Podcasts about in my backyard

Patriarchy is a power that steals, kills, and destroys. But in the darkness, the Spirit of God hovers, waiting to give birth to new life. Danielle Strickland joins us today to shed light on this critical issue facing the church. Danielle unpacks how patriarchy has deeply distorted our view of God, the scriptures, and the flourishing of men and women together. She shares how this male-centered ordering of the world has undermined women's confidence and value, and how it stands in stark contrast to God's design for mutual flourishing. Yet Danielle also offers hope. She calls us to see the powerful witness of women throughout scripture - from Hagar to Mary Magdalene. And she challenges men to step up, to confront the systems of patriarchy, and to disproportionately invest in empowering women. This is a conversation that gets to the heart of the gospel - a message of life, not death; a vision of mutual empowerment, not domination. Danielle's words have the potential to shift the very culture of the church. So join us. Danielle lets Love lead her to inspire, challenge, provoke and disrupt the present, and to live the future now. Having lived in different cultures and contexts around the world she celebrates diversity and deeply longs for wrong things to be made right. Danielle practises following Jesus daily. This pursuit has led to exciting entrepreneurial exploits (like co-founding multiple charities and non-profits) and a whole host of failures (that we don't as often talk about). All of this has convinced her of the deep need we all have for hope, faith, and love. Her deepest longing is to demonstrate what living that boundless life looks like.Danielle has written six books (the latest is The Other Side of Hope), has a podcast called The Right Side Up (which recently celebrated half-a-million downloads), and speaks to people at events all over the world. Danielle leads Boundless Communications Inc. which launches creative exploits like Women Speakers Collective (liberating voices of women around the globe), IMBY (a tiny home movement IN MY BACKYARD), Brave Global (preventing human trafficking), Infinitum (a way of living deeply), and Hagar's Voice (support and advocacy for survivors of abuse). Danielle lives in Vancouver, Canada with her three sons and husband Steve. Danielle loves getting outside, doing new things, physical adventures, and she can't seem to turn down a free lunch.Danielle's Book:Need to KnowDanielle's Recommendations:The PowerJoin Our Patreon for Early Access and More: PatreonConnect with Joshua: jjohnson@allnations.usGo to www.shiftingculturepodcast.com to interact and donate. Every donation helps to produce more podcasts for you to enjoy.Follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Threads at www.facebook.com/shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/shiftingculturepodcast/https://twitter.com/shiftingcultur2https://www.threads.net/@shiftingculturepodcasthttps://www.youtube.com/@shiftingculturepodcastConsider Giving to the podcast and to the ministry that my wife and I do around the world. Just click on the support the show link belowSupport the show

The Hamilton Today Podcast with Scott Thompson: O. J. Simpson has died of cancer at the age of 76. Boeing is in the spotlight, and once again it's not for good reasons. The Feds announced that they have agreed to double the tax credit given to volunteer firefighters. Newest Abacus data shows the Conservatives in the strongest lead yet. The Ford government has unveiled a new omnibus bill focused on streamlining home building and approvals in the province. Want affordable housing in your backyard? Local non-profit group, In My Backyard, can help. It is all coming up on the Hamilton Today Podcast! Guests: Elissa Freeman, PR and Pop Culture Expert. Jim Diodati, Mayor of Niagara Falls. Keith Mackey, of Mackey International. Greg Jones, Fire Chief in Amherst, Nova Scotia; Board Member, Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs. Bill Brioux, television critic and author. David Coletto, CEO, Abacus Data. Murtaza Haider, Professor of Data Science and Real Estate Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. Siobhan Koch & Alicia Wilson, co-founders of In My Backyard Scott Radley, host of the Scott Radley show and columnist with the Hamilton Spectator. Host – Scott Thompson Content Producer – William Erskine Technical/Podcast Producer – Tom McKay Podcast Co-Producer – Matt Taylor News Anchor – Dave Woodard & Jen McQueen Want to keep up with what happened in Hamilton Today? Subscribe to the podcast! https://megaphone.link/CORU8835115919

This is a place where every woman has a seat at the table, and where we can affirm, equip, and amplify women's voices globally. As we launch the Together We Rise Podcast, we couldn't begin without having a conversation with Women Speakers Collective Founder, Danielle Strickland. Listen in for this honest discussion on Women in Ministry: Where are we now?Danielle Strickland lets love lead her to inspire, challenge, provoke, and disrupt the present, and to live in the future now. Having lived in different cultures and contexts around the world, she celebrates diversity and deeply longs for wrong things to be made right. Danielle practices following Jesus daily. This pursuit has led to exciting entrepreneurial exploits (like co-founding multiple charities and non-profits) and a whole host of failures (that we don't as often talk about). All of this has convinced her of the deep need we all have for hope, faith, and love. Her deepest desire is to demonstrate what living that boundless life looks like.Danielle has written six books (the latest is The Other Side of Hope), has a podcast called The Right Side Up (which recently celebrated half a million downloads), and speaks to people at events all over the world. Danielle leads Boundless Communications Inc. which launches creative exploits like Women Speakers Collective (liberating voices of women around the globe), IMBY (a tiny home movement IN MY BACKYARD), Brave Global (preventing human trafficking), Infinitum (a way of living deeply), and Hagar's Voice (support and advocacy for survivors of abuse). Her home is in Vancouver, Canada, where she lives with her three sons and husband, Steve. Danielle loves getting outside, doing new things, physical adventures, and she can't seem to turn down a free lunch. Connect with Danielle StricklandWebsite | daniellestrickland.comInstagram | daniellejstricklandWSC Woman to Watch:Kelly OlsonKelly Olson is the Team Lead for our WSC Global Community. Plus, she is the founder of The Baton Pass, a nonprofit organization that exists to empower women to overcome through the sharing of stories within safe and sacred spaces. Kelly equips communities with truth and provides platforms for individuals to share their stories, resulting in breakthroughs and restoration across generations.Connect with Kelly OlsonWebsite | thebatonpass.comInstagram | instagram.com/thebatonpassThank you for listening to the Together We Rise Podcast. This platform is an extension of the Women Speakers Collective, an organization dedicated to the affirming, equipping, and amplifying of women's voices globally.If you would like more information on how you can partner with us, please click here. Keep tuning in and don't forget to subscribe, share, and review.

Why do we as a society keep building more and more housing for people who already have the most options, all the while we are forcing people who most need housing to scramble amidst shortage? How do we not just understand what is happening, but also make something better? Jimmy Wright and Michael Hall were motivated by their Christian faith to do just that via their business Launch Capital. Listen in to get inspired by their creative and hopeful work. RSVP here for the Washington DC live Good Faith recording on 9/5/23: Curtis will talk with AEI's Yuval Levin on Institutions and Anxiety. The event will be held in the AEI Auditorium at 1789 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036   Matthew 5:9 Fellowship: Join with other pastors and Christian leaders seeking a way out of our political division.   George Fox University: Check out the offerings of one of the premier Christian universities in the country.   Learn more about Launch Capital and ways to invest in their model   Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City and Poverty, by America (both by Matthew Desmond)   Learn about the YIMBY (Yes, In My BackYard) movement

