CASAT Conversations

Key words: mental health, holistic health, self-care

Dr. Charlie Smith is the Regional Director for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this important episode, you'll hear about the evolution of the crisis care system, and how 988 is working to meet the burgeoning demand of our mental health crisis. We discuss the role of the government in supporting mental health, and ways that each of us can support the crisis care delivery system.

Resources:

988 website: https://988lifeline.org/

SAMHSA website: https://www.samhsa.gov/

Sam Quinones joins us to discuss his book, The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth. He shares what he has learned about the opioid epidemic over the last 10 years, and how the landscape has changed. We discuss the power of storytelling, and how it helps people to making meaning of their experience and how it helps to develop empathy. He also highlights the many ways communities have come together after these drugs have ravaged communities. 

Key Words: Opioid, Fentanyl, Meth, Community, Sugar, Alcohol, Social Media, Neuroscience of Addiction

Dr. Anne Weisman is the Director of Well-Being & Integrative Medicine with Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV. She joins us to discuss how she has worked to restore well-being within the field of medicine, along with her wealth of experience teaching mind-body medicine. She shares practical ways she supports herself when working with people who have experienced trauma.

Resources:

https://www.unlv.edu/people/anne-weisman

https://cmbm.org/

Dr. Michael Christie is a chaplain for the Department of Correction. He has been working within the prison system for over a decade. In this conversation, he shares the role of spirituality in healing from trauma, and lessons he learned about the need for trauma-informed care.

Melissa Petersen, a practicing Marriage and Family Therapist, joins us to discuss her experience as a Wildland Firefighter, along with her passion for supporting the mental health of first responders. She shares how she has seen the first responder culture change with regards to mental health over the course of her career, along with how she hopes to see mental health evolve in the future. In addition, we discuss one of her favorite treatment modalities. 

Key words: EMDR, first responders, critical incidents, stress, burnout, mental health, stigma

Resources:

Nevada Peer Support Network: https://www.nvpsn.org/licensed%20clinicians.html

National Volunteer Fire Council Directory of Clinicians: https://www.nvfc.org/phfd/

Psychology Today - Find A Therapist tool: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us

EMDR International Association - Find an EMDR Therapist: https://www.emdria.org/

What is EMDR?: https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/

Melissa Petersen’s Website: https://www.sierrafamilywellness.com/

Within this conversation, Dr. Joyce Mikal-Flynn, an expert in resilience and trauma care joins us. We discuss post traumatic growth, and the 6 stages of meta-rehabilitation that Dr. Joyce has discovered from her many conversations with trauma survivors. She highlights commonalities found among trauma survivors, and the program she’s developed based on people’s lived experience of finding meaning after trauma.

Key Words: trauma, secondary trauma, vicarious trauma, post traumatic growth, emotional trauma, metahab, strengths-based approaches

Resources:

Website www.drjmf.com

Instagram @dr.jmf

Facebook facebook.com/dr.jmf

Store mkt.com/metahab

Our story www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDN9onIv8cI&t=4s

Buy the book! https://www.amazon.com/dp/1642937274

Description: Dr. Steven Rose joins us this week to discuss his research with Verteran's and how social connection plays an important role in preventing and healing trauma. We discuss many relevant theories including transitional injury, sanctuary trauma, and moral injury and how these theories may apply to first responders and health care professionals.

Resources:

Website: https://steverosephd.com/

Nick Brown shares his lived experience as a veteran, paramedic, firefighter and peer support specialist. He gives voice to the impact of unhealed PTSD on his personal life, and the many techniques he's tried to heal over the last couple of years. He also notes what's been most helpful. You won't want to miss this real and vulnerable conversation. 

Keywords: male-role belief system, emotional intelligence, emotional violence, domestic violence, self-awareness

Resources:

Website: https://mavcenter.org/

In episode 4, you’ll hear from Dr. Steven Nicholas an author and practicing marriage and family therapist. He shares about his work with first responders and highlights how their emotional needs are different from the general public. He describes what it means to be a culturally competent clinician when it comes to working in the first responder community, and what it takes to serve them well. 

Key words: warrior servants, living ideation, trauma, vicarious trauma, critical incident stress management, crisis management, emotional first aid.

Resources: 

Living Ideation Website