OK State of Mind

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, the conversation centers on the mental health needs of older adults—one of the fastest-growing yet least visible populations in our communities. Eileen Bradshaw, President & CEO of Life Senior Services, joins Kaitlin Foster, Vice President of Adult Outpatient Services at FCS, and Tom Taylor, Chief Development Officer at FCS, to challenge common misconceptions about aging, isolation, and help-seeking. Together, they explore why older adults are less likely to seek mental health care, how symptoms often show up physically instead of emotionally, and why grief, depression, and anxiety can compound after repeated life losses. The episode also highlights the critical role of caregivers, the emotional weight of retirement and identity shifts, and how community partnerships between Life Senior Services and FCS are helping seniors access support without fear or stigma. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, Joana Melendez, School-Based Programs Supervisor, and Nichole Duck, School-Based Programs Director, unpack the complex realities of mental health within Mexican-American and Native American communities. From generational stigma and language barriers to historical mistrust and faith-based taboos, they explore how culture deeply shapes access to care and perceptions of wellness. Together, Joana and Nichole discuss how Family & Children’s Services is addressing these challenges head-on — through bilingual services, culturally fluent communication, and community partnerships that honor mind, body, and spirit. They share firsthand insights from their school-based work, revealing how representation, trust, and simple human connection can transform fear into healing. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, Stephanie Andrews, Executive Director of Student and Family Support Services at Tulsa Public Schools, and Faith Crittenden, Vice President of School-Based Programs at FCS, break down the far-reaching effects of chronic absenteeism. From falling behind academically to feeling disconnected from peers, missing school goes far beyond a few lost lessons. Together, Stephanie and Faith explore how cultural norms, post-COVID mindsets, and family barriers contribute to student absences — and why early attendance habits set the stage for long-term educational and emotional success. They share insights that help parents and schools work together to keep kids engaged, present, and supported. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, Jesse Guardiola (Vice President of Community Engagement at Tulsa Area United Way), Adam Andreassen (CEO of Family & Children’s Services), and Anthony Adams (School-Based Program Administrator) have an honest conversation about the evolving definition of strength for men. They discuss the rising rates of male depression and suicide, and how outdated expectations around masculinity — from emotional silence to cultural and generational scripts — continue to put men's mental health at risk. Together, they explore how vulnerability, mentorship, and culturally responsive support can help men and boys thrive emotionally. With personal reflections and community insight, this episode offers a renewed perspective on how we can support men in healing, growing, and leading with authenticity. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, Dr. Stevan Lahr, Medical Director, and Kaitlin Foster, Vice President of Adult Outpatient Services, unpack what anxiety truly is—and what it isn’t. From the biology behind the brain’s fight-or-flight response to the emotional toll of everyday stress, the conversation explores how anxiety manifests, how to recognize it, and why it’s one of the most treatable mental health conditions. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, we explore the everyday challenges and life-changing impact of early parenting support. Lorinda Reed and Sarah Lankford Cerbino - leaders in the SafeCare® Home-Based Parenting program - join hosts Chris Posey and Rachel Roberts to discuss how Family & Children’s Services is helping families build safer, healthier home environments for young children. Designed for parents and caregivers of children ages 0–5, the SafeCare® program provides free, in-home guidance on child safety, health, supervision, and positive parenting practices. Through hands-on coaching and customized support, SafeCare® empowers caregivers to navigate the demands of parenting with confidence—whether it’s choosing the right medicine dosage, understanding discipline versus punishment, or creating daily routines that foster connection and calm. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, Dr. Paul Baker, neuropsychologist and author of The Hopeful Brain, shares how breakthroughs in neuroscience have fundamentally shifted the way we view mental health, especially in children. Exploring core needs, rooted in neuroscience, offer a lens to understand behavior not as a problem to fix, but as a message to decode for hope. Joined by Adam Andreassen, CEO of Family & Children’s Services, and Chris Masopust, Director of Training, the conversation explores how this hopeful science is being integrated across the organization—from therapists to peer support workers. By using simple, accessible brain-based strategies, Family & Children’s Services is creating more effective and compassionate mental health support for those who need it most. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, we share an extraordinary story of perseverance, adaptation, and giving back. Sean MacLeod, an engineer at a Tulsa-based energy company and a Young Professionals Advisory Council (YPAC) board member, joins Adam Andreassen, CEO of Family & Children’s Services, and Tom Taylor, Chief Development Officer of Family & Children’s Services, to discuss the power of resilience and the role of community support in transforming lives. Sean shares his deeply personal journey—growing up in a cycle of instability, facing abuse and neglect, and navigating the foster care system. Through his experiences, Sean discovered the importance of environmental support in shaping personal growth and success. Now, he is dedicated to mentoring young people, volunteering, and advocating for community programs that provide the same opportunities he wishes his family had access to—programs like Women in Recovery and Family & Children’s Services’ trauma and child abuse prevention services. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community brings with it unique challenges. According to 2023 Gallup research, 7. 6% of U. S. adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Within that group, most rated their mental health and emotional wellbeing much lower than their peers. In today’s episode of OK State of Mind, we speak with two members of the LGBTQ+ community who share candidly about their own challenges in coming out, maintaining relationships with friends and family, and thriving in the larger community. The hope is that others facing similar challenges will find inspiration and hope from the stories these guests share. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

Join us as we speak with Darryl Turpin and Guy Wheeler about Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy (HEAT) and Habilitation Empowerment Recovery (HER). These two group counseling interventions are culturally tailored and explicitly designed to meet unique needs of those involved with jail diversion, substance use disorder, and women’s justice initiatives. Turpin and Wheeler currently partner with jail and prison diversion programs, substance use disorder programs, and women's justice programs in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but their initiatives contribute to what Wheeler refers to as "the global culture." Find out more about their interventions, their partnerships, their history, and their support of a collaborative "mosaic" of care in this episode. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

