From its amazing and inspiring roots, Bethany Children’s Health Center still provides loving and quality care to the youngest members of our community. Listen in as CEO Nico Gomez talks about the amazing in-patient and out-patient services BCHC offers, inspiring stories of resilience, and new developments and programs as the hospital enters its 125th year.

After writing a year-long series in MetroFamily Magazine about Talking to Kids About Sex with advice for every age and stage, the experts at Thrive are answering parent questions on how to talk to kids about sexual health, sex education in schools, pornography, body posivity, gender inclusivity and more. Plus, if you parent a tween or teen who's especially uncomfortable talking with you about sexual health, Brittany Keck gives advice on what to do, and she shares where to find additional resources.

New York Times bestselling and multi-award-winning author, acclaimed speaker and father of four boys Derrick Barnes joins us to talk about his new book Like Lava in my Veins and the realities of conscious and subconscious biases in education. Derrick shares how those biases affect Black boys in particular, how educators and parents can challenge racial inequities and how parents can instill compassion in our children. Plus, Derrick discusses the movement away from over-disciplining students to more proactive methodologies, like social-emotional learning, and how families can practice emotional regulation at home.

Karen Orsi with the Oklahoma Mental Health & Aging Coalition provides advice for listeners on supporting the mental health of aging relatives, including signs and symptoms of mental health challenges, tips to initiate conversations about mental health with older family members and ways to encourage positive mental well-being. Karen also shares important statistics and warning signs about the prevalence of suicide among Oklahomans ages 65+ and how all ages can work to reduce ageism in our community.

OKC journalist, Thunder hype guy and new dad Malcolm Tubbs joins us to share his passion for nonprofit Heroes In Waiting, which provides free anti-bullying curriculum to schools, youth programs and families. With a focus on developing peace-building, empathy and emotional regulation skills, the trauma-informed, research-based program seeks to teach students to care for their mental health and that of their fellow students. Tubbs shares how a powerful mentor relationship that began while he was in high school has made a forever difference in his life -- and inspires him to be a positive influence in students' lives today through Heroes In Waiting.

Freedom City OKC’s founder, Brittany Carter-Thomas, Esq., joins us today to talk about their mission: to support and improve education in Oklahoma City. Freedom City's vision is for 100% of students to be at or exceeding grade-level standards, confident, and exposed to numerous extracurriculars. Meeting each student "where they are" through programs such as Freedom Girls, Afterschool Programming, In-School Math, Awkward Conversations Support Group, Lunch Mentoring, summer camps, and In-School Reading, students enrolled are seeing anywhere from 30-45% increases in test scores and grade levels. Learn more about Freedom City at www.freedomcityokc.com.

This National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, Commissioner Carrie Slatton-Hodges of the Oklahoma State Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse joins us to provide parents with tips on talking with kids about suicide and depression, signs and symptoms to be aware of, and steps to take if we suspect a child we love is contemplating suicide. She shares details on the new 988 statewide mental health hotline that operates 24/7 and offers services for mental health crisis calls from licensed and certified health crisis specialists, for both crisis situations and when parents or kids themselves need resources or someone to talk to.

Dad, author-illustrator and award-winning creator Jarrett Lerner joins us to give advice in parenting around the issues of body image, disordered eating and self-acceptance, especially for boys. His new illustrated novel A Work in Progress is based on some of his own struggles with body image and disordered eating. As reported by NBC Nightly News, one in three people diagnosed with an eating disorder is male, yet almost all eating disorder research focuses on women. Jarrett hopes conversations like this one will help normalize and improve mental health care as it relates to body image and disordered eating for boys in particular.Dad, author-illustrator and award-winning creator Jarrett Lerner joins us to give advice in parenting around the issues of body image, disordered eating and self-acceptance, especially for boys. His new illustrated novel A Work in Progress is based on some of his own struggles with body image and disordered eating. As reported by NBC Nightly News, one in three people diagnosed with an eating disorder is male, yet almost all eating disorder research focuses on women. Jarrett hopes conversations like this one will help normalize and improve mental health care as it relates to body image and disordered eating for boys in particular.

Educator and author Henry Rice joins us to discuss how teaching our children the principles of love and kindness can counteract violence. Currently the music teacher at Putnam Heights Academy, Henry has worked in education for 30 years and recently put his 12 strategies of teaching nonviolence in book form for use by families, schools and youth organizations: Hey TEENS Workbook: Teaching Everyone Everywhere Nonviolent Strategies. He has positively impacted thousands of students throughout the years and shares today how parents can put his principles into effect in our homes, which in turn will make a positive impact on our community and world.

In honor of MetroFamily’s 25th anniversary and three years of our Raising OKC Kids podcast, we are welcoming back one of our most popular guests to speak on one of our most downloaded topics: mental health professional and dad Michael Dickerson joins us to give an update on mental health in the workplace. Michael shares how awareness around mental health practices has changed in Oklahoma since the pandemic as well as how employees can continue to advocate for better boundaries around their work lives and personal lives.