BLKMHC: Office Hours

ASD affects people of all races and ethnicities. Still, studies show that African-American and Latino children with autism are diagnosed at older ages than white children, giving them less of an opportunity for proper intervention and treatment. Dr. Marisol Marroquín of Rutgers University has made it her life's mission to make changes to the access, equity, and changes needed for the Latinx community.

Post COVID world for children has been difficult emotionally and schools providing social emotional learning set out to address those concerns. Many schools are now facing an ever changing political climate that has its sites set on K-12 education and SEL. Welcome Francesca Villarreal, MSW, MBA to the office hour as we discuss politics in academia, how to get involved as parents and exploring the views of the other side.

Transitioning and how to have those crucial conversations when the stakes are high. Crucial conversations occur in all aspects of our lives. Tonights Guest Nizhonlii Robinson former Marine, Founder of Spark: The Pop Up and current Customer Success Manager for BreakLine Education will share with us how to navigate life transitions and learning from the importance of having crucial conversations. Nizhonlii can be found on LinkedIn (Nizhonlii Robinson) and the book referenced is Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson.

Having a culturally sensitive discussion around food and food choices is important to growth and care of ourselves and our community. Today's episode is with a Registered Dietitian and Lactation Counselor Manyil Danshey, RD, where we discuss how food changes mood, ways professionals can have conversations about food changes that acknowledge the cultural implication of food in communities of color and how the dietitian profession can grow to be more inclusive and diverse. Black families are 3x's as likely to face hunger than white families and 20% of Black individuals live in food insecure households. There are currently only 13% of Black dietitians practicing today, without them we will continue to see health disparities (e.g., chronic disease, obesity, maternal and fetal mortality) that can be addressed through diet.

What is integrated health care and how can Black and Brown voices be elevated in these spaces to ensure adequate care is being provided? Yvette Beltran, LCSW and I talk about the beauty and pitfalls of integrated care, the intersection of race in the medical and behavioral health world and the effective role social workers play in bridging these two worlds together. 

This is Pt 1A of our conversation on what is happening in the social work profession and how the ASWB is utilizing the clinical exam to prevent Black and Brown people from accessing positions of power and equitable pay. Please go to the BLKMHC Instagram page to access the change.org petition. Also, email the BLKMHC page blkmhc@gmail.com and provide your feedback on what does change look like. 

More info and data: https://www.aswb.org/exam/contributing-to-the-conversation/

Sitting down with my friend and colleague Yvette Madrid, MSW, LCSW to discuss the recent numbers that have been released by the Association of Social Work Board on their pass rates. The numbers are disheartening and we could sit on the side line and complain, but that is not social work. Let's discuss the concerns and have an honest conversation about how flawed the profession is. This is just pt 1. https://www.aswb.org/exam/contributing-to-the-conversation/

How can we as providers engage the communities we set out to serve? Not centering ourselves and what we want for them, but truly thinking about who they are and actively listening to what it is they need. My guest Yvette Madrid (IG: @sabe_la_gamela), MSW, ASW chats with me about community engagement and truly honoring our communities. Shifting our lens on community approach and seeking out ways to make effective change in the mental/behavioral profession. 

Yvette can also be reached at: hola.gansitos@gmail.com

Bio: Currently living and working in Southern California. Yvette earned her Master’s degree of social work in 2018 and officially completed hours towards licensure as of this week. Yvette received her bachelors from California State University Dominguez Hills in Chicano Studies with a concentration in social, education, and community development. Yvette has gained professional experience in working within public education and public health. Yvette professional expertise also includes working with high needs, historically disenfranchised, low income, and “severely emotionally disturbed” (SED) youth. After working six years in community based mental health specialized in crisis intervention and prevention and early intervention, Yvette transitioned to medical social work providing clinical social work practice in a pediatric hematology/oncology outpatient clinic.

Current passion projects include providing cultural/community events and workshops focused on spiritual healing practices passed down from past generations which include tarot card reading, traditional limpias (energy cleansing), storytelling, and consults or “platicas.” Yvette self identifies as an intuitive/clairvoyant, and utilizes her spiritual gifts as a means of self care especially when working closely to families facing death, dying, trauma, and chronic illness.  Her own spiritual healing practices have given her strength to provide holistic culturally competent care to her patients and their families.

Get to know me as we take this journey together. My name is Marquita LaGarde I am a licensed clinical therapist and I will take this time to discuss topics surrounding mental health and joining with other professionals to break down barriers surrounding the health professions. Welcome. You can find me on IG @BLKMHC