Advocacy
Homicidal Loss
Facing adversity takes courage and resilience, and there are times when we need to lean on others to hold that space of courage and resilience for those going through any challenge. Too many people are silently suffering from the loss of a dear one from homicide. Too many people are hurting others because they have been hurt. We as a society have to address this trauma before it consumes our indomitable spirit.
I advocate for and support practitioners who counsel individuals dealing with the loss of a loved one through homicide, the pain of victimization, and the reconciliation of survival. Navigating through this space, especially when untrained, can complicate or even prolong a return to mental health for the individual and can adversely impact the mental health of the practitioner. Let me assist your practice or agency in healing our communities – through advocacy and/or training. I write and talk about homicidal loss because few are. Our lives depend upon it.
Problem & Disordered Gambling
Because gambling is thought of as entertainment, it is a socially supported activity -- BUT many people gamble as an emotional or financial strategy. My focus is increasing public awareness about low-risk to high-risk gambling, and how to provide grass roots advocacy for gamblers, their loved ones, and their communities so that they recognize when to seek help -- when they experience negative outcomes from gambling. We need to expand mental health aid to include problem and disordered gambling so that all know - citizens and practitioners alike - where to link people to community-based and accessible support. My goal is to ensure that public awareness campaigns and other resources brought to bear are culturally attuned and sensitive to the individuals and communities they serve – from local, national and international perspectives.
Community Wellness & Mental Health
I advocate for community healing and self-care from the trauma of homicide. We need an integrated and culturally meaningful system of care and recovery from homicidal trauma. In order to reduce generational trauma, we need to connect survivors to effective resources and introduce them and the community to healing modalities. Let’s talk about how we heal our communities.
In assisting faith and spiritual communities in acquiring competence in mental health aid, I train clergy and laypeople to be better positioned to provide support. Ministers and others serving the faith community encounter people in various stages of mental health and wellness – from depression, anxiety, and stress, to bereavement, trauma, and childhood behavioral challenges. I believe it is very important for those in faith-based service to be able to recognize mental health warning signs so they can deliver or obtain the most appropriate assistance. Most importantly, with the stressors of today’s social environment, faith-based and spiritual leaders must be able to recognize their own need for restoration and self-care.