WANT THE FULL EPISODE? Check out Ep.94 I Danielle Strickland I Deciding to Prioritize Faith in Your Business: From Control to Surrender, or download it directly using this link.Danielle Strickland empowers Christian business leaders to elevate their faith and leadership through the transformative power of surrender.KEY TOPICS Who God really is, and what an intimate relationship with him looks like in practice. 3 Daily Postures for Christian Leadership.The Stages of Faith According to James W. Fowler. Surrendering your business to God. The single question to ask yourself before making a decision as a Christian business leader. CONNECT WITH USwww.decidedlypodcast.com Join us on Instagram: @decidedlypodcast Join us on FacebookShawn's Instagram: @shawn_d_smith Sanger's Instagram: @sangersmithMAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION?At Decidedly Wealth Management, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy. LEARN MOREwww.decidedlywealth.comSUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY DECISION-MAKING TIP EMAIL Join us every Wednesday for more strategies to DEFEAT bad decision-making - one episode at a time! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEInfinitum LifeBible Reading Plans & Daily Devotionals | YouVersion BibleA Non-Anxious Presence: How a Changing and Complex World will Create a Remnant of Renewed Christian Leaders: Sayers, Mark: 9780802428578: Amazon.com: Books CONNECT WITH DANIELLE STRICKLANDWebsite: https://www.daniellestrickland.com/ Right Side Up Podcast: https://www.daniellestrickland.com/podcast Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00699MY3M/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=d3941dfe-645e-442a-9615-88705a837091 Instagram: @daniellejstrickland Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanielleJStrickland/ Twitter: @djstrickland YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0RPIMEn5EJ2c0ksJ41tDfw Danielle lets Love lead her to inspire, challenge, provoke and disrupt the present, and to live in the future now. Having lived in different cultures and contexts around the world, she celebrates diversity and deeply longs for wrong things to be made right. Danielle practices following Jesus daily. This pursuit has led to exciting entrepreneurial exploits (like co-founding multiple charities and non-profits) and a whole host of failures (that we don't talk about as often). All of this has convinced her of the deep need we all have for hope, faith, and love. Her deepest longing is to demonstrate what living that boundless life is like. Danielle has written six books (the latest is The Other Side of Hope), has a podcast called The Right Side Up (which recently celebrated half a million downloads), and speaks to people at events all over the world. Danielle leads Boundless Communications Inc. which launches creative exploits like Women Speakers Collective (liberating voices of women around the globe), IMBY (a tiny home movement IN MY BACKYARD), Brave Global (preventing human trafficking), Infinitum (a way of living deeply), and Hagar's Voice (support and advocacy for survivors of abuse). Her home is in Toronto, Canada with her three sons and husband Steve. Danielle loves getting outside, doing new things, physical adventures, and she can't seem to turn down a free lunch.

Danielle Strickland empowers Christian business leaders to elevate their faith and leadership through the transformative power of surrender.KEY TOPICS Who God really is, and what an intimate relationship with him looks like in practice. 3 Daily Postures for Christian Leadership.The Stages of Faith According to James W. Fowler. Surrendering your business to God. The single question to ask yourself before making a decision as a Christian business leader.DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THE FULL EPISODE? Check out the 13-minute highlight clip! Search Ep.94 HIGHLIGHT I What it looks like to surrender your business to God, or use this direct download link. CONNECT WITH USwww.decidedlypodcast.com Join us on Instagram: @decidedlypodcast Join us on FacebookShawn's Instagram: @shawn_d_smith Sanger's Instagram: @sangersmithMAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION?At Decidedly Wealth Management, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy. LEARN MOREwww.decidedlywealth.comSUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY DECISION-MAKING TIP EMAIL Join us every Wednesday for more strategies to DEFEAT bad decision-making - one episode at a time! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEInfinitum LifeBible Reading Plans & Daily Devotionals | YouVersion BibleA Non-Anxious Presence: How a Changing and Complex World will Create a Remnant of Renewed Christian Leaders: Sayers, Mark: 9780802428578: Amazon.com: Books CONNECT WITH DANIELLE STRICKLANDWebsite: https://www.daniellestrickland.com/ Right Side Up Podcast: https://www.daniellestrickland.com/podcast Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00699MY3M/allbooks?ingress=0&visitId=d3941dfe-645e-442a-9615-88705a837091 Instagram: @daniellejstrickland Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanielleJStrickland/ Twitter: @djstrickland YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0RPIMEn5EJ2c0ksJ41tDfw Danielle lets Love lead her to inspire, challenge, provoke and disrupt the present, and to live in the future now. Having lived in different cultures and contexts around the world, she celebrates diversity and deeply longs for wrong things to be made right. Danielle practices following Jesus daily. This pursuit has led to exciting entrepreneurial exploits (like co-founding multiple charities and non-profits) and a whole host of failures (that we don't talk about as often). All of this has convinced her of the deep need we all have for hope, faith, and love. Her deepest longing is to demonstrate what living that boundless life is like. Danielle has written six books (the latest is The Other Side of Hope), has a podcast called The Right Side Up (which recently celebrated half a million downloads), and speaks to people at events all over the world. Danielle leads Boundless Communications Inc. which launches creative exploits like Women Speakers Collective (liberating voices of women around the globe), IMBY (a tiny home movement IN MY BACKYARD), Brave Global (preventing human trafficking), Infinitum (a way of living deeply), and Hagar's Voice (support and advocacy for survivors of abuse). Her home is in Toronto, Canada with her three sons and husband Steve. Danielle loves getting outside, doing new things, physical adventures, and she can't seem to turn down a free lunch.

Today's podcast is the fourth installment of the “In My Backyard” series: STORIES. In this episode, Patricia speaks with two parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association published the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, or DSM. In this edition, what had been referred to as Autistic […]

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 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 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.

Today’s episode discusses the pros and cons of offering our most troubled children intensive field-based treatment, over long-term residential placement or hospitalization.   Current data tragically still shows us that only 25% of the children in the United States who need mental health care actually receive it; however in California real efforts have been made to create community-based programs that can effectively treat our most troubled children without the need for residential care. In 2004, California voters approved Proposition 63, which was signed into law as the Mental Health Services Act, or MHSA. The MHSA levied a 1 percent tax on all personal incomes over $1 million, resulting in a substantial investment in mental health for California residents. The intent of the act was to address the urgent need for expanding accessible, recovery-based, community mental health services. This episode will focus on one aspect of the act that allocates funding for intensive and comprehensive field-based care, known statewide as Community Services and Supports, or CSS.   According to the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, these intensive field-based services are the “signature programs of the (state's) 2004 Mental Health Services Act and a foundational program for an effective community based mental health system.” Intensive field-based programs have been established across the state, with the core mission of doing “whatever it takes” to maintain clients in the community and help lead them to a path of wellness. These programs offer very intensive mental health, psychiatry and case management services in the community.   Today Tricia speaks with Vanessa Ayala, an Associate Clinical Social Worker at The Guidance Center's Compton Clinic. She is a clinician in the intensive services program and shares her knowledge about treatment for these very high need children and families.  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.

This week’s episode discusses one element of the mental health experience, standardized psychological testing in the clinical assessment.   When an individual begins mental health treatment, any competent clinician regardless of discipline will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the client at the outset. This assessment generally includes a detailed interview of the client, and perhaps other interested parties such as parents and teachers. It will include what is said in the interviews, as well as data that the clinician observes. Observational data can include, for example, whether the client makes eye-contact, their affect, or emotional expression, if they seem agitated or depressed, or whether they are cleanly and appropriately dressed. There might be informal questionnaires, school or medical records and perhaps a referral for a medical examination. These assessments are essential to understand what is troubling a client, what might be an appropriate mental health diagnosis and how treatment should be structured to be most useful.  According to the American Psychological Association, or APA, standardized psychological testing is related to but separate from the clinical assessment. It may be administered as part of clinical assessment, particularly when there is some question about appropriate diagnosis. Psychological testing may also be used to test the suitability for a job, or to predict future academic abilities.   Today Tricia speaks with Dr. Dawn Vo-Jutabha, Chief Clinical Officer of The Guidance Center. Dawn earned her doctorate in clinical psychology with an emphasis in children and families from Clark University in 2005. Since then, she has dedicated herself to working with underserved children and families in community mental health. In addition to her role at The Guidance Center, Dawn has also held multiple leadership positions in her field. These include the Co-Chair of the Southern California Association of Psychology Training Programs, committee member of the Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Programs and a membership on the American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation.   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 episode discusses the ongoing trauma of gang involvement, specifically the lasting impact on those who joined as minors. According to a National Youth Gang Survey, two out of every five active gang members are juveniles, and therefore particularly vulnerable to the pressures and traumas associated with gang affiliation and community violence. As this relates to gangs, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network explains, “while traumatic stress is certainly not the sole cause for gang involvement and delinquency, it can increase a youth's vulnerability to a gang's appeal. Gangs can offer a sense of safety, control and structure often missing in the lives of traumatized youth”. Gangs offer traumatized youth an opportunity to experience affirmation, often for the first time. These are children who have not experienced a family, community or society that is able to protect and provide for them, to offer them a vision of a positive future. The gang then steps in to fill that role. This week Tricia speaks with Luis Javier Rodriguez, a renowned poet, novelist, journalist and community activist. He was named the 2014 Los Angeles Poet Laureate by Mayor Eric Garcetti and is perhaps best known for his memoir Always Running: La Vida Loca, Gang Days in LA, for which he received the Carl Sandburg Literary Award. Luis is also the founder of the Tia Chucha Press and Tia Chucha Cultural Center. 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.

