Family Insight Magazine

FAMILY INSIGHT MAGAZINE

Grateful FOR THE ABILITY TO HEAL : CLARISSA ALDERMAN

Can FAMILY INSIGHT Help? Through Our National Health Crisis > > > > > > > > Moving Forward

How

T rauma & A ddiction in A frican- A merican W omen

BLACK AMERICANS MENTAL HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF THE COVID PANDEMIC FOR

FAMILY INSIGHT T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

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F E A T U R E A R T I C L E

CLARISSA ALDERMAN 08 Grateful For the Ability to Heal; Clarissa “Clare” Alderman

stops who you are.

-Melanie Drayton

Providing Comfort WE ALL NEED

at Family

he’s just giving an assessment, it o a therapy session.

experiences in school counseling aid in etter inroads with her current clients. All rsations with children grades K-12 at every ental level polished her communication made her the qualified counselor she is h Family Insight, mental health services intricate, and they additionally advise nts. She prefers to work with children teen and up, and she has her own es as a wayward teenager to guide her. oking toward her future, Melanie o employ the marriage consultant on and couples’ counseling on she recently received. 16

Because it helps all of us when we help any of us Insight 28

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Tanasha Blair: Counseling Children to Rise Above Challenges

she and her husband start an agency for counseling. That’s not ream, though. Melanie en clients of her own focus on individual “Trauma should not ou,” she says, “and still be a great and ndividual who can lead a e life.”

Uplifting &Encouraging Therapy withMelanie Drayton

Providing Comfort We All Need at Family Insight

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Kiwana Kiser is an Involved Individual Counselor

Lynsei Love Unpacks Brain Healing with EMDR

Calming the Stormy Seas of Anxiety at Family Insight

Lakisha BarnumAchieves Goals Through Life Coaching.

Moving Forward Through Our National Health Crisis

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To LearnMore About Family Insight, LLC

VISIT US ON THEWEB! www. familyinsight .wixsite.com/website

Can Family Insight Help? How

“A Licensed Professional Here to Guide You”

P erhaps you’re down or anxious - maybe you’re unsure about the future of a relationship, or just feel that you aren’t living the life you were meant to lead. Whatever your needs may be, we are here to offer support. Therapy is a process of growth and self-discovery. In our therapy sessions we promote behavioral transformation by encouraging a positive outlook and the adoption of new attitudes and feelings. Whether you’re going through anxiety, depression, a hard relationship, or trying to overcome an addiction, we have the tools and professional experience to help you get ahead. At Family Insight, LLC, we implement effective psychotherapy methods to instill

f a m i l y i n s i g h t . w i x s i t e . c o m / w e b s i t e

self-understanding among patients and encourage them to adopt new attitudes and feelings towards life situations. From small scale circumstances, to traumatic experiences - our services are personalized to suit everyone’s needs.

FAMILY INSIGHT

CLARISSA ALDERMAN

Grateful FOR THE ABILITY to Heal

Grateful FOR THE ABILITY to Heal ”S eeking professional help or going to

succeed from a young age.Though her parents were young at her birth, they invested in her education and instilled a strong work ethic in her as she grew. Dr. Clare turned out to be a homebody as a youngster and didn’t spend a night away from home until high school. As a teenager, making friends occasionally proved difficult because she was an only child. But she always had the desire to help. Her parents provided her

counseling can be scary, but at Family Insight, we do our best to treat everyone with respect,” says Clarissa “Clare” Alderman. She’s CEO of Family Insight, LLC, and among her impressive and numerous certifications, she is an LPC and Play Therapist. Employed when children can’t express trauma or emotions in words, Play Therapy functions

as an expressive type of therapy. With toys, children reveal how they feel, and the Play Therapist aids them in processing their emotions. A typical day sees Dr. Clare starting early, and it picks up intensity. Dr. Clare holds sessions with back-to-back clients, often

with a college education and extracurricular activities while she worked two jobs. When her undergraduate studies were over, Dr. Clare found herself buoyed by her spirituality and faith as she began her new life as an adult. Inspired by her mother and other family members in the education

as many as six or eight a day, and she also performs assessments, family sessions, and parent consultations over the phone. As CEO, her other duties involve administering the business, marketing, and community outreach. For example, during Mental Health Awareness Month, Dr. Clare promoted and ran multiple community events. Dr. Clare grew up in a small, rural town outside Valdosta, Georgia, and she strove to

and health care fields, Dr. Clare knew her mission in life was to help others. She earned a Master’s Degree in psychology and became a high school guidance counselor. She excelled in her position and was promoted to Assistant Principal. However, she discovered she preferred helping people feel better and that children were her passion. They gravitate to her, and Dr. Clare knows a positive CONTINUE READING>>>

