Here at Nature Unplugged, we are hugely passionate about the importance of mental health. That’s a big reason why we do what we do. While our focus is more on the preventative (upstream) side of things we know how important it is to be prepared and to know what to do in a mental health crises. Our guests today are from the San Diego Suicide Prevention Council. Yeni Palomino and Lora Cayanan are here to share about the importance of suicide prevention, provide some tips and tools for how to be prepared in a mental health crisis, and more about the amazing work they do.

SHOW NOTES:

- Community Health Improvement Partners: https://www.sdchip.org/

- Suicide Prevention Council: https://www.sdchip.org/initiatives/suicide-prevention-council/

- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

- San Diego Access and Crisis Line: 888-724-7240

BIOS:

Yeni Palomino

Yeni Linqui Palomino is Vice President of Community Health and Engagement at Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP). Palomino has extensive work experience dating back to 2003 in addressing the issues of environmental justice and public health in underrepresented and underserved populations in San Diego. In a previous work capacity, Palomino served as a Bilingual Program Coordinator and Organizer of the Healthy Homes Project in National City. Upon assuming her role at CHIP in 2010, Palomino embarked on a 2-year program development journey to inspire sustainable, grassroots leadership on public health issues which led to the creation of the CHIP / Resident Leadership Academy program – a curriculum-based, public health leadership and advocacy program that provides residents from underserved communities with the tools and skills necessary to become lifelong health advocates addressing issues such as public safety, healthy food access and the quality of physical activity opportunities. Palomino has worked on issues relating to behavioral health since 2014, and currently serves as lead facilitator of San Diego County’s Suicide Prevention Council, which focuses on implementation of its 2018 published Action Plan based on the Institute of Medicine’s Environmental Prevention Model --- a health equity framework.

Lora Cayanan, MPH

Lora Cayanan is the Program Manager for Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP) and the San Diego County Suicide Prevention Council (SPC). Lora has spent the past 6 years working at CHIP previously serving as a Program Coordinator, Program Assistant and Intern. She became a Certified Question Persuade and Refer or QPR Trainer in 2015 and oversees the training program for San Diego County with over 22,000 individuals trained since 2011. She is also an Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training or ASIST instructor. Lora received her Bachelors in Biological Sciences from UC Irvine and her Master’s of Public Health from National University.

CREDITS:

Intro and Outro Song: The Soft Pack - Mexico

Do you know where your food comes from? It’s an important question and one that's becoming increasingly difficult to answer. Now, you don't have to be a maniac in the grocery store scrutinizing every label and ingredient, but it is important to be curious about what goes into your body. That's one of the reasons why we’re huge proponents of gardening and farming—it's a direct connection to your food source. Today, we have the opportunity to speak with Javier Guerrero, President and CEO of Coastal Roots Farm. Coastal Roots Farm does incredible work focusing on Regenerative Agriculture, Equitable Access to Food, Environmental Education, and Jewish Life, welcoming people of all backgrounds.

SHOW NOTES:

BIO:

Javier Guerrero is the Farm’s President and CEO. Javier works with Coastal Roots Farm staff, board members, funders, partners, and volunteers to advance the Farm’s impact initiatives of Regenerative Agriculture, Equitable Access to Food and Environmental Education, and Jewish Life, welcoming people of all backgrounds. Javier has worked in the San Diego nonprofit sector for over 20 years and brings extensive experience in nonprofit administration, organizational management, and resource development. Prior to joining the Farm over three years ago, Javier served eight years as Executive Director of San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum in Escondido, overseeing the Museum’s capital campaign, move to a new indoor/outdoor location, and expansion of exhibits and programming. Javier currently serves on the Board of North County Philanthropy Council and Carlsbad Education Foundation. Javier was the recipient of the 2021 Fran Aleshire Leadership Award from CSUSM Leadership North County.

- Coastal Roots Farm: https://coastalrootsfarm.org/

- More About Javier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javierguerrerosd/

CREDITS:

Intro and Outro Song: The Soft Pack - Mexico

We’re very excited to have the musician, surfer, and nature enthusiast, Matt Lamkin, on the podcast. Matt has just released his latest album, Dirty Job, the second of his solo career. In addition to talking about his new album we’re going to explore the role nature plays in his creative process and how both nature and music can play a positive role in our mental health.

