Awareness 2 Action

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Bryon Johnson about the courage and vulnerability involved in healing, celebrating diversity within recovery, the differences between serving & partnering in the community, and the freedom that comes from sharing truth. 
Bryon Johnson serves his community in a multitude of ways, including his roles an author, a pastor, and a Certified Senior Peer Recovery Specialist and Supervisor. 
TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes dialogue on domestic violence, gun and knife violence, substance use, and overdose. If you feel it might be best for your own mental wellness to avoid this part of the conversation, you can skip ahead to the 7 minute mark of the episode.  
Mentioned Resources:
Grace & Mercy Ministries: https://www.graceandmercyministry.org
Bryon’s Book: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/From-Dope-Fiend-Son-King/Bryon-L-Johnson/9781732997943
SMART Goals: https://www.ucop.edu/local-human-resources/_files/performance-appraisal/How%20to%20write%20SMART%20Goals%20v2.pdf
7 Dimensions of Wellness: https://www.icaa.cc/activeagingandwellness/wellness.htm
Casey’s misquoted line from ‘Rocky Balboa’: It doesn't matter how this looks to other people, it matters how it looks to you. If this is something you wanna do and if this is something you gotta do, then you do it. Fighters fight. 
The views and opinions expressed on Awareness 2 Action are those of the guests and host and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Prevention Department or Northwestern Community Services.

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Kate Gordon about receiving community support, paying it forward, and her experience in the 2021 College Softball World Series. 
You might recognize Kate Gordon’s name from hearing it this summer when the James Madison University Women’s Softball Team excelled in their first-ever World Series Trip. The team captured the nation’s attention with their heart and talent, and Kate played an integral role in that success. Kate is now back in Harrisonburg, Virginia where she serves her community in a multitude of ways and works as a realtor & property manager with Old Dominion Realty.
Keep in Touch with Kate: https://kategordon.olddominionrealty.com/?oid=&chome=1&odoor
Check out PACA: https://www.pagecoalition.org
The views and opinions expressed on Awareness 2 Action are those of the guests and host and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Prevention Department or Northwestern Community Services.
 

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Rodney Culbreath and Tina Stevens-Culbreath about the impact of celebrating differences, why representation matters, and what it means to utilize life experiences to inform work and service.
Tina and Rodney are co-founders of the I’m Just Me Movement, nonprofit organization based out of Winchester, Virginia. Tina is a trained Trauma Informed-Practitioner, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, & Forensic Peer Recovery Specialist Supervisor and serves as a Councilwoman on the Stephens City Town Council. Rodney is an activist and a Forensic Peer Recovery Specialist & Supervisor.
Mentioned Resources:
I’m Just Me Movement: https://www.imjustmemovement.org
National Day Calendar I’m Just Me Because Month: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/im-me-just-because-month-october/
Hurt People Hurt People by Sandra D. Wilson: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10845841-hurt-people-hurt-people
I’m Just Me Movement Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JUSTMEMOVEMENT/
I’m Just Me Movement Twitter: https://twitter.com/JUSTMEMOVEMENT
 
The views and opinions expressed on Awareness 2 Action are those of the guests and host and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Prevention Department or Northwestern Community Services.

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Susan Betcher about giving back, engaging young people in service, and leaving the world a better place.
At 61, Susan has spent half of her life in the field of education, with her last eight years spent working for Laurel Ridge Community College as a Career Coach. Susan is always on the move and always searching for ways to serve her community. She’s involved in organizations including the Page Alliance for Community Action, and is currently working on projects including work in a community garden, family movie nights, free swim lessons, fun runs, and healthy youth activities.
Mentioned Resources:
Virginia Wizard: https://www.vawizard.org/wizard/home
Page Alliance for Community Action: https://www.pagecoalition.org
 
The views and opinions expressed on Awareness 2 Action are those of the guests and host and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Prevention Department or Northwestern Community Services.
 