CONTINUE READING>>>

relationship with the kids she serves. She was intrigued by assisting them through play, and the road to her current career was long and arduous. Now, life

is hectic. However, she feels grateful to be able to help people live a better life. Dr. Clare has an edge in this business. She sees things from an academic, social, and emotional viewpoint: a skill from her years as a high school guidance counselor and assistant principal. Her experience goes hand-in-hand with understanding family systems and how trauma experiences affect them. Dr. Clare says that when you treat individuals, you get better individuals, making a better society. “It makes better mothers, fathers, spouses. As our other roles improve, it improves the community.” The community is full of untreated individuals. When clients are treated, they are healthier than the community. Then they improve the community. Grassroots work like Family Insight, LLC starts at the core to help many people.

Family therapy is a form of psychotherapy

CONTACT US TODAY familyinsight.wixsite.com/website 229-588-4291 3971 Inner Perimeter Rd # C Valdosta, GA 31605

that seeks to reduce distress and conflict by improving the systems of interactions between family members.

You are not ALONE anymore.

Family Insight, LLC

Call one of our understanding and compassionate advisers right now. We understand what you are going through. 229.588.4291

COUNSELING WE OFFER

• Family Counseling • Individual Counseling • Couples Counseling

• Children’s Counseling • Addiction Counseling • Substance Abuse Counseling

to Rise Above Challenges Tanasha Blair: Counseling Children

T anasha Blair is a Mental Health Therapist who performs as a school-based counselor at Family Insight, LLC, and she knows the struggles of children dealing with peer pressure. Bullied when she was young, Ms. Blair fell behind because she refused to attend school. However, her will in high school drove her to surge ahead and graduate six months early. Now, she uses her experiences as a child to meet kids on their level. Ms. Blair began her journey to her career as a school-based counselor a few years ago. There, she was at another agency and working in community-based counseling. She says she enjoyed the work but preferred being around children and schools. Ms. Blair came to Family Insight and leaped at the chance to operate in the schools. She’ll continue the program through the summer school session and again next year. Ms. Blair is the oldest of three girls and was born with cerebral palsy. Because of her condition, she found herself subject to constant bullying and teasing as a young student. No one was there for her. She struggled all through school, and they told her she would never walk, drive, or be an independent woman living on her own. However, no one tells Ms. Blair what she cannot do. She worked hard and defied the odds, becoming one of the few in her family to get a college degree and the only family member to achieve a master’s degree. Now she is working toward her LPC and living independently with an eleven-year-old daughter. Her vacation time is spent traveling with her daughter or with her family, whom she treasures. Ms. Blair says, “I’ve always had

to overcome a lot of challenges due to my disability, and I never allow that to get in the way of my dreams or career.” Ms. Blair’s morning begins with a list of children. She calls each to her office for 30-40 minutes to discuss the issues on their minds involving what’s happening at school, what’s happening in their homes, and what aspects of their social lives the students are concerned about. After the initial conversation, Ms. Blair proceeds with the treatment plan. If there are behavioral or anger problems, she teaches them coping skills that help the children manage their emotions when angry or frustrated. These skills are applicable at home with parents or siblings as well as with teachers and peers at school. She desires to be that someone the children can reach out to for help overcoming their insecurities or increasing their self-esteem. Ms. Blair also insists that assisting with social skills and peer pressure is another way she wants to aid kids. She wants the students to understand that even with her disabilities, she can accomplish her goals, so they can do it too. She says, “I just want to show them that they can do this. Regardless of what type of cards life has dealt you, whatever you want to pursue in life, you can do it as well.”

I just want to show them that they can do this. Regardless of what type of cards life has dealt you, whatever you want to pursue in life, you can do it as well. Tanasha Blair

SERVICES WE OFFER

• Family Counseling • Individual Counseling • Couples Counseling • Children’s Counseling • Art Therapy

• Parent Counseling & Education • Child & Family Assessments • Domestic Violence Assessments • Substance Abuse Assessments • Parental Fitness Assessments • Anger Management Assessments • Behavioral Health Assessments • Specialized Parent Skills Training • Addiction Counseling • Substance Abuse Counseling • Registered Play Therapy

Family Insight strives to provide excellent counseling and treatment services to all impacted by alcoholism and/or other drug addictions, mental health, marital & pre-marital counseling, individual, relationship, family and couples issues.

