In the eleventh episode of season 2, Dr. U. Grant Baldwin, DBH, explores how community-based behavioral health organizations use integrated care models, how integrating behavioral health care impacts primary health services, and examines how integrated care efforts have enhanced access to care and improved the lives of patients.

Panelists include:

Kenny Martín-Ocasio, MS, CCWLS, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1963, and was raised in Puerto Rico. He came to Chicago at age 18 to resume his higher education and received his Bachelor in Arts, Special Education degree from Northeastern Illinois University in 1987, and a Master of Science in Health Services Administration in 1999. He has worked in the area of human services (substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence), and child welfare for over 32 years, and has dedicated his career to working towards the professional, social, economic, and educational advancement of minorities, especially Latinos and the LGBTQ community. He has served as president of the DuPage Hispanic Task Force, co-chair of the Latino Consortium, member of the Illinois Latino Agenda, the Latino Youth Action Coalition, and in the Cook County President’s Latino Advisory. For the last ten years, as a board member of the Association of Latinos(as) Motivating Action, he fights for the equal rights of the Latino LGBT community. Kenny now serves as Senior Vice President of Community Integration at Aunt Martha’s Health & Wellness.

In this special episode of season 2, Dr. Cara English, DBH, Chief Executive Officer of Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, explores the maternal health crisis affecting Black women. This discussion focuses on the startling disparities, systemic challenges, and potential solutions to ensure safer pregnancies and births for Black mothers.

Panelists include:

Erica Glaze, MPH, MCHES, CCCE, Founder of Live Wellthy, LLC is a health educator with over 10 years of experience in public health. Skilled in training and workshop facilitation, assessment and evaluation, and curriculum development.

Rochelle Trotman-Norman, MPS, ATR, PMH-C, Founder of Baby Bee Maternal Wellness, LLC, is a passionate art therapist and doula dedicated to guiding parents towards authentic, mindful, and intentional living. Her focus is on helping mothers, fathers, and non-binary parents create joyful and peaceful family lifestyles while healing from generational trauma and self-limiting beliefs. With a background in psychology and art therapy, she uses strength-based, trauma-informed, and mindfulness-driven approaches to support families in overcoming challenges and crafting new narratives for healing and wholeness.

In the ninth episode of season 2, Dr. U. Grant Baldwin, DBH, and co-host Dr. Larry Ford, DBH, explore the importance of behavioral health training for psychiatric nurses, the significance of integrated behavioral health in primary care and how psychiatric nurse practitioners obtaining a Doctorate of Behavioral Health can strengthen those efforts.

Panelists include:

Jennifer Wims-Madden, MSN, PMHNP-BC. DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, is an Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who obtained her Board Certification through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) in 2013 after completing her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) from Wayne State University. She began her mental health nursing career in 2007 after obtaining her Associate in Applied Science Degree in Nursing from Oakland Community College (OCC). She then went on to complete her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree at University of Michigan- Flint in 2009 before completing her MSN in 2012.

Jennifer has experience treating patients with various psychiatric disorders across the lifespan and across practice settings, from inpatient hospitals to outpatient clinics, including community mental health facilities and integrated health programs in primary care practices. She enjoys her role as an educator, serving as mental health nursing faculty at OCC for several years, providing hundreds of students with rewarding mental health clinical experiences, and she continues to precept PMHNP and MD students regularly. Jennifer strives to provide a holistic, individualized, personalized, and comprehensive experience for every patient she cares for.

Selena Schmidt, MSN, MJ, PMHNP-BC, HNB-BC. DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, is the VP of Behavioral Health Service Line for Ascension Michigan and has been appointed to the Governance Board for the Behavioral Health service line at Ascension’s national level. Selena’s responsibilities include overseeing the mental health and substance use disorder services for the state of Michigan, consisting of acute care hospitals, outpatient clinics, Telehealth, school-based clinics, substance abuse hospital and residential. In addition, she has over 17 years of working with the mentally ill and physically challenged at all levels of care.

