Lauren Houck is a Youturn Health Peer Support Specialst who works on the reentry team. Her lived experience allows her to not only empathize with her clients, but forms a bond that is necesary for their success once they are on the outside.

Her story is an example of how our coaches use their struggles and their triumphs to encourage others along a path to a life worth living. Lauren pours her heart out on this episode and will undoubtedly give hope to those still struggling.

All of our peer coaches have lived experience for this reason: Regardless of receiving treatment while incarcerated – and only a small percentage do – individuals re-entering society need support for substance use, mental health, and life in general. This is where a peer coach with lived experience
can make a profound difference.

Robbie Shaw is the founder and CEO of Eventide Recovery. His journey with alcohol also led him to create the nationally recognized podcast Champagne Problems. He and co-hosts, Samantha Hampson and Patrick Balsley have all worked in the addiction space and bring fresh perspectives to managing our relationship with alcohol.

BIOGRAPHY
Shaw has an undergraduate degree in sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Southern Maine.

He is trained in recovery coaching and intervention from the Addictions Academy in South Florida. Currently, Shaw is training as a Holistic Wellness Coach under the International Association of Wellness Professionals.

He feels that the many opportunities he has had to work with others continues to inform the techniques and strategies used to educate and mentor clients.

https://eventiderecovery.com/
https://champagneprobspodcast.com/

Kevin Lynch embodies The Quell Foundation mission. Founded in December, 2015 in North Falmouth, MA, Kevin launched The Quell Foundation which aims to reduce the number of suicides, drug overdoses and incarceration of people living with a mental illness. Kevin works tirelessly, and without compensation, to remove the stigma and normalize the conversation of mental health. In doing so, he encourages others to share their stories and creates an environment for them to do so without fear of judgment. Leading by example, Kevin openly discusses his personal experiences with mental illness, often in some of the most public forums, including commencement addresses, corporate speaking engagements and over 100 college campuses across the United States.

Kevin’s career as a public servant began as a twelve-year veteran of the elite United States Naval Submarine Force. When an unfortunate injury ended his military career, Kevin chose the healthcare sector to continue his commitment of caring for and fighting for others in their time of need.Since the Foundation’s inception, Kevin has played a major role in the creation and implementation of The Quell Foundation’s programs and initiatives to reduce suicides and erase the stigma surrounding mental health. Kevin envisioned and implemented a scholarship program within The Quell Foundation which provides financial support to undergraduate and graduate level students who are either enrolled in a mental health degree related field, are living with a diagnosed mental illness themselves, or who had lost a parent/caregiver or sibling to suicide.

Kevin grew The Quell Foundation’s scholarship program from 16 scholarships in 2016 to over 1,800 scholarships today. To date, Quell has distributed over $3.2 million in awards to students attending over 480 different colleges and universities in all fifty states..As executive producer, and film subject, of The Quell Foundations’ educational documentary, Portraits of Life with Mental Illness, Kevin aims to positively influence the public’s perception of mental illness by fostering a culture of empathy and understanding through film. Statistically proven to reduce stigma, Portraits of Life With Mental Illness has been shown to over 20,000 individuals at college campuses, in corporate offices and with government agencies across the country. Kevin attends each screening, volunteering his time and expertise by serving as a panelist and directly engaging with the audience. He continues to partner with both local and national organizations to bring the film to communities in need. His research on this films ability to positively influence the viewer has been peer reviewed and published in an international medical journal.

As the founder and CEO of Quell, Kevin has also brought forth his passion for mental health advocacy work for first responders. In 2022, Kevin served as an executive producer for his second documentary, First Responders Sound the Alarm. Through this work, Kevin fights to remove the stigma that lives within many of our nation’s first responder communities. Since its release, First Responders Sound the Alarm has been shown throughout the country to hundreds of first responders with each screening being accompanied by an interactive panel discussion. In recent research conducted by our organization, early indicators show First Responders Sound The Alarm can better help first responders process traumatic events, increase willingness to disclose their mental health challenges to colleagues and show a greater readiness to work with peers who have a mental health illness.

Kevin has transformed The Quell Foundation into a nationally acclaimed mental health organization known for turning advocacy into statistical change through its prestigious scholarship program, educational documentary series and First Responder Resilience Project. Kevin is a Fellow of The Pennsylvania State University Alumni Association where he earned a master’s degree in Health Policy and Administration. In 2022 Kevin was named Alumni of the Year by Lynn University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration graduating with Summa Cum Laude honors. Kevin currently lives in Jupiter, Florida with his wife Karen and their dog Piper.

Let’s Remove the Stigma – The Quell Foundation

You Learn You Turn is once again highlighting an exceptional woman in construction, Kelly Flagg in honor of Women In Constuction Week this month.

WIC Week™, or Women in Construction Week™, celebrates and promotes the role of women in the construction industry. NAWIC held the first WIC Week in 1998 and it has grown and expanded each year since. Many of our local chapters hold WIC Week events, which can include making presentations to high school classes, job site tours, luncheons and virtual events.

This year’s theme, ‘Keys to the Future’, celebrates the strength and knowledge of women and the vital role they play in shaping the future of the construction industry.