Family Insight, LLC 3971 Inner Perimeter Rd, Suite C, Valdosta, GA 31601

1820 WATER PLACE SE #250 • ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30339 | TANGU.ORG 678.213.1620 229.588.4291 familyinsight.wixsite.com/website

With Melanie Drayton Uplifting & ENCOURAGING Therapy

M elanie Drayton, a mental health therapist specializing in coach counseling and assessments, became a certified school counselor before joining Family Insight, LLC. Her duties in that role involved advising and referring students to other resources like Family Insight. Melanie worked in the school system until a colleague informed her they were employed with such an agency. Melanie had the proper education; she just needed to obtain the training and certifications, so she pursued them. Now at Family Insight, she’s on her way to receiving her Licensed Associate Professional Counselor certification. Her day can involve many different assessments. Melanie works with children who have been through trauma and assesses parenting skills and domestic violence risks in couples. She appraises families to determine who is fit to care for the child should the parental rights be terminated. Melanie also performs bonding assessments where she observes how the relationship has grown between a child and a foster parent who desires to adopt. The Department of Family and Child Services considers Melanie’s appraisals due to her expertise, and the assessments help them make their decisions. Melanie was born in Japan to a military

family. They transferred to the United States soon after her birth and shuffled from Miami to New Mexico, left New Mexico to live in Alabama, and finally set off from Alabama to settle in Georgia. She felt the strain on her parents’ marriage due to her father’s constant deployments. However, with loving, strict parents, she knew a spiritual life in the church and was relatively sheltered, but in middle school, Melanie found herself running with the wrong crowd. She straightened herself out, graduated high school, and left for college. After her undergraduate studies, she met her match in the man she is married to today. A mom of three kids, Melanie adores her life. She says, “I’ve just always taken an interest in resiliency: uplifting and encouraging people so that nothing stops who you are.” She gives her clients that extra care by accepting them as they are. Melanie doesn’t have expectations of how they should feel. She states that a welcoming presence is one of the most critical cornerstones in her practice. It’s natural for her when her clients can come to her apprehensive about talking. Once she

I’ve just always taken an interest in resiliency, uplifting and encouraging people so that nothing stops who you are. -Melanie Drayton

explains she’s just giving an assessment, it opens into a therapy session. Melanie’s experiences in school counseling aid in making better inroads with her current clients. All the conversations with children grades K-12 at every developmental level polished her communication skills and made her the qualified counselor she is today. With Family Insight, mental health services are more intricate, and they additionally advise adult clients. She prefers to work with children ages thirteen and up, and she has her own experiences as a wayward teenager to guide her. Looking toward her future, Melanie desires to employ the marriage consultant certification and couples’ counseling

certification she recently received. Someday, she and her husband hope to start an agency for couples’ counseling. That’s not her only dream, though. Melanie wants teen clients of her own and to focus on individual therapy. “Trauma should not hinder you,” she says, “and you can still be a great and dynamic individual who can lead a productive life.”

T rauma & A ddiction in A frican- A merican W omen T rauma diction in A frica erican W omen “AFR I CAN-AMER I CAN WOMEN WI TH ADD I CT ION PROBLEMS FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS .”

“Significantly more substance abusing women report being battered, experiencing homelessness and other traumatic events.”

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a u m a & A d d i c t i o n

It’s clear that African-American Women with substance use disorder are underserved and under treated. The mortality rate for alcohol related deaths for African-American women has been reported to be under served

between 2-4 times as high as the rate for white women.

T raditionally much of the research on substance abuse has focused on white men. Consequently, African-American women with addiction problems fall through the cracks. Yet the traumas these women, combined with lack of support, are often are the cause of addiction. In studies done on substance abuse in African-American women, significantly more substance abusing women report being battered, experiencing homelessness and other traumatic events. African-American

to the oppression of African-American programs has limited the effectiveness of recovery efforts for those in treatment (Saulnier, 1996). That is, of course, only relevant for those that make it to treatment. For the most part, poverty and social structures are barriers to psychological services and addiction recovery. Many treatment centers are costly, far away from urban inner cities and many African-American women lack the ability or resources to access them. Stigma contributes to lack of treatment as well. African-American women are often seen as the sole providers of the family, nurturers and caretakers. This creates a lot of pressure and stress to maintain the household, though, without relying on outside help. There is a correlation between African-American women who abuse substances and isolation and lack of social support. In fact, lack of community and social support is often one of the main factors for relapse. Spirituality plays a role as well, as spirituality is a key coping mechanism for many African-American women. Ones that report abusing substances, however, also reported less ”

U N D E R - S E R V E D

“African-American women with histories of m

women with histories of substance abuse are more likely to report history of parental substance abuse and childhood abuse. Additionally, they also report less involvement in spiritual practices and less social support systems in their life, as well as more stressful life events, including incidents of racism.

substance abuse are more likely to report history of parental substance abuse and childhood abuse.”

