September 26, 2025 • 56 mins
The health disparities affecting minority communities in Montgomery County demand urgent attention and innovative solutions. In this candid conversation, Councilmember Lori Ann Sales—the first Jamaican American and Black woman to serve in countywide office—brings her unique background in public health to address the systemic challenges facing underserved populations.
In the second segment, Monica Martin, Chief of Behavioral Health and Crisis Services, offers practical guidance for Suicide Prevention Month. She demystifies mental health support, explaining warning signs like persistent sadness, social withdrawal, and changes in sleep patterns. Martin emphasizes that seeking help demonstrates strength, not weakness, while providing concrete resources available to all county residents regardless of insurance status.
Join this important conversation about health equity, access to care, and the innovative approaches Montgomery County is taking to ensure everyone—regardless of background—can achieve optimal health and wellbeing.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_03 (00:03):
Good day and welcome to What's Happening Moco, an
authentic, unscripted podcastfrom your Montgomery County
government.
Now, it's your host, DerekKenney.
Good day, and welcome to What'sHappening Moco.
In today's episode, we talkabout health equity with a focus
on underserved communities.
Joining us in this discussion isCouncilmember Lori Ann Sells, an
(00:24):
at-large member of theMontgomery County Council.
Stells is the first JamaicanAmerican and black woman to
serve in the countywide office.
Sales service on the Human UhHealth and Human Services
Committee and EconomicDevelopment Committees.
Fantastic.
How are you today?
SPEAKER_01 (00:40):
I'm doing excellent.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (00:41):
All right.
Well, thank you for joining us.
Health and wellness has been apassion of this podcast for
quite some time, as it has been,I think, for the entire county
government this calendar year.
I'm not sure if it's the fiscalyear, but this calendar year,
we've really been focused onhealth and wellness.
What why do you, well, first ofall, before we start, how has
(01:02):
your summer been?
SPEAKER_01 (01:04):
I had a great summer.
You know, I'm grateful that wehave time to recalibrate and,
you know, reset and refocus ouragenda for the upcoming year.
I think, you know, with thechange in administration, it's
an important time for us to uhreally understand where we're
(01:25):
going, reflect on the budget,and then move forward with
urgency on, you know, ensuringwe're meeting the needs of the
community.
So excited to get back into theswing of things.
SPEAKER_03 (01:37):
And as I stand it, I understand it when it comes to
the needs of the community,there are certain underserved
communities that are facinghealth and wellness challenges.
Um why is that a passion ofyours?
And what are some of thechallenges that these
underserved communities arefacing?
SPEAKER_01 (01:58):
Well, I, you know, I'm a black woman, and so, you
know, that already puts me at,you know, a disadvantage.
I make 40 cents on the dollarto, you know, my uh white
counterparts.
I am, you know, predisposed toum cardiovascular disease.
(02:19):
And, you know, um, I can uhrattle off a number of
disparities and, you know,African Americans top those
lists.
It's the list that we don'tnecessarily want to be at the
top of, unfortunately.
And, you know, Montgomery Countyis home to some of the most four
of the most diverse cities inthe country.
(02:40):
And so as the counties lead foreliminating disparities in
public health, it's importantfor me to not only, you know, be
aware of the disparities, butalso be intentional about the uh
solutions that we need to, youknow, employ to address them in
(03:01):
a strategic way.
And now more than ever before,with, you know, cuts to Medicaid
and cuts to food, nutritionalbenefits, um, you know, our
workforce impacts, you know,that's going to have cascading
effects on our communities ofcolor.
And so it puts us in a veryunique position to utilize, you
(03:23):
know, shrinking resources toaddress growing problems and do
it in a unique way that's goingto reach a diverse cross-section
of our community.
SPEAKER_03 (03:35):
Yeah.
And we're one of the mostdiverse communities in the
country, not just Maryland.
Uh, but speaking of uniqueness,you are actually um in a unique
position as a council member toaddress health uh disparities or
any issues when it comes tohealth.
Yeah.
Uh tell us a little bit aboutyour background uh in health and
(03:56):
how that helps you to positionyou better to understand some of
what's going on when it comes towhat um minorities are facing in
the county.
SPEAKER_01 (04:05):
Definitely.
You know, I'm the daughter ofJamaican immigrants and my
father was in the military.
My mother was a social workerwith Montgomery County for over
30 years.
And so she had a deepunderstanding of some of the
challenges that our mostvulnerable communities faced.
And once my father finished his20-year career in the army, he
(04:25):
went back to school and became anurse.
And so he worked at the bedsideof some of our uh sickest
patients across Adice Hospital,um, Walter Reed.
And so, you know, um just beingexposed to that public service,
(04:46):
you know, my first job, I spentprobably eight years as a
pharmacy tech working at CVS.
Okay.
Um, and then Kaiser Permanente.
I did my internship at Kaiserbefore graduating with a degree
in public health from CollegePark.
And then I worked at thenation's top research
institutions from NIH and leftmy career at the FDA to do this
(05:10):
full-time.
And so now I get to have all ofthat experience working on the
front lines to now sitting as,you know, the board of health as
a council member to, you know,work with our public health
officer.
Um, and that was during thepandemic when I was on the city
council.
And now as an at-large member,you know, being able to work
(05:34):
with all of these partners, allsix of our hospital leaders and
meeting with them on a regularbasis, understanding the demands
on our emergency system, knowingthat we have, you know, a
growing number of seniors thatare aging in our community.
Um, and then lots of low-incomeresidents as well, who um have
(05:58):
limited access to healthcareresources.
And so being able to pivot andadapt to the changing needs has
been a challenging butrewarding, you know, we're
fortunate to live in a countythat has the resources to create
a mobile health clinic.
So, regardless of whether youlive in East County or in the
(06:20):
rural parts of our county, youknow, we want to make sure that
you are not at a disadvantagebecause of your zip code.
We want to bring thosehealthcare resources to you.
So, you know, I've been sograteful that we've been able to
put a mobile clinic in, youknow, the Ag Reserve.
We have it in, you know, EastCounty.
(06:40):
Oh gosh.
And so, you know, from dentalservices, preventative services,
regular checkups, you know,we're trying to meet our
residents where they're at whenthey can't get to the doctor's
office or, you know, they haveto use an emergency room to get,
you know, healthcare services.
And then we have so manynonprofits that have stood up
(07:03):
and transitioned from thepandemic to serve our residents
and also do it in a culturallycompetent way.
So no one feels discomfort orexperiences bias when they seek
help.
We want to ensure that throughour minority partnerships, that
they have access to culturallycompetent care providers.
SPEAKER_03 (07:26):
All right.
Speaking of, um, seems like avery thoughtful approach to
health care for residents and uhvery considerate of those
residents that may not have arelationship with their primary
care doctors.
We even have primary caredoctors.
