Host: Isa Velez Echevarria, PsyD Featured Guest: Maureen Dee, MSW, MBA   ****This podcast was recorded in English.****   We invite you to check in with Isa Velez and Maureen Dee as they celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, discuss the importance of providing culturally appropriate services for Hispanic/Latinx communities, and share with listeners a variety of projects and resources specific to supporting behavioral health for Hispanic/Latinx populations.  (Listening time: 41 min., 37 sec.)      Maureen Dee, MSW, MBA Maureen Dee retired in 2019 from her position of Executive Director of Treatment, Prevention and Recovery Programs at Catholic Charities Corporation, in the Diocese of Cleveland.  Since graduating from CWRU/MSASS in 1978 (Master’s in Social Work), she went to work at Catholic Counseling Center in Cleveland, as a bilingual social worker. She subsequently earned an MBA from Cleveland State in 1985. Maureen was born and raised in Uruguay, South America, and is committed to serving the Hispanic Community. Starting with her course of study at MSASS, she specialized in program planning and alcohol treatment. She started various programs for juvenile justice-involved adolescents who presented with a concern about their use of alcohol and/or other drugs. She developed an expertise in the delivery of alcohol and other drug treatment and prevention at Catholic Charities and managed all of Catholic Charities’ behavioral health programs in Cuyahoga County, including 4 Matt Talbot residential treatment centers.  She worked in Cleveland’s Catholic Social Services system for 41 years. Maureen facilitated the start of the first Hispanic Urban Minority Alcohol and Drug Abuse Outpatient Program in Ohio (the Hispanic UMADAOP) which was housed temporarily under Catholic Charities and then became its own 501 C 3 organization under Miguel Prieto.  She helped start Hispanic Alliance, Inc., a consortium of Hispanic-serving organizations to promote collaboration and enhance funding for the needs in the Hispanic community. She was also instrumental in securing the zoning and funding to establish Hispanic UMADAOP’s Casa ALMA residential treatment center for latinos, also the first in Ohio.  She has served on various Ohio State and Cuyahoga County strategic and planning committees, including the Ohio Recovery Council under Governor Richard Celeste which was instrumental in forming the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS); was appointed to serve on the Ohio Chemical Dependency Credentialing Board for 8 years (now the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board); was instrumental in developing the adolescent criteria for determining placement in treatment levels of care (a precursor to the ASAM criteria); was on the Cuyahoga County Service Coordination Team under the Families and Children First Council which coordinated child placements for the Department of Children and Family Services and the Juvenile Court; and was on many other committees and collaborations with the intent of advancing alcohol, other drug addiction and mental health treatment and prevention services for special populations, in particular adolescents and minorities. Maureen currently serves on the Hispanic Roundtable and on the governing boards of LATINA, Inc., the MetroHealth System and the Brittingham Memorial Medical Library at MetroHealth, and is also on the Board of Nueva Luz Urban Resource Center, which serves the HIV/AIDS population.  Maureen is a member of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences’ Visiting Committee at Case Western Reserve University. She is a mentor for Master’s students in their Leadership Fellows Program and she is also a mentor for College Now first time college-bound Hispanic students transitioning from the Cleveland Municipal School District (CMSD).  

  Host: Isa Velez Echevarria, PsyD Featured Guest: Adriana Alejandre, LMFT, Founder of Latinx Therapy and Host of Latinx Therapy Podcast   ****This podcast was recorded in English.****   We invite you to check in with Isa Velez and Adriana Alejandre as they celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, discuss the importance of providing culturally appropriate services for Hispanic/Latinx communities, and share with listeners a variety of projects and resources specific to supporting behavioral health for Hispanic/Latinx populations.  (Listening time: 20 min., 49 sec.)      Adriana Alejandre, LMFT Adriana Alejandre is a trauma psychotherapist and speaker from Los Angeles, California. She specializes in serving adults who struggle with PTSD and severe traumas at her own private practice. In recent years, she has also offered her services as part of disaster relief efforts for those traumatized and distressed by Hurricane Harvey and the Las Vegas shooting. Adriana is the founder of Latinx Therapy, a national directory of Latinx Therapists and global, bilingual podcast that provides education to combat the stigma of mental health on the ground, and in the digital spaces. Adriana’s expertise has been featured in LA Times, Telemundo, USA Today, the New York Times and Buzzfeed, among many others. In 2019, she won Hispanizice’s TECLA award for Best Social Good Content award, and in 2020 she was one of five Latinx influencers chosen for the #YoSoy Instagram and Hispanic Heritage Foundation award. Adriana’s mission is to create spaces to spark dialogue about mental health struggles and strengths in the Latinx community.   Latinx Therapy Podcast Latinx Therapy Website, Service Provider Directory, & Other Resources

