Conversations with KidsPeace

The power of music: an unexpected ingredient in KidsPeace's efforts to help kids de-escalate from crisis.  On the latest Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, music therapists Nicholas Clark and Danny Joseph showcase their talent and discuss how they integrate music into the interdisciplinary treatment team approach to care at KidsPeace Children's Hospital.

April is Autism Awareness Month, and on the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast host Bob Martin sat down with Rob Harvey, director of KidsPeace's Intensive Behavioral Health Services group, to talk about what's new in programming to aid kids with autism -- and how gender differences may be playing a role in what seems to be a rise in the number of cases diagnosed as autism.  Plus, Rob -- a talented musician in his own right -- offers his recommendation for those seeking new listening choices!

For the last ten years, families with kids in crisis have been able to turn for guidance to KidsPeace's clinics in Pennsylvania, through an innovative program that provides free walk-in assessments of their child.  The sessions offer the chance to develop a safety plan and pathway to care for the youth, often when the family feels it has exhausted all other options.  The sessions also help divert from local hospital emergency rooms cases that can be best addressed in other parts of the medical system.On the latest episode of the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, community programs manager Breannah Allen explains what is done -- and NOT done -- during the assessments, and what sort of advice families receive during the sessions.  

Smartphones are a marvel of modern technology, and there's no doubt they've become an almost essential part of their owners' lives.  But there are downsides to having such a powerful tool for attracting and keeping your attention in your pocket -- and that goes for kids even more than adults. In the latest installment of the “Conversations with KidsPeace,” KidsPeace's Jason Haller talks about the pitfalls of smartphone use, and suggests some ways parents and families can keep their kids -- and themselves --protected against negative consequences while taking full advantage of the technology's “marvelous” capabilities.

Regular visits to the dentist are a rite of passage for young people in our society - but among youth in residential treatment programs it's not uncommon to find kids who haven't had proper dental care before in their lives.   For the latest edition of the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, host Bob Martin sat down with Dr. Andrea DiPaul, the dentist for clients in KidsPeace's programming at the Orchard Hills Campus in Pennsylvania.  They discussed how her experience growing up helps her relate to the kids she sees -- and how their reaction to sitting in the dentist's chair might surprise you.

At KidsPeace our services for children in need of mental and behavioral health services are called “trauma-informed care” --   a recognition of the role traumatic experiences play in shaping a child's mental and emotional state. But new research into the impact of trauma is pointing towards another fascinating connection - between trauma and a child's physical and even genetic development. Dr. Ansley Schulte, pediatric medical director of KidsPeace's Pennsylvania Residential program, talks with host Bob Martin on the implication of this research on the latest edition of the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast.

One aspect of KidsPeace's approach to caring for kids in its hospital and residential treatment setting is the use of “interdisciplinary teams” – groups of professionals representing areas of expertise working with clients and families on individualized treatment plans.  In the latest “Conversations with KidsPeace” podcast, host Bob Martin talks with KidsPeace Hospital's director of social services, Laura Haas, about the impact this approach can have on meeting the needs of kids in crisis.

How does a mental health provider incorporate technological innovations to serve its clients, but in a responsible and sustainable way?  At KidsPeace, a pilot project involving the use of Virtual Reality (VR) in the therapeutic setting may present an answer to that question.   On the latest Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, host Bob Martin talks with Jamie Chubb, director of Pennsylvania residential clinical services, about the VR project – and with her guidance takes the relaxation program for a test ride for podcast viewers.  He then welcomes Kaitlin Stefanski, chair of KidsPeace's Innovative Interventions Committee, for a discussion about how that group is working to enable KidsPeace to harness innovations like VR in its role as a leader in the mental healthcare field.

June marks the one-year anniversary of the opening of the Hope Center for Youth and Family Crisis's behavioral health urgent care service in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina.   On the latest Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, host Bob Martin talks with Executive Director Tammy Margeson and Customer Relations Liaison Michele Chassner about the lessons learned in the past year - and the possibility that the Hope Center model could be duplicated in North Carolina and beyond.

