On today’s episode of She Believed She Could™, host Allison Walsh welcomes Jessica Galo, Director of Specialty Care at AdventHealth for Children. With over 16 years of experience in pediatric care and a background in social work, Jessica has dedicated her career to supporting families facing the challenges of both physical and mental health.

Jessica oversees the Be a Mindleader initiative, a community-wide effort powered by AdventHealth for Children and Heart of Florida United Way. This movement encourages open conversations about mental health, equips parents and educators with actionable tools, and empowers kids to step into leadership roles as advocates for themselves and their peers. Together, Allison and Jessica discuss:

• The rising pediatric mental health crisis and the importance of early action.
  
   
• How Be a Mindleader is reducing stigma and creating safe spaces for conversations at home, in schools, and across communities.
  
   
• The importance of community collaboration in making resources accessible for families.
  
   
• The growth of the Mindleader Ambassador Program and why peer leadership is so powerful.
  
   
• Expanding support through multilingual resources and grassroots partnerships across Central Florida.
  
   

Listeners will also hear about real success stories, such as how AdventHealth’s embedded mental health counselors in primary care practices are helping families uncover the root causes of children’s struggles—including bullying and anxiety—and connecting them with the right support. This episode delivers inspiration, practical resources, and a reminder that one conversation can change, or even save, a life.

• On starting the movement: “This idea to have a stigma reduction campaign—or destigmatization campaign—which is what the Be a Mindleader movement is, really bubbled up… If you can have conversations when things are not in crisis, when they’re maybe littler feelings, then that allows you to have those bigger conversations later when the feelings are bigger and the stakes are higher.”
   
• On pandemic lessons: “The pandemic really shone a light on the impact to not only adults and mental health, but kids and mental health and well-being… that kind of was a spark to really get the attention of people that needed to be paying attention, including the healthcare world, but also donors, people in the community.”
   
• On community reach: “This is the first time in AdventHealth history where we have had a campaign in three different languages out in our community, and really targeted and meant to support the community.”
   
• On everyday parenting: “Car rides are a great time for us to connect with our kids. All of a sudden, they start opening up… And so it’s really just being intentional about providing that time, providing that space.”
   
• On empowering youth: “Being a part of the ambassador program, it allows a kiddo to say, ‘I am a Mindleader’… And kids are so excited to do this work.”

About Jessica Galo

Jessica Galo serves as the Director of Specialty Care at AdventHealth for Children, where she has spent more than 16 years leading efforts to support children with complex healthcare needs and their families. Trained as a social worker, Jessica has a passion for addressing the ripple effects of both physical and mental health challenges.

She leads the Be a Mindleader initiative, a groundbreaking campaign in partnership with Heart of Florida United Way that equips parents, educators, and kids with resources to strengthen mental wellness and remove the stigma around asking for help.

Jessica is also a proud mom of two and is passionate about teaching parents how to create intentional moments of connection with their children, fostering resilience and emotional well-being.

Resources & Links

• Connect with Allison: www.allisonwalshconsulting.com
• Subscribe to the Podcast: https://pod.link/1505347834
• Learn more about AdventHealth for Women: www.AdventHealthforwomen.com
• Get involved with Be a Mindleader: http://beamindleader.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/LifeAtAdventHealthCFL/
• https://www.instagram.com/lifeatadventhealthcfl/
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/adventhealthcfl/

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