When it comes to mental health, there are so many hurdles that people have to overcome just to step foot in a therapist's office or to join that telehealth meeting. These hurdles can be particularly challenging for certain people groups. In this episode, we're speaking with Teresa Williams, Clinical Director at Family & Children's Services, and Carlos Meeks, Clinical Supervisor at Family & Children's Services, about the stigma surrounding seeking therapy, particularly among African American males. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

Join us for a "real" conversation with two incredible leaders shaping behavioral health in Tulsa: Adam Andreassen, CEO of Family & Children’s Services, and Jim Serratt, CEO of Parkside Psychiatric Hospital. This episode isn’t just about data and strategies; it’s about the strength of partnerships and how communities can come together to make real, lasting change for people. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

In 2017, the City of Tulsa was receiving more than 1,300 mental health-related 911 calls annually. City services were strained, and emergency resources were stretched thin. In response to this remarkable realization, a partnership between the Tulsa Police Department, the Tulsa Fire Department and FCS was formed. This partnership, known as the Community Response Team (CRT), serves in part to triage callers suffering from mental illness and place them with dedicated mental health professionals. Once callers are stabilized, CRT helps them obtain long-term stability by linking them to appropriate mental health services. In this episode of OK State of Mind, we speak with three members of CRT to learn more about how this unique collaboration puts the right resources with the right people at the right time. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

How can individuals who suffer from severe mental illness receive they care they need upon transitioning out of inpatient care facilities? Support during this period of transition is critical to those in need to help them avoid bouncing back into inpatient facilities or suffering alone in their homes, or worse, on the streets or wrapped up in the criminal justice system. Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT), a program found throughout the US, is a system of outpatient treatment that extends the level of care for those with severe mental illnesses once they leave inpatient facilities. In this episode, we speak with John Ayers, Vice President of Community-Based Services at FCS and the organization's PACT program lead. Find out: Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

While the summer months often provide great opportunities for family members to connect with each other, they may also introduce some challenges to family wellness. In today's episode, we speak with Lorri Perez, Senior Program Director for the Child and Family Strengthening Center at FCS, about how to handle summertime situations such as vacation stress, adolescent screen time, expectation management, and even the occasional guilt feelings parents can experience in interacting (or not interacting) with their kids during long summer days. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

In this episode of "OK State of Mind," host Dee Harris is joined by Dr. Jennifer Hayes Grudeau and Dr. Amanda Sheffield Morris from Oklahoma State University, along with special guest Christine Marsh from Family & Children's Services. Check our our previous conversation with Jennifer and Amanda in our episode titled "Moving Beyond Adverse Childhood Experiences: ACES and PACES." This new conversation delves deeper into the critical role of protective and compensatory experiences (PACEs) as antidotes to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The guests discuss the profound impact of intergenerational trauma, the science behind resilience, and the importance of balanced parenting. They share insights from their books and research, emphasizing that it's never too late to build resilience and improve mental health through positive experiences. The episode underscores the transformative power of PACEs in fostering resilience and well-being in both children and adults. You can hear more from Jennifer and Amanda on wholehearted.org or their website. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

According to CDC research, postpartum depression impacts roughly 1 in 8 women who go through a childbirth experience. But what is “postpartum depression”? How is defined, how does it differ from general depression, what are the symptoms, and how can it be addressed by moms, their families, and the medical community. We’ll examine these questions and more in this episode of OK State of Mind. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

Prepare to be inspired by this episode – a personal success story about one woman’s path from incarceration to a thriving career in none other than the mental health industry. With the guidance and support of the FCS Women in Recovery diversion program and one employee in particular – who also takes part in this episode – our guest altered her life’s trajectory from one of drugs and crime to one of ambition and success. Join us for this motivating, candid conversation on OK State of Mind. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Hays-Grudo and Dr. Amanda Sheffield Morris, co-authors of Adverse and Protective Childhood Experiences: A Developmental Perspective and Raising a Resilient Child in a World of Adversity: Effective Parenting for Every Family, provide hope to those who have experienced childhood abuse, trauma, and neglect. Hays-Grudo and Morris discuss how Protective and Compensatory Experiences (PACEs) not only address, but counter the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The two identify ten concrete, accessible, research-based responses to ACEs as they navigate a path for childhood resilience. Listeners will appreciate how Hays-Grudo and Morris speak about this compelling topic with grace and optimism. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!

Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACES, can have a profound and lasting effect on children’s health and well-being. Oklahoma is 41st in the country for Adverse Childhood Experiences, and 21 percent of children in the state have experienced two or more ACEs. In this episode, we sit down with Christine Marsh, Chief Program Officer for Child Abuse and Trauma Services, also known as CATS, at Family & Children's Services. As a licensed clinical social worker and a nationally certified expert in trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy, Christine provides expert insights and actionable strategies you can start implementing today to foster resilience and healing for our children. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subscribing ensures you never miss an episode, and it's absolutely free. It also helps us continue bringing you quality content. Consider leaving us a review. Your reviews not only make our day, but they also help others discover the podcast and join our community. Share this episode with your friends, family, and anyone who might find it interesting. Word of mouth is a powerful way to grow our podcast family, and we truly appreciate your support. We're always eager to hear your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions for future episodes. Visit www.okstateofmind.com for all of our episodes. You can also email us at communications@fcsok.org with any episode ideas or questions. We'd love to connect with you. Thank you once again for accompanying us on the journey. Until next time!