And as you mentioned, their onlyuh recourse, I mean, some um
resource sometimes going to theemergency room where they may
(07:49):
not get the focused care or theknowledgeable care they they
need to have.
SPEAKER_02 (07:53):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (07:54):
Um, so that's not the only thoughtful approach
that you've taken or that thecounty's taken when it comes to
health care for underservedcommunities.
You've issued uh a report fromthe county council's very own
Office of Legislative Oversight.
Um tell us a little bit aboutthe Office of Legislative
Oversight, because maybe thefirst time some people are
(08:14):
hearing about that.
Yes.
And what is the report um thatyou commissioned?
And then, of course, lastly,what is it saying?
SPEAKER_01 (08:21):
Definitely.
So the Office of LegislativeOversight allows council members
to do a deeper dive, a deepanalysis on a particular topic.
Um, so uh when I got elected,there was a Washington Post
article about, you know, theimpacts of the Roe v.
(08:41):
Wade decision being overturnedand what that meant for women,
um, and what that meant forvulnerable women, black women in
maternal health, and um, howthey would be most impacted by
some of these decisions.
Um, we already know that, youknow, if they don't have the
(09:03):
appropriate, you know, pre- andpostpartum care, that, you know,
they can lose their life, theirbaby can lose their life, and
other circumstances can impact,you know, uh child and mother,
making it past um that criticaluh time.
And so I wanted to betterunderstand what Montgomery
(09:23):
County has done in the past toaddress Black maternal health.
What were we doing here incomparison to other
jurisdictions and what um was atstake, you know, what the risk
factors were and any servicesthat we could do.
And I found out that we actuallyhad a birthing center here in
(09:44):
Montgomery County.
SPEAKER_03 (09:46):
A birthing center?
SPEAKER_01 (09:47):
We had a birthing center, and we found that, you
know, creating a program wheredoulas and you know, other
healthcare providers, midwives.
SPEAKER_03 (10:00):
Let's let's back up.
So some of the terminology maynot be understand, you know,
something that can be easilyunderstandable by the average
person.
SPEAKER_01 (10:07):
Yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (10:08):
What's a birthing center?
What's a doula?
What's uh what does this meanfor um non-traditional um
parents to be?
SPEAKER_01 (10:16):
Yeah, so a birthing center was a place where you
know pregnant women could go toreceive maternal health care
services.
They could learn more about whatit takes to take care of your
body and your baby after yougive birth and talk to them
about the labor and deliveryexperience.
(10:37):
And then it actually gives you adoula, like a coach that's going
to help you bring your baby intothis world.
And these doulas and midwivesare trained to um provide
culturally competent care.
They help with making sure yournutrition is um, you know, where
(11:00):
it's supposed to be, yourweight, um, and any other
testing that may need to bedone.
And that happens, you know, ifyou are planning to become a
mother while you are, you know,going through your first,
second, and third trimester.
And then once you go home, theyare still, you know, that source
(11:20):
of support.
They encourage breastfeeding.
And so um, those healthcareprofessionals were, you know,
standard in our birthing center.
Uh, but not many healthinsurance providers cover those
expenses.
SPEAKER_02 (11:36):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (11:36):
Um, and so, you know, if you are, you know, a
minority and you are givingbirth, you may be experiencing
pain during the labor anddelivery process.
Wow.
And they may not believe you.
You may not get the emergencycare, or, you know, you may go
(11:59):
through a C-section when youcould have gone through the
normal childbirth process if youjust had that patient healthcare
provider to coach you throughthat process.
Um, so there's a lot of benefitsthat we saw that the data showed
was beneficial to uh women ofcolor, um, but that went away
(12:22):
with the loss of the birthingcenter.
And so, you know, even ourpublic health officer is, you
know, creating an advisory boardto look at, you know, some of
the challenges that are facedin, you know, um, this
particular area of Blackmaternal health and looking at
resources, services that we canprovide to either recreate a
(12:49):
birthing center here, see whatthe possibilities are, what the
barriers are to um bringing sucha center back, and then just
ensuring that more black mothersare able to bring their babies
to term.
SPEAKER_03 (13:03):
That's wonderful.
And I guess healthcare beginswith the birth and with the
healthy mothers.
And so you're talking abouthealthcare, that's probably the
the the best starting point umthat the county can uh focus on
when you're talking about thethe um the future of children
having a great start, a healthystart is where it can start.
SPEAKER_01 (13:27):
Well, it actually begins before, you know.
You you have to make sure thatyou're eating healthy, you're
taking your prenatal vitamins,you know, um, that you have an
environment to bring a babyinto.
Do you have the space for, youknow, the crib?
And are you aware of all of theum, you know, materials that you
(13:52):
are supposed to have for yourbaby, how your baby's supposed
to lay in the crib, and youknow, what the most appropriate
um, you know, uh way to bringthe baby home and get acclimated
to this new responsibility.
And so, you know, we have lotsof programs here in the county
(14:13):
that we pay for um that are freeto moms to ensure that they're
one of my favorite words, countyresources free.
SPEAKER_03 (14:23):
Yes, yes.
So there's no barrier to gettingthat help.
SPEAKER_01 (14:26):
No, no, from the SMILE program to our other
programs that, you know, helpwith ensuring that, you know,
our mothers are maintaining ahealthy weight.
They are going to theircheckups, um, you know, trying
to ensure that babies are at ahealthy weight before they leave
(14:46):
the hospital, you know, all ofthat has to be determined before
they even come into this world.
And so having that supportsystem and that information
helps mothers, you know, so muchand baby.
SPEAKER_03 (15:00):
So much great information out there for new
parents who may not know some ofthe things that they may want to
do that they shouldn't do, likedon't land the beat with your
baby, you know, yeah, you mightend up smashing them, you know,
especially if dads, yeah, a bigdad, like you know, myself.
So, you know, yeah, you wannayou wanna love and hug on a
baby, but you know, don't fallasleep.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (15:19):
Yeah, and all of these, you know, OLO reports,
you know, you can go on ourwebsite, type in the search bar,
any number of topics that wehave explored and learn
information about, you know, theracial impact, the environmental
impact, and uh the financialcost of some of these decisions
(15:43):
and how they can be implemented.
They also includerecommendations for improving
outcomes.
So it's a really good resourcethat we have that residents can
access.
SPEAKER_03 (15:53):
Right.
It's a very thoughtful process.
And they'll, you know, uh manytimes um residents question how
did you make this decision?
Yeah.
And it starts with a thoughtfulprocess with research,
recommendations, a veryscholarly approach to um
assessing the situation andmaking recommendations.
What did what did this reportsay about the um disturbing
(16:16):
things when it comes to um thehomicide um rate and the suicide
rate around among AfricanAmerican men?
SPEAKER_01 (16:24):
Well, this is Suicide Prevention Month.
