Season 1, Episode 36: Dec. 29, 202537:54

It’s the final episode of 2025, and we’re rolling out the metaphorical red carpet for the very first SAG-Ps Awards — the only award show where the swag is pizza, the carpet is hallway tile, and the performances are real people doing real work when no one’s watching. Recorded with a live District 10 judging panel, this episode celebrates the stories that made us stop, rewind, and say, “That mattered.” From cross-program teamwork to trauma-informed care, thoughtful design, and Oregon-rooted endurance, these awards honor the everyday service that quietly holds systems — and people — together.

Nominated SAG-P Stories (by Episode)

Across the season, nominations drew from a wide range of episodes and spotlighted both individual excellence and collective impact:

• Episode 4 – Houston, We Have a Podcast!

• ERG Statewide Hygiene-Kit Collaboration — featuring ODHS Employee Resource Groups working together to assemble and distribute hygiene kits statewide.

• Episode 7 – WOWI That’s an Awesome Truck! **

• ODHS Brand Refresh — the statewide redesign of ODHS visual identity.

• Portland Midtown CW + Alberta SSP/OE Continuity — intentional co-location preserving cross-program family support.

• Episode 11 – It’s Pod to School Time

• SAGE ERG — the Supporting Aging Generations Equitably Employee Resource Group.

• Episode 13 – “P”s – and a Whole Bunch of Other Letters – in a Pod! **

• Ashlee Paspart — inclusive recruitment and community engagement.

• Chris Vassar, Michelle Carmona & Jaime Baldwin — Union Gospel Mission co-location work.

• James Sorrells — Slavic ERG leadership and Polk County community outreach.

• Moises (“Moy”) Lemus — trauma-informed support during a DV-related eligibility crisis.

• Episode 14 – TGIP! It’s Must-See OD-TV! **

• Trauma AWARE Team — workforce support, crisis response, and trauma-informed care.

• Episode 15 – We Don’t Pod No Stinkin’ Badgers! **

• Healing Conversations Program — peer-to-peer suicide loss support.

• Rachelle Lambert — OREM deployment supporting Texas flood recovery.

• Episode 16 – Great British Brilliance! It’s a Pod-off

• APD–OEP North Bend Mobile-Outage Response — rapid, cross-program service continuity.

• Douglas County Parent Advisory Council — including CW & Ford Family Foundation collaboration.

• OEP AI Tool Launch — technology innovation supporting eligibility work.

• Episode 18 – A Visit to the Home De-POD! **

• Chelsea Miller, Stephanie Kirkland & Shawn Winkler-Rios — VR client rehabilitation and mentoring.

• Christy Allman, Chelsea Miller & Stephanie Kirkland — rebuilding access through Vocational Rehabilitation.

• Jeff Hauck, Justus Eaglesmith & Kevin Carman — OIS/OEP system design and guidance tools.

• Michelle Stewart & John Manning — OEP crisis-call redesign and lifesaving response.

• OEP & IT Integration Team — sustained modernization of intake and customer-service systems.

Credits

Host: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications

Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe

Contact: [email protected]