In My Backyard

Season 3 Episode #4: Understanding the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale

The Guidance Center — Fri, 01 Dec 2023 20:11:56 +0000

In this episode, Tricia invites back Rebecca Corb, a registered clinical social worker in The Guidance Center’s Long Beach School-Based Program, to discuss a screening tool that measures Adverse Childhood Experiences, also referred to as ACEs. ACEs specifically refer to adverse, or traumatic, experiences a child may endure growing up, that have a negative impact in childhood and beyond into adulthood. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “ACEs can have lasting, negative effects on health, wellbeing during childhood and (future) life opportunities, such as education and job potential. These experiences can increase the risks of injury, sexually transmitted […]

Season 3 Episode #3: Revisiting the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Children

The Guidance Center — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 21:09:56 +0000

In the last decade, the number of children reporting suicidal thinking and feelings of hopelessness has increased by 71% while completed suicides by children have increased by 56%. These grim statistics were true even before the overlay of social isolation and anxiety created by a global pandemic, when children lost loved ones and parents lost jobs. The closing of schools isolated them from the normative social, educational and developmental experiences of school and sports and play. As pointed out by the New York Times, the school closures at the same time isolated our children from the teachers and school staff […]

Season 3 Episode #2: Providing Treatment to Traumatized Children

The Guidance Center — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 17:50:39 +0000

We all experience stress throughout our lives. For a child raised with at least one healthy adult relationship, and a relatively trauma-free upbringing, experiencing normal stressors is a positive thing. They learn to adapt and grow to become resilient and functional adults who can navigate the everyday pressures of life. Althouigh, different outcomes emerge when a child is exposed to prolonged experiences of stress – child abuse, a chaotic home, community violence, social isolation, profound poverty and the like. Those very same brain responses that are adaptive in a child with a stable upbringing – flight, fight, or freeze – […]

Season 3 Episode #1: The Realities of Domestic Violence

The Guidance Center — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 19:41:43 +0000

This episode contains a very important conversation about domestic violence, which may include emotional, physical, sexual and economic abuse. This might be painful and triggering for some listeners. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please reach out to the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. Again, that is 1-800-799-SAFE or 7233. You may also text the word START to 88788. Help is available. The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence defines domestic violence as “the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systemic pattern of power and control perpetrated […]

Season 2 Episode #23: STORIES: The Experience of Being Gender Non-Binary

The Guidance Center — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 19:18:20 +0000

According to The National Center for Transgender Equality, “most people – including most transgender people – (identify as) either male or female. Although, some people have a gender that blends elements of being a man or a woman, or a gender that is different from either male or female. Today’s podcast is another installment of STORIES, conversations with people with lived experience sharing their personal journeys. In this episode, we will be speaking with Mickey Prince, a Guidance Center clinician who also happens to be gender non-binary. In My Backyard is brought to you by The Guidance Center, a children’s mental […]

Season 2 Episode #22 - STORIES: The Lasting Impact of Surviving Gun Violence

The Guidance Center — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 18:09:52 +0000

The Center for Disease Control reports that 48,830 people died from gun-related injuries in the United States in 2021 (last year with available data). These horrific statistics only tell a part of the story. They don’t count people who are shot but survive and the witnesses who are left forever changed by the experience. Today’s […]

Season 2 Episode #21 - Exploring a Link Between Mental Illness and Mass Shootings

The Guidance Center — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 21:22:03 +0000

This episode explores whether there is a link between mental illness and mass killings, a tragic phenomenon that is relatively unique to the United States. The National Council for Behavioral Health wrote in 2019, “after (mass shootings), political leaders often invoke mental illness as the reason for mass violence, a narrative that resonates with the […]

Season 2 Episode #20 - The Failures of the Foster Care System for Hard-To-Place Children

The Guidance Center — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 14:18:59 +0000

This episode revisits the LA County foster care system, a system that has been the recipient of unfavorable news coverage, particularly related to our most traumatized and troubled children. Foster placement is particularly complicated for our most troubled youth, many of whom are “involved with the juvenile delinquency system, sex trafficked, developmentally disabled or suffering […]

Season 2 Episode #19 – The Impact of Racism on Young People of Color

The Guidance Center — Wed, 31 May 2023 20:44:15 +0000

Today’s podcast revisits the pandemic of systemic and institutionalized racism against people of color, and the impact it has on the emotional well-being of children and youth. The mental health system has long recognized that chronic stress has a negative impact on mental health, but it is only relatively recently that trauma and chronic stress […]