And so, you know, um mentalhealth was the number one factor
uh that was on the minds ofresidents during our community
survey um that we um sent out toresidents.
(16:45):
We do it every other year, andit has been the number one issue
since the pandemic.
And so, you know, our councilpresident, Kate Stewart, she
hosted an event about, you know,mental health.
We've also recognized mentalhealth um awareness month.
Uh, I believe that's in May toraise awareness about the
(17:08):
resources that are available,you know, um, from everyone, you
know, it's not just our kids.
And, you know, we are we evenput resources into the budget to
ensure that our correctionofficers had access to mental
health resources in ourcorrectional facilities.
(17:30):
Um, we've seen our officers, youknow, commit suicide right here
in Montgomery County.
So we don't want anyone to um,you know, not have access to
these important resources.
And, you know, I'm sodisappointed that, you know,
that our young black boys are,you know, at the top of this
(17:52):
list for suicide rates andhomicide.
Um, and gun violence is at thecenter of this discussion, you
know, um, the country has beenin turmoil because of gun
violence, you know, and uh we'renot thinking about who's most
impacted.
And so I'm glad that we'rehaving this timely discussion
(18:16):
because, you know, at the end ofthe day, it's in the numbers
who's being impacted and whatare we doing about this?
You know, guns are too availableto our kids.
And if they don't have access tothe necessary resources for
mentoring or um things to do outof school time, positive
(18:40):
experiences or um, you know,ways to resolve conflict in a
meaningful way, they are goingto quickly resort to, you know,
making rash decisions that havelong-term effects.
Um, and so, you know, we areseeing that, you know, the CDC
(19:06):
said that, you know, 40% of thedeaths among black men age 15 to
34 um have primarily been byfirearms.
SPEAKER_02 (19:16):
Oh no.
SPEAKER_01 (19:16):
Um, we're also seeing that firearms were
involved in over 90% of thehomicides among black males aged
15 to 44.
SPEAKER_02 (19:25):
Oh, god.
SPEAKER_01 (19:25):
Um, so just to think that our young men don't know
how to resolve conflict or thinkthat they are in situations
where that is the only answer isa scary reality that I don't
think we are, you know, doingenough about, you know, I don't
know who's talking to our youngmen, or, you know, they don't
(19:47):
always have someone to go to.
And do they feel comfortablebeing vulnerable?
Do we give them the space tofeel vulnerable?
What messaging are we puttingout for our young men to seek
help and feel comfortable askingfor help?
And so, you know, it's it's veryimportant for us nowadays to ask
(20:09):
our kids how they're doing.
SPEAKER_02 (20:11):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (20:11):
We quickly, you know, want to make sure that
they are getting good grades,they're showing up, but are they
really showing up and are weshowing up for them?
SPEAKER_02 (20:21):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (20:22):
We're asking a lot of our educators, and you know,
they are on the front lines ofcheck in with our students.
But when you have a classroom of30 plus students, you don't have
a paraeducator, you don't have,you know, the support to not
only meet these benchmarks thatare required in our blueprint,
(20:43):
but also ensure that your kidsare mentally, emotionally, and
physically prepared to learn, itcreates just uh incredible
amount of concerning factors forour students and then our
families.
SPEAKER_03 (21:00):
So And uh it's just important to note that it's it's
okay to not be okay.
Yes, and a lot of times kidsdon't, with all that their
parents are probably dealingwith or their families are
dealing with, um, you may notknow that it it's okay as a
young kid, you know, to not beokay, and that your feelings do
matter, and that it's um okay toshare that with your parents or
(21:22):
with a a concerned adult andseek help.
Um and even for families that inmany cases mental health is a
bad word when you start thinkingyou immediately go to crazy, my
baby ain't crazy.
It's not crazy.
Um human beings have uh needsand there's need to care.
There's certain um things inplace to help us with our mental
(21:42):
well-being.
Yes um that can help to dissuadeus from um bad outcomes.
And you're talking about thatnow.
The report shows that there's aneed, and you've shown that
council is looking to providesome type of services to help to
address that need.
Um what other barriers are thereto health care um that exists
(22:06):
now among other servedcommunities?
Uh not not all of them.
You scale a couple of them, justquite a few barriers, but I
mean, just a few.
SPEAKER_01 (22:15):
I mean, financial, it's expensive.
You know, if you don't haveinsurance, it's hard to find a
healthcare provider.
And so, you know, through our umBlack Physicians Health Network,
we are able to provideculturally competent access to
free mental health services forour residents.
(22:38):
Um and, you know, we stood thatprogram up during the pandemic,
and it's continued because wesaw the demand.
Yeah.
Um, we saw that there was stilla need.
Um we kudos to them.
SPEAKER_03 (22:52):
They were at the Friendship Picnic and Ready
Health.
And when I talked to ReadyHealth, they had given away 60
free flu vaccinations.
Very.
Which, of course, will not onlyhelp the health and well-being,
but for families where sicknessor of a one-week flu could be
(23:14):
the difference between payingthe rent that month.
That's such an importantresource that the county is
helping to uh put out there.
So kudos to that program thatyou mentioned just now, the um
Black Physician Health Network.
Black Physicians Health CareNetwork.
Wonderful, wonderful.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (23:29):
And we also have our wellness centers that are at
some of our schools.
We're trying to expand uh thosewellness hubs so that, you know,
our students and their familieshave access to these
preventative and uh regularservices, whether it's, you
know, classes where they canaccess mentors or uh they can
(23:53):
even just talk with someoneabout um any physicals that they
need to participate inextracurricular activities.
We're trying to meet ourresidents where they are.
And, you know, we work with ournonprofits to make sure that we
also have culturally competentcare.
You know, we have a nursingshortage that's impacting how
(24:16):
many people can even be served.
That's why we have some of thelongest emergency room wait
times in the nation.
So, in addition to the financialcosts, in addition to the
cultural limitations on who cangive you culturally competent
care, do we have the staff?
Can you access this care?
(24:37):
And then are you dealing withthe stigma associated with
accessing this care?
And, you know, that and that'swhere the problem lies, you
know, making it normalizinggetting help.
We normalize getting, you know,our twice a year visits to the
(24:57):
dentist and knowing that when,you know, we have a cavity, we
go to the dentist, knowing thatwhen something doesn't feel
right in our body, we see ourprimary care provider.
SPEAKER_02 (25:06):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (25:06):
But what are we encouraging and how are we
educating our young people abouthow to seek help and when,
what's appropriate, and whatdoes that look like, and why you
should feel comfortable in doingso, and why it's part of our
overall holistic health.
SPEAKER_03 (25:24):
Oh, wow.
That's daunting.
It's we applaud you for takingon such an intimidating uh cause
or uh such as this.
You've seen the data.
Yeah.
So you know there's a seriousneed, and you've seen the
budgets over the years, you knowthere's limited resources.
