Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Hedda van Lieshout, to the Restorative Works! Podcast, World Conference series. This series of conversations were held during the 2023 IIRP World Conference, Building Thriving Communities, A Radical Approach Through Restorative Practices, held in Detroit, MI, October 2-4, 2023.

Hedda speaks with us about the work of Eigen Kracht Centrale and how this organization strives to normalize restorative practices in the lives of all people they come in contact with through restorative conferences. A marker of this work is identifying important people in our lives and recognizing our personal circles of influence and care. This is imperative to building trust and supporting ourselves and our communities. She offers us examples of addressing inter-familial issues by maximizing the positive, instead of only focusing on the problems. Often, the solution can be found within the parts of the family structure that are working and that are already providing positive outcomes in other areas. 

Supporting people in their right to make their own decisions is what drives Hedda van Lieshout in her work and life. She has worked in healthcare in Italy and as a researcher for the Dutch Institution of Care and Welfare. Presently, Hedda is managing director at Eigen Kracht Centrale, a national organization in the Netherlands that offers Family Group Conferences and Restorative Conferences to individuals and families across the country. They work within communities and with the government to provide services to families. Eigen Kracht means "one’s own strength/power" and the name emphasizes the idea that people can make their own decisions and plans together with their network of family and friends.

Tune in to learn more about Hedda’s perspective on family and community decision making and Eigen Kracht Centrale’s work in the Netherlands.

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Shelley Jones-Holt, Ed.D., to the Restorative Works! Podcast, World Conference series. This series of conversations were held during the 2023 IIRP World Conference, Building Thriving Communities: A Radical Approach Through Restorative Practices, held in Detroit, MI, October 2-4, 2023.

Dr. Shelley shares with us how to have courageous conversations around race and other complex topics by first creating a safe space for those conversations to occur. She emphasizes the importance of preparation by establishing norms and agreements before opening a dialogue and defining terms so that participants can share a common language. Dr. Shelley addresses the natural feeling of shame that can arise when we are faced with things we lack, may they be knowledge, experience, or depth of understanding. She also speaks about how to navigate the emotions that follow a shame response, emphasizing that they should never be barriers to creating and coming to a place of understanding.

Dr. Shelley currently serves as a Courageous Leadership Consultant providing training, facilitation, coaching, and support to equity driven teams and organizational, legislative, educational and family leaders across the nation. She is the founder of Leadership Legacy Consulting, LLC, and the visionary behind the non-profit Family Legacy 5, which focuses on providing structural, adaptive and technical support to educational, corporate and family leaders. Her emphasis on a restorative approach is foundational to engaging in uncomfortable conversations about controversial topics, such as race and identity oppression. The expansion to empower families through family leadership training for all was birthed through the realization that the mentals models that drive systemic change originate not at school or work, but at home.

Tune in to learn more about Dr. Shelley’s approach to addressing hard conversations with care and humility and check out Family Legacy 5 and Leadership Legacy Consulting.

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Michael G. DeAntonio, Ph.D., to the Restorative Works! Podcast.

Dr. DeAntonio tells the story of how Buxmont Academy, comprised of six alternative schools in eastern Pennsylvania, USA, came to be from the minds of the founders, Susan and Ted Wachtel. He explains how their ideas became the foundation of how we use restorative methods with children in alternative school environments. He shares a powerful example of how restorative intervention diverted a young man who vandalized a classroom from criminal prosecution by bringing together those who he had harmed and working to repair that harm in both a socio-emotional and physical sense. In true restorative fashion, Dr. DeAntonio reminds us of where we’ve been, where we are, and where he would like to see United States education move towards in the future.

Dr. DeAntonio has three decades of experience as an educator and administrator in public education. He's the executive director at Buxmont Academy, one of the IIRP’s model programs. He served as an instructor in the Department of Secondary Education at Kutztown University and as an educational liaison for Buxmont Academy. Before that, Mike served as a principal and assistant principal and sits on the board of directors for the Pennsylvania Association of Student Assistance Professionals. His experience ranges from middle school science teacher to instructor of graduate students. His doctoral dissertation focused on the role that restorative practices play in high school environments.

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Amy Dallas, J.D., to the Restorative Works! Podcast.

Amy’s work with the Vera Institute of Justice is focused on supporting prosecution offices across the U.S. in making policy changes that divert community members from the justice system. These policy changes are accomplished through partnerships with offices in various jurisdictions. Policy changes can range from declining cases to recommending offenders to restorative justice diversion programs, and more. Amy shares examples of successful diversion efforts and her hopes for restorative justice policies moving forward to combat the epidemic of mass incarceration in the United States.

