In My Backyard

Today’s podcast discusses the role of Parent Partners in the children’s mental health system. According to United Parents, a nonprofit focused on the concept of “parents helping parents”, a Parent Partner is a “clinically supervised para-professional who has raised a child with a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder. They understand the frustration, being blamed, losing hope, losing patience and all the challenges that go with raising children with mental health needs”. 

Casey Family Programs, a national nonprofit influencing policy change to better the lives of children, notes there is an inherent power differential between families served and those serving them. The power gaps are socioeconomic, educational and systemic in nature. The clinician or case worker will always hold more power in the relationship when only one side is sharing personal details and subject to mandated child abuse reporting, despite the best efforts of therapists to engage clients with empathy and authenticity. Casey Family Programs writes, “one innovative approach that has emerged over the past decade is the use of peer mentors, or Parent Partners, who serve to bridge the gap between … parents and a complex, often challenging, and overwhelming system”. 

In this episode, Patricia speaks with two staff members of The Guidance Center, Irving Martinez, a licensed clinical social worker from our Compton Clinic and supervisor to The Guidance Center’s team of Parent Partners and Arlene Escobar, a Parent Partner supporting families and engaging in client outreach from our Long Beach clinic. 

In My Backyard is brought to you by The Guidance Center, a children’s mental health agency in Long Beach, CA. In My Backyard is produced by Tricia Costales and Matthew Murray. Thank you to Jay Vincent B for original music. All other music licensed through SoundStripe. Thank you to our listeners and supporters.

Please visit tgclb.org or text HOPE to 562-262-5689 to make a one-time donation or join our Hope and Healing Club to become a monthly donor today. And subscribe to In My Backyard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today’s podcast discusses a subject that has become increasingly relevant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: what happens to children who experience the death of a loved one, particularly a parent or caregiver.

According to Dr. Dan Treglia from the University of Pennsylvania, there are an estimated 200,000 children (in the US) who have lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19, and that realistically, the numbers are likely quite a bit higher. Dr. Treglia reports, “children who lose parents or caregivers are more likely to experience PTSD and depression. My worry is that those who feel stigmatized (by the COVID-19 deaths) won’t admit what their parent or caregiver died of, and those kids need care.”

In today’s episode, Patricia speaks with with Lauren Schneider, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Clinical Director of Child and Adolescent Services at Our House. Our House is a nonprofit organization that provides grief support following the death of a loved one, believing that the bereavement experience deserves greater understanding and acceptance. Specifically, they provide grief support groups to adults, teens, children and toddlers, geared to the age of the griever and their relationship to the person who died.

In My Backyard is brought to you by The Guidance Center, a children’s mental health agency in Long Beach, CA. In My Backyard is produced by Tricia Costales and Matthew Murray. Thank you to Jay Vincent B for original music. All other music licensed through SoundStripe. Thank you to our listeners and supporters.

Please visit tgclb.org or text HOPE to 562-262-5689 to make a one-time donation or join our Hope and Healing Club to become a monthly donor today. And subscribe to In My Backyard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today’s podcast discusses a subject that has become increasingly relevant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: what happens to children who experience the death of a loved one, particularly a parent or caregiver.

According to Dr. Dan Treglia from the University of Pennsylvania, there are an estimated 200,000 children (in the US) who have lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19, and that realistically, the numbers are likely quite a bit higher. Dr. Treglia reports, “children who lose parents or caregivers are more likely to experience PTSD and depression. My worry is that those who feel stigmatized (by the COVID-19 deaths) won’t admit what their parent or caregiver died of, and those kids need care.”

In today’s episode, Patricia speaks with with Lauren Schneider, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Clinical Director of Child and Adolescent Services at Our House. Our House is a nonprofit organization that provides grief support following the death of a loved one, believing that the bereavement experience deserves greater understanding and acceptance. Specifically, they provide grief support groups to adults, teens, children and toddlers, geared to the age of the griever and their relationship to the person who died.

In My Backyard is brought to you by The Guidance Center, a children’s mental health agency in Long Beach, CA. In My Backyard is produced by Tricia Costales and Matthew Murray. Thank you to Jay Vincent B for original music. All other music licensed through SoundStripe. Thank you to our listeners and supporters.

Please visit tgclb.org or text HOPE to 562-262-5689 to make a one-time donation or join our Hope and Healing Club to become a monthly donor today. And subscribe to In My Backyard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today’s podcast is the third installment of the “In My Backyard” series: STORIES. Patricia speaks with Guidance Center staff members, Debbie Lambert and Saira Patino. Debbie has been with The Guidance Center for over 20 years, as a Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist, a clinician, and now as the Supervisor of the agency’s Intensive Care Coordination Services. Saira is a clinician in our Long Beach Intensive Services program. Both serve the children and families facing the greatest struggles within the outpatient system of care. In today’s episode, they will discuss what in their life inspired them to pursue a career in community mental health and share the routines they incorporate into their lives to maintain a sense of self-care in such demanding roles. 