For many African-American women, racism contributes to their alcohol and drug consumption, as they turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with incidents of racism, internalized racism, and the aftereffects of trauma. Treatment programs fail to address these factors. Lack of recognition and attention

involvement with the church and less spiritual practices. African-American women who are active and involved in a church have more disapproving attitudes of drug and alcohol use. For recovering African-American alcoholics, spirituality is an essential component to maintaining sobriety. It’s clear that African-American Women with substance use disorder are underserved and under treated. The mortality rate for alcohol related deaths for African-American women has been reported to be between 2-4 times as high as the rate for white women. More needs to be done to address and treat addiction in the African-American community and specifically, with African-American women.

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A t some point in all our lives, we have to deal with loss. Whether it’s the loss of a career, a partnership or even a loved one, the pain arrives at all of our doorsteps, often unannounced. For Ms. Yursheema Reddick her tragedy was doubly compounded after the loss of her beloved Grandmother quickly followed in July of 2021 by her Father’s passing. While her Father’s fate was not entirely unexpected due to a prolonged illness, Ms. Reddick nevertheless found her normally strong, stoic, and rock solid foundation shaken to its core. She was devastated from losing more than just the most important man in her life: she had also lost the woman who was her integral guiding force. She felt mentally, spiritually, and— most surprisingly to her— physically unprepared for grief’s dark power and crushing weight. Yet, despite feeling overwhelmed by unrelenting grief that infected her every moment, she somehow found her way to Family Insight. Even more importantly, she realized that she needed help to somehow copewith the dark shadow that had cast itself over her. She connected immediately with Dr. Alderman and began Grief Counseling. That counseling quickly transformed into the lifeline she needed as she fought against

sinking deeper into despair. As she recently shared:

“You know it’s a process, and I’m still trying to get back. But now I’m able to recognize certain things I couldn’t before, and I’m not holding certain other things in anymore. In a way, I almost can’t explain howmuch of an impact Dr. Alderman has had and how much she’s helped me. And now I try my best to share these new gifts.” Ms. Reddick is a lifelong

achiever in her chosen field of insurance as well as a licensed professional cosmetologist. The pain of loss had momentarily stopped her in her tracks. With the help of Dr. Alderman and Family Insight, her train is moving again, and she’s now discovering new strengths she did not know she possessed. Of course grief is never truly “cured,” but Yursheema has learned and continues to

learn new coping skills. These skills inform all of her todays and will help her to face each of her tomorrows as she “gets back to speed.” With continued work at FI, she’s regaining her purpose, her drive, and her motivation to continue on her successful path. That’s perhaps what all of us can hope for as we face our own challenges. Because as she puts it when referring to the power of grief: “Even when your mind may forget, your body will not.”

Providing Comfort WE ALL NEED

at Family

Because it helps all of us when we help any of us Insight

FAMILY INSIGHT 229.588.4291 FAMILYINSIGHT.WIXSITE.COM/WEBSITE

TYPES OF COUNSELING

• Drug Abuse Counseling • Addiction Counseling • Individual Counseling • Couples Counseling • Children’s Counseling • Family Counseling

Family Insight, LLC

LIVE YOUR LIFE. BE FREE FROM DRUG ADDICTION!

Individual Counselor Is an INVOLVED

It’s okay to not be okay. It’s important to reach out for help.

I give the best I can do at all times.

“ I f I’m counseling someone, I try to think how would I want my counselor to be towards me?” says Kiwana Kiser, a