Amy is an attorney passionate about expanding restorative approaches to addressing conflict and harm, instead of the traditional over-reliance on legal systems. She is program manager of the Reshaping Prosecution Collaborative Justice Network at the Vera Institute of Justice, an initiative bridging relationships nationwide to co-create public safety through restorative practices, systems of mutual support, and social ingenuity. Previously, Amy was a public defender for 10 years in Brooklyn, New York with the Legal Aid Society. She currently advises several organizations focused on community care for families of incarcerated loved ones and people returning home from prison

Tune in to learn more about Amy’s work and perspective on diversion methods, collaboration, and supporting justice efforts that put communities first.

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Raphael D. Florestal-Kevelier, Ph.D., M.P.H., to the Restorative Works! podcast public health series. In this series of episodes, we discuss the U.S. Surgeon General's recent report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, with experts in the public health field.

We continue the conversation with Dr. Florestal-Kevelier and dig deeper into methods for successful implementation of restorative practices in higher education communities that promote health equity across campus. Dr. Florestal-Kevelier explains how assessing priority needs and identifying affected individuals are the first steps in creating common language and the foundation needed to build health equity solutions. From individual student intervention to university-wide policy change, the melding of restorative practices and health promotion helps to provide clearer, more well-rounded approaches to issues surrounding mental, emotional, and physical health in higher education settings.

Currently serving as the inaugural Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Health and Well-being at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), Dr. Florestal-Kevelier is leading the integration of critical health and wellness programs and services, all while advancing a public health-grounded and community-oriented approach to supporting student health and well-being. With over 15 years of experience in scholarship, practice, and teaching focused on the well-being of university students, he also serves as a clinical assistant professor of community health sciences and is an affiliate faculty member of the Division of Gender and Women's Studies at UIC. Dr. Florestal-Kevelier currently serves as the president-elect of the American College Health Association and is a founding partner of the Collaborative Center for Restorative Practices in Higher Education at the IIRP Graduate School.

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Raphael D. Florestal-Kevelier, PhD, MPH, to the Restorative Works! Podcast, public health series. In this series of episodes, we discuss the US Surgeon General's recent report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation with experts in the public health field.

Dr. Florestal-Kevelier discusses the significance of creating physical spaces where college students can find a sense of belonging and comfort, particularly in historically marginalized communities. He provides examples of spaces that genuinely reflect the identity and culture of respective college communities through art and imagery. He illustrates how administrators can honor the diverse strengths of the communities they serve by collaborating with them, rather than imposing theoretical and research-based frameworks on them. His research and practice focus on advancing health equity in the university context, cultivating health-promoting campus environments, and improving the academic and social experiences of Black queer and transgender students.

Currently serving as the inaugural Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Health and Well-being at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), Dr. Florestal-Kevelier is leading the integration of critical health and wellness programs and services, all while advancing a public health-grounded and community-oriented approach to supporting student health and well-being. With over 15 years of experience in scholarship, practice, and teaching focused on the well-being of university students, he also serves as a clinical assistant professor of community health sciences and is an affiliate faculty member of the Division of Gender and Women's Studies at UIC. Dr. Florestal-Kevelier currently serves as the president-elect of the American College Health Association and is a founding partner of the Collaborative Center for Restorative Practices in Higher Education at the IIRP Graduate School.

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Gina Baral Abrams, Dr.P.H., Ed.M., LSW, to the Restorative Works! Podcast public health series. Today we are discussing insights on Dr. Abrams’ recently published white paper, A Restorative Practices Strategy to Advance Community Health. 

Using a restorative framework provides community health professionals a human-centered view from which they can begin their work by being inclusive, building authentic relationships, and identifying collective strengths. Dr. Abrams describes how this fundamental shift in public health is creating solutions to root issues. She offers several recommendations for practical applications for creating safe spaces for natural listening where groups can work towards strengthening social connection, enable community engagement, and address harm and healing. She also provides examples of how restorative practices can be used in large scale community culture and climate change in higher education and across sectors.  

Dr. Abrams serves as the Director of Research and Program Evaluation and Associate Professor at the IIRP Graduate School where she teaches courses in community health and research methods, serves as the principal investigator for the Restorative Practices in Higher Education Learning Collaborative, and oversees the Collaborative Center for Restorative Practices in Higher Education. She is also an adjunct faculty at the Boston University School of Social Work, the Tulane University School of Social Work, and Mercer County Community College in Jersey.  

