Community Conversations about Recovery
We continue our series on the impact of prejudice and discrimination on the mental health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer individuals. Today, we invite Alex Wagaman and advocates of Richmond youth: Aiyanna and Aaron to discuss the prevalence and impact of homelessness on youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer.
Last week we started the series talking about the impact of prejudice on the mental health of LGBTQ individuals and the impact of prejudice and discrimination that results in lack of access to appropriate medical care. Today we are focusing on homelessness among youth and young adults.
Listen to today’s episode here
Find more information here:https://www.facebook.com/advocatesforrichmondyouth
Contact mawagaman@vcu.edu if you would like to get involved
October is Domestic Violence Awareness month and in it’s honor today’s discussion is on domestic violence, recovery and community responses. Our guests today are representatives of agencies providing a range of services to respond to survivors of domestic violence and help them heal and recover. Through their combined efforts, they are creating a more systematic approach to helping our community.
Guests:
Linda Tissiere. Chief Executive Officer of the YWCA of Richmond.
Shawntee Wynn, Director of Sexual and Domestic Violence Services at the YWCA of Richmond
Vanessa Durrant, Director of Counseling and Advocacy at Safe Harbor Shelter in Henrico.
Carolyn Leung, Senior Case Manager from Caritas
Listen to the episode here
Today’s episode we are discussing emerging innovative programs to help those who are having suicidal thoughts. Our guests today are representatives of agencies collaborating to enhance responses to those at risk for suicide. Through their combined efforts, they are creating a more systematic approach to helping our community.
A recent suicide by a celebrity has brought this issue to national attention. However, suicide is a daily occurrence and is, according to the CDC, the 10th leading cause of death. They report that in 2010 there were 38,364 suicides in the US – an average of 105 a day or 1 every 15 minutes – There were 1,067 suicides in Virginia in 2011 – above the national average. They occurred most frequently with males (78 percent), whites (87 percent) and people age 45-54 years old (23 percent).Yet females have a higher rate of thinking about suicide. Over 30% of suicides test positive for alcohol, 23% for antidepressants, and almost 21% for opiates.
Guests:
Kelly Ferguson from The Richmond Behavioral Health Authority
Larry Barnett from Chesterfield Mental Health
Michael Bender from Richmond Police Department
Kimberly Wilson from Tucker Pavilion.
You can listen to the episode here
Recovery Is.... 