Social Worker in individual counseling at Family Insight, LLC. “So, I give the best I can do at all times.” Kiwana chose the mental health profession out of a passion for helping and serving. She’s giving it her all, hoping to make changes in her clients’ lives no matter if they’re struggling with self-esteem, self-love, or another issue. Mrs. Kiser ensures the needs of each client are met by assessing the individual, reviewing their treatment plan, and making sure they follow their safety plan: a list of behaviors and resources to use if they are in trouble. Mrs. Kiser also checks to see that the individual takes their medication as prescribed by their psychiatrist. Finally, she records all of this data in the case notes. Kiwana began her career doing home assessments at the Department of Family and Children Services. As she became aware of clients’ needs for counseling, she would refer them to the appropriate agencies. Eventually, she wanted to be involved with the counseling agency or even be the person providing the therapy. Kiwana transferred to the school district, where she worked in the social work department to offer therapeutic services to children. She branched out again to Family Insight, LLC. to become more instrumental than on just a school level. As a girl, Kiwana was the middle child of three sisters. Her father was present only occasionally, and her paternal grandmother raised her. Her grandmother tried to meet the children’s needs and did the best she could. Still, Kiwana grew up in a home that needed help, but those resources weren’t available for her family. She says that because she was less fortunate as a child, a passion for helping children grew in her. Kiwana kept to herself in school until tenth grade, when she met a special boy. She got pregnant her junior year and had her son at the beginning of her senior year. She still took AP (college credit) courses and graduated as one of the top ten students in her class. From there, she married in 2007 and studied at Valdosta State University. She later graduated from Capella University with her MSW. Kiwana now has two more daughters and says she has a great life now. She adores her field in counseling and social work. Mrs. Kiser says what she does benefits the community because mental health is a real issue, and counseling helps combat the struggle. “It touches one more person, so they don’t have as many issues or outbursts because there’s counseling in place. It’s important to bring it to the community, and since one person is taking care of themselves, it’s time to look at the next child,” Mrs. Kiser states. She also points out how essential it is to get counseling if you think you might need it. “It’s okay to not be okay. It’s important to reach out for help.”

MENTAL HEALTH Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic for Black Americans P eople of color have been disproportionately affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 infection rates, hospitalizations, and deaths are 2 to 5 times greater in African American communities in the United States than in white populations. While the pandemic’s disproportionate physical health toll has been well documented, evidence on the pandemic’s mental health toll is scarce. On the one hand, COVID-19 has been viewed by

many as an all-too-common disease, wreaking havoc on communities, killing people, and inflicting financial and emotional hardship for people from all walks of life around the world. However, in the United States, African American communities have been particularly hit hard by both economic losses and mortality from COVID-19 due to legal, social and economic injustices across society, as well as gaps in physical health and access to adequate medical treatment. Intergenerational trauma and systematic racism that black Americans have experienced over the last 400 years have bred conditions that make this historically robust community vulnerable. Those without a safety net of money and family resources have lost health insurance, financial instability, food poverty, and housing as a result of the economic collapse and huge employment losses caused by the pandemic. Depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide, as well as poor physical health, are all increased by these stresses and losses.

AfricanAmericanswithmental illnesses are among themost vulnerable, including a higher likelihood of living in poverty, in densely populated areas, or being homeless or incarcerated. They face stigma and marginalization not only because of their mental illness, but also because of prejudice and discrimination based on race and class. The well-publicized and disturbing police brutality instances that have spurred emotionally charged national rallies and a national outcry against racism and injustice have added to the pandemic pressures.

“People of color have been disproportionately affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.”

E MDR is a reprocessing therapy. It allows clients to go into traumatic memories or events in a safe way and process them so the brain can experience healing. Lynsei Love, a Counselor with Family Insight, LLC., practices EMDR in her therapy when a client is suited to it. Lynsei says, “I’m there [in the session], but it’s not about me, and it’s not really about me pouring into you. I’m just giving you the space to do what you need and your brain space to heal.” On any given day, Lynsei receives an assessment and completes it with her client. She then creates interventions for her client so that they can meet their treatment goals. Lynsei takes notes on her client’s progress, and then they sit down and reassess. The clients experience healing breakthroughs in their lives so they can function as whole human beings instead of pressuring themselves constantly. Lynsei’s journey to practicing EMDR was intense. Her life as a child was stable until she was eleven, when a close family member was diagnosed with cancer. Until she was thirteen, Lynsei struggled with watching that family member

go through the horrors of fatal cancer. Adding to her pain, she faced extreme amounts of teasing in school. In high school, life was better, but college was rough. Lynsei worked as an RA in the dormitory, and it’s difficult to serve and monitor your peers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Other students perceived her as mean, but she did have a good group of friends. Lynsei later spent some time after college in Stone Mountain, Georgia as a substitute teacher. From there, she decided to become a therapist. Lynsei studied school counseling in a program with a special accreditation that allows the counselor to practice outside the school setting. She began her employment as a school counselor and started to pursue her LAPC. After earning her license, she moved into the mental health field and transitioned to Family Insight, LLC. As a counselor, Lynsei had a solid caseload but wanted to help her clients more. Then, she experienced trauma first-hand. When counseling clients after the event, she was informed that she needed to be trauma certified. The certification would help her deal with her own trauma just as it would her clients’. CONTINUE READING > > >