Selena volunteers and advocates for the mentally ill and physically challenged at the local, state and national level. Currently she is a board member for Macomb Community Mental Health, One Voice Suicide Prevention, Southwest Counseling and Disability Rights of Michigan formally Michigan Protection and Advocacy. She recently was appointed to the Michigan Hospital Association (MHA) as Chair of MHA Behavioral Health Council. She is assigned to the Michigan Integration of Care Council, Michigan Medical Clearance Council, 988 Crisis Line, and the Governors Suicide Prevention Council. She has become very involve in Suicide Prevention partnering with Kevin’s Song, Know Resolve and One Voice. She is the recipient of a $5 million dollar Tri-State Zero Suicide grant, $35 million-dollar Behavioral Health Capacity Expansion grant and a $7 million dollar grant for Subsidized Housing for the chronically homeless in Detroit from the State of Michigan.

Selena is a board certified Holistic Nurse and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She currently holds a Bachelor of Nursing degree from Oakland University, Master of Nursing degree from Wayne State University, Master of Law in Health Care Law and Policy from Loyola University and is currently work towards a Doctor of Behavioral Health (DBH) from Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies.

In the eighth episode of season 2, Dr. U. Grant Baldwin, DBH, discusses the complex factors that contribute to suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and discusses the common misconceptions about suicide and how to correct them.

Panelists include:

Dr. Bobby L. Armstrong, PhD, ThD, a native of Greensboro, NC, a graduate of Colgate Rochester, and the Founder of Empowerment Counseling Ministries a faith-based counseling practice integrated with fundamental psychology.

In the seventh episode of season 2, Dr. U. Grant Baldwin, DBH, and co-host Dr. Larry Ford, DBH, discuss the impact that having LGBTQ+ friendly providers can have on the healthcare of members of the LGBTGEQIAP+ community, how listeners can support the healthcare needs of this community, and how to address inequities and discriminatory practices.

Panelists include:

Brandy K. Biglow, LMHC, NCC, CCTP, QS. DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, is the CEO and founder of Renovation Integrative Health, LLC. She has a broad range of licenses and certifications including but not limited to being a licensed mental health counselor, a certified clinical trauma professional, and a Doctor of Behavioral Health candidate at the outstanding Cummings Graduate Institute of Behavioral Health. She has over 20 years working with children, individuals, and families. She started out as a teacher of students with exceptionalities and moved into the field of counseling seeking to provide support outside the educational realm via social-emotional education, family resources, and more. Today, she continues her work in this arena and has expanded it to include integrative health and certifications as a professional life and group coach. She is also passionate about preventing burnout one person at a time. Using a large dose of humor and current information from research (anecdotal and qualitative), she changes the lives of those she works with in every encounter.

Cory Cannady, MEd, BCBA, LBA. DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, taught middle school for 5 years before transitioning paths to enter the mental health field as a behavior analyst after receiving his master's degree in applied behavior analysis from the University of Cincinnati. He has served as a behavior analyst for the past 4 years, serving children with developmental disabilities with a specialization in autism as the Assistant Clinical Director for Elevate Behavior Services. In this role, he oversees a small caseload of patients and serves as the operations and clinical specialist.

Jeremy Henderson-Teelucksingh, MHR, M.A., LPC/MHSP, NCC/CCMHC. DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, is a counselor, leadership and management coach, and corporate and community human relations consultant. Jeremy brings passion, innovation, and creativity to his clients to enable them to live fulfilling lives. As a counselor, Jeremy works with adults, couples, and families, focusing on anxiety and anger, trauma, personality disorders, relationships, and issues related to adoption and foster care. Jeremy works with the LGBTGEQIAP+ community and is an “out” counselor with a history of diversity, equality, equity, inclusion, and belonging advocacy.

In the sixth episode of season 2, Dr. U. Grant Baldwin, DBH, and co-host Dr. Larry Ford, DBH, lead an insightful discussion focused on the American Association of Doctors of Behavioral Health, exploring what this organization is, how it is currently being shaped, and the role of Doctors of Behavioral Health in the future.