SHOW NOTES:

Matt Lamkin Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/39w5Sb2ixdewzZAX6MJ6Jw

Matt Lamkin BandCamp: https://mattlamkin.bandcamp.com/

CREDITS:

Intro and Outro Song: The Soft Pack - Mexico

We are so excited to be teaming up with an awesome nonprofit, 2B-Rad, for a great cause this October. Our month-long Hike-A-Thon (called the ENU Challenge: Hike 2B-RAD) has a dual purpose: to help you experience nature unplugged and help others participate in outdoor adventures. It's a win win! Raised funds from this year's event will benefit individuals and families who are experiencing a financial or emotional hardship by providing scholarships to participate in a variety of outdoor programs.

The timing and the spirit of this event is in honor of Brad Humphrey, a committed husband, father, son, brother and friend who passed away from a rare complication of Leukemia in 2018. Brad loved his community as much as he loved the great outdoors. He believed in the healing power of human connection and being active in nature—and so do we. Today we are thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with Zac Humphrey, president of 2B-Rad and son of the late, great, Brad Humphrey. Zac’s joining us to share more about who Brad was and how 2B-Rad came into fruition.

SHOW NOTES:

BIO: 

Zac Humphrey is a 22 year old student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo going into his final year of college. Nature has always been an incredibly important part of his life, largely due to the influence of his late father, Brad Humphrey. Whether it be camping, hiking, going to the beach, traveling, or anything in between, being outside has always been a passion of his. Zac’s other interests include playing and watching soccer, watching movies and tv, and spending time with family and friends. When his father passed away in 2018 his family was at a loss. It was reconnecting with nature with his strong unit of family and friends that allowed them to come through it. Creating the non-profit, 2B-Rad, and partnering with Nature Unplugged was an incredible chance for them to give back to the community and honor his dad’s legacy.

- About the Event: https://charity.pledgeit.org/enu-challenge-hike-2b-rad

- About 2B-RAD: https://www.2b-rad.org

CREDITS:

Intro and Outro Song: The Soft Pack - Mexico

One of the most important aspects of living well in the digital age is to develop a spirit of play. We’re not talking about video games or digital games, we’re talking about unplugged play and moving our bodies. Our guest today, Stephen Jepson, is a world renowned expert on health, wellness and play.

SHOW NOTES:

BIO:

Stephen Michael Jepson was born May 31, 1941 in Sioux City, Iowa. After receiving his MFA from Alfred University in 1971, he went on to open his studio in Geneva, Florida, and began the ceramics department at the University of Central Florida, where he taught for eight years. While Jepson continues to teach pottery, he is now retired and has dedicated himself to health, wellness, and athletic inventions. His life changing program, ‘Never Leave the Playground’ has improved the lives of people all over the world.

- https://neverleavetheplayground.com

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Jepson

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eICg4CMd2jU

CREDITS:

Intro and Outro Song: The Soft Pack - Mexico

What’s your stance on social media? Do you love it? Hate it? Or, are you somewhere in between? For most of us, our relationship with social media is complicated. We recently read Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier. We found this book to be informative and inspiring and we’re excited to share our thoughts and takeaways.

SHOW NOTES:

http://www.jaronlanier.com/general.html

CREDITS:

Intro and Outro Song: The Soft Pack - Mexico

Living in the digital age can be stressful. With nonstop information, to-do lists, news cycles, notifications, accessibility...it can easily feel overwhelming. What happens when you get stressed? Do you go into a survival mode (fight or flight) response? Or, do you have a different way to respond? Of course, how we deal with stress plays a huge role in our health and wellbeing. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Mark Kalina to dive into the science behind the central nervous system. We look at what happens when we get stressed from the inside out. And, more importantly, we explore what we can do to bring more calm and clarity into our lives.

SHOW NOTES:

BIO:

Dr. Kalina is an Internal Medicine Physician and a specialist in holistic, primary care. He has enjoyed a 30-year career in San Diego since finishing his residency at UCSD in 1992. Specializing in the physician-patient relationship, he enjoys knowing and caring for the whole person. He was a primary care doctor for 17 years at Scripps, an integrative palliative care specialist at the San Diego Cancer Center in San Diego from 2008-2010, and most recently worked at Pacific Pearl in La Jolla as part of an integrative team of doctors specializing in reversing cardiovascular disease and integrative medicine.

His special projects include holding positions as Medical Director and Group Support Leader of the Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease in the 1990s, Medical Director for Scripps Clinic Wellness and Prevention Programs, and Physician Leader to Medical Missions to Fiji in 2010 and 2012

When not in the office, Dr. Kalina enjoys the ocean, San Diego beauty, outdoor life, providing support in end-of-life care through Hospice by the Sea in Solana Beach, and the new movement in Assisted Dying.