This week’s episode addresses something that strikes at the heart of most parents of school-aged children, namely how to keep schools safe for our students. According to the ACLU of Southern California, “In the wake of the Columbine shooting, 9/11 and the 2008 recession, school districts in California (made choices) to cut mental health services in favor of more police.” Data shows, however, that this increase in school police has not created a greater security.  Without mental health resources at hand, teachers are compelled to request help from law enforcement, who themselves are put in this position without adequate mental health training. Police are trained to respond to conflict with detention and arrest. Reports show that 25% of school police have no prior experience with youth. They have limited training on emotional and social well-being or how to de-escalate a crisis. Schools with campus police report 3.5 times more arrests than schools without police, most often for low-level incidents that could have been handled differently if mental health supports had been available. Police are being asked to take on tasks outside of their skill set while our children are being criminalized.  Los Angeles Unified School District presents an interesting case study on this topic. Dr. Elianny Edwards et al from UCLA found that LAUSD increased campus police spending by 48% from 2010 to 2019, despite an 18% decrease in student enrollment. During that same time period, on-campus critical incidents – including suicidal threats – increased by an appalling 906%. The district is now taking steps to replace police funding with greater mental health supports.  Today Tricia speaks with Jackie Ochoa, AMFT, and Yessenia Arevalo, ASW, School Resources Clinicians from The Guidance Center who work in partnership with campus police for the Long Beach Unified School District to develop the School Crisis Response Clinician Program that provides therapeutic crisis intervention and assessment services, in lieu of an armed law enforcement response. 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.

In today’s episode, we have a conversation about Substance Use Disorders, what is commonly referred to by the general public as drug or alcohol addiction. Substance Use Disorders are included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition, or DSM-5, as qualified mental health impairments that can benefit from treatment, such as any other mental health issue. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, 1 out of every 12 Americans suffer from a Substance Use Disorder. That represents 18.7 million individuals. Of those, 8.5 million have a second co-morbid mental health disorder, such as PTSD, Major Depression or Bipolar Disorder. It is time to stop stigmatizing these people, instead supporting them on their journey to recovery as we would anyone else with a debilitating illness. The new terminology of the DSM-5 represents an important change in our understanding of substance use, moving away from the more pejorative labels of addict or substance abuser to focus instead on the problematic behaviors themselves. The word “addict” conjures up any number of negative stereotypes in our minds, a skinny scary guy with loose morals and a lack of willpower. The word abuse is always negative in nature – sexual abuse, physical abuse, domestic abuse, all terms that imply victim and perpetrator. Changing the terminology from “addict” or “abuser” to “person with a substance use disorder” more properly places the attention on the behavior, not the person, and makes it clear that these disorders are in fact illnesses. Today we have Dr. Jessica Schneider to help us better understand this important topic. Jessica is a one of the founders of Evidence Based Therapy Partners. She is a licensed psychotherapist and consultant-trainer in a number of evidence-based treatment modalities, including Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Her specialties include emotional dysregulation, relational aggression and substance use disorders, amongst others. 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.

Eating disorders are an area of mental health that are least understood by the general public. Although there are a number of eating disorders, today's podcast will focus on the most dangerous and commonly known, specifically anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. According to the Mayo Clinic, anorexia nervosa, or anorexia as it is commonly called, is a “potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by an abnormally low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of weight or shape”. It includes extreme calorie restrictions, excessive exercise, the use of laxatives and diet aids and self-induced vomiting after eating. People with anorexia are underweight to the point of serious health problems, up to and including death by starvation. Again according to the Mayo Clinic, bulimia nervosa, or simply bulimia, is a serious, potentially life-threatening disorder that includes “episodes of binging and purging (with a) feeling of lack of control over eating.” Bulimia is characterized by the consumption of a large amount of food, often deliberately high caloric food, in a short period of time. Intense shame and even panic about gaining weight follows, which is resolved by self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise and the misuse of laxatives. People with bulimia often have periods of self-starvation, which contribute later to episodes of binging. People with bulimia are usually normal weight or slightly overweight. In this episode, Tricia speaks with Dr. Julie Orris. Julie is the owner and Executive Director of Evidence Based Therapy Orange County and one of the founders of Evidence Based Therapy Partners. Julie is a licensed psychotherapist and consultant in a number of evidence-based treatment modalities. She is certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy by the Linehan Board of Certification and is a Diplomate with the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. Her specialties include self-injury, suicidal thinking and eating disorders, amongst others 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.

This episode is a very important conversation about suicide, which might be painful and triggering for some listeners. If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, or are worried that someone you love might be suicidal, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK. That is 1-800-273-TALK, or 8255. Help is available. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2019 47,500 lives were lost to suicide, making it the 10th leading cause of death overall in the United States. Controlled by age, the numbers are even more grim; Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 35, second only to accidental injury. The US Department of Health and Human Services found that in the last ten years, suicide rates among children have increased by a horrifying 56%. Behind each of these lives tragically lost to suicide, there are loved ones left to struggle with the emotional aftermath. For definitional purposes, a suicide survivor refers to someone who has lost a loved one to suicide. By contrast, a person who has survived a suicide attempt is referred to as an “attempt survivor”. In today's podcast, Tricia speaks with Rick Mogil and Julia Asea, from Suicide the Bereavement Services at Didi Hirsch Mental Health. Created for people bereaved by suicide, this program addresses the special needs of people struggling with complex grief, which often accompanies a loved one's suicide. Co-facilitated by a therapist and a peer who has also lost a loved one to suicide, the groups help survivors cope with their loss in a positive and productive way. 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.

In this episode, I speak with Bert and Emma from the Simone Weil Catholic Worker House in Portland, Oregon. We talk about their community cooperative banking project and how this model is a tangible way to live Catholic social teaching, and most importantly, strengthen community bonds. Snippet from the show "this lending system actually becomes a way of deepening and strengthening community bonds. We don't usually think about taking out a loan as deepening and strengthening community Bonds in some profound way but this actually creates a way... to strengthen real relationships through...vulnerability and offering. [...] Our community here is trying to emphasize mutuality. This is not you know a handout to someone this is rather we're trying to create the kind of container that allows this to be a really mutual relationship." How to Donate to Simone Weil Catholic Worker Go to https://www.simoneweilhouse.org/ Make an electronic donations via Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/InMyBackyard Check donations can be written out to “In My Backyard” and mailed to: In My Backyard, 5311 NE 15th Ave, Portland, OR 97211 Other ways to connect with Simone Weil Catholic Worker Wednesday Open Dinners, 6:30pm at the Simone Weil House (*we ask all guests to be fully vaccinated*) Thursday Agronomic University seminars, 5-6:15pm Pacific via Zoom (email us for the readings and links) First Monday Mutual Economy Gatherings, 5-6:15pm Pacific via Zoom, first Monday of every month Email them at simoneweilhouse@gmail.com Excerpts from the teaching segment: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17LT12YTM0_foe7t9jm-ZWlAD9uJnZepw9O2msk9PJ8E/edit?usp=sharing *** NEW! You can now submit your thoughts and recommendations of the podcast by filling out this feedback form: https://bit.ly/reclaimingsjfeedback --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/reclaimingsj/message

This episode is a very important conversation about suicide, which might be painful and triggering for some listeners. If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, or are worried that someone you love might be suicidal, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK. That is 1-800-273-TALK, or 8255. Help is available. Suicide is a major public health issue, one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Rates of death by suicide were already on the rise prior to the devastating mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the period between 1999 and 2019, deaths by suicide increased a tragic 35% in the United States. It still remains to be seen what effect the isolation, anxiety and loss that arose from the pandemic will have on the number of people taking their own lives, but expert predictions are grim. Speaking specifically to children, the US Department of Health and Human Services found that in the last ten years, rates of major depression among teens have more than doubled. Hopelessness and suicidal thoughts have increased by 71%. Suicide rates among children have mirrored these changes, increasing by 56%. It is, as one researcher wrote, “an epidemic of anguish.” In today's podcast, Patricia speaks with Sal Pena and Courtney Cruz, from the Suicide Prevention Center at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services. The Suicide Prevention Center was founded in 1958 as the nation's first 24/7 suicide crisis line. It remains a model today for effective suicide crisis services, training professionals nationally and internationally in preventing suicide. They field roughly 100,000 crisis calls annually. 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.