May is National Foster Care Month, and on the latest Conversations with KidsPeace podcast host Bob Martin talks with three KidsPeace associates in the foster care field - about the state of fostering post-pandemic, how mentoring is becoming an important aspect of foster care, and what concerns are expressed by those considering becoming foster families. (They also agree on the oddest question a potential foster parent has asked!)

On the latest Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, KidsPeace teachers from Georgia, Pennsylvania and Maine reflect on the role education plays in KidsPeace's treatment programming.

In addition to providing kids in crisis therapeutic help, KidsPeace also offers opportunities for real-world training to medical professionals beginning their careers in mental healthcare.  In 2024 KidsPeace serves as a clinical rotation site for physicians in Lehigh Valley Health Network's new fellowship program in child and adolescent psychiatry. On the latest edition of our podcast series Conversations with KidsPeace, Dr. Joseph Venditto - the first fellowship participant to complete a rotation here – talked about his experience, why he chose the specialty of child and adole

April is Autism Awareness Month, and on the latest Conversations podcast Rob Harvey, Director of Intensive Behavioral Health Services, offers his perspectives on the state of autism programming in the post-pandemic period, how the continuum of autism services KidsPeace provides is addressing a rapidly growing demand, and how new research is challenging the view of autism as primarily an issue for male children.

What is a “toxic friendship?”  How can I tell if a friendship is toxic … and if it is, what can I do about it?  These are questions addressed in a new “learning” section of KidsPeace's therapeutic support service TeenCentral.com.   TeenCentral's Madelyn Almonte discusses the concept of toxic friendships and ways to help teens recognize and deal with them, on the latest edition of the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast.  

As program manager for KidsPeace Foster Care in Kingston, NY, Jennifer Udvardi-Morris works to connect kids in need with foster families and other services.  But she's also taken on a different task – lobbying legislators in her state to address the needs of those working in the child welfare field. In the latest installment of the “Conversations with KidsPeace” podcast, Jennifer talks with host Bob Martin on the critical issues facing those who work in the field, and her outreach on those subjects with lawmakers in the Empire State.   In December, Jennifer wrote a guest column for the Times-Union newspaper in New York's state capital of Albany. You can read her column here. https://fostercare.com/turnover-in-child-welfare-workforce-is-hurting-vulnerable-children/ 

The sixth season of the “Conversations with KidsPeace” podcast kicks off with KidsPeace President and CEO Mike Slack discussing highlights of 2023 and what challenges he expects the organization and the mental healthcare field will face in the new year.  

According to a recent study, children with autism are more than twice as likely to enter foster care than those without that diagnosis.  In one county in Pennsylvania, KidsPeace is launching an effort to meld its expertise in foster care with its understanding of the needs of kids with autism. On the latest episode of the “Conversations with KidsPeace” podcast, host Bob Martin talks with Heather Einsig, a family resource specialist in the KidsPeace Foster Care office near Reading, PA, about the “Autism Focused Foster Care” program – why it's needed, and what challenges it faces in recruiting and training foster families to care for this population.

The reigning Miss Pennsylvania, Alysa Bainbridge, recently toured KidsPeace's Orchard Hills Campus facilities, and sat down for an interview about her advocacy for greater awareness of mental health concerns, especially in children. You can learn how her social issue focus has its beginnings in her own family's experience, on the latest “Conversations with KidsPeace” podcast.

Supporters of KidsPeace's foster care operations in Fayetteville, North Carolina will come together again this fall to celebrate local artists and raise funds to help our office care for foster families in the region. Host Bob Martin talks with Program Manager Mike Edelman about the 9th annual KidsPeace Fayetteville Auction, on the latest episode of the “Conversations with KidsPeace” podcast. Hear it now here, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

KidsPeace and its clients benefit tremendously from the generosity of donors and philanthropic-minded people – whose contributions often make it possible for our kids a chance to just be kids, if only for a little while. In some locations, support is provided by groups known as Boards of Associates. On the latest episode of the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, Lehigh Valley BOA Co-chair Shawn Hughes of BSI Corporate Benefits discusses the group's work and its current efforts to raise funds to improve recreational facilities at KidsPeace's Children's Hospital and the Pennsylvania residential treatment campus. Listen here, or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. The Lehigh Valley BOA has two fundraising events coming up – the “Sunset Social” reception on August 24 and the 37th annual KidsPeace Golf Classic, both at Woodstone Country Club in Danielsville, PA. For sponsorship and ticket information, contact Missy Hartney at Melissa.hartney@kidspeace.org, or 610/799-8071.