Understanding the stress response: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response

Short video on the Nervous System: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71pCilo8k4M

CREDITS:

Intro and Outro Song: The Soft Pack - Mexico

Have you had your mind blown recently? Perhaps you had an opportunity to visit a place of epic natural beauty like the Grand Canyon or Yosemite. Or, maybe you spent some time looking up at the stars on a clear night. There is a word to describe this complex and mysterious feeling, awe. In this episode, we are going to dive into what awe is and the growing body of research around why it can make you happier, healthier, and more connected to others.

SHOW NOTES:

The Science of Awe: https://ggsc.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/GGSC-JTF_White_Paper-Awe_FINAL.pdf

Eight reasons why awe makes your life better:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/eight_reasons_why_awe_makes_your_life_better

Cape Cod diver left with a whale of a tale after a humpback spat him out:

https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/11/us/cape-cod-diver-eaten-by-whale/index.html

Check out our website: https://www.natureunplugged.com/

CREDITS:

Intro and Outro Song: The Soft Pack - Mexico

Here at Nature Unplugged, we are all about wellness in the digital age. And, we look at the work we do as preventative (upstream) mental health work - getting outside, healthy boundaries with tech, exercising, etc. Our guest today has dedicated his life to helping people with addiction recovery and mental health issues. We have the privilege of speaking with Dave Marlon. Dave is here to share his story about addiction, recovery, and what we can do to improve our mental health whether we’re dealing with addiction or not.

SHOW NOTES:

BIO:

David Marlon is the co-founder and chairman of Vegas Stronger, a Las Vegas non-profit committed to helping the most under-served in our community by addressing mental health, substance use disorders, and getting back to a healthy productive life. The Vegas Stronger team joined CrossRoads in January of 2020 to help address the mismanagement of the company and bring back the operation from near bankruptcy.

David is also CEO of a consulting company, the Marlon Professional Corporation and works with several behavioral treatment centers, helping them build their substance abuse programs.

David was formerly the President and co-founder of Solutions Recovery, Inc., a Joint Commission accredited alcohol and drug treatment center. Since 2005, he has delivered treatment to hundreds of people struggling with chemical dependency and mental illness. Prior to forming Solutions Recovery, David worked in the insurance industry. He has more than 30 years of experience serving as Chief Operating Officer, President, and Vice President of various Sierra Health Services subsidiaries.

In the community, David has always been an active participant. Over the years, he has formed several non-profit organizations, including the Care Coalition, a Drug-Free Communities Act non-profit, with the goal of combating substance abuse by providing education and awareness on addictive behavior, preventative methods, and the economic, physical, and social consequences of substance abuse. He serves on the Governor’s Substance Abuse Working Group, the Governor’s Rural Meth Action Team, the Board of Directors for H.E.L.P. of Southern Nevada, the Board of Directors for the 10,000 Kids Foundation, The Las Vegas Rescue Mission, the Nevada Donor Network as well as the President of (SNAAP) State of Nevada Association for Addiction Professionals.

He has been honored with the Mayor’s Commendation and just recently received the Community Counseling Center of Southern Nevada’s Vanguard Award. David received his education in New York and Las Vegas. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics at the State University of New York and his Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Furthermore, he is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor Supervisor, a Certified Addictionologist, and a Detoxification Technician. David is also currently pursuing his Doctorate in Psychology.

David is an active Nevada Amateur boxer, an avid mountain climber, and a triathlete. Despite an active life, his primary role is as the father to teenagers Owen and Tristan and husband to Carolina.

- https://crossroadsofsonv.com/project/dave-marlon-ceo/

- https://vegasstronger.org/

CREDITS:

Intro and Outro Song: The Soft Pack - Mexico

A big part of wellness in the digital age is using technology with intention. While we talk a lot about the importance of boundaries with our screens and devices, it’s also important to get in touch with what aspects of technology we love and appreciate. As a reminder, we’re not anti-tech! In this episode, we’re going to talk about some of our very favorite types of tech and how technology can actually serve and inspire us in our mission of wellness in the digital age.

SHOW NOTES:

NU News: Sloth’s secret to their survival: https://www.npr.org/2021/02/05/964197108/lucy-cooke-how-did-slowness-become-the-sloths-secret-to-survival

NU Spotlight: California Poppy: https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/eschscholzia_californica.shtml

CREDITS:

Intro and Outro Song: The Soft Pack - Mexico