Um, but you're taking on thiswith a very conscientious and
(25:45):
thoughtful approach, uh, with uhan eye on impact in the
community.
Uh what do you see on thehorizon in terms of initiatives?
I know it's early on, but whattypes of things that might be in
the works that could beencouraging or something to
rally around for the communityin Montgomery County, Maryland?
SPEAKER_01 (26:03):
You know, I think we're going to have to take a
more holistic effect approach toaddressing these challenges.
Um, you know, education isnumber one, you know, ensuring
that, you know, our communityunderstands the resources that
are available to them, ensuringthat they are available in a
(26:25):
variety of mediums, languages,um, and ensuring that, you know,
our residents see themselves inthe messaging that we create,
the marketing for them to accessthese resources.
And, you know, we are supportingour students through the
pipeline to pursue these, youknow, uh career um
(26:47):
opportunities, you know.
Um, we also have to, you know,invest in these awareness
campaigns.
We have to advocate for policychanges.
We know that, you know, thisyear we have funded our budget,
but next year, you know, wedon't know what's gonna happen.
(27:09):
We had the highest uh job lossfrom the federal impacts here in
the county.
So we know that there are a lotof people here that don't have
health insurance.
Cobra's expensive.
Um, the Affordable Care Act,they are potentially going to be
cutting the subsidies that madeit affordable to access care in
(27:30):
that marketplace.
Um, you know, October 1st isright around the corner.
If this budget isn't funded,there's going to be a lot of
people who are going to be hitwith a lot of challenges that
we're going to have to absorb.
Um, and so, you know, we we'rebracing, we're working with our
health and human servicesdepartment.
(27:51):
You know, we're in closecommunication with our federal
partners to understand how tocommunicate, you know, what we
can continue to, you know,encourage our residents to
access.
Um, but it's it's really goingto come down to keeping those
lines of communication open anduh ensuring that we are raising
(28:15):
awareness about the servicesthat are available to our
residents.
SPEAKER_03 (28:19):
Speaking of services that are available, the
resources available in thecounty.
Yes.
We're going to change hats.
I'm going to take my host hatoff.
I'm going to give it to the verycapable and eloquent, uh, and of
course, better on the lens uhthan I am, um, Councilmember
Sales.
And she will be talking to acounty representative about the
(28:41):
resources available when itcomes to health, wellness, and
well-being in the county.
SPEAKER_01 (28:45):
Awesome.
SPEAKER_03 (28:45):
So, up next, look forward to something better.
unknown (28:48):
What?
SPEAKER_01 (28:51):
Welcome back to What's Happening MoCo.
I am Councilmember at Large,Lorian Sales, and I am so
excited to share this platformwith our Chief of Behavioral
Health and Crisis Services, uh,Chief Monica Martin.
Thank you so much for joiningus.
SPEAKER_00 (29:12):
Thank you for having me here.
Such a pleasure.
SPEAKER_01 (29:14):
Of course.
Why don't you share a bit aboutyourself?
You've been in this role.
Has it been a year yet?
It will be in another 10 days.
So almost.
So we are almost at yourone-year anniversary, and you
have been with us for quite sometime in different roles, made it
through the pandemic, and nowleading our behavioral health
(29:36):
and crisis services.
So tell us a bit about yourjourney and what this year has
been like for you.
SPEAKER_00 (29:42):
Thank you.
I will, but I can't do thatwithout first thanking you,
Councilmember Sales, for yourservice to the whole county and
especially on the Health andHuman Services Committee and as
a clinical licensed socialworker to your mother for her 30
years of service as a socialworker here in Montgomery
County.
Um, on the Forget that in yourfirst term as a council member,
(30:02):
you very proactively reached outto come to visit one of our
Linkages learning sites andlearned about some of our
integrated primary andbehavioral health care for our
youngest students at MCPS.
So, so thank you for that.
So, as I just shared, I'm alicensed clinical social worker.
So I'm a clinician by training,and I've had the privilege and
honor of working for MontgomeryCounty's Department of Health
(30:24):
and Human Services for 18 yearsat this point.
Before then, I was doing a lotof work focused on youth and
families.
That's how I came into thiscounty work.
So I was a clinician thatspecialized in working with
adolescents and their families,working in the private nonprofit
sector and a behavior healthorganization that served the
(30:47):
Baltimore and DC greaterWashington metropolitan area.
So I'd done that for eightyears, focusing on prevention
and early intervention in thebeginning, partnering with the
county's Department of Healthand Human Services to expand
some of those school-basedinitiatives and programs at that
time when our linkages learninginitiative was expanding in the
(31:07):
Up County region in particular.
But prior to that, I had donework as a hospital social
worker.
I had done work as a socialworker serving migrant
populations and in ruralVirginia.
I had done school-based work aswell, hence the circle back
around to the passion forintegrating mental health care
into our schools.
(31:28):
And then when I came toMontgomery County in HHS, that's
exactly what I stepped into,kind of furthering those
school-based partnerships withinour children, youth, and family
services division.
Yeah.
To be at school-based, schoollinked, all kinds of different
avenues to try to, again, reachmore youth and families in that
wonderfully accessible locationof the schoolhouse and the
(31:49):
community that surrounds it.
So a year ago I came into thisrole and kind of back into my
clinical roots in terms ofoverseeing some of our services
that serve the most vulnerableof our residents in terms of
those that experience thegreatest disparate disparities
(32:10):
and the greatest barriers toaccessing behavioral health care
as part of our local publicsafety net.
So this is where I am now.
And I'm so privileged andhonored to be here with you
today.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_01 (32:21):
Thank you for sharing that with us, Ms.
Martin.
And so this is SuicidePrevention Month.
Sure is.
SPEAKER_00 (33:04):
Yeah, thank you for uh speaking so eloquently to all
the uh barriers that so manypopulations face in um really
accessing all the resources andsupports they need to be
healthy, period.
It all contributes to uhescalating uh uh states of
mental health distress if youdon't have access to healthy
(33:25):
resources, period, as you'regrowing up and disenfranchised
and doing so.
But in terms of the termself-love, um it can sound
abstract or or cliche, but it'sreally about how we treat
ourselves, especially when noone's watching.
That's the key thing.
That's the qualifier that Ialways put out there.
Yeah, especially when no oneelse is watching.
(33:46):
So it's really the ongoingpractice of valuing, respecting,
and caring for yourselfphysically, emotionally,
mentally in all realms, throughyour actions, through your
boundaries.
It's a very important one aspectof self-love, and through
self-talk.
Um, so it is everything fromgetting enough rest and not
(34:07):
glorifying burnout to givingyourself permission to feel
emotions without judgment, tosaying no to things that drain
you, even when you're expectedto say yes.
So it's those kinds of thingsthat um we need to do for
ourselves to keep our thoughtourselves healthy and on our
best.