The use of psychotropic medications in the mental health treatment of children, a key element of treatment for many but one that is not without controversy. In today's podcast, Patricia speaks with Dr. Rubina Najeeb, a Board-Certified Adult and Child Psychiatrist at The Guidance Center. Dr. Najeeb offers consultation on some of the more complex cases at The Guidance Center and, where indicated, prescribes the medications that help children be successful in achieving their treatment goals. In this episode, Dr. Najeeb helps us learn more about these medications and unpacks the things that might make them controversial. 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 topic is the troubling issue of physical self-harm among children. Dr. Donald Greydanus writes in the Psychiatric Times that “deliberate self-harm is a behavior in which a person commits an act with the purpose of physically harming (themselves) with or without a real intent of suicide.” Self-harm is an effort to cope with unmanageable emotional pain. While the effort might be maladaptive, it is also effective. Dr. Joe Franklin writes, “One of the most common reasons individuals give for injuring themselves is that it reduces emotional pain. That may be because the physical pain relief that follows a self-injury event, (the relief when the physical pain is over), basically tricks the brain into perceiving relief for emotional pain, too”. Unfortunately, that relief is temporary and does nothing to ameliorate the underlying issues that led to self-harm in the first place. A vicious cycle can follow, with self-loathing, judgement from others and an increase in depression and anxiety. In fact, the risk for eventual suicide increases following each subsequent incident of self-harm. In this episode, our guest is with Daniela Ruiz-Cedeno, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at The Guidance Center's San Pedro Clinic. Daniela is our certified lead in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT. DBT is a mental health treatment developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan from the University of Washington, which has been shown to be highly effective with chronically suicidal clients and those who have eating or substance abuse disorders or engage in self-injurious behaviors. Daniela treats our highest crisis clients and trains her peers in the provision of DBT care. 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.

In this episode we discover the incredible variety of folks, produce, places, and methods involved in urban gardening in Toronto in a new documentary by Jamie Day Fleck called In My Backyard. Next up, a decades-long waiting game played with hazelnuts, farmers, and science. In My Backyard Jamie Day Fleck is a documentary filmmaker and an avid backyard (and soon front yard garden). Her passion for gardening, a well-timed pregnancy, and her film-making chops lead her to make a fascinating documentary about other folks, like her in Toronto who grew plants, well, just about anywhere they could find space. The documentary is called In My Backyard. You can learn more about it at https://www.fleckpro.com I spoke with Jamie about her film and the importance of urban gardening for the soul and the planet. Here's our conversation. The Nutella Waiting Game GrimoNut Nurseries https://www.grimonut.com/ pioneered growing nut trees in Ontario almost 50 years ago. One of the species they produce is the hazel tree. I spoke with Linda Grimo, the farm manager about a fascinating story of foresight and patience. It all has to do with hazelnuts and Nutella. Here's our conversation. End Notes Want more Harrowsmith? No problem. Visit our website. Or you can check out Harrowsmith Magazine on selected newsstands across Canada or you can order subscriptions online at harrowsmithmag.com. By the way, the music in the podcast? It's by good ol' Canadian singer, composer, and friend of the 'cast, David Archibald. You can find more of his music at his website, davidarchibald.com.  

In all prior podcasts, Patricia and guests have spoken about the varying needs for mental health services across populations facing extraordinary stressors and vulnerabilities. In this episode, Patricia and her guest Sarah Duncan discuss more globally what might prevent a child from accessing treatment, how to know when a child needs help and what might actually happen in a therapy session. Child mental health treatment can be mystifying. Today’s podcast aims to provide some greater clarity. Sarah is a Marriage and Family Therapist with a particular emphasis in art and play therapy. She is a clinician at The Guidance Center, where she started working with children in it’s School-Based Program. She transitioned to the Outpatient Clinic where she could work more with little ones and currently offers mental health treatment and support with very young children on-site at a local Head Start Program. 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.

In our last episode, Patricia had an interesting conversation with Dr. Tiffany Dawson about LGBTQ youth, and how being a member of a marginalized minority group negatively impacts their mental health. Today’s podcast takes a closer look at a subgroup of the larger LGBTQ population, specifically transgender children and youth. In this episode, Patricia speaks with Dr. Robin Cooper, a Licensed Psychologist and clinician at the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. Robin's area of clinical practice is working with transgender young adults. 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 on the podcast we hear how one person's journey into food gardening evolved into a documentary film — and then we find out how to use garden covers to take vegetable gardening to another level.In My Backyard: A Documentary about Urban GrowersTorontonian Jamie Day Fleck converted her entire suburban backyard into a kitchen garden. That was the starting point of her documentary, In My Backyard, where she looks at ideas that urban growers have dreamed up in her hometown of Toronto.Fleck talks about the urban growers she met while filming, how their gardens were different — and what they had in common. She also reflects on the future of urban growing.Growing Under Cover with Niki JabbourWe head to Halifax for food-garden inspiration from author, broadcaster, and vegetable gardening expert Niki Jabbour. Jabbour talks about gardening in a polytunnel, reflects on her 2021 garden, and shares tips about how to use covers in the garden to grow more, protect crops from weather, and minimize pest problems. Her newest book is called Growing Under Cover. It's a must-have for serious vegetable gardeners.

As we continue to explore the impact of trauma and stress on mental health, today we will be taking a closer look at mental health and LGBTQ children and youth. Any conversation about the mental health of lesbian, gay and bisexual youth needs to be understood within a complicated historical perspective. It wasn't until 1973 and after considerable debate that homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders as a classified mental illness. Sadly, that decision by the American Psychiatric Association didn't end the debate. Even today so-called conversion therapy is allowed in a plurality of states in the US even though all expert bodies have denounced it as abusive and harmful, increasing suicidal risk in those subjected to it. Dr. Judd Marmor was President of the American Psychiatric Association when homosexuality was first declassified as a mental illness. He wrote, “In a society like ours where homosexuals are uniformly treated with disparagement or contempt – to say nothing about outright hostility – it would be surprising indeed if substantial numbers of them did not suffer from an impaired self-image and some degree of unhappiness from their stigmatized status. It is manifestly unwarranted and inaccurate, however, to attribute (this) to intrinsic aspects of homosexuality itself.” Scientific data does indeed demonstrate the vulnerability of our LGBTQ youth. As reported by the National Alliance on Mental Illness: LBGTQ youth are twice as likely to endorse persistent sadness and feelings of hopelessness; They are four times as likely to have attempted suicide; Twice has likely to misuse alcohol and drugs, and; Have a greatly heightened risk of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. In this episode, Patricia speaks with Dr. Tiffany Dawson about mental health and LGBTQ+ youth. Tiffany is a Licensed Psychologist and the Program Manager of The Guidance Center's Compton Program. She and her staff serve children and families from the communities in and surrounding Compton, one of the most under-resourced and highest need areas in the county. 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.

For those who missed it, we are happy to re-release Episode 7 of In My backyard, a conversation with Dr. Perry of the Child Trauma Academy. Dr. Perry chats with us about the neuro-sequential model of the brain, explaining how trauma impacts the brain and what we can all do to be trauma-informed. We are off taking our Freshmen to college for the first time, but will be back in two weeks with a new episode, a conversation with Dr. Tiffany Dawson exploring how discrimination impacts the mental health and emotional well-being of our LGBTQ youth. We look forward to having you with us then. 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.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, chronic illnesses in children can affect the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of young patients. It also takes a serious toll on parents and siblings, leading to strained familial relationships that add yet another layer of stress. Depression and anxiety are common co-morbid illnesses in children with chronic health concerns. Additionally, very often with a chronic or potentially terminal illness, families and medical staff are so understandably focused on the physical health of the child that the emotional, developmental and psychological impacts of the illness and treatment are overlooked. In today's episode, Patricia speaks with Dr. Lauren Ford, a licensed pediatric psychologist in The Guidance Center's Whole Child program. The Whole Child is a program that places Guidance Center pediatric psychologists in Miller Children's and Women’s Hospital, to provide consultation and mental health support to children and families with chronic illness. In many cases, therapists are able to support the child when they are inpatient in the hospital as well as between hospital visits. 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

In this episode, Patricia speaks with Stevie McBride to help us understand in practical terms what we might do in our lives to be trauma-informed while interacting with a traumatized child. Stevie McBride is a Guidance Center clinician from It's About T.I.M.E., a Trauma Informed Movement in Education. It's About T.I.M.E. is a program that uses trauma research to provide educators the tools to create trauma informed cultures on primary school campuses. A Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at The Guidance Center, Stevie provided intensive treatment to children and families in our Long Beach clinic for many years, before transferring to the It's About T.I.M.E. program two years ago. He currently serves as the trauma-informed consultant at Barton Elementary School in Long Beach. 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.