We’re hard at work preparing for season two of Awareness2Action but we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to look back on season one. We hosted 12 incredible guests this season, and asked them all the same question: What does the process of awareness to action mean to you? Here are their inspiring and encouraging answers, all in one place. We hope you’ll listen in for a dose of motivation, and maybe think about what this question means for you!
 
The views and opinions expressed on Awareness 2 Action are those of the guests and host and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Prevention Department or Northwestern Community Services.
 

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Yvonne Frazier about community partnerships, creating a vision, networking, and building a better future.
Yvonne Frazier is the Program Manager for Healthy Families of Shenandoah and Page Counties and founder of Community Care and Learning Center in New Market VA, Shenandoah County’s first non-profit childcare center. She has worked with family and children for more than 30 years, collaborating with other agencies and groups to creatively address community needs. Yvonne is a graduate of JMU’s Social Work program and a field supervisor for JMU students from several disciplines. In 2019, Yvonne received the Virginia Governor’s Award for Enhancing the Prosperity and Quality of Life in Rural Virginia. She and her husband have four adult children and the added joy of three grandchildren.  
Community Care & Learning Center: https://www.communitycarelearningcenter.com
The views and opinions expressed on Awareness 2 Action are those of the guests and host and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Prevention Department or Northwestern Community Services.

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Dr. Somer George about strengthening and repairing relationships, savoring moments of joy and delight, and curiously engaging in lifelong learning.
Dr. Somer George is a licensed counselor who loves helping families become happier, healthier, and more connected with each other. She does this through providing assessment, training, and supervision at the Virginia Child and Family Attachment Center (VCFAC) and Secure Child Program in Charlottesville, VA. She received her Ph.D. in Counseling and Supervision at James Madison University and teaches part time in the Masters in Counseling Program at Eastern Mennonite University. She lives with her husband and two children on a hill overlooking the Shenandoah Valley, where she likes to take walks and read books on a wide-range of topics from child development to memoirs.
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Dr. Somer George can be contacted at somer@george.net
The Virginia Child and Family Attachment Center (VCFAC): https://attachmentclinic.org
Mentioned Resources:
The Power of Discord: https://www.claudiamgoldmd.com/the-power-of-discord/
Becoming Attached: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/547830.Becoming_Attached
Parenting from the Inside Out: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/288692/parenting-from-the-inside-out-by-daniel-j-siegel-md-and-mary-hartzell-med/
The Six Needs of Every Child: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48855880-the-6-needs-of-every-child
Attachment Theory in Action: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/attachment-theory-in-action-with-karen-doyle-buckwalter/id1305291387
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The views and opinions expressed on Awareness 2 Action are those of the guests and host and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Prevention Department or Northwestern Community Services.
 

On this week’s episode, we’re talking with Dr. Matt Pandel about the winding paths we take to reach work we love, community engagement, finding our interests, and becoming aware of trauma.
Dr. Matt Pandel began working with the Northwestern Community Services Board in December 2009 as a child/adolescent therapist.  Since that time he has created a much sought-after diagnostic and assessment monitoring program that provides regional youth-serving agencies with advanced clinical oversight of children with significant behavioral and psychological challenges.  Originally a teacher and minister, Dr. Pandel continued his education, earning a Ph.D. in Pastoral Counseling Psychology.  In addition to his work with the CSB, he operates a consulting practice and has served as a clinical professor of psychology at several institutions. 
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Upcoming Virtual ACES Trainings:
April 28, 2021: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpcOuppzgsE9Op4w-bY6vyLmu0URFaOur-
May 5, 2021: https://hopestarter-racsb.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYtdOqrrjwpE9KaaUXZH5ykMR8SY1N8S8ao
May 26, 2021: https://hopestarter-racsb.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwlc-GoqDsvEtRGQkGwg5ki6V5Gb8kj1zlo
 
A Career Interest Inventory: https://careerwise.minnstate.edu/careers/clusterSurvey
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The views and opinions expressed on Awareness 2 Action are those of the guests and host and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Prevention Department or Northwestern Community Services.