Unapologetically Black Unicorns

“Chasms in Care” with Lauren Clark

Lauren Clark (She/Her), PhD, RN, FAAN, is a Professor of Nursing at UCLA, a teacher in the Disability Studies Department, and an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. In this episode, Lauren shares insights from her work and reflects on the groundbreaking legacy of Judy Heumann, a trailblazer in disability advocacy. She discusses how they aim to continue Judy’s work through their community partnership project at the Judy Heumann Lab, focusing on the intersectionality of disability, mental health, and immigration/citizenship, and its impact on the campus community. They also explore the concept of “chasms in care,” the importance of language, and the power of community in this work.

 

Our Judy Heumann Lab:

https://dslabs.ucla.edu/chasms-in-the-continuum-of-care-for-people-with-psychiatric-disabilities/

https://dslabs.ucla.edu/labs/heumann-community-partnerships-lab/2023-2/

 

The overall Judy Heumann Lab initiative:

https://dslabs.ucla.edu/labs/heumann-community-partnerships-lab/

 

UCLA Disability Studies

https://www.uei.ucla.edu/academic-programs/disability-studies/

 

UCLA Disability Studies Inclusion Labs

https://dslabs.ucla.edu/disability-studies/

 

UCLA Disability Studies creates first disability studies major at a California public university

https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/ucla-creates-first-disability-studies-major-california-public-university

 

 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

 

Contact the show: UBU@UnapologeticallyBlackUnicorns.info

“Getting Mental Health Right for All” with Dr. Ben Miller

Dr. Ben Miller, PsyD (he/him) returns, he is a fighter of fragmentation, mental health marginalization, a champion of community-based change and an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. They discuss Dr. Miller’s blog entitled “Getting mental health right for all” and they break down the issues about involuntary commitment. They talk about moving beyond belief-based policy, asking why we have separate mental health systems and finding the overlap of mental health in everything.

“Getting mental health right for all” by Ben Miller:

https://mentalhealth411.substack.com/p/e84a1ee7-65e2-4b1a-9d0e-dee17a8602bc

 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

“Medication Empowerment” with Pat Deegan

Pat Deegan is an American disability-rights advocate, psychologist, researcher, the founder of Pat Deegan and Associates and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Pat shares the guided process of identifying and working through personal challenges with using medication. They talk about their personal experiences of being given medication after being hospitalized, the importance of developing a power statement and how we all deserve a voice in our own medication choice.

For more information about Medication Empowerment visit: https://www.patdeegan.com/medication-empowerment

 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Contact the show: UBU@UnapologeticallyBlackUnicorns.info

“Lived Experience is Expertise” with Damon Watson

Damon Watson (He/Him/His) is the Program Director of the Fellowship Initiative, Vibrant Emotional Health and he is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Damon emphasizes seeing Black and Brown boys for who they and the importance of just existing. They talk about listening to the voices of our younger people, the power of mentorship and some success stories from The Fellowship Initiative program.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Leadership, Learning and Growth: Cultivating Outcomes through Equity in Behavioral Telehealth

This is a special episode of UBU in collaboration with the California Institute for Behavioral Health Services. In this episode, Keris is joined by Moderator Jennifer Clancy (she/her) and Jei Africa (he/his) talking about things they learned from a California project that they were part of – Cultivating Outcomes through Equity in Behavioral Telehealth, in 2022 and 2023. The goal was to help behavioral health provider organizations develop their practices to make them more accessible and equitable. That project was funded by the California Health Care Foundation. You can learn more about the Foundation and the project at www.chcf.org

To learn more about the California Health Care Foundation: https://www.chcf.org/project/cultivating-outcomes-equity-behavioral-telehealth/

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Contact the show: UBU@UnapologeticallyBlackUnicorns.info

Remembering Ellis Gordon Jr.

Ellis Gordon Jr. (he/him) is treasurer of NAMI Urban Los Angeles and he is the former husband of Bebe Moore Campbell. Ellis shares the story of how he met Bebe Moore Campbell and why it was so important to name the month of July after Bebe. They talk about the inception of NAMI Urban Los Angeles, how NAMI is community-centric and community-centered and continuing the goal of erasing the stigma.

 

Celebrating the Life & Legacy of Ellis Gordon Jr.:

https://www.khon2.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/738808714/celebrating-the-life-legacy-of-ellis-gordon-jr/

 

Don’t erase Bebe Moore Campbell from National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month:

https://www.statnews.com/2020/07/24/dont-erase-bebe-moore-campbells-name-from-national-minority-mental-health-awareness-month/

 

 

“The Table is in the Community” with Dr. Ruby Mendenhall

Dr. Ruby Mendenhall (she/her) is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Ruby talks about her family and where she came from. They talk about Ruby teaching at a predominately white institution, creating a wellness store, youth community health workers, youth citizen/community scientists and racial microaggressions.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

“Doing it From a Place of Love” with Jess Stohlmann Rainey

Jess Stohlmann Rainey (she/her) is a mad care worker, an instructor in the University of Denver Graduate School of Professional Psychology, the Director of Program Development at Rocky Mountain Crisis Partners and she is an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Jess shares her points from a piece she wrote about 988 and the importance of informed consent. They talk about Jess’ experience as a death doula, why it’s essential in care work to not only give people options but to also make sure they have access to those options and why the goal of this work is to love people well.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Jess Stohlmann Rainey’s blog “On 988”:  https://www.muchmadnessllc.com/blog/988

“Representation and Intention Matters” with Pat Deegan

Pat Deegan (she/her) Ph.D. has a doctorate in clinical psychology, the founder of Pat Deegan & Associates and an Unapologetically Black Unicorn. Pat shares when she got her “Prognosis of Doom” and how she eventually turned it around. They talk about Certified Personal Medicine Coaches, medication empowerment and a column she co-edits entitled “Personal Accounts. She also speaks about the importance of representation and intention in her work to ensure people ‘see’ themselves in her work and the rage that comes with oppression.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Contact the show: UBU@UnapologeticallyBlackUnicorns.info

“Decolonizing Research: Diversify the Evidence Base” with LaMont Green and Rachel Post

LaMont Green (he/him/they) is the Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at the Technical Assistance Collaborative and Rachel Post (she/her/hers) is a Senior Consultant at the Technical Assistance Collaborative and they are Unapologetically Black Unicorns. Lamont and Rachel explain how they are attempting to decolonize research and providing emotional capacity building support. They talk about how the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is taking a bold step and why we need to ensure that we’re impacting the communities that we are serving.

Technical Assistance Collaborative: Systems Alignment Innovation Hub: https://www.tacinc.org/resources/saih/

 

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is now: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Contact the show: UBU@UnapologeticallyBlackUnicorns.info