  Host: Isa Velez Echevarria, PsyD Featured Guest: Adriana Alejandre, LMFT, Founder of Latinx Therapy and Host of Latinx Therapy Podcast   ****Este podcast es en Español.****   We invite you to check in with Isa Velez and Adriana Alejandre as they celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, discuss the importance of providing culturally appropriate services for Hispanic/Latinx communities, and share with listeners a variety of projects and resources specific to supporting behavioral health for Hispanic/Latinx populations.  (Listening time: 18 min., 22 sec.)      Adriana Alejandre, LMFT Adriana Alejandre is a trauma psychotherapist and speaker from Los Angeles, California. She specializes in serving adults who struggle with PTSD and severe traumas at her own private practice. In recent years, she has also offered her services as part of disaster relief efforts for those traumatized and distressed by Hurricane Harvey and the Las Vegas shooting. Adriana is the founder of Latinx Therapy, a national directory of Latinx Therapists and global, bilingual podcast that provides education to combat the stigma of mental health on the ground, and in the digital spaces. Adriana’s expertise has been featured in LA Times, Telemundo, USA Today, the New York Times and Buzzfeed, among many others. In 2019, she won Hispanizice’s TECLA award for Best Social Good Content award, and in 2020 she was one of five Latinx influencers chosen for the #YoSoy Instagram and Hispanic Heritage Foundation award. Adriana’s mission is to create spaces to spark dialogue about mental health struggles and strengths in the Latinx community.   Latinx Therapy Podcast Latinx Therapy Website, Service Provider Directory, & Other Resources

In honor of PTSD Awareness Month, the Great Lakes MHTTC is releasing new episodes of the Checking In Podcast that focus on the different ways PTSD treatment providers embrace self-care and maintain their own mental health, as well as how they "check in" with themselves and recognize when they need to engage in stress relieving techniques. Dr. Michael Gomez shares his insights on self-care, including the importance of agencies taking on the responsibility of providing clinicans with the necessary self-care resources to be well.      About Our Guest Michael Gomez, PhD Dr. Michael Gomez has held multiple positions in the mental health field. He was previously on staff at Bradley Hospital, Lifespan Institute, one of the teaching hospitals for the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. Dr. Gomez was also previously director of the Adversity and Resilience Community Center (ARCC), a child trauma behavioral health clinic in the West Texas area where he was also an adjunct professor at Texas Tech University Psychological Sciences; the Texas Tech University College of Education; and the TTUHSC School of Nursing. He was previously faculty at the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect/Child Study Center Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the OU Health and Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. He specializes in Trauma-Focused CBT, treatment of adolescents with problematic sexual behaviors (PSB), PCIT, TARGET, and assessment of autism spectrum disorders. He is a Nationally Certified TF-CBT Trainer; of which he is one of 70 in the world.  Additionally, he is a Nationally Certified CE-CERT Trainer, a model for addressing burnout and vicarious trauma in providers, of which he is one of 10 in the US. He is also a nationally certified PCIT therapist. He is trained in assessment and diagnostics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). He is one of the three founders of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s (NCTSN) Trauma and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Workgroup (formerly the NCTSN Trauma and ASD Community of Practice). He was also a member of the NCTSN Steering Committee, the NCTSN Affiliate Program, and the NCTSN Youth Action Committee.      You can find this episode and many more from the Great Lakes Wave podcast channel on YouTube, Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all other major podcast platforms! 

In honor of PTSD Awareness Month, the Great Lakes MHTTC has released new episodes of the Checking In Podcast in which we asked PTSD treatment providers to describe the different ways they "check in" with themselves and recognize when they need to engage in stress relieving techniques to protect against vicarious trauma. In this episode, Gabriela Zapata-Alma shares her insights on the importance of self-care and the various activities and methods she uses to maintain good health and reduce compassion fatigue.      About Our Guest Gabriela Zapata-Alma, LCSW, CADC Gabriela Zapata-Alma is the Associate Director at the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health, as well as a lecturer at the University of Chicago Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice. She is a 2012 graduate of SSA (now Crown Family School) in the Extended Evening Program. Gabriela brings 15 years of experience working with survivors of domestic violence and other trauma; providing direct services, training, advocacy, and consultation; and leading programs using a trauma-informed approach, Motivational Interviewing, harm reduction, gender-responsive care, Housing First, and third wave behavioral interventions. Gabriela has been recognized with numerous awards, including Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s 2018 Health Award, and the Illinois Association of Addiction Professionals chapter of NADAAC’s 2017 Rising Star Award. Gabriela has provided training and technical assistance related to serving marginalized communities impacted by trauma and other social determinants of health, locally, nationally, and internationally. Learn more about the work being done through the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health.     You can find this episode and many more from the Great Lakes Wave podcast channel on YouTube, Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all other major podcast platforms!   