Panelist:

Dr. Amber Gray, DBH, MA, CCFDVC, PhD-c, has worked nearly three decades in violence prevention and intervention as a nationally credentialed victim and patient advocate. During this time, she achieved many certifications and awards for her service to victims of violence. She recently received the 2023 Equity Award from the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence. After a long career, she changed her scope of focus to behavioral health, business, healthcare education, administrative management, violence prevention and intervention. In addition to serving as the inaugural CEO of the AADBH, Dr. Gray works as a healthcare educator for victim services providers. In this capacity, she provides training to providers for trauma-informed methodologies and treatment practices. Her goal is to help to reduce patient retraumatization in medical or clinical settings. She is currently slated to receive a 2nd Doctorate in Forensic Psychology, Public Policy, and Law.

In the fifth episode of season 2, Dr. U. Grant Baldwin, DBH, and panelists, explore the challenges of public health services during the COVID-19 pandemic, discuss the role of integrated care and behavioral health providers and how Doctors of Behavioral Health support public health efforts. Tune in to learn how integrated healthcare providers can best support public health efforts.

Panelists include:

Charla N. Burns, M.D., has more than two decades of excellence dedicated to the improvement of public health and the betterment of society, Dr. Burns has earned distinction as an epidemiologist and the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) team lead for the Texas Department of State Health Services. Since 2022, she has focused her efforts on planning, developing, and implementing field research studies with COVID-19 within the emerging and acute infectious disease unit at the State Department. Prior to her current role, Dr. Burns was employed at the CDC Foundation as an epidemiologist to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

To prepare for her medical career, Dr. Burns earned a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry/pre-medicine in 2000 from Louisiana State University and A&M College. In 2006, she attained a Doctor of Medicine from the UTMB John Sealy School of Medicine, followed by internal medicine residency training at Tulane University Medical Center and its affiliated clinics and hospitals. Well-qualified in her field, she has extensive experience in public speaking on health-related topics at medical conferences and community events.

Dr. Burns' professional accomplishments include the LSU Greek Excellence Award, West Monroe High School Distinguished Alumni Award, Ouachita Parish School Board Certificate of Excellence, Young Conqueror under Forty Female of the Year, and recognition as "One Million Women in STEM." She is a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., an organization where she has proudly served for the past 25 years. Dedicated to civil advocacy, Dr. Burns serves as the treasurer of the board of directors for SHE VOTES, a nonpartisan non-profit organization that supports young women in becoming registered voters. She also lends her expertise as an advisory council member to the Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies.

In the fourth episode of season 2, Dr. U. Grant Baldwin, DBH, and co-host Dr. Larry Ford, DBH, lead an insightful discussion with a panel of experts discuss how telehealth is helping to improve access to healthcare services for people living in rural areas.

Panelists include:

Dr. Leslie Earl, DBH, LPC. DBH Aluma at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, certified trauma specialist, clinical specialist in Autism Spectrum Disorder, and licensing supervisor for LPC candidates serving Oklahoma City, OK and surrounding areas. Dr. Earl initially pursued a career in education, where she discovered a desire to make an impact on patients in a clinical healthcare setting. She earned her master’s degree focused on Human Relations in Counseling from the University of Oklahoma and soon began working with Dr. Larry Ford, DBH, at Hands To Guide You, where she fully realized her passion for becoming a changemaker in healthcare. Dr. Earl is known for her work in the women’s health field in the greater Oklahoma City area. Dr. Earl believes integrated care is the key to identifying the root cause of illness, therefore gaining insight on how to best treat the whole person.

Dr. Amanda Barnard, DBH, LCSW, MSW. DBH Aluma at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, received her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Wyoming in 2014. She worked at the Wyoming Department of Family Services, providing families with ongoing case management and reunification services. She completed her Master of Social Work from the University of Wyoming in 2018 and began working with patients experiencing serious mental illness in Dickinson, ND. Dr. Barnard started to take note of deficits in healthcare delivery and decided to increase her knowledge to improve healthcare in rural areas, which inspired her to pursue the Doctor of Behavioral Health degree. While enrolled in the DBH program, she earned full independent licensure as a Clinical Social Worker in North Dakota and established her business, Kahanalo Consulting, LLC, in 2020. Her venture provides clinical and consultation services to citizens of rural North Dakota.