In My Backyard is brought to you by The Guidance Center, a children’s mental health agency in Long Beach, CA. In My Backyard is produced by Tricia Costales and Matthew Murray. Thank you to Jay Vincent B for original music. All other music licensed through SoundStripe. Thank you to our listeners and supporters.

Please visit tgclb.org or text HOPE to 562-262-5689 to make a one-time donation or join our Hope and Healing Club to become a monthly donor today. And subscribe to In My Backyard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today’s podcast is the third installment of the “In My Backyard” series: STORIES. Patricia speaks with Guidance Center staff members, Debbie Lambert and Saira Patino. Debbie has been with The Guidance Center for over 20 years, as a Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist, a clinician, and now as the Supervisor of the agency’s Intensive Care Coordination Services. Saira is a clinician in our Long Beach Intensive Services program. Both serve the children and families facing the greatest struggles within the outpatient system of care. In today’s episode, they will discuss what in their life inspired them to pursue a career in community mental health and share the routines they incorporate into their lives to maintain a sense of self-care in such demanding roles. 

In My Backyard is brought to you by The Guidance Center, a children’s mental health agency in Long Beach, CA. In My Backyard is produced by Tricia Costales and Matthew Murray. Thank you to Jay Vincent B for original music. All other music licensed through SoundStripe. Thank you to our listeners and supporters.

Please visit tgclb.org or text HOPE to 562-262-5689 to make a one-time donation or join our Hope and Healing Club to become a monthly donor today. And subscribe to In My Backyard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today’s podcast discusses First-Episode Psychosis, sometimes referred to as a first psychotic break. First-Episode Psychosis is when a person begins to lose contact with reality and starts to experience delusions, hallucinations and something called “disorganized speech”. 

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, “psychosis is characterized as disruptions to a person’s thoughts and perceptions that make it difficult for them to recognize what is real and what isn’t. These disruptions are often experienced as seeing, hearing, (feeling, smelling) and believing things that aren’t real or having strange, persistent thoughts, behaviors and emotions. While everyone’s experience is different, most say psychosis is frightening and confusing”. 

The most common age for a person to experience First-Episode Psychosis is between 15 and 25 years, those adolescent years that are already tumultuous. Identifying the signs of a first psychotic break and knowing what to do about it are absolutely key to a better long-term prognosis, but they are also commonly written off initially as the normal turmoil of adolescence.   

In this episode Patricia speaks with Catrina Flores, a clinician from Mental Health America – Los Angeles. Catrina specializes in working with a population we call transition-aged youth, namely those complicated years from 16 to 25. Further, MHALA is reknown for their work with the most displaced mentally ill adults in our community. In this setting, Catrina works very closely with youth who are experiencing First-Episode Psychosis and all the complications that accompany that. 

In My Backyard is brought to you by The Guidance Center, a children’s mental health agency in Long Beach, CA. In My Backyard is produced by Tricia Costales and Matthew Murray. Thank you to Jay Vincent B for original music. All other music licensed through SoundStripe. Thank you to our listeners and supporters.

Please visit tgclb.org or text HOPE to 562-262-5689 to make a one-time donation or join our Hope and Healing Club to become a monthly donor today. And subscribe to In My Backyard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today’s podcast discusses First-Episode Psychosis, sometimes referred to as a first psychotic break. First-Episode Psychosis is when a person begins to lose contact with reality and starts to experience delusions, hallucinations and something called “disorganized speech”. 

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, “psychosis is characterized as disruptions to a person’s thoughts and perceptions that make it difficult for them to recognize what is real and what isn’t. These disruptions are often experienced as seeing, hearing, (feeling, smelling) and believing things that aren’t real or having strange, persistent thoughts, behaviors and emotions. While everyone’s experience is different, most say psychosis is frightening and confusing”. 

The most common age for a person to experience First-Episode Psychosis is between 15 and 25 years, those adolescent years that are already tumultuous. Identifying the signs of a first psychotic break and knowing what to do about it are absolutely key to a better long-term prognosis, but they are also commonly written off initially as the normal turmoil of adolescence.   