In this episode, Patricia had the great pleasure of speaking with Nathan Swaringen, a Guidance Center clinician from It's About T.I.M.E., a Trauma Informed Movement in Education. It's About T.I.M.E. is a program based on Dr. Bruce Perry's research into how trauma impacts the brain of the developing child. The program uses this research to provide educators the tools to create trauma informed cultures on primary school campuses. Nathan is a licensed clinical social worker. He began his career at The Guidance Center fifteen years ago, as a therapist in its school-based program. After years of seeing first hand how trauma-based behavior is misunderstood as “a bad child” Nathan sought out training from Dr. Perry on how to create trauma-informed schools. The It's about TIME program was formed. 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.

In this episode, Patricia speaks with Dr. Bruce Perry, founder and Senior Fellow of the Child Trauma Academy. He is a Psychiatrist and an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago.  He is a tremendous advocate and leader in the field of child trauma treatment. Dr. Perry originally founded the Childhood Trauma Academy within the University of Chicago Baylor School of Medicine, but it soon became clear that child maltreatment was too complex to be answered by a medical model alone. At that point, the Child Trauma Academy evolved to be a community of practice, meaning that it represents a collaboration of all disciplines that might interact with a traumatized child.  This may include child protection, educators, law enforcement, and mental health.  The Child Trauma Academy translates what Dr. Perry understands about the impact of childhood trauma on the brain into practical and viable interventions that help a child recover.  Their mission is to help improve the lives of traumatized and maltreated children by improving systems that educate, nurture, protect and enrich these children.  They focus their efforts on education, program consultation, research and disseminating innovation in the field. 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. Production assistance provided by Lorraine Lyou. 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.

In this episode, Patricia speaks with Aubree Sweeney, Marriage and Family Therapist and Director of Rancho San Antonio Boys' Home. Rancho is a non-profit Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program, providing specialized treatment and 24-hour care and supervision to court-ordered teen boys. Services span from initial assessment through treatment, all the way to the transition back into the community. Rancho provides a safe space to begin the process of change. 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. Production assistance provided by Julie Ruano. 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 episode is a conversation with Bert Fitzgerald.  Bert is the founding director of the Simone Weil Catholic Worker House and its affiliated non-profit In My Backyard.   Today Bert joins me to discuss community banking.If you are interested in supporting Bert's work you can learn more at the link below.https://www.simoneweilhouse.org/music by scottholmesmusic.comIf you haven't already, please review the show on Apple Podcasts! It's an important way to help new listeners find the show.