In the third episode of season 2, Dr. U. Grant Baldwin, DBH, and co-host Dr. Larry Ford, DBH, lead an insightful discussion with a panel of experts on improving healthcare delivery to the LGBTGEQIAP+ community. The panelists explore strategies that healthcare providers can implement to ensure that equitable and effective care to this diverse population is provided, how to advocate for the community, and examine some of the most helpful resources. Tune in to learn how healthcare providers can work together to create a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system for all.

Panelist include:

Brandy K. Biglow, LMHC, NCC, CCTP, QS. DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, is the CEO and founder of Renovation Integrative Health, LLC. She has a broad range of licenses and certifications including but not limited to being a licensed mental health counselor, a certified clinical trauma professional, and a Doctor of Behavioral Health candidate at the outstanding Cummings Graduate Institute of Behavioral Health. She has over 20 years working with children, individuals, and families. She started out as a teacher of students with exceptionalities and moved into the field of counseling seeking to provide support outside the educational realm via social-emotional education, family resources, and more. Today, she continues her work in this arena and has expanded it to include integrative health and certifications as a professional life and group coach. She is also passionate about preventing burnout one person at a time. Using a large dose of humor and current information from research (anecdotal and qualitative), she changes the lives of those she works with in every encounter.

Cory Cannady, MEd, BCBA, LBA. DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, taught middle school for 5 years before transitioning paths to enter the mental health field as a behavior analyst after receiving his master's degree in applied behavior analysis from the University of Cincinnati. He has served as a behavior analyst for the past 4 years, serving children with developmental disabilities with a specialization in autism as the Assistant Clinical Director for Elevate Behavior Services. In this role, he oversees a small caseload of patients and serves as the operations and clinical specialist.

Shelly Espejo, LPC. DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, is currently a mental health clinician at Rutgers University for the last 4 years. Previously worked as a clinical manager at Cayuga Centers, where she assessed for safety for the reunification of migrant children detained and separated from their families on the border of Mexico. She is currently a student at Cummings Graduate Institute as a DBH student in hopes of gaining knowledge and continue being a pillar of change in my Latinx community. 

Jeremy Henderson-Teelucksingh, MHR, M.A., LPC/MHSP, NCC/CCMHC. DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, is a counselor, leadership and management coach, and corporate and community human relations consultant. Jeremy brings passion, innovation, and creativity to his clients to enable them to live fulfilling lives. As a counselor, Jeremy works with adults, couples, and families, focusing on anxiety and anger, trauma, personality disorders, relationships, and issues related to adoption and foster care. Jeremy works with the LGBTGEQIAP+ community and is an “out” counselor with a history of diversity, equality, equity, inclusion, and belonging advocacy.

In the second episode of season 2, Dr. U. Grant Baldwin, DBH, and co-host Dr. Larry Ford, DBH, lead an insightful discussion with a panel of experts on the important topic of health information exchanges and digital records. The panelists shared their thoughts on the potential benefits and drawbacks of these advances in healthcare technology, including how they might impact the delivery of integrated care.

Panelists include:

Dr. Leslie Earl, DBH, LPC. DBH Aluma at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Oklahoma City, OK, serving OKC and surrounding areas. Dr. Earl is also a licensing supervisor for LPC Candidates. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, focusing on Human Relations in Counseling and recently completed her Doctor of Behavioral Health degree with Cummings Graduate Institute of Behavioral Health Studies.

Shadiase Jack, LCSW-C. DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, staff therapist at an outpatient mental health agency in Maryland where she provides mental health therapy to children and adults.

Jeremy Henderson-Teelucksingh, MHR, M.A., LPC/MHSP, NCC/CCMHC. DBH Student at Cummings Graduate Institute for Behavioral Health Studies, is a counselor, leadership and management coach, and corporate and community human relations consultant. Jeremy brings passion, innovation, and creativity to his clients to enable them to live fulfilling lives. As a counselor, Jeremy works with adults, couples, and families, focusing on anxiety and anger, trauma, personality disorders, relationships, and issues related to adoption and foster care. Jeremy works with the LGBTGEQIAP+ community and is an “out” counselor with a history of diversity, equality, equity, inclusion, and belonging advocacy.