Watershed Voice columnist Charles Thomas writes, “When I was a kid, the Dallas Cowboys were called America’s football team because they were winners. But today, I think the Detroit Lions are America’s football team because even though they are perennial losers, they just keep getting back up, again and again and again. Through grit and determination, the last are now first, and the Lions are finally having their moment in the spotlight. As Prince once sang, ‘the ride up front is better once you been in the back.'”
Mental health
Woodlands Behavioral Healthcare Network (BHN) in Cassopolis will be hosting a Recovery Celebration and Suicide Prevention Awareness family day on Saturday, September 9. The event will recognize and honor those who have overcome personal challenges by celebrating with family-friendly activities such as face painting, food trucks, raffle prizes, and a petting zoo.
Bryann Books is a full-time Pivotal social worker who has recently been added to the department as the “Mobile Crisis Clinician – TRPD Liaison,” and will assist officers with individuals experiencing mental health crises in the community.
Trained in the treatment of both physical and mental health needs, PMHNPs serve as a bridge between those worlds.
Watershed Voice columnist and psychotherapist Charles Thomas writes, “There is ample scientific evidence that being in a healthy relationship is associated with less anxiety and stress, better general mental health, a lower risk for depression, and even longer life span.” But what constitutes a healthy relationship? Charles has answers.
Michigan is repaying student loans for some mental health workers, a financial boost that keeps mental health workers on the job, caring for children.
Demand is high for mental health services across many agencies in Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties, and many peer supporters are ground zero — serving communities that are marginalized, diverse, and in high need.
In order to get the most from mental health care, patients need counselors who can fully understand them – from language, to culture, to the experiences of members of a marginalized community.
Teletherapy is more common than ever after the COVID-19 pandemic practically made its use a necessity. But as with most things, online therapy comes with both benefits and drawbacks.
Editor’s Note: This story includes strong language and references to suicide.
As mental-health concerns for youth rise, behavioral health consultants provide onsite counseling services to students in Battle Creek schools and across Calhoun County.
WSV columnist and limited licensed psychologist Charles Thomas writes, “While there weren’t many silver linings to the pandemic, one good thing that did happen as a result of it was that our culture developed a fresh appreciation of the importance of mental health care. But a large block of Americans has been left behind. This is in spite of the fact that they make up nearly 80% of all suicides, have fewer friendships and social connections than other groups, and are also more likely to binge drink and have substance use disorders than other groups.”
What type of support does a child need to recover from the trauma of being shot? A Kalamazoo mother is on a lonely search for that answer.
In Marianne Joynt’s new role as mental health initiatives coordinator for the district, she’s able to go wherever support is needed for staff and students and put together plans to meet their needs as best she can.
It can be hard for a kid to navigate the pitfalls of adolescence. The staff at Three Rivers Middle School wants to help. That help comes in many forms, one of which is a program called TRAILS – Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students.
This article is part of Overloaded and (Often) Unpaid, a joint solutions journalism project on caregiving and mental wellness between the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative (of which Watershed Voice is a member) and the New York and Michigan Solutions Journalism Collaborative, a partnership of news and community organizations dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about successful responses to social problems. The groups are supported by the Solutions Journalism Network.
Alek and Doug welcome poet, community activist, voice actor, author, and Watershed Voice columnist and board member Aundrea Sayrie. The long awaited interview with one of Watershed’s founding members doesn’t disappoint as Aundrea talks the origin story of Three Rivers Open Mic, her Black History Month series on WSV and why she decided to change the format this year, her ongoing health concerns and how they have changed her outlook on life, and an upcoming book she’s written about professional voice acting.
Watershed Voice columnist Aundrea Sayrie writes, “Never one to fold and knowing I am not the only one holding mixed emotions about what it means to be proud and Black, this year my focus is on highlighting sources of racial based traumatic stress, and their negative impact on the mental health of the Black community.”
A holistic approach to mental health may bring in medical, social, psychological, psychiatric, behavioral, and spiritual aspects as well as consider the lifestyle of the person. While some of these approaches may have a financial cost, many do not.