SPEAKER_01 (34:27):
No, that's so important, you know.
As woman, you know, I think inour parents' generation, it was
glorified to be superwoman.
And I'm so glad that ourgeneration has learned about the
burnout culture, and we are nowum trying to model healthier
(34:49):
ways to, you know, exerciseself-love and hopefully instill
that in the next generation.
And so you mentioned some smallpractices that our, you know,
young people and community cando.
Um, you know, how does thiscontribute to, you know, overall
(35:09):
better mental health and overallwellness?
SPEAKER_00 (35:13):
Yeah, it um really makes a huge, huge difference.
Um, if I can elaborate a littlebit more on if people don't know
about this concept, many peoplehave heard about it, um, but
don't know whether or notthey're practicing it in their
day-to-day lives.
Yeah, um, I always say, andyou'll hear anyone who's
familiar with this concept say,if I treated myself like someone
(35:34):
I deeply cared about, what wouldI do differently today?
Uh for me, when I feel like I'mstruggling with self-love, I
think about my dear grandmother,my 96-year-old grandmother uh in
in Puerto Rico, who um is stillwith us and probably will
outlive all of us, um, but whois so endeared to me.
(35:54):
And I think if she were sayingthis to me right now, if she
were feeling this right now, ifshe were doing this right now,
what would I be saying back toher?
Um, and so it's it's reallyimportant to try to have that
perspective with yourself, totry to adopt that
self-compassion.
Um, because when you replacethat harsh self-talk that many
(36:15):
of us have grown up with, uhwhen you replace that with
kinder, more understanding wordssuch as, I'm doing the best I
can right now, and that'senough, right?
I'm enough.
When you allow yourself to makemistakes and to love yourself
through those mistakes, I lovethe term that um I adopted at
(36:35):
some point that I'm a recoveringperfectionist.
It's a lifelong journey.
And it's and and I've I've builta small community of recovering
perfectionists along with me inthe workplace.
We have conversations aroundthis.
Um, that all allows us to againtake a step back from the
immediate situation because wehave to learn that narrative,
(36:58):
that self-talk.
It allows us to regulate ouremotions, which reduces stress
hormones, which helps with ouroverall health.
Um, it allows us to prioritizeourselves and again not be in
relationships that arecodependent or toxic, right?
Part of that, what I mentionedearlier was the boundaries
(37:20):
piece, learning to how to sayno, understanding that no is a
complete sentence.
Uh and it's okay to be said, um,and not just, you know, once.
It doesn't mean that you'rethrowing a tantrum, especially
as a woman, if you're setting aboundary or otherwise.
Um, there's so many things thatum youth as well can do for
(37:42):
themselves in in situationswhere they are um seeing
themselves reflected through theeyes of, for example, social
media.
That is so important that adultsmodel for youth, unplugging,
intentional unplugging fromsocial media use from the
electronics.
Oh, yeah, to ensure that there'sthe capacity, again, to instill
(38:06):
conversations, intentionalconversations, whenever
possible, around that positiveself-talk that is so important
to have.
So um no, the the benefits areare immense.
It reduces anxiety anddepression, absolutely.
Um, it helps to kind of lift themental load of the worries that
lead to anxiety and depression.
(38:27):
Um I could go on.
SPEAKER_01 (38:28):
The benefits are yes, I'm I'm glad that we have,
you know, the county's respectfest happening where um, you
know, our young people arereally driving the
communication, the aroundhealthy relationships and
boundaries and yes, knowing thatno is okay and being comfortable
(38:51):
with it.
And so I'm glad you mentionedthat boundaries.
And so being chief of thisdepartment, you know, what are
some common signs that someoneshould reach out for
professional support instead oftrying to push through and, you
(39:13):
know, try to navigate thischallenging time on their own?
SPEAKER_00 (39:18):
Yeah, I think first and foremost, it's important to
always remember that it's alwaysokay to reach out.
It is never a mistake to reachout.
If it turns out you're reachingout and you're speaking to a
mental health professional or acall taker on our 988 line, or
your primary care physician andyou're sharing, I'm having these
thoughts.
Um, these are my new behaviors.
I'm finding myself avoidingcertain things.
(39:41):
Whatever's happening for you,I'm not enjoying what I used to
enjoy.
Whatever that is, um, anyone inthe helping profession is going
to be, first of all, um very,very affirming that you have
done that because that's asource of strength, reaching out
for help.
It's not a sign of weakness.
Um, and if it turns out youdon't need therapy right away,
(40:02):
they're gonna make thatassessment and they're gonna
support you through that.
And that's okay.
Um, having said that, it isnormal for all of us to have our
ups and downs.
Absolutely.
And there are certain times whenit really is important for us if
we notice these uh things inourselves or for um our loved
ones, if we're noticing in ourloved ones, for us to prompt
(40:22):
them to reach out for supportwith uh certainly persistent
feelings of sadness orhopelessness, right?
So not temporal, not for a shortperiod of time, but for weeks or
months without relief.
That is definitely a sign.
Um, as I mentioned earlier, theloss of interest in activities
that you once enjoyed, um,having not just nerves or
(40:44):
stress, but overwhelming anxietyor panic, so constant worry,
racing thoughts, certainly panicattacks, um, anxiety that
interferes with your daily lifeor with your decision making,
right?
Paralysis due to the stress thatyou're feeling, difficulty uh
regulating emotions.
So if you're someone whotypically doesn't express anger
(41:05):
and suddenly you're you'rehaving intense anger,
irritability, or it's a youknow, slowly escalating thing
that you notice, or or theconverse, emotional numbness.
You're not expressing theemotions you typically would
have expressed.
Um, if you're having mood swingsthat affect your relationships
or your work, uh if you havechanges in sleep or your
appetite, those are symptomsthat often accompany depression
(41:29):
or anxiety.
And certainly if you findyourself withdrawing and
isolating, if you're avoidingthe social interactions you used
to enjoy, if you're feelingdisconnected from others, even
if you're still interacting withthem, but you're feeling like
people aren't hearing me, peoplearen't seeing me, they're
understanding me, or I don'twant them to right now.
Yeah.
(41:49):
Because it's too scary to thinkabout what they might see or
what I might see reflected inthem if they shine a mirror on
me, right?
So those are all signs that youshould reach out.
Certainly thoughts of self-harmor suicide.
That is an emergency.
Do that right away.
But it's absolutely criticalthat we know, just like with any
(42:11):
aspect of our overall health andwellness, prevention and early
intervention is key.
SPEAKER_02 (42:17):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (42:17):
It absolutely can turn the curve on experiencing
uh more symptoms later, um, moreanxiety, more depression, more
debilitating uh situations.
So reach out when in doubt.
SPEAKER_01 (42:29):
Thank you.
Always a good time to reach outand have someone you can trust
when you're feeling down.
And so I know that um, you know,you mentioned it's always a good
time to reach out.