On the latest installment of the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, host Bob Martin talks with the head of a nonprofit arts organization about how they faced the challenge of retaining and motivating employees when COVID-19 threatened to end everything they and their organization does. The Conversations with KidsPeace podcast is sponsored by Spyglass Solutions. www.spyglasssolutions.org/conversations

Navigating the transition into young adulthood isn't always smooth or obvious, and many of us rely on parents and families to help us make sense of that all. But kids ageing out of foster care may not have that support system, and KidsPeace Foster Care in New York is addressing that need with a new program called “Adulting 101.” Celebrating National Foster Care Month, the latest episode of the “Conversations with KidsPeace” podcast features the program's leader, Ariel Helman, Children and Family Treatment and Support Services supervisor in KidsPeace's Kingston, NY office. Ariel talks about the rationale for the effort, how it's organized, and what she hopes will be its impact on its young participants. You can hear the podcast here, or subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts! The Conversations with KidsPeace podcast is sponsored by Spyglass Solutions. www.spyglasssolutions.org/conversations

KidsPeace kicked off the celebration of its 140th Anniversary at the end of January, following the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic that has remade the landscape of mental healthcare in America. Host Bob Martin welcomes KidsPeace President and CEO Michael Slack to discuss the significance of the anniversary and what he expects for the organization in the year ahead, in the premier episode of the fifth season of the Conversations podcast.

A favorite saying … an inspirational quote … maybe a tip to do something around the house better. For the past four years, guests on our Conversations podcasts have shared their wisdom and expertise by providing visitors with “life hacks.” In this last episode of 2021, we revisit some of our favorite life hack suggestions, to provide our podcast audience with some guidance and hope for the coming year. Bob Martin hosts. Conversations with KidsPeace returns for a fifth season in 2022. Subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts! OUR SPONSOR The Conversations with KidsPeace podcast is sponsored by Spyglass Solutions. www.spyglasssolutions.org/conversations

The latest issue of Healing Magazine has been published (at www.healingmagazine.org), with a special section examining the therapeutic power of telling stories. On the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, several of the issue's contributing authors give their perspectives on stories and storytelling as a tool to overcome trauma and strengthen mental wellness. The Conversations with KidsPeace podcast is sponsored by Spyglass Solutions. www.spyglasssolutions.org/conversations

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it's easy to forget other issues continue to affect our society. One of those issues: substance abuse and addiction, and on a new episode of the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast we discuss how KidsPeace's treatment programs are serving clients in need in the COVID age. The Conversations with KidsPeace podcast is sponsored by Spyglass Solutions. www.spyglasssolutions.org/conversations

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and the latest edition of the “Conversations with KidsPeace” podcast discusses an approach described as “CPR for suicide prevention.” Host Bob Martin and suicide prevention trainer Jessica Racine also discuss some of the prevalent myths around suicide in our society, and how to combat them. If you or someone you know is experiencing a suicide crisis: Call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 (https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org.) Or contact Crisis Text Line by texting HELLO to 741741 (www.crisistextline.org.)

One effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses and organizations has been a renewed interest in the emotional and mental health of their employees. In the latest Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, we discuss a new initiative by the consulting practice Spyglass Solutions to equip and train groups to help their workforces practice effective self-care to address the effects of stress and anxiety. The Conversations with KidsPeace podcast is sponsored by Spyglass Solutions. www.spyglasssolutions.org/conversations

In the latest installment of Conversations with KidsPeace, host Bob Martin talks with three contributors to the just-published issue of KidsPeace's Healing Magazine -- discussing how games can help train new direct care employees, and how education and art therapy have been changed by the COVID-19 pandemic. And you can find the articles from the newest issue at https://www.healingmagazine.org/issue-47/ The Conversations with KidsPeace podcast is sponsored by Spyglass Solutions. www.spyglasssolutions.org/conversations