This week Seattle mayoral candidate Andrew Grant Houston chats with Crystal about his plans if he becomes mayor, including: rapid housing in tiny homes for our unhoused population, restoring transit up to pre-covid levels, and public safety efforts becoming less than 50% police focused. He also covers how he - an architect who has not been in elected office before - will be able to overcome the “Seattle Process” and get things done. As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com. Find the host, Crystal Fincher on Twitter at @finchfrii. Find today's guest, Andrew Grant Houston, at @AGH4SEA. More information is available at officialhacksandwonks.com.   Resources: Learn about Seattle's response to unhoused folks last summer during the fires: https://crosscut.com/focus/2020/09/wildfire-smokes-health-impacts-have-only-just-begun  Read about our rising carbon footprint here: https://www.kuow.org/stories/climate-leader-seattle-s-carbon-emissions-on-the-rise  Learn about cuts to public transit during the Covid-19 pandemic here: https://crosscut.com/news/2020/08/will-king-county-public-transit-survive-covid-19  Check on the status of the eviction moratorium here: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-mayor-jenny-durkan-extends-eviction-moratorium-city-council-delays-vote-on-providing-lawyers-for-those-facing-eviction/  Learn more about the public safety alternatives to policing here: https://crosscut.com/2020/07/seattles-arrest-alternative-lead-moves-beyond-police  Find out what folks mean when they reference the “Seattle Process” here: https://crosscut.com/2015/01/seattle-process-working-together-make-ourselves-du  Learn about Andrew Grant Houston's priorities on this Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/AGH4SEA/status/1349904763576492036  Find out more about Andrew Grant Houston - and many other mayoral candidates - in this interview series from the South Seattle Emerald: https://southseattleemerald.com/2021/01/22/qa-mayoral-candidate-andrew-grant-houston-shares-his-vision-for-seattle-starting-with-housing-and-climate-justice/    Transcript: Crystal Fincher: [00:00:00] Welcome to Hacks and Wonks. I'm your host, Crystal Fincher. On this show, we talk to political hacks and policy wonks to gather insight into local politics and policy through the lens of those doing the work and provide behind the scenes perspectives on politics in our state. Full transcripts and resources referenced in the show are always available at officialhacksandwonks.com and in our episode notes. Welcome to the show today. I'm thrilled that we have Andrew Grant Houston, also known as Ace, here with us today. Andrew Grant Houston: [00:01:00] Hello! Crystal Fincher: [00:01:00] Yes! Welcome. And you are running for mayor of the City of Seattle. Andrew Grant Houston: [00:01:05] Yes I am. Crystal Fincher: [00:01:07] How did you decide to do that? Andrew Grant Houston: [00:01:10] Well, it came down to being extremely angry at the response during the last wildfires where the City said we have 95 shelter beds for 5,500 unsheltered people. Going to my friends, who I organize with, asking some other people if they were going to run because I would have loved for them to run, and them saying that they have decided not to. And so it was during those conversations that I felt that the response that we need at a time of crisis, where we're dealing with multiple crises, is that we need a new type of leadership in City Hall from the executive. Because what has become extremely clear to me in the past year is how much power the mayor has, and the ability to stop any type of regression and improvement in the city that even City Council, if they're all aligned together, is trying to push through. And so, I am bringing my project management experience as an architect, as someone who manages multi-million dollar construction budgets to a city that needs to build a lot of housing, fix its streets, and deal with public safety in a very short amount of time. We basically have less than 10 years to solve a lot of crises, and so I'm bringing my systems-based thinking, my design eye, to truly come at our issues from a different point of view. And so that's why I'm running. Crystal Fincher: [00:02:55] Well, and that makes sense. And I think I certainly heard from a number of people - there've been names out there who have made it very clear for years and years and years that they have had their eye on higher office, different office, the mayor's office. And so, as soon as Mayor Durkan announced that she wasn't running again, there were a list of names that popped into many people's heads about - All right, well that means that so-and-so is going to run and the other person who had signaled that they were going to be running. And a number of people were surprised to hear that you were interested in getting into the race. So without having that kind of history and background and signaling that you had ambitions to be in office, do you think that puts you in a better position, worse position, unique position? How do you think the public should read that? Andrew Grant Houston: [00:03:47] I think it is definitely a unique position. And to give some more background as to why I even got into the position of saying that I was interested in doing this, I have been a housing activist and organizer since I was in college. And so, I've been doing this now, I want to say, for nine years - really just trying to get more housing built. I definitely am from the YIMBY camp, for sure. So when people talk about NIMBYs versus YIMBYs, I'm definitely YIMBY. I have - Crystal Fincher: [00:04:23] Yes, In My Backyard - bring it on.  Andrew Grant Houston: [00:04:25] Yep, exactly. I'm looking at this from a point of - tying to my experience as a Person of Color, as a lifelong renter, born and raised by my single mother who was a public school teacher back in Texas. And so, part of my frustration in last year in those wildfires was knowing how hard myself and other people have been fighting to try and get housing built in the City.  And knowing that if I was going to do anything with more impact, it's basically take the reins and address the crisis we're in. Especially when we're also talking about not just the housing prices, but how it's tied to the climate crisis, where we have less than nine years now to cut our emissions in half. And so, when you look at what the City has done so far in the past roughly two mayors, three mayors, who have all been career politicians and lawyers, who try to always come to consensus and we see minor changes. We see maybe a 4% reduction or a 3% reduction, when we need to see a 50% reduction. As well as the promise that Council has made to effectively eliminate emissions as part of the Seattle Green New Deal, so we're talking not just 50%, but close to 100%. We actually need someone who has a working knowledge of the technical steps that it takes to actually do that work. And so that's why I am definitely a unique perspective and why I'm running in this specific moment. Crystal Fincher: [00:05:59] So it sounds like you're saying you are bringing a lot of relevant experience and although you may be new to some people, you aren't new to this area or these issues and are bringing a unique perspective to them. So, and hear you're saying that there needs to be an urgency that you don't feel is currently there. And a lot of people may say, Okay, but there's a reason why we haven't just slashed it by 50%, and that the process dictates that we can only implement incremental change and you just don't understand. What do you say to those people? Andrew Grant Houston: [00:06:43] I don't think you understand just how bad of a situation we're in. It is - I think more than even I can truly comprehend. And I don't necessarily just want to instill fear in people, the fear of God and say, Oh boy, it's coming. But we are on track currently to - or let me rephrase this a bit. So we have the Paris Climate Accords, which everyone is very happy that we're back in. They always talk about, they're like, oh, especially in policy circles. Yay, we're back in the Paris Climate Agreement. So that is supposed to commit us to a 1.5 degree centigrade increase in heat overall, average. Currently if Seattle, and this includes us, but also other cities, if we do what we're doing currently, we are on track to hit a plus 3 degree centigrade of warming, and so double where we need to be ideally. And it's not to say that it's impossible, but we need to be doing every single thing that we can to get as close to that number as possible. And that means really rethinking the way that we - one, pass legislation - pass and make progress. But also use our City and use what we have. And so in that way, really making it clear that, especially with all the things we've done during the pandemic to allow for people to walk in the streets, people to use and operate cafés outside, and how quickly that happened, that we actually can do this really quickly and we have the ability to do so. It's solely from political will. And I am running to say, Okay, we're taking all of that will, and we're throwing it aside and we are doing the things that we know that we need to do. Crystal Fincher: [00:08:49] So with those things, I guess, how do we achieve that? What are the policies that you would implement to accomplish that? And what are you also looking to get accomplished in other areas? Andrew Grant Houston: [00:09:03] Yep. So I am definitely going to come up with a lot of policy plans. I definitely come from a vein of being a Warren Democrat, and so yes, I have a plan for that. And I started with my first three, which will be coming out ideally this week, if not next week - about more details of the 2,500 tiny homes. So the short term solution to our housing crisis, because we know we simply need to build more housing and we need that funding, specifically from the federal government. The income tax, which I am now framing as the Just Transition tax. So creating a more progressive stream of revenue that can then be turned over and put into green jobs, into apprenticeships so that we can actually train people in the City, our own residents, to help build the communities that they're a part of. And so I'm really excited about that. Crystal Fincher: [00:09:59] And so that's a City of Seattle income tax- Andrew Grant Houston: [00:10:03] Yep. Crystal Fincher: [00:10:03] Okay. Gotcha. Andrew Grant Houston: [00:10:04] And the last one is to put buses back on the ballot in 2022. And so, what that's really looking at - as restoring service to what it was before COVID, and then being able to go even further with a county-wide initiative, either in 2023 or 2024. Because once we improve bus service and get people excited about being able to imagine that you go outside of your home to the nearest bus stop, and you don't even have to think about the bus coming, it just shows up - that is how we get people to ride the bus and to shift away from cars. Crystal Fincher: [00:10:50] And do you feel like there is the capacity to get that accomplished from the seat of the mayor? Or do you need the Council and other partners? You think you can do that and get that accomplished in the mayor's seat? Andrew Grant Houston: [00:11:07] Well, I think part of it is that if you are following a lot of the, not necessarily ambitions but the desires of Council, then they are already on board with a lot of the things that I'm proposing and they have tried to fund these things. But like many things that have been funded by Council, that have been prioritized by Council, it is the current mayor that has stopped them from happening, solely because the mayor is the only person that can spend the money.  And so we've seen this time and time again. The one that comes to mind, just in this moment right now, is spending money to put people in hotels. It has been so difficult and you've seen this from both sides and it's very public, as to getting the mayor to just spend the money. The money is there. The money is essentially free money from the federal government. And so the question is, what is taking so long? What is keeping the mayor from not acting? And so the one thing that I can commit to 100% is working with Council and not being a mayor of inaction, but being the mayor of action. Crystal Fincher: [00:12:19] Well, and you raise a really good point. And we have not had a city where the Council and the mayor have been in agreement on policy for quite some time. Now we have a Council that is certainly more progressive than the mayor. And before this, it was flipped. We had a mayor with Mayor McGinn that was more progressive than the Council at the time. And so, for the past, what, 12 years we've seen this tension. Or even longer going back to Nickels, we've seen this tension between the Council and the mayor where it seems like, Well, that's just a relationship that is tense, period, and that's just how it is. But you bring a good point that it doesn't necessarily have to be, and what if the mayor and the Council were aligned? Now, obviously we're going to have some competitive races for Council this year so the composition may shift. But there are certainly, even for the other council members that aren't up for election, as you said, they have certainly signaled that they support a number of more progressive policies - more transit, more housing, getting more homes for people who don't have them right now.  So as you're looking forward, when it comes to certainly taking care of transit, trying to move the needle on the climate goals that is there - know a lot of people are concerned about, Hey, we're still in the middle of a pandemic. We can see light at the end of the tunnel, perhaps, but we're still very much in it. More people are un-vaccinated still than are vaccinated and new variants are passing around. And we still hear news of restaurants closing, and very beloved neighborhood businesses closing, and people losing work. So there's a very real need for still - help for people who are impacted by - things weren't great in the first place and the pandemic made it even worse. And now there are a lot of people out of jobs trying to figure out what they're going to do when this eviction moratorium ends. What do you think needs to happen to help people who are on the edge of crisis once there's no moratorium and there's no more support for the effects of this pandemic? And also for businesses who have closed or who are on the brink right now, what needs to happen and what can people expect from you as mayor? Andrew Grant Houston: [00:14:59] So I think you're bringing up some really excellent points. And it is, in some ways, almost my frustration with the fact that I'm running now, knowing that I won't step into office until January of 2022. And that's a lot of time between being able to truly drive the conversation in the driver's seat, as opposed to just being in the back as a backseat driver saying, Hey, you might want to do this. But if we're looking at what is happening right now, myself and my campaign are definitely taking the approach of what we are calling "organize everywhere." And so, in that way we are pushing for the eviction moratorium to be extended both in the City and at the state level, because it should be until the end of the year. And that includes both - for renters, as well as landlords and owners. It's really the need for grace in this time where we are seeing aid come through, which is something that is extremely helpful, especially from a new government. Our new federal government is actually acting and responding to the need in crisis. And that's really where the money is going to come from, because again, at the end of the day, the City Council budget has to be fully balanced. That's something that definitely limits what we can do. And we also have money coming from the State, from the governor, which is fantastic. And so we need time in order to get that aid to the people that need it, especially so that they can still be able to keep their homes and keep their businesses. Because one of my biggest fears is that we get to end of June, people are evicted, and then our aid is able to go out July or August, but those people aren't there to receive it. And so if there's one thing I can do, it's really pushing on that. And also in terms of that organizing, really driving the conversation about, okay, when we see more aid come through, when there are discussions about the infrastructure bill happening at the federal level, what are the plans that we're talking about now? What are the ways that we can actually have those community conversations now? So that when I step into office, I am able to say, we've already had the conversation, we already know what community wants to see, and we're able to act on day one. That is definitely what I am very interested in, is doing all the background work now, so that once I'm able to step in, I can just say, Look, we've already had our community conversations, we've already gone through the Seattle process. Let's go. Crystal Fincher: [00:17:39] Well, and that makes sense. And you talk about not taking office until January 2022. Certainly the election will be in November of 2021. And in the meantime, some of these conversations that we're having will signal and shape the conversations that lead to the policy that you'll be able to implement. And I know one that is on the front of a lot of people's minds is that around policing and public safety. So I guess, as you evaluate the current situation, what does public safety mean to you and what is your plan for moving forward? Andrew Grant Houston: [00:18:16] So, public safety, for me, means one very clear message. 