Lynsei Love with EMDR Unpacks Brain Healing

CONTINUE READING

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Lynsei received information on EMDR training from Dr. Clarissa “Clare”

Alderman, CEO of Family Insight, LLC., and registered for the training. However, she had to receive special approval to complete it since she has an associate license. Lynsei connected during the training. In it, she got to experience EMDR for herself and worked through some deep-rooted trauma in a short period. Lynsei is working toward having a more theoretical orientation for more resources to integrate techniques more efficiently. She is driven to give more resources to clients to help them heal. Her career and assisting people remain the center of her life. Lynsei says, “Many people aren’t as open to getting therapy as one might think. EMDR unpacks a great deal of unresolved trauma that sometimes we don’t know we have. I want people to seek that healing.”

I understood myself only after I destroyedmyself. And only in the process of fixing myself,did I know who I really was.

CONTACT US 229.588.4291 3971 Inner Perimeter Rd, Suite C Valdosta, GA 31601 familyinsight.wixsite.com/website

Family Insight, LLC

FAMILY INSIGHT, LLC

of Anxiety at Family Insight Because we all need some help with navigation through our soul’s darkest nights C a l m i n g t h e S t o r m y S e a s

W hen it comes to our common humanity, we can all relate to the crushing burden of stress. Whether its origin is from a global crisis or a very personal trauma, we each struggle daily with the negative effects of stress in our lives. At work, at home, all day, and through our sleepless nights, stress-fueled anxiety can become the ball and chain we just can’t seem to shake or break. So we do our best to deal with our burdens in both some healthy (and some not-so-healthy) ways… and mostly alone. For Winter P., chronic, debilitating anxiety had become a daily minefield of swirling confusion. It produced a paralyzing fear of taking any step forward in any direction. Winter was born into a family that prized high achievement as its most sacred goal, and she was most often advised to simply “power through it” as she suffered with fearful childhood anxiety. That anxiety then became her constant and very unwelcome adult companion. In February of 2021— following a toxic relationship that ended in domestic and sexual assault—Winter was also struggling with

the mental and physiological effects of PTSD. She was desperately searching for relief and release from her alarming state of strict survival mode. “Powering through it” was simply no longer either a viable or sustainable option. Her symptoms were multiplying, and her negative self-talk had become a daily trial of terror. Help was absolutely required, so she found her way to Family Insight’s safe harbor: where the light was shining and all arms were open and welcoming. For Winter, Family Insight’s EMDR

(Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) therapy

became her initial soothing passage back to a healthier outlook on life. The therapy focused on creating a safe, secure virtual environment where she could practice moving forward with some reliable sense of confidence.

Gradually, she moved ahead through a number of Family Insight’s therapeutic options—Play therapy, Exposure therapy, Breathing Technique focus, and more—until she’d achieved a level of balance she felt would allow her to break free. Family Insight gave her a real and reliable sense of stability. She recently shared: “Family insight helps me escape the shell of the person I was trapped in and grow to be someone I’m much prouder of being.” Now fortified by many of the “navigational” tools she’s learned at Family Insight, Winter is moving forward into her previous world of education and excellence. Back in class and closing in on her bachelor’s in English at Valdosta State, Winter hopes to eventually move into the publishing industry. Even so, she still manages time in her busy schedule for regular “touch ups” with her cherished counselors at Family Insight. “Their impact on my life could never be quantified into percentages or written into words; it’s a real change of being and existing that they gave me…and I’ll always be thankful.” Because real change can be a safe, calming, and confident experience too.

[ 2 6 ] M O O R E & M O O R E

S ubstance A buse D isorder & M ental H ealth R ecovery in A frican- A merican Y outh

F indings from the Institute of Medicine have shown minority youth have less access to, and lower quality of, behavioral health services. The reasons for this, like many racial disparities, stem from a combination of factors, including lack of insurance, lack of parental involvement, school oversight, geography and income level. Communities of color, due to decades of barriers in access to care, may be more tolerant of suffering and less likely to seek help or treatment. A study on help-seeking attitudes in behavioral health care found more negative attitudes among younger English-speaking Latinos and African Americans than non-Latino Whites. Additionally, communities with higher percentages of African-American and Latino residents are four times more likely than non-Latino White communities to have a shortage of healthcare providers, regardless of community income. On top of that, many African-Americans lack insurance. More than 60% of uninsured children are African American or Latino. However, even in cases of equal insurance coverage, disparities still exist. In Tennessee, for example, more white youth than black youth used Medicaid substance abuse services. And in Maryland, African-American youths with Medicaid were less likely to be prescribed psychotropic medication. It could be that some of these disparities

“The majority of behavioral health services youth receive are recived either at school or at the request of school personnel.”

also lie in the school system. Schools are the first line for early detection of behavioral health problems.The majority of behavioral health services youth receive are received either at school or at the request of school personnel. In a cross-sectional sample of adolescents using school-based health clinics, half of the population serviced were minority youth (22% Black and 28% Latino). Unfortunately minority youth are often under-identified by their schools.