The Spring/Summer 2021 edition of Healing Magazine has been published at healingmagazine.org. The magazine's “Spotlight” section looks at how games can be beneficial in a therapeutic sense, and its lead article highlights KidsPeace's leadership in using the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons in its group sessions with individuals with autism. Last fall KidsPeace's Rob Harvey discussed his work in this area on the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast. You can download the new “Games People Play” issue or read and share individual articles from the magazine at www.healingmagazine.org The Conversations with KidsPeace podcast is sponsored by Spyglass Solutions. www.spyglasssolutions.org/conversations

It's described as the most significant reform in federal child welfare policy in decades. How will the Families First Prevention Services Act change programs like foster care and residential treatment across America? KidsPeace's Ken Olson joins the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast as part of our commemoration of National Foster Care Awareness Month, to discuss the law's impact on caring for kids in need. The Conversations with KidsPeace podcast is sponsored by Spyglass Solutions. www.spyglasssolutions.org/conversations

May is National Foster Care Month and, after a year of pandemic, how has foster care changed? On the latest Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, we talk with two KidsPeace foster care experts on what adjustments were made to deal with the impact of COVID-19, and which of those adjustments are likely to remain after the pandemic eases. The Conversations with KidsPeace podcast is sponsored by Spyglass Solutions. www.spyglasssolutions.org/conversations

Amid the issues surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on our lives, some people appear to be handling all of it exceptionally well – demonstrating a high level of quality and leadership in their chosen field. They may be considered experts and leaders by everybody, everywhere … … except in their own minds. On the latest edition of the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, a discussion of the phenomenon of “imposter syndrome” – when high-performing individuals doubt their own worth. Host Bob Martin is joined by Dr. Ashleigh Anderson to explain what this condition involves, how it might be made worse by the pressures of the pandemic, and what those who may experience it can do to ease its impact on their lives. The Conversations with KidsPeace podcast is sponsored by Spyglass Solutions. www.spyglasssolutions.org/conversations

Healthcare organizations have had to adopt new approaches to serving their clients amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But will those new ways to deliver care continue to be an option after the crisis eases? In the case of outpatient mental health treatment, the answer for one option appears to be “Yes.” On the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, host Bob Martin discusses the future of telehealth in outpatient care with KidsPeace's Breannah Allen. The Conversations with KidsPeace podcast is sponsored by Spyglass Solutions. www.spyglasssolutions.org/conversations

KidsPeace has launched a new consulting practice – aiming to share its expertise and insights with other organizations. On the latest “Conversations” podcast, host Bob Martin talks with Spyglass Solutions principal consultants Patrick Slattery and Ben Steefel about expectations for the new venture and what organizations can benefit the most from working with Spyglass. https://www.spyglasssolutions.org

2020 will go down in history as a remarkable and challenging year for all of us … including KidsPeace. What will be the lasting impact of 2020 on the organization – and what can we expect from 2021? On the latest edition of the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, President and CEO Mike Slack joins host Bob Martin for a look back, and look ahead, for KidsPeace and mental healthcare in general.

KidsPeace's TeenCentral.com service has provided needed support to young people struggling with anxiety and stress from the COVID-19 pandemic. On the latest Conversations with KidsPeace podcast host Bob Martin checks in with TeenCentral's Jodi Whitcomb and Jessica Racine on its continuing efforts to provide hope and help to youth, and they explain the process for the centerpiece of the service – the stories submitted by teens and the response they received from the service.

The latest issue of KidsPeace's Healing Magazine looks at the impact COVID-19 has had on mental health in America, and proposes a new way to look at safeguarding our mental wellness in the face of the stress of the pandemic. On the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Matthew Koval discusses how we can adopt a set of actions to protect ourselves against the effects of COVID-19 – call it “mental health protective equipment,” or MPE. Bob Martin hosts.