Kelly Is the Executive Director for AGC Maine. AGC Maine is a legislative advocate for the construction industry and also provides safety education, management courses, technical training and apprenticeship opportunities through the Maine Construction Academy. Kelly maintains a seat on the Career Management Associates roster as a Contract Speaker and Trainer, and is a current member of the National Association of Women in Construction. Throughout her career, she has become a trusted advisor to many in business leadership, human resources and safety management. She is particularly passionate about teaching front line and newly promoted supervisors how personal leadership growth can improve team dynamics. Her focus is on supporting development of the individuals in order to enhance the team.

Women in Construction Week (wicweek.org)
Home | Associated General Contractors of America (agc.org)
AGC Maine Team – AGC Maine

WIC Week™, or Women in Construction Week™, celebrates and promotes the role of women in the construction industry. NAWIC held the first WIC Week in 1998 and it has grown and expanded each year since. Many of our local chapters hold WIC Week events, which can include making presentations to high school classes, job site tours, luncheons, and virtual events.

This year’s theme, ‘Keys to the Future’, celebrates the strength and knowledge of women and the vital role they play in shaping the future of the construction industry.

Construction firms of all sizes and types are encouraged to participate in WIC Week and show their support for their women employees.

You Learn You Turn is honored to have guest Mandi Kime who exemplifies exceptionalism in construction as she works tirelessly to normalize conversations around mental health and suicide prevention in the workplace.

Mandi is a Central Washington University alumnus of the safety and health management program and currently serves as the director of safety for AGC of Washington. She also has a bachelor’s degree in foreign language and teaches Spanish for supervisors in the construction industry. She recently earned her master’s degree in Safety & Health Management and published a thesis and employer best practice guide on mental health interventions in construction. Mandi has worked in AGC’s safety department for 20 years, helping members with safety programs, and working on legislative/regulatory issues pertaining to safety. Mandi currently serves as the co-chair of the AGC of America Chapter Safety Leadership Committee and the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Task Force. Mandi enjoys spending time camping and traveling with her family, including her 16-year-old daughter and 11-year-old triplets. Mandi was the only safety professional selected by Construction Business Owner for the 2019 class of top 20 Outstanding women in construction from 200 nominees and was featured in their November 2019 issue.
Women in Construction Week (wicweek.org)
About – AGC of Washington (agcwa.com)

Dr. Olivia Johnson and Erin Craw discuss the hardships First Responders face both on and off the job. She was recently part of the documentary called Is There Something Going on at Home? where she discusses how to navigate trauma with two families. Dr. Johnson has dedicated her life to improving the mental health programs for First Responders and finding solutions that work for the family.

Dr. Olivia Johnson is a United States Air Force veteran, a former police officer, and a suicidology researcher. Dr. Johnson holds a master’s in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Missouri, St. Louis, and a doctorate in Organizational Leadership Management from the University of Phoenix, School of Advanced Studies. Dr. Johnson works as a consultant, trainer, and Director of Training and Development for Responder Health and is the founder of the Blue Wall Institute where she provides consulting, needs assessment, and training to organizations and agencies in need. Correspondence can be sent to: olivia@BW-Institute.com

Chris Thompson of the wildely successful Sober Sidekick app sits down for an imformative session with our very own Chief Clinical Officer, Rich Jones.

Chris Thompson is the founder of Sober Sidekick, the largest digital recovery community in the world. He founded this platform because he believes the opposite of addiction is connection, and believes that his own recovery is dependent on his willingness to be of service to others.

About | Sober Sidekick

His own journey through addiction propelled one entrepreneur to launch Sober Sidekick | Fortune

New Year, New You: Sober Sidekick CEO Chris Thompson’s Comeback Story – Men’s Journal (mensjournal.com)

(1) Chris Thompson | LinkedIn

Tiffany Hines is back with more insight into how she found recovery but even more important, how she maintains this on daily basis. Staying away from past behaviors and patterns can be hard without the right support systems in place. Find someone you can confide in and that will hold you accountable. It could save your life!

Tiffany Hines is a coach for Youturn Health and works to help others find a stable life with new opportunities and hope for the future. She spent many years in and out of prisons and treatment centers until one day, she became open to change.

Listen to PART ONE here: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/tiffany-hines-part-one-a-story-of-hope-resilience-and-giving-back–58586174

Tiffany Hines is a coach for Youturn Health and works to help others find a stable life with new opportunities and hope for the future. She spent many years in and out of prisons and treatment centers until one day, she became open to change.

Through love and support from her family, she dug into the 12-step program offered at the treatment center. From there, she moved into sober living and did everything they told her to do. She soon got her kids back, found somewhere to live, and got a job in a treatment center. Serendipitously, she came across our CEO in a meeting with her dad and the rest is history!

Listen to Part One of her story here.

Jeff Johnston is the CEO of startup Brightn, Author, Founder of The Living Undeterred Project, and host of The Living Undeterred Podcast.

Listen to our conversation about devasting loss and unbelievable resiliance. In 2016 Jeff lost his son, Seth to fentanyl poisoning. In 2021, Jeff lost his wife to alcoholism resulting from grief.

Instead of going down a road of anger and despair, Jeff used this as motivation to make a difference and change the way we approach mental health and substance misuse. Jeff’s story will encourage you to keep going even in the hardest of circumstances.

You can find Jeff here:

jeff@brightnapp.com
Home | Living Undeterred