A F R I C A N - A M E R I C A N Y O U T H

Besides schools, parents are also the ones deciding to engage in treatment services for their children. But for many African American youth, parental mental illness, substance abuse and number of children in the home are barriers to receiving behavioral health services. Additionally, parent perceptions of what is typical or appropriate behavior may influence their willingness to seek treatment and affect service disparities. Minority parents may be less likely to label symptoms as problems that need professional care or to medicalize problems. Adding to the uncertainty of seeking diagnosis could be comorbidity. African Americans and the minority adolescents in substance abuse treatment programs are more likely to have cooccurring mental health diagnoses (e.g. depression or traumatic stress), even when factoring in family substance abuse, juvenile justice involvement and single-parent households.

Disparities exist even past access to treatment and through treatment completion as well. Evidence from the Treatment Episodes Data Set (2001– 2004) of over 73,000 adolescents showed significantly lower treatment completion rates among African Americans (33.5%) and Latinos (39.4%) compared to non Latino Whites (45.1%). African Americans also spent 50% less time in treatment (mean 8.4 weeks for African Americans vs. 16.3 weeks for non-Latino Whites). This could be due to family conflict, lack of transportation or lack of preferred treatment methods. Matching treatment with patients’ needs is critical to ensure successful follow through of treatment and reduce post treatment substance use. In a study of 1147 students, AfricanAmerican and other minority students more often preferred individual treatment sessions for secondary prevention of alcohol abuse compared to their White peers. This suggests that for such a vulnerable

Matching treatment with patients’ needs is critical to ensure successful follow through of treatment and reduce post treatment substance abuse. population, it is important to provide them with a safe space for disclosure and settings that reduce the likelihood of racism or stigma. Their previous experiences with treatment programs, racism, the legal system and oppression may affect the type of treatment they are willing to receive and adhere to.

L akisha

are, in essence, coaching a person through their lives. Ms. Barnum provides many types of coaching, such as relationship coaching, trauma-informed coaching, self esteem coaching, and motivational coaching. Lakisha initially became fascinated with her career because her mentor was a Life Coach, and she shadowed her from time to time. She was inspired. Ms. Barnum was already a counselor at the time, but she desired to add life coaching to her services. She attended Georgia Life Coaching Academy in McDonough, Georgia, and obtained her life coaching degree. She earned her certification in 2017. Lakisha wants to help her clients attain their goals and be successful in life. She gets them to a point of success and moves them

Barnum, a Certified Life Coach at Family Insight, LLC., says, “A Life Coach benefits the community by creating a productive person in the community.” People who have benefited from life coaching will achieve goals and open themselves to work and new possibilities in life. When asked about life coaching, Lakisha says that some people may not want to say, “I have a therapist,” or, “I haveacounselor.” However, they feel comfortable with the prospect of having a Life Coach. The purpose of a Life Coach is to facilitate growth and change in different areas of their clients’ lives. They focus on the issues taking place now, not past events like a therapist might. They

“A Life Coach

benefits the community by creating a productive person in the community.”

Barnum Lakisha Through ACHIEVES GOALS Life Coaching CONTINUE READING > > >

Life

CONTINUE READING

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forward. While she enjoys spending time with her clients and getting to know them, she is practical and proactive: crucial qualities in a Life Coach. Lakisha’s mom was a teenage mother, so the responsibility for raising the little girl fell to her grandparents. They often told her how much she talked and smiled. Lakisha was always helping someone as a child, and people described her as a kind child. As a teenager, she struggled with her identity. Since Lakisha’s mother was so young when she was born, they were almost raised like sisters. She also never knew her biological father, so there was a part of her she felt she didn’t know. However, an excellent school counselor

was there for her, and they were part of the reason she also became a school counselor. They instilled healthy coping skills in Lakisha, and she was an excellent scholar. She ranked third in her class when she graduated. Her grandparents insisted she get a quality education. They said, “You need to know things

in order to create your path and be successful.” Lakisha’s life is happy, but busy now, with a son and a daughter who are both excellent students. Lakisha hopes to

facilitate growth with her clients to make the changes they desire. She wants to give them that push through life and the obstacles they need coaching to climb. She wants to help her clients successfully get to the other side to achieve the lifelong goals they set for themselves.