Season 2 Episode #18 - School Based Mental Health

The Guidance Center — Mon, 15 May 2023 22:52:33 +0000

Today’s episode discusses school-based mental health, what it is and how this treatment model increases access and availability to services for many children who would otherwise not receive help. The benefits of school-based mental health services have long been noted. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that “school-based mental health services can improve access to care, […]

Season 2 Episode #17 - Early Childhood Education

The Guidance Center — Mon, 01 May 2023 19:35:47 +0000

In our most recent episode, we spoke about children and families experiencing homelessness: how a family might become homeless and what they are likely to experience in a shelter. In this podcast, we look at this problem from a different lens, coming to understand the vital importance of early educational experiences for these and other […]

Season 2 Episode #16 - The Impact of Families and Children Experiencing Homelessness

The Guidance Center — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 23:27:22 +0000

Today’s podcast discusses young children and families experiencing homelessness, and the impact this has on them while they are unhoused and in the long-term. The 2020 Los Angeles County Homeless Count tells us that 63,706 individuals were unhoused that year. Children and families make up 19% of that total. Specifically, in 2020, 7,491 children under […]

Season 2 Episode #15 - The Magic of Music

The Guidance Center — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 23:07:15 +0000

According to the 2022 Children Now California report card, children’s “success hinges on the support of caring, effective, trauma-informed and culturally competent/congruent adults. Yet, California schools continue to have fewer educators, counselors, nurses and support staff than almost every other state in the country.” Only 57% of 9th graders report having a caring relationship with […]

Season 2 Episode #14 - The Impact of War on Children and Those Who Try to Help Them

The Guidance Center — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:36:37 +0000

In today’s podcast. we discuss the impact of war on children and the professionals trying to support them, in this episode specifically in the devastating war in Ukraine. The American Psychological Association points out that the negative impact of war is broad-reaching, well beyond witnessing bombing, destruction and bloodshed. Complicating challenges include: • The loss […]

Season 2 Episode #13: The Truth of Human Trafficking Part 2

The Guidance Center — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 19:06:09 +0000

Today’s podcast continues last episode’s discussion about human trafficking, which includes an open conversation of sexual abuse and exploitation. This might be painful and triggering for some listeners. Please consider carefully before tuning in. If you feel in crisis, or worry that someone you love might be in crisis, please call 988 for assistance. The […]

SEASON 2: EPISODE #13: The Truth of Human Trafficking PART 1

The Guidance Center — Wed, 01 Feb 2023 19:33:20 +0000

Today’s podcast discusses human trafficking, which includes an open conversation of sexual abuse and exploitation. This might be painful and triggering for some listeners. Please consider carefully before tuning in. If you feel in crisis, or worry that someone you love might be in crisis, please call 988 for assistance. The US Department of Homeland […]

Season 2: Episode #11: Working With Children Who Have Suicidal Ideation

The Guidance Center — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 21:05:43 +0000

Today’s podcast discusses suicide, which might be painful and triggering for some listeners. If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, or are worried that someone you love might be suicidal, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Help is available. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2019 suicide was the […]

Season 2: Episode #10 - STORIES: Parents of Children on the Autism Spectrum

The Guidance Center — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 20:39:05 +0000

Today’s podcast is the fourth installment of the “In My Backyard” series: STORIES. In this episode, Patricia speaks with two parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association published the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, or DSM. In this edition, what had been referred to as Autistic […]

Season 2: Episode #9: A Conversation About Anxiety in Children

The Guidance Center — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 22:44:04 +0000

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, reported in 2019 that 9.4% of children in the US aged 3 to 17 were diagnosed with clinical anxiety, representing an astounding 5.8 million young ones. Significantly, this data predates the COVID-19 pandemic. Global research by Drs Nicole Racine, Brae Anne McArthur et al found that […]

SEASON 2: EPISODE #8 – A Discussion About The Consequences of Bullying

The Guidance Center — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 23:54:45 +0000

Today’s podcast discusses childhood bullying, how it is defined, the impact it has and, most importantly, any possible link between bullying and school shootings. According to the Center for Disease Control, bullying is a form of youth violence and is an adverse childhood experience that can lead to trauma. The CDC defines bullying “as any […]

Season 2: Episode #7 - The Role of Parent Partners in Children’s Mental Health

The Guidance Center — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 23:28:32 +0000

Today’s podcast discusses the role of Parent Partners in the children’s mental health system. According to United Parents, a nonprofit focused on the concept of “parents helping parents”, a Parent Partner is a “clinically supervised para-professional who has raised a child with a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder. They understand the frustration, being blamed, losing hope, losing patience and all the challenges that go with raising children with mental health needs”.