Dr. Abrams has served in administrative roles at numerous institutions of higher education, including Lehigh University, Princeton University, MIT, and Bentley College. She also worked in disease prevention research with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Massachusetts Correctional System. Dr. Abrams’ research interests include high risk behaviors among college students, restorative practices as a prevention strategy, psychological sense of community, community readiness, and collective action.  

For more information on Dr. Abrams’ work and approach to public health solutions through a restorative lens, read her white paper, A Restorative Practices Strategy to Advance Community Health. 

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Dr. Sandro Galea to the Restorative Works! Podcast, public health series. In this series of episodes, we discuss the US Surgeon General's recent report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation with experts in the public health field.

The US Surgeon General's report revealed how different generations are experiencing this epidemic of loneliness and isolation in different ways. Generation Z has more access to a digital landscape than any other group in history, yet they still experience loneliness and social isolation. The Baby Boomer generation is reeling from the fragmentation of the communities and families brought forth by economic fluctuations. Dr. Galea explains how loneliness is a widespread issue, one that has been building for years, but is now reaching a critical point where the effects are being felt across generations in different ways.

To begin to address the issue of social disconnection, Dr. Galea reminds us that we must marry the insight of community members and science-based methods. We must also be aware that sometimes the loudest voices may not represent the whole community. It takes caution and attention to ensure that we are inclusive of those members of the community who are in the minority, those who are not always heard in traditional community spaces. Without those minority voices, we run the risk of creating increased fragmentation and social isolation.

Dr. Galea is Dean and Robert A. Knox Professor at the Boston University School of Public Health. He has been named an epidemiology innovator by Time, a top voice in healthcare by LinkedIn, and is one of the most cited social scientists in the world. His writing and work are featured regularly in national and global public media. A native of Malta, he has served as a field physician for Doctors Without Borders and has held academic positions at Columbia University, University of Michigan, and the New York Academy of Medicine. He is also the author of The Healthiest Goldfish, where he provides regular insights into his research and work.

Tune in to hear more about Dr. Galea’s perspective on addressing loneliness by investigating the social determinants of health across communities.

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad to the Restorative Works! Podcast, public health series. In this series of episodes, we discuss the US Surgeon General's recent report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation with experts in the public health field.

Humans are social creatures and like all social species, have a better chance of survival when they are in community as opposed to experiencing isolation. As shown through data in the report, the risk of pre-mature death increases up to 29% for those who experience social isolation. Those who are more socially connected live longer. Dr. HoltLunstad explains the difference between perceived loneliness and social isolation and discusses how various systems affect our ability to connect, shifting from an individualistic lens to a wider perspective.

Dr. Holt-Lunstad's research focuses on the individual and population health effects, biological mechanisms, and effective strategies to mitigate risk and promote protection associated with social connection. Her research has been seminal in the recognition of social isolation and loneliness as risk factors for early mortality. As the lead scientific editor for a US Surgeon General’s Advisory and Framework for a National Strategy, her work also focuses on translating evidence into practice and policy. She is a professor of psychology and neuroscience, and director of the Social Connection & Health Lab at Brigham Young University. She is also the founding scientific chair and board member for the U.S. Foundation for Social Connection and the Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection.

Tune in to learn more about Dr. Holt-Lunstad's perspective on the complexities of addressing lack of social connection and recognizing systemically manufactured isolation in communities.

Claire de Mézerville López welcomes Carlus “Ray” Evans to the Restorative Works! Podcast. Ray speaks with us about his experience as a Transformative Justice Circle Keeper, situating community building as paramount to making strides in fostering safety and trust in communities.

He describes how a transformative circle looks and feels and provides the steps needed to sustain, internalize, and duplicate this process across various community spaces. Ray reminds us that harm occurs when a need is not being met,and that we can hold each other accountable while being supportive ofeach other’s needs.

He asserts that opening ourselves to exploring different perspectives, we will discover new ways of thinking and problem solving,and be able to create new and more agreeable forms of justice.

A business owner and a Restorative/Transformative Justice Circle Keeper at Restore Oakland,in Oakland, CA, Ray holds weekly Community Building Circles with formerly incarcerated and never incarcerated individuals.He has facilitated community-building circles and given a speech on prison abolition for a Cops off Campus rally at Stanford University. He seeks to counter act challenges with the US prison system with a humane approach to crime and conflict throught his work. He is a formerly incarcerated individual who spent 27 years as a resident of the California Department of Corrections.Tune in to hear more about Ray’s work and methods to building community with https://restoreoakland.org/