Moving Forward Through Our National Health Crisis > > > > > > > > > > T he most recent years of our collective health and prioritytoxlab.com

wellbeing have been challenging to say the least. And although we don’t want to be too hasty, it seems fairly safe to say that we’re nearing the end of our long, dark pandemic tunnel and perhaps entering into the next stage of health management for all. Dr. Jeremy Willis, founder and CEO of Priority Toxicology Laboratories, is one of our most dedicated medical professionals who has devoted his life and career to leading the fight in eliminating the uncertainty of our present and ensuring the sustained health of our future. Fascinated by the precision of science in general— and chemistry in particular—from an early age, young Dr. Willis applied himself to his earliest studies, going on to receive his PhD in organic chemistry from Tougaloo College before continuing his post-doctoral work at both the University of Florida and Emory

University. This commitment to the rigors of scientific academia seamlessly dovetailed into generously sharing his gifts through education and mentoring, moving forward into teaching in his chosen field of organic chemistry at renowned Moorehouse College. After his Moorehouse tenure, he followed in his father’s own entrepreneurial footsteps (himself head of his own construction company) when in 2017 Dr. Willis created Priority Toxicology Labs to capably serve the growing needs of the greater Atlanta community with simple, clear and definitive direction-

“Our goal is to help our community become more knowledgeable and ultimately be in control of their health.” > > > > > > > > >

And then just two years into his lab’s burgeoning success in that direction, the entire healthcare landscape changed dramatically. Whether we can consider it fortunate given our circumstances, Dr. Willis had nonetheless positioned his lab to be the rock which breaks the crashing waves of an ongoing

healthcare catastrophe very few of us imagined possible. Dr. Willis and his Priority Toxicology Laboratories team were there and remain rock steady even as we all move through to what we all hope are the final stages of our health crisis. When asked to best describe the most current need for continued community testing, vaccination and healthcare vigilance in the face of Covid’s latest variation, their simple, clear and effective directions from the start remain vital- · Be Proactive, Not Reactive · Get Tested · Get Vaccinated/Boosted · Knowledge is Power.

> >

Moving Forward Through Our National Health Crisis > > > > > > > > CONTINUED "Our goal is to help our community become more

knowledgeable and ultimately be in control of their health."

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

new infections but given the complex nature of the testing availability—and failure to adequately test—for each new variant, the newest priority for Priority Laboratories is to make every effort at securing responsible funding for their most vulnerable communities. The hope for Priority’s near future is that fundingwill be secured and the teamcan refocus on the vital need for drug treatment and rehabilitation work, specifically in the pain management space which has already been suffering through our ongoing national opioid crisis. Especially in his most vulnerable communities, Dr. Willis has witnessed real national concern from the top down, but has yet to hear the call for a federal mandate to test for opioid as well as other substance abuse problems which, in his expert and very experienced opinion, may indeed go a very long way towards tackling a growing problem that has thus far become a critical runaway. Our national future and our national health are inextricably tied together and clearly, the vital work of Dr. Willis and Priority Laboratories are there to help us all reach our best health and our brightest future together.

Yet Dr. Willis sees our future soberly if optimistically. He expects that we may all suffer some degree of ongoing PTSD like symptoms after our long and stressful healthcare nightmare but that we’ll most likely be able to effectively deal with any and all future Covid variations much more in line with an average flu season run. Of course within Priority’s most underserved community, new challenges are now rising which demand attention.Among these most urgent is securing adequate funding for the uninsured. As one negative result of the pandemic’s loosening grip, starting in late March Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) funding has begun to dry up which very unfortunately directly effects the uninsured with immediate impact. Along with this concern for our government’s approach moving forward, Dr. Willis recently shared that testing is also unfortunately decreasing, especially for the uninsured, and he fears that a “domino effect” may cause a health setback that could otherwise be safely and securely avoided with proper healthcare funding extended to vulnerable underserved communities. Today’s tentative good news, on the other hand, is that the Priority team has thus far not detected any significant increase in

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > CONTACT PRIORIT Y TOXICOLOGY TODAY! CALL: 770.681.0004 VISIT ONLINE: priotitytoxlab.com VISIT IN-PERSON: 6781 Londonderry Way, SUITE 4 Union City, GA 30291

Family Insight, LLC

THERE IS LIFE AFTER ADDICTION

Here at Family Insight, we offer family, couples, and

children’s counseling.

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If You’re Lost In the Sea of ADDICTION

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