And what can friends and familymembers do?
(42:50):
Um, what are some of the warningsigns that they should recognize
to support a loved one andencourage them to take that next
step to get help?
SPEAKER_00 (43:02):
Yeah.
So obviously having observedanything that I already, you
know, shared, um, but again,there could be there's different
signs for different people, um,trouble concentrating or
completing tasks or maintainingproductivity that's important.
If you notice that on acolleague at work, for example,
um, if someone expresses umsentiments such as are feeling
(43:23):
stuck or unable to move forwardin life, if you see your loved
ones um taking on some unhealthycoping behaviors, so the
increased use of alcohol ordrugs or other risky behaviors,
um, or again, um, distractionsor avoidance um behaviors, such
as uh binge watching,overeating, things like that to
avoid emotions, if that's ashift in what someone um is
(43:46):
doing typically.
Um if you're seeing thatsomeone's trauma or grief seems
to be unresolved after a loss,after abuse, after a major life
change, um, if they're sharingthat they're having flashbacks,
nightmares, or they're avoidingreminders of some of their past
and experiences they've beenthrough.
(44:06):
Um, all of these things arethings to watch out for.
And what's really important isthat you should never be afraid
to directly speak to someonethat you think, even if it's not
true, even if it turns outthey're just fine and they're
just having a day.
Okay, it's never wrong to checkin, right?
Better be safe than sorry.
Um, supporting someonestruggling with their mental
(44:28):
health can really it can bechallenging, but also deeply
meaningful.
So um the way to approach it isto start with eye sentences,
right?
Where we talk about a lot.
So I've noticed you seem reallydown lately and I'm concerned,
right?
It's about your observations,it's about your worries.
Um, you want to make sure toavoid judgment.
(44:49):
You're not trying to fix orproblem solve.
You want to listen with empathy,be an ear.
Um, you want to encourageprofessional help seeking.
And um, I've often said, do youwant me to go with you to your
first appointment with atherapist?
Um, normalize the idea oftherapy and help seeking by
comparing it to seeking help forphysical health, right?
(45:10):
Because mental health strugglesare they're brain-based issues.
They're part of our biology andphysiology.
We are all one being.
It's very important.
Um, it's important to be patientand consistent with our loved
ones, especially those that arestruggling with ongoing mental
health uh concerns.
Healing is not linear, just likeit isn't for a lot of other
chronic conditions, physicalconditions.
(45:31):
So um ensuring that you kind ofstay the course with them,
respecting boundaries, but alsochecking in.
There's so many ways that's thisis, you know, in the digital
age, this is what's great.
You don't have to show up atsomeone's door, you don't have
to pick the phone and call.
You can do a text, you can do achat, just little check-ins can
make all the difference.
And um offering very practicalsupport, running errands,
(45:53):
watching kids, things that justrelieve a burden for someone
who's going through a mentalhealth struggle.
SPEAKER_01 (45:59):
Nice.
Those are such helpful tips torecognize.
And, you know, just thinkingabout our kids and how much time
they spend on social media and,you know, being a parent and
checking in and asking thosequestions.
Who are you talking with?
Who are you surrounding yourselfwith?
(46:20):
And, you know, understanding thevulnerabilities that, you know,
our um young people could beexposed to on those online
platforms, chat rooms.
And so it's great that parentsand loved ones can check in.
SPEAKER_00 (46:36):
And it's critical to get into that world, right?
No teenager is going to be like,sure, here's what's happening.
I'm gonna but if you get intothat world with genuine
interest, which comes out oflove for our kids anyhow, yes,
um, and just have um really uhyou know honest interest in
what's happening for them onlinein their online lives, you'll
(46:57):
get bits, you'll get enough.
SPEAKER_01 (46:59):
Make a difference.
Yep, yep.
SPEAKER_00 (47:00):
And then monitor on the side.
So if you have access to monitordirectly and could do it, do it.
Yes, definitely.
SPEAKER_01 (47:07):
And so for someone new to therapy, the process of
finding a provider can feeloverwhelming.
Yeah.
Where can we direct ourcommunity, our young people?
Where can they start?
SPEAKER_00 (47:22):
Well, for our young people, you have many more
resources in your schoolbuilding now than um we used to
hear in Montgomery County evenjust uh five years ago.
Um, we have big schools.
We're a large community, we're adiverse community.
So I say that with all respectand um affirmation for those
that might still feel alone intheir school or in their
(47:45):
community.
However, you have beyond yourschool counselor, you have,
depending on if you're in umprimary or secondary school, you
have parent communitycoordinators who also are there
for young people, schooladministrators.
Um, we have lots of programs inMCPS right now to support you
with.
You already mentioned thewellness centers earlier that
(48:06):
are available in many highschools in Montgomery County.
We have the Bridge to WellnessInitiative that is available in
all of the remaining highschools in Montgomery County.
Um, the important thing is thatyou reach out to someone you
trust, whoever that may be.
SPEAKER_02 (48:22):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (48:23):
Um, and if that's not an adult, if you really do
not think you can talk to anadult, confide in a trusted
friend.
Yeah.
Right.
And that's why it's reallyimportant that we have so many
youth-led peer initiatives.
SPEAKER_01 (48:36):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (48:37):
Um, and that we have youth trained in mental health
first aid and um all kinds ofstrategies to support each other
and connecting um fellow peersto care and connecting them to
trusted adults to support them.
SPEAKER_01 (48:50):
Yes, we're very fortunate in Montgomery County
and at the state to have uhwell-funded and accessible
resources.
And so uh thinking about thoseresources, how can patients
ensure the therapist is a goodfit, whether that's culturally,
emotionally, practically,insurance, location, language
(49:13):
barriers?
That can be tough.
SPEAKER_00 (49:16):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (49:16):
That can be tough.
SPEAKER_00 (49:17):
Um, you have to think about it as it's a say,
you know, we we shop for primarycare physicians sometimes,
right?
If we're lucky and we haveoptions, which not all of us
are, right?
Um, but I will say the the firststep is certainly if if you do
have insurance, whether it'spublic insurance or private
insurance, that you look at thenumber of the back of that card
(49:38):
that might look like a numberthat you're you know looking at
to get your flu shot or to getyour um well visit, you call
that number.
Mental health parity exists inthis country um legally, and you
ask around you you ask for theresources for behavioral health
and that kind of support.
If you're not finding what youneed there, um many insurance
companies now will, of course,have online directories, just
(49:59):
like you might for, you know,dentist, um, again, whether it's
public or private insurance.
Um and you can um you can usefilters to search by location.
It's really important that you,you know, don't have to take
three buses or drive um an hourto access someone that you can
um uh seek help with.
Um they have languages, most ofthem as well.
(50:21):
Um, you know, in terms ofculturally competent care, a lot
of them don't have race.
