State of Mind with Southside Behavioral Health

Join us with Peer Support Specialists James Bracey, Yevotte "Lottie" Oliver, Charlotte Hightower, and Tiffany Dailey for a discussion of the role of peer support in the treatment of substance use disorder. Peer support connects people struggling with substance use to survivors who have walked in the same shoes and have been trained to help individuals identify resources and implement coping behaviors for working through various stressors.

Join us with guest speaker Ruth Ann Ott for our fourth interview on the subject of trauma-informed practices and their impact on communities. Ruh Ann Ott is the Divisional Director of Children and Family Services for Southside Behavioral Health. Additionally, she is certified in brain spotting and has been trained in EMDR therapy. Originally, Ruth fell into the mental health field via a natural curiosity about how things work. This curiosity led her to pursue studies in trauma-informed services and the power of resiliency. Look for our other podcasts on the importance of trauma-informed communities coming soon as we prepare for our virtual Building Trauma Responsive Communities Conference in May.

Join us with guest speaker Joey Lopresti for our third interview on the subject of trauma-informed practices and their impact on communities. Lopresti is Captain of the Brunswick County Sheriff's office, investigative division. His law enforcement career began 15 years ago with the Virginia Beach police department. Then, in 2014 he was given the opportunity to move back to his childhood home and offer support to teams where he grew up. Lopresti is a patrol training officer, defensive tactics instructor, hostage crisis negotiator, and more. He has also been a critical member of our Crisis Intervention Team, which trains our region's first responders to better manage crisis-related calls for service. Look for our other podcasts on the importance of trauma-informed communities coming soon as we prepare for our virtual Building Trauma Responsive Communities Conference in May.

Join us with guest speaker Kelly Colgate for our second interview on the subject of trauma-informed practices and their impact on communities. Kelly Colgate is the Chase City Elementary School Counselor and has been there for 26 years. Additionally, she also works at the Mecklenburg YMCA as a fitness yoga instructor and is an active member of the Southside Wellness Coalition. She is also a trained Adverse Childhood Experiences instructor, which she uses in her daily work and teaches to community members. Please look for our four podcasts on the importance of trauma-informed communities coming soon as we prepare for our virtual Building Trauma Responsive Communities Conference in May.

Join us with guest speaker Keith Cartwright for our first interview on the subject of trauma-informed practices and their impact on communities. Cartwright is the Adverse Childhood Experiences Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Most of his work revolves around suicide prevention, mental health wellness, substance use prevention, and of course adverse childhood experiences. In his current role, he has come to believe that educating ourselves about these adverse experiences is the key to better understanding and responding to trauma within our local communities. Please look for our other four podcasts on the importance of trauma-informed communities coming soon as we prepare for our virtual Building Trauma Responsive Communities Conference in May.

Southside Behavioral Health's Ryan McCoull, director of child & family services for the agency, talks with mental health professional Wesley Cook about ways we can positively affect and support the LGBTQ+ communities in our area. Wesley is an outpatient counselor at a nonprofit organization in Roanoke, Virginia. He holds a masters in social work from Baylor University and is working toward his certification as an LCSW. He is also a board member at the Roanoke Diversity Center and a trans man who identifies as queer.