awstl

Today we focus our Alive and Well STL lens on Community Trauma and Racial Equity. Jade Harrell with Khatib Waheed, founder of the Racial Equity Learning Exchange.

As a national presenter, facilitator and consultant, Khatib A.F. Waheed provides training services in support of judicial circuits, child welfare and juvenile justice jurisdictions and other organizations to improve services and outcomes for children and families of color.

In recent years this work has been expanded nationally to engage an increasing number of public and private agencies.

Learn more Khatib A.F. Waheed, LLC
https://www.khatibwaheed.com/

When Helping Hurts...
Trauma effects you, me and our first responders. How do they cope to be Alive and Well?

Jade Harrell with Sgt. Sally Panzer and April Casey who know first-hand what it's like to be on the front lines.

Person-centered care is a shift in the way of thinking and doing things in healthcare that sees the patients as partners to make sure the services meet their needs. Add in a trauma-informed and trained staff and the possibilities are outstanding.

Dr. Caroline Day brings respect and consideration to each of her patients in family medicine. The "Alive and Well STL" message provided the piece of the puzzle that was missing from sustainable results and care with her patients. She became an ambassador and found it to be as rewarding to her as it was for those who benefited from the application of the training.

Veronica Richardson is at the senior level of administration as the Vice President of Quality Improvement with Affinia Healthcare. She not only discovered the "Alive and Well STL" Ambassadors training was essential for improving the communication and relationship between staff and patients; but it also improved the well-being of their staff in their personal and professional lives. Veronica came to healthcare early on as a child and was taught that community care is what truly makes us all Alive and Well!!!

Learn more about Dr. Day and Family Care Health Centers at http://www.fchcstl.org

For more about Affinia Healthcare visit http://affiniahealthcare.org

For Alive and Well STL visit www.aliveandwellstl.org

As occupational therapists, Denise and Carrie have years of formal training and experience with children and trauma. They signed on to be ambassadors with Alive and Well STL and found that the training not only complimented their existing body of knowledge but positively impacts their work in the classroom--with students, teachers as well as parents. What they discovered along the way was the positive impact the AWSTL training and community had on their personal lives as well. Inside this episode of Alive and Well STL we meet these dynamic ladies who's hearts and passion is to make our region's children and families healthier. Log on to www.aliveandwellstl.com for ways you can connect and tools to help you address your stress.

Also in this episode:
- learn ways to address your own personal tragedies and responses
- how to give more of our best selves to our children and those we care for
- what tools we have available to make a difference with what we have
- why we should sign up for AWSTL training whether or not we plan to be ambassadors
-what hope is ideal as well as practical to build a healthier St. Louis

Meet the Ambassadors!!!

Robert White, III, Youth Programs Worker and trained AWSTL ambassador
Elle Potter, Founder and Instructor, Yoga Buzz

Alive and Well STL is recruiting ambassadors to serve as experts in, and liaisons to, the community to further communicate the message of Alive and Well STL. Robert and Elle signed on and have been making an impact. The reward is more than a sense of community pride and giving, their lives have been influenced in ways that are immeasurable.

Ironically, Robert learned of AWSTL from the radio commercials and decided to learn more. Elle can't even remember how she came to the knowledge of the Alive and Well STL movement, but she knew immediately that it held a place of purpose in her work as well as her personal traumatic experiences.

Improving the wellness of our community is up to all of us, and everyone is invited to join in the conversation. If you are interested in being part of Alive and Well STL and helping continue the conversation in your organization, neighborhood, and faith community, please, visit www.aliveandwellstl.com or email aliveandwellstl@stlrhc.org. Let them know you heard all about it on the podcast!!

Meet Joni. After spending 20 years in the state hospital, she overcame the control that the voices in her head seemed to have over her. She nearly died trying to punish herself through self-mutilation. With help, treatment, support from friends, prayer and determination, Joni was able to find hope. Though she still hears the voices, she has the ultimate voice of victory. We unite with Joni to break the stigma of mental illness.

"We may have a mental illness but that's not something bad. We can have a cold and get over it and with mental illness we can still get over it. There's hope. We are not alone. There is hope for us!"

Alive and Well STL teams up with the For Sake of All project at the St. Louis Science Center to host a forum on emotional well-being. We extended the microphone to participants who wanted to join the conversation.

Meet Evelyn and Gladys. Doctors, friends and wellness advocates. They come to the conversation with decades of experience, involvement and commitment. They found a renewed connection to Alive and Well through realizing the Mind, Body, Spirit and Community relationship.

"It's not about you, it's about how you are connected to one another and to your community. What are you going to do to make things better!"

Alive and Well STL teams up with the For Sake of All project at the St. Louis Science Center to host a forum on emotional well-being. We extended the microphone to participants who wanted to join the conversation.

Jade Harrell with Culeta Hendricks, the founder and president of Reprieve: A Spiritual Wellness Center for Women. Reprieve is a newly established non-profit organization that seeks to provide women of all walks of life a spiritual haven where they can escape their day-to-day stresses and demands. Research shows that women are juggling a great deal of responsibility with the different roles they play and are experiencing increased levels of stress and anxiety.

At Reprieve women are able to relax in the luxurious suite where they can come to read, watch an inspirational movie in peace and quiet, listen to gospel music, jazz or easy listening sounds of tranquility.