Some of them have pictures.
Yes.
But um, I tell anyone who hasseeking a therapy, I say whether
or not your insurance company orthe provider that you first go
to says that they offer this,ask for a one-time free
(50:42):
consultation.
Many, many clinicians will dothis.
Um not all will.
I'm not saying that all will,but ask for it, right?
You are the consumer.
Uh, ask for it.
Um, many will do this,especially upon requests.
They'll spend 20 minutes or halfan hour with you.
You can kind of interview them,yeah, get to know them a little
bit.
(51:02):
It's confidential.
Um, and it gives you a sense ofwho they are before setting up
an appointment.
SPEAKER_01 (51:08):
Um good.
And I know that you know,telemedicine is also on the
rise.
Absolutely.
Addressing barriers to accessingcare is becoming more and more
easier to um seek out.
So what do you suggest ifsomeone tries therapy and
(51:31):
doesn't connect with their firstprovider?
How can they advocate forthemselves and still uh continue
to seek the care they need?
SPEAKER_00 (51:40):
Yeah.
Um the first thing I recommendis that you share your thoughts
and feelings about this notbeing a good match directly with
the provider.
SPEAKER_02 (51:50):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (51:51):
You may be surprised, and the provider may
respond in a way that helps youfeel safer, more connected,
especially depending on how longyou've invested in that
particular, you know,relationship or clinical
relationship.
Um that can be a verychallenging scenario to feel
comfortable sharing that.
(52:11):
So it it may or may not be theright choice for everybody in
that situation.
But if you feel like you can doit, I recommend it because
you're seeing you should beseeing a professional.
And if they are a professional,um, not only might um they be
able to change how they'resupporting you in a way that is
a better fit, but if that is notthe case, they may be your best
(52:33):
friend in helping you find yournext best fit as well.
Um, now, again, if you don'tfeel like you can speak to this
person in that way, then clearlythat's not a safe place for you
to be receiving therapy anyhow.
Um, and so um, you know, again,depending on your insurance
status, it's important to gothrough um through uh your
insurance payer to try to findthe best fit, but there are
(52:55):
other options as well.
And so I just want to make surethat folks know that um, again,
both public and privateinsurance uh insurers do have
now uh individuals that arecalled health coaches or care
coordinators that you can reachout to and say, look, I did
this, it didn't work, I don'thave time to keep shopping for
someone else.
Please help me out.
You get to talk to themtypically, and they you they get
(53:16):
a sense of what it is thatyou're looking for and what you
want.
And they might be able tosupport with kind of casting the
net on what other providers arein your network or um can be
seen through your insurance andhelp make that match with you
and for you.
Um, if you do not haveinsurance, because many people
do not, or you do, and the copayis too high and the deductibles
are too high for you to affordit, know that you have other
(53:39):
options.
Um, I need to repeat that the988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
is an emotional supportlifeline.
You don't have to be in um in asituation that you assess to be
a crisis to call and getsupport, including support
around how to access treatment.
Um, here in Montgomery County,we have a service in our
(54:00):
behavioral health and crisisservices division that's called
Access to Behavioral Health.
So this is for adults who haveno insurance or who have
Medicaid or Medicare.
And you can access that serviceby calling 240-777-1770.
And they can support you withinformation and referral
(54:22):
services.
They can provide a screening foryou over the phone, virtually or
in person.
And this is for mental healthassessments and for treatment
for mental health and substanceabuse concerns.
You can walk in in personwithout an appointment at 27
Courthouse Square, suite 101,right here in Rockville.
And uh if you do have insurance,public insurance, bring your
(54:44):
proof of insurance and/or incomeinformation.
Um, it's also a service that'savailable to provide telephone
consultation for not just ourresidents, but professionals are
referring agencies.
Um, so if you're connected tosomeone, uh, if you're, for
example, at a at a at a clinicand you have a wait list and
(55:05):
people reaching out saying,where else can I connect?
Um, you can call Access toBehavioral Health Services to
get consultation about how todirect people that are looking
for care.
We're also fortunate in thestate of Maryland to have what's
called a health coverageassistance team.
This is a state resource thatcan help you get answers to your
health insurance questions ifyou're uh experiencing barriers,
(55:25):
whether you're uninsured orinsured.
They address health insuranceproblems and concerns.
Uh, it's also a place where youcan file a complaint about your
health insurance if you need toor your concern, but they
connect you to resources aswell.
So they can be reached at410-468-2442 or via email at
(55:45):
hcat.mia at marilyn.gov.
SPEAKER_01 (55:50):
All right.
Well, thank you again, Ms.
Martin, for you know, bringingyour talents here to Montgomery
County.
Thank you for sharing yourperspective on mental health and
ways we can uh seek outresources right here in the
community in a healthy way.
And thank you to everyone whojoined us uh for this incredible
(56:15):
segment and discussion.
And uh that's our show forwhat's happening in Moco.
Thank you.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (56:25):
Thanks for listening to What's Happening in Moco.
Please subscribe to get yourfavorite podcast platform.
Good day and welcome to What's Happening Moco, an
authentic, unscripted podcastfrom your Montgomery County
government.
Now, it's your host, DerekKenney.
Good day, and welcome to What'sHappening Moco.
In today's episode, we talkabout health equity with a focus
on underserved communities.
Joining us in this discussion isCouncilmember Lori Ann Sells, an
(00:24):
at-large member of theMontgomery County Council.
Stells is the first JamaicanAmerican and black woman to
serve in the countywide office.
Sales service on the Human UhHealth and Human Services
Committee and EconomicDevelopment Committees.
Fantastic.
How are you today?
SPEAKER_01 (00:40):
I'm doing excellent.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (00:41):
All right.
Well, thank you for joining us.
Health and wellness has been apassion of this podcast for
quite some time, as it has been,I think, for the entire county
government this calendar year.
I'm not sure if it's the fiscalyear, but this calendar year,
we've really been focused onhealth and wellness.
What why do you, well, first ofall, before we start, how has
(01:02):
your summer been?
SPEAKER_01 (01:04):
I had a great summer.
You know, I'm grateful that wehave time to recalibrate and,
you know, reset and refocus ouragenda for the upcoming year.
I think, you know, with thechange in administration, it's
an important time for us to uhreally understand where we're
(01:25):
going, reflect on the budget,and then move forward with
urgency on, you know, ensuringwe're meeting the needs of the
community.
So excited to get back into theswing of things.
SPEAKER_03 (01:37):
And as I stand it, I understand it when it comes to
the needs of the community,there are certain underserved
communities that are facinghealth and wellness challenges.
Um why is that a passion ofyours?
And what are some of thechallenges that these
underserved communities arefacing?
SPEAKER_01 (01:58):
Well, I, you know, I'm a black woman, and so, you
know, that already puts me at,you know, a disadvantage.