Casey Family Programs, a national nonprofit influencing policy change to better the lives of children, notes there is an inherent power differential between families served and those serving them. The power gaps are socioeconomic, educational and systemic in nature. The clinician or case worker will always hold more power in the relationship when only one side is sharing personal details and subject to mandated child abuse reporting, despite the best efforts of therapists to engage clients with empathy and authenticity. Casey Family Programs writes, “one innovative approach that has emerged over the past decade is the use of peer mentors, or Parent Partners, who serve to bridge the gap between … parents and a complex, often challenging, and overwhelming system”.

In this episode, Patricia speaks with two staff members of The Guidance Center, Irving Martinez, a licensed clinical social worker from our Compton Clinic and supervisor to The Guidance Center’s team of Parent Partners and Arlene Escobar, a Parent Partner supporting families and engaging in client outreach from our Long Beach clinic.

In My Backyard is brought to you by The Guidance Center, a children’s mental health agency in Long Beach, CA. In My Backyard is produced by Tricia Costales and Matthew Murray. Thank you to Jay Vincent B for original music. All other music licensed through SoundStripe. Thank you to our listeners and supporters.

Please visit tgclb.org or text HOPE to 562-262-5689 to make a one-time donation or join our Hope and Healing Club to become a monthly donor today. And subscribe to In My Backyard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Season 2: Episode #6 - The Lasting Effects of Parental Bereavement

The Guidance Center — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 18:32:12 +0000

Today’s podcast discusses a subject that has become increasingly relevant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: what happens to children who experience the death of a loved one, particularly a parent or caregiver.

According to Dr. Dan Treglia from the University of Pennsylvania, there are an estimated 200,000 children (in the US) who have lost a parent or caregiver to COVID-19, and that realistically, the numbers are likely quite a bit higher. Dr. Treglia reports, “children who lose parents or caregivers are more likely to experience PTSD and depression. My worry is that those who feel stigmatized (by the COVID-19 deaths) won’t admit what their parent or caregiver died of, and those kids need care.”

In today’s episode, Patricia speaks with with Lauren Schneider, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Clinical Director of Child and Adolescent Services at Our House. Our House is a nonprofit organization that provides grief support following the death of a loved one, believing that the bereavement experience deserves greater understanding and acceptance. Specifically, they provide grief support groups to adults, teens, children and toddlers, geared to the age of the griever and their relationship to the person who died.

Season 2: Episode #5 - STORIES: Debbie Lambert and Saira Patina

The Guidance Center — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 23:36:50 +0000

Today’s podcast is the third installment of the “In My Backyard” series: STORIES. Patricia speaks with Guidance Center staff members, Debbie Lambert and Saira Patino. Debbie has been with The Guidance Center for over 20 years, as a Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist, a clinician, and now as the Supervisor of the agency’s Intensive Care Coordination Services. Saira is a clinician in our Long Beach Intensive Services program. Both serve the children and families facing the greatest struggles within the outpatient system of care. In today’s episode, they will discuss what in their life inspired them to pursue a career in community mental health and share the routines they incorporate into their lives to maintain a sense of self-care in such demanding roles.

Season 2: Episode #4 - A Discussion About the First Episode of Psychosis

The Guidance Center — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 22:29:33 +0000

Today’s podcast discusses First-Episode Psychosis, sometimes referred to as a first psychotic break. First-Episode Psychosis is when a person begins to lose contact with reality and starts to experience delusions, hallucinations and something called “disorganized speech”.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI, “psychosis is characterized as disruptions to a person’s thoughts and perceptions that make it difficult for them to recognize what is real and what isn’t. These disruptions are often experienced as seeing, hearing, (feeling, smelling) and believing things that aren’t real or having strange, persistent thoughts, behaviors and emotions. While everyone’s experience is different, most say psychosis is frightening and confusing”.

The most common age for a person to experience First-Episode Psychosis is between 15 and 25 years, those adolescent years that are already tumultuous. Identifying the signs of a first psychotic break and knowing what to do about it are absolutely key to a better long-term prognosis, but they are also commonly written off initially as the normal turmoil of adolescence.