100% public safety, less than 50% police. We are currently operating in a system where it is a complete understanding by many individuals in our community, but across the nation, that when we talk public safety, we're immediately talking about police. We're not talking about first responders, we're not talking about fire, we're not talking about mental health responses to crisis. And so, part of that is going to take some re-education, some re-imagining within our own minds. And so that's not everything that I can control. But what I can control is how we invest in what our response to crises looks like in the future.  So for me, that's a number of things - that is really being led by community, especially movements like the Black Lives Matter movement, the King County Equity Now movement, the No New Youth Jail movement, the Decriminalize Seattle movement. Movements that have been happening for many, many, many years before George Floyd, before Breonna Taylor. And so, these are conversations that have been happening for a very long time as to the over-policing of communities, especially communities of color. But also on the flip side, that we are expecting too much of our police in terms of what they're supposed to be responding to. And so we need to invest in community alternatives. We need to expand our types of responses. And as one of my biggest focuses, we need to start doing preventative care and harm reduction so that people never end up in crises in the first place. And so that is why housing is such a big part of my plans and why I am a housing is a human right, and even signed onto the Homes Guarantee, which is something that is a national movement to really get people housed. Because I believe that a lot of the situations, especially related to the homelessness crisis that we've been dealing with that has been declared an emergency since 2015, and yet we have not seen the response that has to be necessary in order to meet the scale of that crisis - that a big part of it is just giving people homes. And so that's what we need to focus on. Crystal Fincher: [00:20:46] Well, and bouncing back to the policing, specifically, and public safety conversation, what became apparent was that some of the progress that even the Council signaled that they wanted to make was not going to be possible without a change in the SPOG contract, the Seattle Police Officers Guild, their union contract. And that is going to be up for negotiation coming up, depending on the person, either later this year or next year. Andrew Grant Houston: [00:21:20] And of course, even now, there are conversations between a number of different individuals as supposed to - when that negotiation is supposed to start. So I'm definitely keeping track. Crystal Fincher: [00:21:29] Yes. And so really, certainly in the seat of the mayor and in concert with the Council, it's going to be up to you to determine what is ultimately acceptable in that contract - with the understanding that right now, that contract has hindered the ability to instill, to deliver discipline, to have accountability and to maintain the values of the residents in the City. It is tied the hands of the police chief and reversed decisions that they've made. And certainly has brought about outcomes that were counter to what the Council and residents in the City have wanted to see. And there is a broad feeling, I certainly am one of those, who feels that it is a hindrance, that it does go too far in allowing police to police themselves. Andrew Grant Houston: [00:22:36] And it's one of those tough discussions, because having been here and having lived here during that time, where in 2017 Council passed new ordinances to try and create more accountability. But then in 2018, they approved the SPOG contract, which walked back a lot of it. It's, I know in most people's minds, that they don't want to see that happen again. They don't want to put their faith in Council to actually keep the police accountable and then walk it back again through this contract. And so, I am committed to hearing the voices of community, and specifically those who are most impacted - people who look like me, who are Black and Indigenous, and other People of Color, and to really get at the heart of what this is. And knowing that negotiation is going to take a long time. But the last contract took about four years and I am a extremely stubborn person, and so I got all the time in the world to get that right. Crystal Fincher: [00:23:43] So as mayor, would you sign a contract that didn't incorporate the 2017 Accountability Ordinance? Andrew Grant Houston: [00:23:51] No.  Crystal Fincher: [00:23:53] That's a bright line.  Andrew Grant Houston: [00:23:55] We really need to get to a point where we actually have true accountability for the police, because if we don't have that, then it doesn't really matter what we try to do. And in many ways, unfortunately, it almost puts too much power into the police. And not even the chief, this is just into SPOG itself as an entity, that you then have to question who they're accountable to. And when you provide that much power in any individual's hands, that is- Crystal Fincher: [00:24:27] And so you talked about issues of public safety being much broader than police, and talking about how housing issues are critical to keeping people safe in our community. Certainly this is a huge conversation - both housing affordability and people being able to afford a home, and for people who do not have homes who can't afford any shelter, and getting them into shelter. Right now an immediate issue that the City is dealing with has been sweeping homeless living areas, whether they're encampments or otherwise, that is against CDC guidance. Andrew Grant Houston: [00:25:15] Again, similar to the conversations we were having earlier about that disconnect between the executive, meaning the mayor and those departments, and then the Council. The Council has defunded sweeps and said, No more sweeps. And yet the executive has continued to do those. And so that, I think, is a very clear line and something that I want to make people aware of - in that the choice to truly address our homelessness crisis, it solely lies with the executive in terms of the on-the-ground action. And so, I just wanted to make that extremely clear, because I hear from a lot of people, they're very frustrated. They're like, Oh man, the City is doing this. I'm like, No, it's the executive. Crystal Fincher: [00:26:04] It is. And we've heard a number of justifications for a number of different things. And so, I guess I just wanted to know, do you ever see any justification for doing a sweep? Do you ever see that as a viable tool or tactic? Andrew Grant Houston: [00:26:19] No. We are asking people, currently, to pick themselves up, and when we sweep them, we are kicking them back down. If we give people permanent housing or even just permanent shelter, they know every day where they're coming back to. And something that I think a lot of people don't know - but they can actually go to the latest King County Point-in-Time Count that was done. And it was just released, if I remember correctly, at the beginning of this week - if not, it was last week. That about 70-80% of people who are currently unhoused are working, and most of those people are working full-time. And so, when you are working full-time and simply cannot afford to live in the City, but you're still connected to our community, we need to be able to support those people. We need to be able to provide them shelter, to provide them that permanence so that they can improve their own standing. And I do recognize if there are people who are dealing with either drug abuse or other health considerations, and we do need more services and response for those people. But again, like I said before, we really need to address some of the other issues that can prevent people from falling into homelessness. Because what I'm looking at in terms of the numbers right now, what it's saying is that, what we're doing is helpful to prevent the number from going up too drastically. In other words, the overall amount of people every year is roughly the same, but we're not doing enough to actually get to functional zero. And so, as we lift people out of homelessness, other people are falling in.  And so addressing things like rent, which I am already talking about rent control and going to push that. And that's definitely going to be a legal challenge, but I hope Pete Holmes is ready. I am looking at raising the minimum wage, because if we just give people more money in their pocket, that's actually going to make them be able to afford their rents. And of course, as I said, focusing on 2,500 tiny homes - this is a short-term solution that we can build more permanently affordable housing. Because housing, even if we want to talk about, let's go and do a ballot ordinance and get more money for housing. If we were to cut every single piece of red tape right now, it would still take roughly three years to build more apartments. And so, we really need a short-term solution, and that knowledge and experience about how long it actually takes to get a building built, and designed, and through permits - I have that understanding. And so, that is part of why I'm running in the first place - is to make it that much easier for us to build the housing that we need. Crystal Fincher: [00:29:14] Well, and that's a really good point and useful to know, especially since so many of our conversations have been about - obviously, there's a need for short-term immediate shelter, but also needing to transition people to permanent stable housing, and just that context is useful.  Also, I wanted to just point out, and we've talked about unhoused people on many different shows - I just wanted to also clarify on last week's show, we had a conversation with Councilmember Lewis that covered a lot of this ground and talked about tiny homes, his plans for those. In there, he mentioned that he had heard, and I don't know whether it was at a Council briefing or not, that there was some justification for doing some sweeps of encampments potentially because of human trafficking. I just wanted to point out that we have not seen or encountered any evidence of that happening anywhere. And so I just wanted to be clear that that was brought up and we are not aware of that happening at all. Certainly he said that - even if that were to be the case, that would be a tiny minority. At this point, it appears to be 0%. So just wanted to bring that up.  And then kind of circle back, you talk about your experience helping with the knowledge of timelines and just how to approach how we need to just functionally address with providing homes and building and shelter. And that gets back to the question of your experience outside of government and not having experience in government. You're running against people who have held office before. There are a couple of former City Council members running, people who have held other office. And certainly after years of Trump and other public officials who have no idea what's going on, some people are a little hesitant to say, Okay, maybe we need to be careful when we hand over the keys to someone who hasn't driven this car before. And that management of just the departments - that the City of Seattle is a big organization at its core that needs to be managed and that's a big task. So, as someone coming from the outside who doesn't have the background of how the sausage gets made within the City of Seattle, how do you think you're positioned to lead the City, to implement policy, to make sure things actually get done as you intend? Andrew Grant Houston: [00:32:00] So I'm going to touch on this a couple of different ways, and I'll say it's probably three. So the first one being I'm currently the Interim Policy Manager for Councilmember Mosqueda. This was a position that I was offered, I actually did not apply for it. She basically just called me up and said, "Hey, I need someone temporary. Are you available?" And I think if anyone just looks from the outside and kind of sees the work that's going on with the office, there have been no blips. And so clearly I'm doing something right. And so that makes me feel good, and knows that one, not only am I getting that inside view as to how the sausage is made, I'm actually being able to contribute to an excellent team. And I will say that I love my team a lot, and that's all I'm going to say about that because probably shouldn't be talking too much about that. Second item is I have not worked for - inside the government, but I have worked in collaboration with governments in the past. So outside of being an architect, I am also an urban designer and I'm a planner. So one of my former positions was as actually a land use code writer. And so we would go do community engagement, engage with staff, and actually write the rules to the game of building housing. And so when you're talking about someone who has extremely technical knowledge as to exactly how codes should or should not work, I am your person. And the third thing that I will add is - I think being an outsider is exactly what we need at this moment. Especially, as I said again, that we need to make significant, drastic changes in the next nine years, basically in the next two terms for mayor. One thing that I have made very clear is that I'm committed to serving two terms, because I know that's been an issue with mayors in the past. And I'm not a career politician. I'm not looking at this office, at this open seat as, Oh yeah, it'll be a great stepping stone on my way to a statewide position or even a national position. No, I am committed to making housing and improving the City, not just for myself, but for everyone here. That is why I call my campaign The Rising Tide. It's about being a new movement. It is about building a rising tide that lifts all boats, but specifically the way that water works is that it starts with those at the bottom first. And so in that way, we are progressively improving the City in a way that has never been done before. Crystal Fincher: [00:34:34] Well, I certainly appreciate that. That was a quick little 30 minutes that went by and were able to cover a lot. Appreciate you taking the time to have this conversation with us today, and we'll be keeping an eye on you as you continue throughout the campaign. Thank you for listening to Hacks and Wonks. Our chief audio engineer at KVRU is Maurice Jones Jr. The producer of Hacks and Wonks is Lisl Stadler. You can find me on Twitter @finchfrii, spelled F-I-N-C-H-F-R-I-I. And now you can follow Hacks and Wonks on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Just type in "Hacks and Wonks" into the search bar. Be sure to subscribe to get our Friday almost-live shows and our mid-week show delivered to your podcast feed. You can also get a full text transcript of this episode and links to the resources referenced during the show at officialhacksandwonks.com and in the podcast episode notes.  Thanks for tuning in. Talk to you next time.

