Asked & Answered with Dr. Anne Prisco

Ones college-aged years are a time of discovery and independence, but for a majority, it’s an anxious, confusing, difficult journey. In fact, a 2021 study found that 3 out of 5 college students meet the criteria for one or more mental health challenges. It is of the utmost importance here at Holy Family that we provide our students with easy access to resources and the tools should they need them to navigate difficult times.

Joining Dr. Prisco in this episode is Holy Family University Alumni and current Program Director for Masters of Counseling Psychology, Dr. Patrick McElwaine or “Doctor Mac” as he’s known on campus. Doctor Mac is a national leader in suicide prevention. He’s also a columnist for both Psychology Today and Treatment Magazine. He’s a Faculty Member at Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, involved with NAMI and is also a Holy Family University Professor and Alumni.

In this episode, in addition to sharing all the mental health resources we have available for our students, Doctor Mac shares something very personal. He shares his own story of how a traumatic event in his childhood led to years of mental health issues and substance abuse, talk about how embracing his 13 year recovery not only saved his life, but led to it being a happy, successful and fulfilling life.

To learn more about Doctor Mac please visit holyfamily.edu

And if you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 any time of day, seven days a week to receive support for suicidal, mental health, and substance use crisis.

Join Dr. Prisco’s very personal chat with Chelsea Sanders, @r29unbothered and @r29somos Vice President of multicultural brand strategy and development. Chelsea is also host of Unbothered’s podcast “GO OFF, SIS”. Chelsea speaks about the importance of community, advocating for yourself and don’t miss what advice Chelsea would give her college aged self!

Asked and Answered highlights entrepreneurs and leaders who are making a major impact in our communities. In this episode, Dr. Prisco is joined by Laura Ipsen, President and CEO of Ellucian,  an educational technology company used by colleges and universities across the country, including Holy Family.

To learn more about Laura and Ellucian, please visit www.ellucian.com

To learn more about Holy Family University please visit www.holyfamily.edu

The connections among the criminal justice and behavioral health systems can be complex, in part because there is no single entity responsible for caring for individuals with emotional and mental health crises. Intervention from various groups throughout a community – those with different cultures, different attitudes, and different behaviors – is even more crucial. In this episode, Dr. Anne Prisco speaks with Dr. Patricia Griffin, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Holy Family University, about her transformational work within the criminal justice system in the communities surrounding Holy Family University in Northeast Philadelphia.

To learn more about Dr. Griffin's work and Holy Family University please visit www.holyfamily.edu

Holy Family University’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences was ranked #3 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (and #2 in Philadelphia) by nurse.org in 2020. For this inaugural episode of Asked & Answered, Dr. Anne Prisco and Reverend Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake talk about why investing in nurses improves a community’s health, preparing nurses to lead in their communities, best practices in addressing mental health needs, and other critical public health issues intersecting directly with the nursing profession. The Rev. Dr. Marshall-Blake is the president of the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, a charitable, private foundation that has provided support to all 22 nursing schools in the Philadelphia region, and has awarded more than $15M for nursing student scholarships and to advance the nursing profession since its founding in 2011. Reverend Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake is also the vice president of community affairs at Independence Blue Cross, the largest health insurance provider in the Philadelphia region.

To learn more about Rev. Dr. Lorina Marshall-Blake and the amazing work the Independence Blue Cross Foundation is doing, please visit www.ibxfoundation.org

To learn more about Holy Family University and its nursing program please visit www.holyfamily.edu

In this episode, Dr. Anne Prisco talks about ice cream with Dan Kilcoyne, the president and CEO of Mini Melts USA. Mini Melts are a unique ice cream treat sold in thousands of locations nationwide, including sports stadiums, amusement parks, Wawa, Walmart, and even the Philadelphia Zoo. Dr. Prisco talks with Dan about his rise from ice cream salesperson to CEO just five short years after graduating from Holy Family in 2004.

To learn more about Dan and Mini Melts Ice Cream, please visit www.minimelts.com

To learn more about Holy Family University please visit www.holyfamily.edu