CHFS Community Podcast

After growing up in Louisville and college at Kentucky State University, John Miles joined the U.S. Army – in doing so, he gained knowledge and skills from his service and travels that he’s used throughout his career. It just so happens that John’s career centers around helping his fellow veterans. John is the veteran families and caregiver support coordinator for the Department for Aging & Independent Living, helping veterans and their families navigate the array of supports available to them from the state government and federal government, as well as nonprofits. As we celebrate America’s veterans this month, John discusses his journey and his love of veterans and his work.

For Chase Barnes, compassion has always been a part of his life. From volunteering in college to serving in the United States Peace Corps in Belize, Chase gravitates toward opportunities to help others. Today, Chase helps Kentuckians in some of their most challenging times in his role as manager of the Kentucky Department for Public Health Harm Reduction Program. From distributing life-saving naloxone to supporting public health professionals in the work of helping steer people with substance use disorder toward recovery, Chase has a role in tackling one of Kentucky’s most important challenges in recent years.

The daughter of an assistant fire chief, Angela Roberts had public service and the ideals of a first responder in her blood. After graduating from the University of Louisville, Angela’s early career focused on disaster response with the American Red Cross. Today, she focuses on individuals in crisis as the 988 program administrator in the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. She shares some of 988’s successes in helping Kentuckians in crisis over the last two years.

Growing up in Harrodsburg, Amanda Heacock thought her future career would be teaching. Her journey through the University of the Cumberlands would take her on another path through a similarly compassionate field – social work.

Today, she’s in a role where she’s helping young people learn while also supporting them in their needs outside of school, as Youth Service Center coordinator at Bondurant Middle School in Frankfort. Some days, she’s providing students with moral support; others, she’s helping a family find a new place to live. A few weeks ago, she was helping students with another critical need – shoes.

For more than a decade, Tricia Steward’s work took her to city after city to survey health care facilities. She enjoyed the travel but over time wanted to work closer to home in Kentucky – and it just so happened that an office she cared deeply about needed someone with her expertise to help improve staffing. Recently, Steward agreed to become Acting Inspector General, continuing her work to further build up a team.

Elizabeth Goode grew up in Hopkinsville, the daughter of a physician, and until college she assumed she would follow in his footsteps. But, after reflection, she took a new path, graduating with a master’s in public health from the University of Kentucky. She launched a career working in health care policy and today serves as director of the Kentucky Department for Public Health's Division of Prevention and Quality Improvement. Her focus is on helping Kentuckians take steps that lead to healthy lives so they can reach their full human potential.

Amy Smith was raised in Frankfort and began her state government career with the Department of Revenue. Driven by a passion for working with children and helping families, she joined the Department for Community Based Services in 2014 and is currently serving as a policy and research consultant. Today, we discuss early intervention, evidence-based practices and what it’s like to navigate social services as a single parent. Amy is a doctoral student at the University of the Cumberlands who advocates for education, human services and self-reliance. She also founded Capital Area Autism Parents and is involved in numerous organizations and community initiatives including the Midway Alumni Association, Focus on Race Relations and Capable Ministry at Capital City Christian Church. Her son Brendan is entering Georgetown College in the fall.

Supporting the social, emotional and mental health of young children is a large part of what we do at the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Today’s guest, Brittany Barber, oversees the implementation of the statewide early childhood mental health program for the Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. We will discuss how Brittany’s education and life experience influenced her impressive career. You’ll also discover why universal training, early intervention and trauma informed care are vital when it comes to the future of Kentucky’s children.

Every day, I hear remarkable stories about the work we do at the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. These stories often contain elements of adversity, hope and resilience. I’ve also discovered that every employee at the cabinet has a story that is equally inspiring. Today’s guest, Danita Coulter, is no exception. She is a branch manager for equity and determinants of health at Medicaid Services. This Danville native grew up hearing stories about her ancestors, family ties and the trauma of slavery. These narratives sparked a passion for equity and public service that touches every part of the work she does. We’ll talk about service, compassion and connection, and also reveal some secrets for workplace success in this week’s episode of CHFS Community Podcast.

Today’s guest, Aubrey Mason, is an associate and fiscal grants officer with Serve Kentucky. She began her public service career with the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. This allowed her to get eMARS and other important training that led to her current position. Outside of work, Aubrey has a variety of interests we’ll discuss, including cooking, art, travel and yoga. We also talk about the Governor’s Service Awards, coming up on April 16. This Serve Kentucky partnership with the Office of the Governor highlights the importance of volunteer and national service across the commonwealth. You can find out more about becoming an AmeriCorps member on the program webpage.