March 10, 2022 - Grief During a Pandemic - Stephanie Ramirez, LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker Supervising Therapist Children Services 

The pandemic has brought grief to our community. Lost loved ones, lost freedoms, lost opportunities, lost social contacts, lost practices and habits all have resulted from the pandemic and its conditions. Join us as therapist Stephanie Ramirez acknowledges and validates the losses we’ve all suffered and provides both healing coping and a sense of when grief may be overwhelming and when support may be necessary for recovery.
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March 17, 2022 - Adolescent Habilitative Learning Program (AHLP) - Jessica Aviles, MSW Program Supervisor Brian Phillips

By providing a combination of mental health support and educational services to adolescents enrolled in secondary schools whose emotional/behavioral disturbances prevent them from learning and functioning in a regular classroom, AHLP seeks to resolve problem behaviors, restore successful educational trajectories in brief periods and provide lifetime mental health self-management skills. Join us as Jessica Aviles and Brian Phillips talk in depth about the program and its positive impact in the community.
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March 24, 2022 - Mental Health During a Pandemic and Emerging from a Pandemic - Bernardo Ng, M.D. Bilingual Principal Investigator and Rater (Board Certified Psychiatrist) Sun Valley Research Center, Inc.

We are still experiencing a global pandemic event caused by COVID-19. This virus has already demonstrated its effects on our daily lives, our routines, and even our mental health. One of the best coping tools for anxiety is information discernment, gathering information, verifying the accuracy of the information, and then specific planning to manage the information. Information discernment is an effective anxiety reduction strategy. We have invited Sun Valley Research Center Director, Dr. Bernardo Ng to discuss all things COVID-19, including the adaptations and adjustments from pandemic life to post-pandemic life. What have we learned from the past year? How can we bring that knowledge to bear for a better post-pandemic life and community.
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March 31, 2022 - Link Crew: Using Student Mentoring to Support Connection and Wellbeing at Central Union High School - Central Union High School Staff: Stephanie Valenzuela, LCSW, Therapist, ICOE Ramona Campos & Irma Avelar, Counselors Teresa Gonzalez, Link Crew Coordinator/Teacher Haydee Rodriguez, Teacher

Central Union High School shares with us their system of connection that supports incoming freshman using selected upperclassman student mentors. The Link Crew system provides wellness and wellbeing coaching through activities designed to provide inclusion to arriving freshmen and identifies support needs that can be accessed at various levels of support, including counseling and professional treatment with an emphasis on behavioral health and wellness. Join us and an incredible team from Central Union to learn more about this innovative and caring system.
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November 4, 2021 - Playing for Change: Music’s Transformative Power - Mark Johnson Chairman of the Board Playing for Change Foundation

Playing for Change was created to connect the world’s people through music, with a focus on supporting homeless relief for marginalized musicians. The idea for this project came from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries, overcome distances between people and create positive change. Join us as we speak with Chairman Mark Johnson about how Playing For Change was born, evolved, and remains to this date Playing For Change.
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November 11, 2021 - Anxiety and Depression Disorders and Therapies - Mariana Magana, ACSW Associate Clinical Social Worker Psychiatric Social Worker II Adult El Centro Anxiety and Depression Clinic

While anxiety and depression are not uncommon elements of an adult life, the pandemic has put these conditions in the forefront of many people’s day to day existence. Join us as Mariana Magana offers information on how to monitor, self manage, and know when to seek support for depression and anxiety. Sharpen those self-care pencils and get ready to take notes! Whether or not you count the pandemic as over, the value of self-managing the anxiety and depression-related life elements remains an important commitment to individual happiness and success.
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November 18, 2021 - Mental Health Needs in the Latino Community - Imelda Padilla[1]Frausto, PhD, MPH Research Scientist UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

Join us at Let’s Talk About It as we speak to research scientist Dr. Imelda Padilla-Frausto regarding her research into mental health distress and willingness to seek support in Latino populations. We’ll talk about culture, marginalization, safety, and stigma as we explore the nature of the data and public policy and other solution-focused potentials to have a community where Latino people in mental health distress might feel more comfortable, safer, and a sense of value in seeking available mental health supports. 
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November 25, 2021 - Grief During a Pandemic - Stephanie Ramirez, LCSW Licensed Clinical Social Worker Supervising Therapist Children and Adolescent Services

The pandemic has brought grief to our community. Lost loved ones, lost freedoms, lost opportunities, lost social contacts, lost practices and habits all have resulted from the pandemic and its conditions. While some of these elements may have restored, other losses may never restore. Join us as therapist Stephanie Ramirez acknowledges and validates the losses we’ve all suffered and provides both healing coping and a sense of when grief may be overwhelming and when support may be necessary for recovery.
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December 2, 2021 - Best S.T.E.P. Forward - Jacqueline Riddell Best S.T.E.P Forward CEO/Founder Coach Coordinator Calipatria PAL President

The Best S.T.E.P. Forward is an organization that is rapidly growing throughout Imperial Valley from Calipatria in the north to Calexico in the south. Best S.T.E.P Forward hosts programs for children of all abilities. The acronym S.T.E.P stands for Sports, Theatre, Expression, and Perseverance. They believe in “having fun while learning the fundamentals and structure of the organization”. Join us as we speak with Jacqueline Riddell as she shares her personal experience and what she's learned from parenting children who are differently abled, to the birth and growth of a non-profit to support those children and youth.
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