In honor of PTSD Awareness Month, the Great Lakes MHTTC has released new episodes of the Checking In Podcast in which we asked PTSD treatment providers to describe the different ways they "check in" with themselves and recognize when they need to engage in stress relieving techniques to protect against vicarious trauma. In this episode, Joseph Winford shares his insights on the importance of self-care and the various activities and methods he uses to maintain good health and reduce compassion fatigue.      About Our Guest Joseph Winford, MS, CADC, EMT, QHEIC Joseph Winford is CEO of T.I.T.U.S. Concepts (Training Innovatively Through Unique Strategies),a leadership strategist, and a trauma-informed care provider with more than 25 years of experience working in the greater Chicago area. He holds a master's degree in management and leadership; a bachelor’s in business management and information systems, and he is a certified counselor, coach, consultant, and domestic violence counseling educator. His unique blend of expertise as a behavioral healthcare professional and leadership educator gives him an innovative approach to developing peoples’ potential into performance. Joseph is also the founder of the Couples Community project. Couples Community facilitates skill-based workshops designed to provide an educational and supportive environment for couples seeking change with the aim of enhancing relationships and helping couples grow as they continue along their journey of life together. Connect with and learn more about T.I.T.U.S. Concepts on Facebook!     You can find this episode and many more from the Great Lakes Wave podcast channel on YouTube, Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all other major podcast platforms!   

In honor of PTSD Awareness Month, the Great Lakes MHTTC has released new episodes of the Checking In Podcast in which we asked PTSD treatment providers to describe the different ways they "check in" with themselves and recognize when they need to engage in stress relieving techniques to protect against vicarious trauma. In this episode, Leonna Jackson shares her insights on the importance of self-care and the various activities and methods she uses to maintain good health and reduce compassion fatigue.      About Our Guest Leonna Jackson, MSW, LISW, LICDC Leonna Jackson is a licensed clinical social worker and trauma-informed therapist who is trained in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Leonna has extensive experience working with adults, children, and couples, and clients describe her therapeutic style as personable and nonjudgmental. She currently practices at The Heart's Haven Counseling in Toledo, OH, specializing in the treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, marriage therapy, and substance use disorders. Leonna is dedicated to always providing client-centered care, and she and the rest of the amazing team of therapists working at The Heart's Haven are ready and willing to help clients navigate through the process of healing. Learn more about Leonna's work at The Heart's Haven Counseling!   You can find this episode and many more from the Great Lakes Wave podcast channel on YouTube, Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all other major podcast platforms!   

In honor of PTSD Awareness Month, the Great Lakes MHTTC has released new episodes of the Checking In Podcast in which we asked PTSD treatment providers to describe the different ways they "check in" with themselves and recognize when they need to engage in stress relieving techniques to protect against vicarious trauma. In this episode, Linda Bartoli shares her insights on the importance of self-care and the various activities and methods she uses to maintain good health and reduce compassion fatigue.      About Our Guest Linda Bartoli, LCSW Linda Bartoli is the founding director of Pivot Collaborative (Chicago, IL) and has worked as a trauma-informed therapist for 20 years. Linda has built a diverse group practice of passionate, inclusive, and curious care providers—people who like to challenge and support clients and organizations through times of change and who are queer or queer allied. As a queer therapist herself, she prioritizes inclusivity in her practice and focuses on helping others with issues related to life changes, race, gender, identity, adoption, loss, grief, trauma, depression, and anxiety. Her therapeutic style is best described as interactive, direct, mindful, and attuned. Linda also has advanced training in conflict management and group facilitation, as well as advanced certifications in trauma-informed work. Additionally, she is a qualified leadership coach and has a diploma in Organizational Development and Executive Coaching, which she received in London. Learn more about Linda's work at Pivot Collaborative!   You can find this episode and many more from the Great Lakes Wave podcast channel on YouTube, Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all other major podcast platforms!   

