Building Buchanan
By Colette Canchola
Join our host, Colette Canchola, as she gets the scoop from pioneers in inclusion, community building, and, generally, making the world a better place.
This podcast is produced by Progressive Community Services in St. Joseph, MO. Visit us online at progressivecommunityservices.com
Building BuchananAug 27, 2021
Episode 13 - Free the Britneys
In this episode, Colette interviewed Jonathan Martinis, legendary legal expert and advocate of supported decision-making. A recent Time Magazine article published on 6/25/21 shared Britney Spear’s testimony about her experience with conservatorship. It was revealed that her rights to manage her own money had been taken away years ago and the pop star is now fighting to have her rights restored. He shared his thoughts and perspective on the trending news story about popular music star and how it relates to not only people with disabilities, but society as a whole.
For Jonathan's bio and the show links, visit our website at https://progressivecommunityservices.com/listen-now-to-episode-13-free-the-britneys/
EPISODE 12, PART II - A Millennial Caregiving Tale
In this part II of Episode 12 of the Building Buchanan Podcast, Rachel and Colette rapped about privacy and boundaries, recruiting caregivers for her grandma, her blog, and a whole lot more.
Podcast Links- TakingCareofGrandma.com
- TakingCareofGrandma dot COM on Instagram
- [COMING SOON] TRANSCRIPT: Building Buchanan Podcast Episode 12 (PDF)
Rachel Hiles is a 30 something aspiring local celebrity do-gooder in Kansas City. She is a proud graduate of the UMKC Bloch school, where she obtained her Masters of Public Administration with an emphasis in nonprofit management. She worked in the developmental disabilities field in a variety of roles for over 13 years. Most recently, she ventured down the path to self-employment as a graphic, web and media designer so she could have flexibility in her role as primary caregiver to her grandma, Barbara. She blogs about her caregiving adventures at TakingCareofGrandma.com.
Episode 12 - A Millennial Caregiving Tale
Episode 12 of #BuildingBuchanan is now available for your listening pleasure.
In this episode, Colette heard from Rachel Hiles, a millennial making her way in the world while taking care of her grandma, Barbara. Listen in as Colette and Rachel rap about all things caregiving.
For Rachel's bio and our show links, visit https://progressivecommunityservices.com/tune-in-to-episode-12-a-millennial-caregiving-tale/
Episode 11 - Charting the Course to Meaningful Work
Our latest episode of #BuildingBuchanan is now available for your listening pleasure.
In this episode, Colette interviewed Cassidi Jobe, co-founder and Executive Director of the Summit Future Foundation. Listen in as Colette and Cassidi explore what it takes to help people get on the right path to meaningful work and their own personal visions for a good life.
For Cassidi's bio and the show links, visit our website at https://progressivecommunityservices.com/now-hear-this-building-buchanan-episode-11/
Episode 10 - Accepting the Challenge of Creating Employment Opportunities
In this episode, Colette interviewed Jana Campbell, Director of the Employment Program at United Cerebral Palsy of Northwest Missouri. Jana shared two programs at UCP NWMO focused on connecting youth with disabilities to employment opportunities. Listen in as Jana shares how she's accepted the challenge of creating employment opportunities in Buchanan County and beyond... and how you can accept the challenge, too!
To view Jana's bio and episode links, visit our website at
Episode 09 - Community Closes at 5: The Struggle is Real
In this episode, Colette spoke with Kelly Derks, who is a resident here in Buchanan County. Colette and Kelly met through the WITH Grant that PCS participated in and she was struck by his perspective and positive attitude despite the barriers he has faced. Colette caught up with Kelly to find out what he has been up to and to talk about how he has built a life for himself, despite the challenges he's had to overcome.
Podcast Links
- WITH Grant
As a brief background on this grant, we were one of four groups awarded the funding from the WITH Foundation and the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry. There were many strong proposals from all over the country, so it really speaks to the importance of this project and the honor it is for our proposal to have been accepted. The partnership of this group, and the key involvement of all stakeholders really sets us apart from the other proposals that were awarded. (You can read the press release here: https://withfoundation.org/informed-supported-decision-making-practices-on-healthcare-decisions-for-people-with-i-dd/)
Partners: UMKC, Progressive Community Services, Mosaic Life Care, UCP, and Easterseals Midwest.
- What is ADA: https://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm
- Publications about Universal Design https://projects.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/
- Check out a smart car for wheelchair users https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/AunpKt3KZNI?autoplay=1&iv_load_policy=3&loop=1&modestbranding=1&playlist=AunpKt3KZNI
- Lego Ramps Video https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/RG2ukme95Yg?autoplay=1&iv_load_policy=3&loop=1&modestbranding=1&playlist=RG2ukme95Yg
Episode 08 - Partnering to Respond to Crisis
In this episode, Colette spoke with Jen Gentry, who is the Community Mental Health Liaison with the Northwest Missouri Crisis Intervention Council. We invited Jen as a guest on the Building Buchanan podcast because she came up during the interview Colette did with Matt Kneib in Episode 03.
Jen has worked to revive the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) in NWMO and provide such valuable training to law enforcement, along with helping so many professionals connect and continue to build their relationships with each other to best support people in our area. She has helped many professionals and law enforcement better recognize and understand autism and other conditions. This work helps provide officers the skills they need to confidently address the needs and to also better understand the agencies and services in the community that can help.
We learned a lot about the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) here in Northwest Missouri, the Council that makes it happen, and what attending the CIT training is like.
Visit our podcast page at progressivecommunityservices.com for Jen's bio and the show links!
Episode 07 - Changemakers in Action
In this episode, Colette interviewed Courtney Alsup and David Rotert, both parents of children with disabilities and Partners in Policymaking graduates. She talked to them about their experience completing their final project for Partners, which took them on a journey to stop discrimination against people with disabilities in the healthcare realm.