Women have an opportunity to take advantage of spiritual counseling and Sister Chat where they can engage in empowering conversations. Women are able to fully rejuvenate and indulge in the blessing of just being. The center has hours that will accommodate the working woman, the mom of many, and the senior citizen in retirement. They have created an environment where women can relax, rejuvenate and better thrive in such a demanding world.

Take an audio tour in this Alive and Well episode and learn more at www.reprievewellness.org.

Reprieve is located at 6614 W. Florissant, St. Louis Mo 63136.

To schedule a visit of our facility please contact Cue at (314) 382-5488 or Marsheen2@gmail.com

Bethany with Dr. Faisal Khan, Director of the St. Louis County Department of Health and Melba R. Moore, MS, CPHA Acting Director/Commissioner of Health for the City of St. Louis.

A frank and powerful conversation that reveals the challenges, the politics, the misconceptions and the opportunities that exist for the newest leads to public health. Hear how they are taking it on with strength and in stride to ensure a healthy region.

Bethany continues intimate conversation with St. Louis American publisher and editor, Dr. Donald M. Suggs (part 2 of 2)

Bethany with St. Louis American publisher and editor, Dr. Donald M. Suggs (part 1 of 2)

Alive and Well Producers Meeting - Maribeth Hollinshead Jennie Oberkrome

Mary Beth Hollinshead, Program Director and Nurse Navigator with Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns with Jennie Oberkrom, MSW, LCSW
Prenatal Care Coordinator, Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns.

Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns is a funded program through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) that aims to improve prenatal care, health care delivery, and pregnancy outcomes for pregnant women and their families. A grant to implement the Strong Start program was awarded to Signature Medical Group, a physicians group that includes six OB/GYN offices that provide excellent healthcare services in the greater St. Louis area and surrounding counties.

The Strong Start program offers a comprehensive prenatal health care program for pregnant women. The Strong Start team assists women with Medicaid insurance enrollment, connects them to a Signature Medical Group OB/GYN of their choice, and provides additional care and support with a nurse navigator and prenatal care coordinator. The comprehensive medical team is patient centered and focuses on increasing access to prenatal health care and improving health outcomes for women and children. Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns is an innovative program that addresses all aspects of a woman’s health.

Meet Stacy and Heather

Producer, Jade Harrell sitting in for Bethany in the studio with Reverend Rice, Pastor of New Horizon Christian Church and founding member of the Bridges to Care and Recovery program, along with Rose Jackson-Beavers, Community Connector Project Manager for Bridges. So much of what we talk about with Alive and Well shows us how important faith communities are to our community’s well being.

Before we get started, we want to highlight some of the work that the Behavioral Health Network does here in St. Louis called “Bridges to Care and Recovery”. Bridges views faith communities as an integral part of the mental health response of our community. The program works with churches in St. Louis to help their pastors and lay leaders better understand mental illness and how to respond to congregants in need. They also help connect those experiencing mental health crises to the right types of resources. Bridges works to make faith communities spaces that are supportive of members living with mental illness and their family members and caregivers.

In this episode discover:

How the Bridges to Care and Recovery program started here in St. Louis.

The services that are offered to members of the churches Rev. Rice and Rose work with.

After a church goes through the Bridges program, what changes its congregant’s notice.

What goes into making a church a “Bridges church”.

Much of Reverend Rice’s life has been devoted to advocacy in our community and working to make it a less violence and healthier place to live. He shares how trauma and stress impacts the people and faith community.

Why it is so important to have our faith communities informed about mental health-what it looks like, how it is treated, and how it affects families and caregivers.

What makes Reverend Rice so passionate about doing this work with churches.

Thank you everyone for joining us for another episode of Alive and Well STL. We look forward to speaking with you next week.

For more information about Alive and Well STL follow us on Twitter @aliveandwellstl, Facebook or visit us online at aliveandwellstl.com.

We’ll be back next week. Thanks for listening!

Orvin Kimbrough, President and CEO of the United Way of Greater St. Louis, works to provide resources to those most in need in our community. He emphasizes the importance of fostering good coping skills in children and fostering a connection between people through small acts of kindness.

Joyce Johnston and Sandra Hartge of the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) of St. Louis speak about the trauma a mental illness diagnosis can have on an entire family and the chronic worry that may result. They emphasize self-care for family members of a person with mental illness and discuss how gaining knowledge about treatment and best practices can improve relationships between family members.

Pediatrician and activist Dr. Huldah Blamoville seeks to get parents involved in their children's lives in order to help young people be active and productive in their community. She shares her worldwide experiences and her outlook for children, parents and St. Louis.

Connie Fisher, Director of Mental Health Promotion at Mental Health America of Eastern Missouri, and Riisa Easley, Project Director at St. Louis Regional System of Care, give advice for moving past negativity and gaining and sharing hope. They recommend practicing acceptance, starting the day with positivity, and being honest about pain so you can make a difference in your health.

What does it mean to you to face health and wellness as a man? Pastor Rodney Francis and Anthony Davis make sense of myths and methods of men's wellness. They confront the stigma surrounding men and medical treatment and the psychological shifts that must occur for men to actively and comfortably seek medical treatment. Listen to gain understanding and discover how to help!