaf child, and as Highline School District's only ASL instructor, Loki shares some of the unique struggles facing the DHH community and practical ways those who are hearing can be more tolerant and inclusive to this often marginalized group. Loki also discusses his lifelong practice of traditional Samoan dance to communicate and connect with the world around him - including audiences Deaf and hearing alike.

Presented by C89.5 in partnership with Seattle Children's, Coping 101 is an ongoing series led by students in Nathan Hale High School's Podcast Club that destigmatizes mental health from a teen's perspective, made possible with local support from Hansmire Builders and Compass Health - NW Washington's Behavioral Healthcare leader. No matter our age or background we all face challenges, and there are healthy ways to cope. Get started with more episodes, and find community-centric resources online at c895.org/coping101

brief bio: Loki has been dancing since he was a boy in a small village of Afega, Samoa-Pacific Island. He has taught movements for kids at Kendall Elementary, DC. He choreographed dance for Gallaudet Dance Company at Gallaudet University. His teaching features a mixture of island styles, signing songs of many genre, beginning/intermediate hip hop, jazz, and lyrical incorporating movements and sign language.
Deaf Spotlight: https://www.deafspotlight.org/
WA School for the Deaf: https://www.wsd.wa.gov/
ASL Cart: https://www.aslcart.com/

Coping 101

en-usJanuary 08, 2024

Coping 101: Grief's Spotlight

"We try to minimize and overlook grief in our culture. Yet most if not all of us will have an experience of grief - or many - in our life." Celebrated Seattle Actor Amy Thone joins Artist Mental Health Stories to discuss life lessons she's learned throughout her career in the theater, the recent loss of her teenage daughter Stella to cancer, and how she lives through her grief. Stella may have 'transformed', but she lives on in many ways, including through Amy's work in support of the Stella Blue High School in rural Kenya - named in her daughter's memory.

more about Amy Thone: acttheatre.org/
Amy's current play, The Lower Depths: https://www.intiman.org/depths/
Amy's 5 Pieces of Acting Advice: backstage.com/
more about 4Culture: https://www.4culture.org/

Coping 101

en-usDecember 12, 2023

Coping 101: Treating Grief

Loss comes in many forms, and no two people will process grief in the same way. Inevitably we will all face loss, including the death of a friend or loved one, and while healing may not be entirely possible for everyone we can learn to live differently and adapt. In this episode, Nathan Hale High School sophomore Emanuel sits down with Amy Pereira Clevenger, Compass Health's Director of Crisis Response and Stabilization. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Amy has dealt with all kinds of crisis and loss - including her own - and here she shares actionable steps we can all take on the path toward healing.

Presented by C89.5 in partnership with Seattle Children's, Coping 101 is an ongoing series led by students in Nathan Hale High School's Podcast Club that destigmatizes mental health from a teen's perspective, made possible with local support from 4Culture, Hansmire Builders, Audian, and Compass Health - NW Washington's Behavioral Healthcare leader. No matter our age or background we all face challenges, and there are healthy ways to cope. Get started with more episodes, and find community-centric resources online at c895.org/coping101

Compass Health's Crisis Triage & Stabilization resources: www.compasshealth.org/services/crisis-triage-stabilization/
compasshealth.org to learn more about services available and additional details on mental health

Coping 101

en-usDecember 12, 2023

Coping 101: A Film Frame of Mind

"Once you get there, don't forget to grab someone's hand and bring them with you." In this episode we're joined by two guests who focus our lens on the healing power of authentic mentorship, where you learn as much as you impart.

The mentor: Megan Garbayo-López is a Queer Latina filmmaker, film educator, and film programmer with SIFF. She works with Seattle-area schools to mentor youth and introduce the art of filmmaking, while fostering pathways to self expression and careers in the film industry. Growing up neurodivergent in a mixed-race family 'in between spaces', Megan experienced food scarcity and childhood sexual abuse, where she 'lost her body' and eventually struggled with eating disorders, anxiety and depression. After a journey of healing through inpatient treatment, EMDR therapy and trauma work, she's now a mentor on a mission to be the adult that she needed as a kid.

The mentee: Kelbi Maldonado is a super-senior at Scriber Lake High School, who was mentored by Megan and recently interned with the Seattle International Film Festival. As a young Queer person struggling with intense isolation during the pandemic, they experienced anxiety and suicidal ideation without the language to explain what was going on inside of them. Co-dependency with marijuana became a coping mechanism which temporarily saved them but also negatively impacted their mental health by suppressing emotions to the point they were no longer feeling anything. After quitting smoking, they began somatic work, therapy and inpatient treatment on a path of self care, recovery, and personal empowerment.

more about Megan Garbayo-López: https://letterboxd.com/siff/story/meet-the-programmer-megan-garbayo-lopez/
More about SIFF's youth education programming: https://www.siff.net/programs-and-events/youth
more about 4Culture: https://www.4culture.org/

Coping 101

en-usNovember 13, 2023

Coping 101: YOU CAN Cope

"I hear people say 'Well, it's natural.' or 'It's just weed.'... It stopped being 'just weed' a long time ago." Dr. Jason Kilmer joins High School junior Gavin to discuss marijuana prevention among young people, healthy coping tips to deal with stress, and the real science behind marijuana use. An Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington, who consults with the Washington State Department of Health on youth-centered programs like their YOU CAN campaign, Dr. Kilmer is a nationally recognized expert in the field of drug prevention research and education.

Presented by C89.5 in partnership with Seattle Children's with support from the Washington State Department of Health, Coping 101 is led by students in Nathan Hale High School's Podcast Club with a mission to destigmatize mental health from a teen's perspective. The series is made possible with local support from 4Culture, Hansmire Builders, Audian, and Compass Health - NW Washington's Behavioral Healthcare leader. No matter our age or background we all face challenges, and there are healthy ways to cope. Get started with more episodes, and find community-relevant resources online at c895.org/coping101

more about Dr. Kilmer: UW Faculty bio
The WA State Department of Health's YOU CAN campaign: youcanwa.org
more Coping 101 episodes + resources for substance use prevention

Coping 101

en-usOctober 31, 2023

Coping 101: Access is the Answer

In 2019, about 1 in 5 people were suffering from some kind of mental health or substance use issue, and since then the pandemic has impacted ALL communities and the need for help has surged. Increasing access to care is now perhaps the most critical step in reversing America's mental health crisis. On a mission to break down barriers as the Chief Medical Officer of Compass Health, Katie Gilligan's unconventional art school background instilled in her a naturally curious and open minded approach to her ambitious work in the behavioral healthcare field.

Taking cues from innovative approaches from around the world, Katie works with Compass Health leadership to expand treatment programs that serve more economic backgrounds, actively recruit more providers and practitioners, and ultimately increase quick and easy access to in-person or virtual care.

Presented by C89.5 in partnership with Seattle Children's, Coping 101 is an ongoing series led by students in Nathan Hale High School's Podcast Club that destigmatizes mental health from a teen's perspective, made possible with local support from Valley Cities, Hansmire Builders and Audian and Compass Health - NW Washington's Behavioral Healthcare leader. No matter our age or background we all face challenges, and there are healthy ways to cope. Get started with more episodes, and find community-centric resources online at c895.org/coping101

compasshealth.org to learn more about services available and additional details on mental health
fourfrontcontributor.org for those interested in advocating for change at the state-level for funding and policy change in regards to mental health.

Coping 101

en-usOctober 16, 2023