In honor of PTSD Awareness Month, the Great Lakes MHTTC has released new episodes of the Checking In Podcast in which we asked PTSD treatment providers to describe the different ways they "check in" with themselves and recognize when they need to engage in stress relieving techniques to protect against vicarious trauma. In this episode, Marco Torrez-Miranda shares his insights on the importance of self-care and the various activities and methods he uses to maintain good health and reduce compassion fatigue.      About Our Guest Marco Torrez-Miranda, MSSW, LCSW Marco Torrez-Miranda is a licensed psychotherapist and substance use disorder specialist in the state of Wisconsin. He earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and is currently a doctoral candidate focused on social justice and equity in higher education at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Marco’s personal and professional experience has centered around being and working with minoritized individuals and communities. He has developed interventions and programming to increase access, engagement, and healing from racialized trauma. He has more than 15 years of experience working in the behavioral health field as a clinician, clinical supervisor, mentor, consultant, director, and faculty. Most recently, Marco serves as the Equity & Inclusion Faculty Director for the newly established Institute for Equity & Transformational Change (IETC) for Madison College. The IETC promotes, studies, and implements inclusive excellence and anti-racist practices to create an affirming learning community. Please Note: The views expressed herein are those of Mr. Torrez-Miranda and do not necessarily reflect the views of Madison College. Connect with Marco on LinkedIn to learn more about him and all the great work he's doing!   You can find this episode and many more from the Great Lakes Wave podcast channel on YouTube, Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all other major podcast platforms!   

In honor of PTSD Awareness Month, the Great Lakes MHTTC has released new episodes of the Checking In Podcast in which we asked PTSD treatment providers to describe the different ways they "check in" with themselves and recognize when they need to engage in stress relieving techniques to protect against vicarious trauma. In this episode, Worsham El shares her insights on the importance of self-care and the various activities and methods she uses to maintain good health and reduce compassion fatigue.      About Our Guest Leonna Jackson, MSW, LISW, LICDC Worsham El is a licensed clinical social worker, a certified family trauma professional, and a certified trauma-sensitive yoga facilitator. As the CEO and co-founder of Lotus Trauma Care, she is committed to enhancing the resiliency of youth, adults, families, and professionals. Worsham El's gratitude for her large family fuels her passion to promote safe and strong social support systems for youth and communities. Her experience in the fields of child welfare, substance use, and domestic violence ignites her fire to empower professionals, families, and communities. In practice, Worsham El provides innovative trauma therapy and consulting services, and she has trained over 2,500 professionals in trauma-informed care. Populations Most Served: Victims of domestic violence, sexual/physical/emotional abuse, neglect, and people with substance use disorders. Specializations/Expertise: PTSD, complex trauma, developmental trauma, historical trauma, traumatic loss, grief, youth/adolescent therapy, family therapy, parent/caregiver consulting, trauma-informed care, program/curriculum development.   Learn more about Worsham's work at Lotus Trauma Care, including the ⁠training & consultation services⁠ and ⁠trauma yoga classes⁠ they have to offer. More information about trauma-sensitive yoga:     You can find this episode and many more from the Great Lakes Wave podcast channel on YouTube, Anchor, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and all other major podcast platforms!   

Host: Alfredo Cerrato, Great Lakes A/MH/PTTC Senior Cultural & Workforce Development Officer Special Guest: Derrick Martin, LPCC-S, EMDR, CCTP                         Traumaologist, Traumaology LLC    We invite you to check in with Alfredo Cerrato and Derrick Martin as they discuss post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) in first responders, including the support services and therapies available for those coping with overwhelming life experiences. Derrick discusses his experience working as a paramedic and firefighter, and how managing his own CPTSD diagnosis with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy motivated him to become a mental health professional and traumaologist.  (Listening time: 30 min., 4 sec.)   Derrick Martin, LPCC-S, EMDR, CCTP Derrick is an independently licensed psychotherapist with supervisory designation in the State of Ohio. Prior to his career as a traumaologist, he start out his life in public safety. Starting out as an EMT-Basic and furthering his education becoming an EMT-Paramedic, he also obtained his Professional Firefighter I & II certification. He has served over 12 years of combined service service the citizens of the State of Ohio. In 2008, he was seriously injured on duty and forced to leave public safety from that injury. That time in his life was very difficult and at times very dark. Seeking out help, he discovered psychotherapy and EMDR therapy. Having been diagnosed with CPTSD, he went through EMDR therapy and accredit that to saving his life. As a patient, he experienced both the good and the bad of various clinicians and knew that he wanted to give back and raise the bar for the standardization of care for first responders and other victims of trauma.