In this episode Patricia speaks with Catrina Flores, a clinician from Mental Health America – Los Angeles. Catrina specializes in working with a population we call transition-aged youth, namely those complicated years from 16 to 25. Further, MHALA is reknown for their work with the most displaced mentally ill adults in our community. In this setting, Catrina works very closely with youth who are experiencing First-Episode Psychosis and all the complications that accompany that.

Season 2: Episode #3 - STORIES: Lexie

The Guidance Center — Fri, 01 Jul 2022 16:39:28 +0000

Today’s podcast is the second installment of the “In My Backyard” series: STORIES. Patricia speaks with former Guidance Center client, Lexie, about her life, the experiences that led her to treatment, and what it’s like receiving treatment as a young person.

Before coming to The Guidance Center, Lexie struggled with feelings of depression, anxiety and being disconnected from herself or from her body. She worked closely with her therapist, Dr. Chloe, to build insight and process difficult emotions, develop coping skills and learn grounding exercises to help her overcome the hardships she endured. Lexie is strong, confident and she wants to share her story so that she may give hope to others who are struggling.

Season 2: Episode #2 - The Impact of Foster Placement on Youth

The Guidance Center — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 16:44:29 +0000

Today’s podcast discusses the impact of foster placement on children. According to researchers Sarah Font and Elizabeth Gershoff, at any given time in the United States there are approximately 700,000 children living in out of home placement away from their parents due to substantiated child abuse or neglect. While foster placement is an effort to protect vulnerable children, there is no question that placement itself brings its own level of trauma. Removal from a family home to an already traumatized child adds another layer of trauma and loss. As Font and Gershoff note, however, “the alternative to foster care may be continued abuse, neglect and traumatization of vulnerable children. Leaving children in homes with caregivers investigated for maltreatment can have dire consequences”.

Dr Putnam-Hornstein studied children born in California between 1999 to 2006 and found that children who were reported to the system for maltreatment, substantiated or not, were 6 times more likely to die from intentional injury by their caregiver and 2 times more likely to die from unintentional injury. Further, Drs. Kim and Drake found in 2019 that one in four child victims of confirmed maltreatment were revictimized. Foster care may not be ideal, but nor are the alternatives.

In this episode, Patricia speaks with Wendy Carpenter, Chief Executive Officer of Penny Lane Centers. Founded in 1969, Penny Lane today offers preventative services, Substance Abuse Treatment, residential care, transitional and permanent housing for former foster youth, foster care and adoption services as well as outpatient mental health care. Wendy began her career at Penny Lane as a clinician, finding a professional home where she has served since then. Wendy today is a leading advocate across the county and the state for services to our foster youth.

Season 2: Episode #1 - Suicide and Elite Student Athletes

The Guidance Center — Wed, 01 Jun 2022 17:59:37 +0000

Today’s podcast discusses suicide, which might be painful and triggering for some listeners. If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, or are worried that someone you love might be suicidal, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK. That is 1-800-273-TALK, or 8255. Help is available.

This episode discusses the recent heartbreaking pattern of completed suicides by elite female student athletes. Since March of this year, four high-profile female athletes have taken their own lives on college campuses. All were top performing athletes at major universities and seemed to have everything going for them. Katie Meyer was a star goalkeeper for the Stanford University soccer team – an elite athlete at an elite school. Sarah Shulze was a top cross-country runner for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was a local California girl before heading to college. Lauren Bernett was a champion softball catcher for James Madison University. Her death by suicide so impacted the team, the season was cancelled. Arlana Miller was a freshman on the cheerleading team at Southern University and A&M College in Louisiana. She as only 19 when she died by suicide.

Being an elite college athlete does not statistically mean greater risk of mental illness, depression or suicide. Dr. Ashwin Rao et al found in 2015 that suicide rates among NCAA athletes was “lower than that of the general and collegiate population of similar age,” although it was still the third leading cause of death among this group. In fact, school sports bring with them many potential mental health benefits – being outside, being a member of a team, and physical activity are all things that we know improve mental and emotional well-being.

In this episode Patricia speaks with Dr. Julie Amato, a licensed clinical and sports psychologist and CEO of Elite Mindset Sports Psychology. She works with high-level athletes and teams across the country on developing the skills and practices necessary to overcome obstacles and push the boundaries of athletic potential. Julie is herself a former Division 1 college and then professional basketball player.