Gratitude: It can make you happier, healthier and improve your relationships. Dr. Shilagh Mirgain, a psychologist from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, shares with us how to maintain a successful gratitude practice and how science demonstrates its benefits.

“Gratitude is one of the most significant, contributing factors to our happiness,” Dr. Mirgain said. “It is a simple and … free thing we can do.”

26% of Black men live in poverty. 1 in 5 will be incarcerated at some point in their lives. Black men also experience twice the unemployment rate as white men.

Dick’s guest, Corey Marrioneaux is Founder and President of Black Men Coalition of Dane County an agency in Madison, Wisconsin that helps primarily Black men with employment, housing, education and social support.

There are nearly 2 million people behind bars in the United States. There are also over 6 million family members of the incarcerated additionally affected, creating a huge impact that needs to be addressed.

Dick’s guest, Dr. Nneka Jones Tapia is a clinical psychologist and the former warden of the Cook County Jail in Chicago, Illinois. She is currently the Managing Director of Justice Initiatives for Chicago Beyond, an organization of community leaders helping to support at-risk youth in the Chicago area.

A “death doula” or “spiritual midwife” shares stories of how she helps enhance people’s journeys to the other side.

Dick’s guest is Karin Medall of the Artful Healing Studio.

Can low income defendants get a proper defense today using a public defender? What are the challenges public defenders face?

Dick’s guest is State Public Defender Kelli Thompson for the State of Wisconsin.

Dick’s guest, Ed Wall was a long-serving police officer and former Director of the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Corrections. He shares his insights concerning the problems with our criminal justice system and what changes need to be made to fix them.

Nearly 20% of all 911 calls involve a mentally disturbed person. In the past, all of these calls were responded to by police with little to no mental health training, sometimes ending in tragedy. Recently, there has been a push to create mental health emergency response teams to provide proper support for those in crisis.

Dick’s guest, Che Stedman, is Assistant Chief of EMS Operations for the Madison Fire Department in Madison, Wisconsin, overseeing the Community Alternative Response Emergency Services program (CARES).

Everyone knows to call 911 in an emergency but if help is needed in any other situation you can call 211 from anywhere 24/7.

Dick’s guest, Ed Wall is Director of 211 for United Way Dane County in Madison, Wisconsin.

Dr. Lee Hansen, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Author of Forgetting and Forgotten: Dementia and the Right to Die, shares with Dick his experiences and all he learned about dementia while taking care of his wife during her ten year battle with this all too common disease.