Podcast Links- Missouri Partners in Policymaking
Link: https://moddcouncil.org/partners-in-policymaking/ - SB551 Bill at Senate.Mo.Gov
Link: https://www.senate.mo.gov/20info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=26838026 - National Down Syndrome Society Nondiscrimination in Organ Transplant Laws Toolkit
Link: https://www.ndss.org/programs/ndss-legislative-agenda/healthcare-research/nondiscrimination-in-organ-transplantation-laws-toolkit/ - [COMING SOON] TRANSCRIPT: Building Buchanan Podcast Episode 07 (PDF)
For Courtney and David's bios, visit our website at progressivecommunityservices.com/building-buchanan-podcast/
Episode 06 - The Cool Aunt of the Helping Community
In this episode, Colette sat down and spoke with Jess Gould. Jess is the Youth Services Department Manager at the East Hills Library, a branch of the St. Joseph Public Library system.
In this interview, Jess shared a little bit of her background and then dived into how libraries can assist people with disabilities and how libraries are changing to keep up with technology. Our favorite part was when she coined her role as being "The Cool Aunt of the Helping Community."
Jess is a very down to earth and a compassionate person. Our community is very fortunate to have her as the Cool Aunt 😎📚
We hope you enjoy getting to know her and the library as much as we did!
Episode 04 - Things We Wish Were Better (Brian's Missed Pony Ride)
In the latest episode of the Building Buchanan podcast, Colette spoke with Brian Myers, local entrepreneur and St. Joseph city council member about everything from coming of age to poverty to how you can support local businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Podcast Links- The Tiger's Den
- The Metropolitan Event Space
- NewsPressNow: It's Your Call
- (Coming Soon) TRANSCRIPT: Building Buchanan Podcast Episode 04 [PDF]
Saint Joseph native, Brian Myers, was kicked out of Savannah High School in 1996. He went on to have a career in optical retail management and later financial management, while raising his son, Torrin. Brian was also enrolled in Missouri Western University at this time, and later graduated with his B.S. in Marketing Management from WGU.
Tired of the daily grind, Brian and his wife Amy began opening and operating small businesses in Saint Joseph in 2012. They currently own a vintage clothing store named The Lucky Tiger, a combination bookstore/bar called The Tiger’s Den, and the newly opened event venue, Metropolitan.
Brian has been involved with the Saint Joseph community on multiple levels. He and Amy co-founded First Saturdays Downtown (now Downtown First), and have been co-recipients of the Mayor’s Awards for the Arts. Brian has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the MWSU Arts Foundation, the Saint Joseph Public Library Foundation Trust Board, has served as past president of Downtown First, and the Downtown Economic Stimulus Board.
Currently, Brian is serving his first term as a City Councilman at-large for the city of Saint Joseph.
All of the above to spite the educators who tossed him out of a rural learning institution.
Episode 05 - Quarantine Life (Part II)
In Part II of Quarantine Life, Colette & Kelly Henry, guest on Episode 05 of the Building Buchanan podcast, talk about true inclusion and how to make it happen, beyond the current social distancing of today's pandemic.
Episode 05 - Quarantine Life
In this episode of the Building Buchanan podcast, Colette sat down with Kelly Henry to get her take on the Coronavirus crisis that has changed life as we know it.
Kelly recently wrote an amazing piece on her experience as a parent of a high schooler with autism during the COVID-19 pandemic called, “Welcome to Our Quarantine.” She wrote the narrative about the experience of raising a person with autism with the permission of all the boys in the essay.
Podcast Links
- Welcome to Our Quarantine: https://the-art-of-autism.com/welcome-to-our-quarantine/
- Art of Autism: https://the-art-of-autism.com/
- ImpactADHD: https://impactadhd.com/teens-with-autism
About our Guest
Kelly is a social-organizational psychologist at Missouri Western State University where she teaches about group dynamics and social influence. She has been married to Kirk for 22 years, and they are raising three lovely humans: Connor (18), Molly (13), and Collin (9). She and her family reside in Kansas City, Missouri.
Episode 03 - A Cop on a Mission
In this episode of the #BuildingBuchanan Podcast, Colette sat down with Matt Kneib, police officer with the St. Joseph Police Department, to learn about how and when his perspectives changed, what motivates him to help people and be so involved in our community, and how anyone can make a difference. He touched on his experience building partnerships to create processes and systems to help persons with autism and how the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) has helped to create a better understanding of developmental disabilities and mental health in Buchanan County.
Episode 02 - The Mom Next Door
In this episode, Colette sat down with Tara Stoll, recent transplant from Buchanan county to Oregon, where she is leading the way to a more inclusive community, both by personal example and in her career.
In this episode, Tara and Colette shared personal stories about navigating parenting and life in general. Tara helped Colette break down common myths about disabilities and shared how they work to make sure their families can live just like everyone else.
We loved when Tara talked about growing with her daughter, Olivia, and how she described the impact her daughter has had on her way of thinking and looking at life.
PODCAST EPISODE Links:
- TRANSCRIPT: Building Buchanan Podcast Episode 02 – The Mom Next Door Transcript [ COMING SOON ]
- The Arc of Jackson County
- Visit our podcast page at progressivecommunityservices.com to sign up for email updates when the next episode is released!
Episode 01 - The Defining Moment
In the premiere episode of Building Buchanan, Colette sat down with Dr. Sheli Reynolds to talk to her about her career and the defining moment that inspired her to work on systems change for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.
PRESENTING... BUILDING BUCHANAN
This promo explains what our new podcast, Building Buchanan, is all about.