In this episode, Stuart and William explore this question from listener Alison from Faringdon, Oxfordshire, "How do we give environmental events happening around the world an "In My Backyard" feeling?" --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thepeoplescountryside/message

TANKS, MILITARY, IN MY BACKYARD!!! WTF?

"Je veux vivre en démocratie", c'est le titre de l'ouvrage d'Hervé Lebreton, notre invité de ce soir, et c'est une ambition que partagent probablement la majorité des Français. Las d'assister à des abus de pouvoir, souvent sous forme d'attribution arbitraire de fonds publics à certains groupes ou communes, Hervé Lebreton s'est attaqué d'abord à la réserve parlementaire (cette somme annuelle que les députés recevaient et pouvaient dispatcher à leur guise, disposition supprimée dernièrement). C'est maintenant la question des IRFM, Indemnité Représentative de Frais de Mandat qu'il pousse dans le débat public. Au-delà de ces combats ponctuels, il milite pour un changement d'attitude au sein de la société vis-à-vis des abus de position, et prône l'open data pour les dépenses publiques.  "Aujourd'hui, il suffit à Bercy d'appuyer sur un bouton pour que tous les comptes publics soient accessibles à tous."  En deuxième partie, c'est une initiative solidaire représentée par Maïté Pinchon, urbaniste, qu'on vous présente : In My BackYard, référence à l'expression anglaise "Not In My Backyard" (signifiant son rejet d'un projet d'intérêt général au profit de son intérêt personnel). Le concept ? Installer dans les jardins de familles de la région parisienne des tiny-houses (petites maisons en bois autonomes) pour héberger des personnes en situation de besoin. La première tiny-house européenne a été installée à Montreuil il y a peu ! Le but sous-jacent de ce projet d'architecture solidaire est aussi de favoriser la mixité sociale et limiter l'étalement urbain, que notre invitée nous présente comme un facteur d'exclusion sociale. Les critères pour accueillir une personne dans son jardin ? Avoir un (très) grand jardin, dans la région parisienne. Toutes les infos sont disponibles sur le site de l'association !  Alors, à quand des tiny-houses dans le jardin de l'Elysée ?  Côté chroniques, Dario nous emmène à la fac de Nanterre lors des premiers jours de mobilisation des étudiants contre la loi ORE et Pitoum nous résume l'entretien Macron-Bourdin-Plenel ...  Présentation : Erwan Duchateau / Réalisation : PH Dimitriu/ Co-interview : Nina Beltram / Chroniques : Dario Moreal et Pitoum / Web : Nina Beltram / Coordination : Nina Beltram et Elsa Landard

"Je veux vivre en démocratie", c'est le titre de l'ouvrage d'Hervé Lebreton, notre invité de ce soir, et c'est une ambition que partagent probablement la majorité des Français. Las d'assister à des abus de pouvoir, souvent sous forme d'attribution arbitraire de fonds publics à certains groupes ou communes, Hervé Lebreton s'est attaqué d'abord à la réserve parlementaire (cette somme annuelle que les députés recevaient et pouvaient dispatcher à leur guise, disposition supprimée dernièrement). C'est maintenant la question des IRFM, Indemnité Représentative de Frais de Mandat qu'il pousse dans le débat public. Au-delà de ces combats ponctuels, il milite pour un changement d'attitude au sein de la société vis-à-vis des abus de position, et prône l'open data pour les dépenses publiques.  "Aujourd'hui, il suffit à Bercy d'appuyer sur un bouton pour que tous les comptes publics soient accessibles à tous."  En deuxième partie, c'est une initiative solidaire représentée par Maïté Pinchon, urbaniste, qu'on vous présente : In My BackYard, référence à l'expression anglaise "Not In My Backyard" (signifiant son rejet d'un projet d'intérêt général au profit de son intérêt personnel). Le concept ? Installer dans les jardins de familles de la région parisienne des tiny-houses (petites maisons en bois autonomes) pour héberger des personnes en situation de besoin. La première tiny-house européenne a été installée à Montreuil il y a peu ! Le but sous-jacent de ce projet d'architecture solidaire est aussi de favoriser la mixité sociale et limiter l'étalement urbain, que notre invitée nous présente comme un facteur d'exclusion sociale. Les critères pour accueillir une personne dans son jardin ? Avoir un (très) grand jardin, dans la région parisienne. Toutes les infos sont disponibles sur le site de l'association !  Alors, à quand des tiny-houses dans le jardin de l'Elysée ?  Côté chroniques, Dario nous emmène à la fac de Nanterre lors des premiers jours de mobilisation des étudiants contre la loi ORE et Pitoum nous résume l'entretien Macron-Bourdin-Plenel ...  Présentation : Erwan Duchateau / Réalisation : PH Dimitriu/ Co-interview : Nina Beltram / Chroniques : Dario Moreal et Pitoum / Web : Nina Beltram / Coordination : Nina Beltram et Elsa Landard