In this episode Patricia speaks with Catrina Flores, a clinician from Mental Health America – Los Angeles. Catrina specializes in working with a population we call transition-aged youth, namely those complicated years from 16 to 25. Further, MHALA is reknown for their work with the most displaced mentally ill adults in our community. In this setting, Catrina works very closely with youth who are experiencing First-Episode Psychosis and all the complications that accompany that. 

In My Backyard is brought to you by The Guidance Center, a children’s mental health agency in Long Beach, CA. In My Backyard is produced by Tricia Costales and Matthew Murray. Thank you to Jay Vincent B for original music. All other music licensed through SoundStripe. Thank you to our listeners and supporters.

Please visit tgclb.org or text HOPE to 562-262-5689 to make a one-time donation or join our Hope and Healing Club to become a monthly donor today. And subscribe to In My Backyard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today’s podcast is the second installment of the “In My Backyard” series: STORIES. Patricia speaks with former Guidance Center client, Lexie, about her life, the experiences that led her to treatment, and what it’s like receiving treatment as a young person.

Before coming to The Guidance Center, Lexie struggled with feelings of depression, anxiety and being disconnected from herself or from her body. She worked closely with her therapist, Dr. Chloe, to build insight and process difficult emotions, develop coping skills and learn grounding exercises to help her overcome the hardships she endured. Lexie is strong, confident and she wants to share her story so that she may give hope to others who are struggling.

In My Backyard is brought to you by The Guidance Center, a children’s mental health agency in Long Beach, CA. In My Backyard is produced by Tricia Costales and Matthew Murray. Thank you to Jay Vincent B for original music. All other music licensed through SoundStripe. Thank you to our listeners and supporters.

Please visit tgclb.org or text HOPE to 562-262-5689 to make a one-time donation or join our Hope and Healing Club to become a monthly donor today. And subscribe to In My Backyard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today’s podcast is the second installment of the “In My Backyard” series: STORIES. Patricia speaks with former Guidance Center client, Lexie, about her life, the experiences that led her to treatment, and what it’s like receiving treatment as a young person.

Before coming to The Guidance Center, Lexie struggled with feelings of depression, anxiety and being disconnected from herself or from her body. She worked closely with her therapist, Dr. Chloe, to build insight and process difficult emotions, develop coping skills and learn grounding exercises to help her overcome the hardships she endured. Lexie is strong, confident and she wants to share her story so that she may give hope to others who are struggling.

In My Backyard is brought to you by The Guidance Center, a children’s mental health agency in Long Beach, CA. In My Backyard is produced by Tricia Costales and Matthew Murray. Thank you to Jay Vincent B for original music. All other music licensed through SoundStripe. Thank you to our listeners and supporters.

Please visit tgclb.org or text HOPE to 562-262-5689 to make a one-time donation or join our Hope and Healing Club to become a monthly donor today. And subscribe to In My Backyard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Today’s podcast discusses the impact of foster placement on children. According to researchers Sarah Font and Elizabeth Gershoff, at any given time in the United States there are approximately 700,000 children living in out of home placement away from their parents due to substantiated child abuse or neglect. While foster placement is an effort to protect vulnerable children, there is no question that placement itself brings its own level of trauma. Removal from a family home to an already traumatized child adds another layer of trauma and loss. As Font and Gershoff note, however, “the alternative to foster care may be continued abuse, neglect and traumatization of vulnerable children. Leaving children in homes with caregivers investigated for maltreatment can have dire consequences”.  

Dr Putnam-Hornstein studied children born in California between 1999 to 2006 and found that children who were reported to the system for maltreatment, substantiated or not, were 6 times more likely to die from intentional injury by their caregiver and 2 times more likely to die from unintentional injury. Further, Drs. Kim and Drake found in 2019 that one in four child victims of confirmed maltreatment were revictimized. Foster care may not be ideal, but nor are the alternatives.

In this episode, Patricia speaks with Wendy Carpenter, Chief Executive Officer of Penny Lane Centers. Founded in 1969, Penny Lane today offers preventative services, Substance Abuse Treatment, residential care, transitional and permanent housing for former foster youth, foster care and adoption services as well as outpatient mental health care. Wendy began her career at Penny Lane as a clinician, finding a professional home where she has served since then. Wendy today is a leading advocate across the county and the state for services to our foster youth.

In My Backyard is brought to you by The Guidance Center, a children’s mental health agency in Long Beach, CA. In My Backyard is produced by Tricia Costales and Matthew Murray. Thank you to Jay Vincent B for original music. All other music licensed through SoundStripe. Thank you to our listeners and supporters.

Please visit tgclb.org or text HOPE to 562-262-5689 to make a one-time donation or join our Hope and Healing Club to become a monthly donor today. And subscribe to In My Backyard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.