It's a role-playing game that's been around for more than forty years, but Dungeons & Dragons is finding new popularity these days -- and at KidsPeace, it's also found a new role in helping young people with autism. On the latest installment of Conversations with KidsPeace, therapist Rob Harvey describes how he's turned his passion for Dungeons & Dragons into a surprisingly successful approach to learning and practicing social skills and teamwork for his clients – who are having fun at the same time! Bob Martin hosts.

The heart of KidsPeace's TeenCentral.com service lies in the stories shared by visitors, and the therapeutic support responses they receive. In the latest installment of our podcast series Conversations with KidsPeace, host Bob Martin talks with KidsPeace Board of Directors chair Dr. Scott Reines about his family's donation to the service aimed at keeping its heart beating for future visitors.

Amid COVID-19 and other challenges that are dividing our society, the latest edition of Conversations with KidsPeace podcast tells an inspirational story of connection. Host Bob Martin talks with a recreational therapist about how kids in our residential treatment program found a way to share a message of hope with residents of local nursing homes, as both face the stress of pandemic lockdowns.

Just in time for Mother's Day, KidsPeace is rolling out a unique initiative to help people connect across the divide of social distancing – The KidsPeace Virtual Hug. Vice President Ann McCauley joins host Bob Martin in a new special edition of “Conversations with KidsPeace” to explain how an offhand comment from a client in treatment led to the Virtual Hug – and to demonstrate it by sending one out to a special group of heroes.

A mental or behavioral health crisis is terrifying enough for an individual or their family in the best of times, but it's even worse during a global crisis like the coronavirus pandemic. KidsPeace's outpatient offices in the Lehigh Valley and Monroe County offer free walk-in assessments for those in crisis – providing guidance on their next steps in resolving the crisis while keeping them out of hospital emergency rooms at this critical time. KidsPeace Outpatient Program Manager Harvie Oliver discusses what happens during one of these assessments, in a special episode of the “Conversations with KidsPeace” podcast. Bob Martin hosts.

On a special edition of the “Conversations with KidsPeace” podcast, we discuss KidsPeace's TeenCentral.com service and the role it can play amid the COVID-19 crisis. TeenCentral.com leader Jodi Whitcomb offers insights into how her team is providing specific information on coping with COVID-19, while continuing to give young people a safe place to ask questions, share stories and seek advice in a time when they may feel more alone than ever before. Bob Martin hosts.

The Conversations with KidsPeace podcast returns for its third season just in time for Valentine's Day 2020 – and examines the phenomenon of “young love”… Therapist Breannah Allen discusses how young people deal with romantic attraction and attachments, and ways parents can help them navigate those situations. Bob Martin hosts.

The new issue of KidsPeace's Healing Magazine is out now, and on the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast host Bob Martin talks with three contributors who shared their stories of the therapeutic benefits that pets, animals and nature can provide.

Treating a child suffering from mental or behavioral health challenges often involves treating their families, too. On the latest Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, host Bob Martin welcomes back therapists Adrienne Pauling and Michelle Callahan to discuss the importance of family therapy and ways it can make a difference in helping kids thrive.

The next “Conversations” podcast discusses a program from a local hospital network that seeks to care for the physical and mental health needs of members of our community who are our “street neighbors.” Bob Martin hosts.  More information about the Street Medicine initiative can be found at https://www.lvhn.org/community-health/street-medicine-program

On the latest Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, host Bob Martin talks with Dr. Caron Farrell, the new Vice President of Medical Affairs at KidsPeace Hospital, about her philosophy of care and how an interdisciplinary approach can lead to better results for the kids treated at the Hospital.

For the past year, kids in KidsPeace's autism programs in the Lehigh Valley have had a place to play designed for their particular needs.  On the latest episode of the Conversations with KidsPeace podcast, host Bob Martin tours the playground with program manager Alexis Harvey to learn what makes it a special experience for our clients.

On the latest episode of Conversations with KidsPeace, a teacher shares what she WISHES parents would know about their kids heading Back to School. Bob Martin hosts. To subscribe to the podcast, go to iTunes or Google Play and search “Conversations with KidsPeace.” Also check out our YouTube channel for more content.