I make 40 cents on the dollarto, you know, my uh white
counterparts.
I am, you know, predisposed toum cardiovascular disease.
(02:19):
And, you know, um, I can uhrattle off a number of
disparities and, you know,African Americans top those
lists.
It's the list that we don'tnecessarily want to be at the
top of, unfortunately.
And, you know, Montgomery Countyis home to some of the most four
of the most diverse cities inthe country.
(02:40):
And so as the counties lead foreliminating disparities in
public health, it's importantfor me to not only, you know, be
aware of the disparities, butalso be intentional about the uh
solutions that we need to, youknow, employ to address them in
(03:01):
a strategic way.
And now more than ever before,with, you know, cuts to Medicaid
and cuts to food, nutritionalbenefits, um, you know, our
workforce impacts, you know,that's going to have cascading
effects on our communities ofcolor.
And so it puts us in a veryunique position to utilize, you
(03:23):
know, shrinking resources toaddress growing problems and do
it in a unique way that's goingto reach a diverse cross-section
of our community.
SPEAKER_03 (03:35):
Yeah.
And we're one of the mostdiverse communities in the
country, not just Maryland.
Uh, but speaking of uniqueness,you are actually um in a unique
position as a council member toaddress health uh disparities or
any issues when it comes tohealth.
Yeah.
Uh tell us a little bit aboutyour background uh in health and
(03:56):
how that helps you to positionyou better to understand some of
what's going on when it comes towhat um minorities are facing in
the county.
SPEAKER_01 (04:05):
Definitely.
You know, I'm the daughter ofJamaican immigrants and my
father was in the military.
My mother was a social workerwith Montgomery County for over
30 years.
And so she had a deepunderstanding of some of the
challenges that our mostvulnerable communities faced.
And once my father finished his20-year career in the army, he
(04:25):
went back to school and became anurse.
And so he worked at the bedsideof some of our uh sickest
patients across Adice Hospital,um, Walter Reed.
And so, you know, um just beingexposed to that public service,
(04:46):
you know, my first job, I spentprobably eight years as a
pharmacy tech working at CVS.
Okay.
Um, and then Kaiser Permanente.
I did my internship at Kaiserbefore graduating with a degree
in public health from CollegePark.
And then I worked at thenation's top research
institutions from NIH and leftmy career at the FDA to do this
(05:10):
full-time.
And so now I get to have all ofthat experience working on the
front lines to now sitting as,you know, the board of health as
a council member to, you know,work with our public health
officer.
Um, and that was during thepandemic when I was on the city
council.
And now as an at-large member,you know, being able to work
(05:34):
with all of these partners, allsix of our hospital leaders and
meeting with them on a regularbasis, understanding the demands
on our emergency system, knowingthat we have, you know, a
growing number of seniors thatare aging in our community.
Um, and then lots of low-incomeresidents as well, who um have
(05:58):
limited access to healthcareresources.
And so being able to pivot andadapt to the changing needs has
been a challenging butrewarding, you know, we're
fortunate to live in a countythat has the resources to create
a mobile health clinic.
So, regardless of whether youlive in East County or in the
(06:20):
rural parts of our county, youknow, we want to make sure that
you are not at a disadvantagebecause of your zip code.
We want to bring thosehealthcare resources to you.
So, you know, I've been sograteful that we've been able to
put a mobile clinic in, youknow, the Ag Reserve.
We have it in, you know, EastCounty.
(06:40):
Oh gosh.
And so, you know, from dentalservices, preventative services,
regular checkups, you know,we're trying to meet our
residents where they're at whenthey can't get to the doctor's
office or, you know, they haveto use an emergency room to get,
you know, healthcare services.
And then we have so manynonprofits that have stood up
(07:03):
and transitioned from thepandemic to serve our residents
and also do it in a culturallycompetent way.
So no one feels discomfort orexperiences bias when they seek
help.
We want to ensure that throughour minority partnerships, that
they have access to culturallycompetent care providers.
SPEAKER_03 (07:26):
All right.
Speaking of, um, seems like avery thoughtful approach to
health care for residents and uhvery considerate of those
residents that may not have arelationship with their primary
care doctors.
We even have primary caredoctors.
And as you mentioned, their onlyuh recourse, I mean, some um
resource sometimes going to theemergency room where they may
(07:49):
not get the focused care or theknowledgeable care they they
need to have.
SPEAKER_02 (07:53):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (07:54):
Um, so that's not the only thoughtful approach
that you've taken or that thecounty's taken when it comes to
health care for underservedcommunities.
You've issued uh a report fromthe county council's very own
Office of Legislative Oversight.
Um tell us a little bit aboutthe Office of Legislative
Oversight, because maybe thefirst time some people are
(08:14):
hearing about that.
Yes.
And what is the report um thatyou commissioned?
And then, of course, lastly,what is it saying?
SPEAKER_01 (08:21):
Definitely.
So the Office of LegislativeOversight allows council members
to do a deeper dive, a deepanalysis on a particular topic.
Um, so uh when I got elected,there was a Washington Post
article about, you know, theimpacts of the Roe v.
(08:41):
Wade decision being overturnedand what that meant for women,
um, and what that meant forvulnerable women, black women in
maternal health, and um, howthey would be most impacted by
some of these decisions.
Um, we already know that, youknow, if they don't have the
(09:03):
appropriate, you know, pre- andpostpartum care, that, you know,
they can lose their life, theirbaby can lose their life, and
other circumstances can impact,you know, uh child and mother,
making it past um that criticaluh time.
And so I wanted to betterunderstand what Montgomery
(09:23):
County has done in the past toaddress Black maternal health.
What were we doing here incomparison to other
jurisdictions and what um was atstake, you know, what the risk
factors were and any servicesthat we could do.
And I found out that we actuallyhad a birthing center here in
(09:44):
Montgomery County.
SPEAKER_03 (09:46):
A birthing center?
SPEAKER_01 (09:47):
We had a birthing center, and we found that, you
know, creating a program wheredoulas and you know, other
healthcare providers, midwives.
SPEAKER_03 (10:00):
Let's let's back up.
So some of the terminology maynot be understand, you know,
something that can be easilyunderstandable by the average
person.
SPEAKER_01 (10:07):
Yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (10:08):
What's a birthing center?
What's a doula?
What's uh what does this meanfor um non-traditional um
parents to be?
SPEAKER_01 (10:16):
Yeah, so a birthing center was a place where you
know pregnant women could go toreceive maternal health care
services.
They could learn more about whatit takes to take care of your
body and your baby after yougive birth and talk to them
about the labor and deliveryexperience.
(10:37):
And then it actually gives you adoula, like a coach that's going
to help you bring your baby intothis world.
And these doulas and midwivesare trained to um provide
culturally competent care.
They help with making sure yournutrition is um, you know, where
(11:00):
it's supposed to be, yourweight, um, and any other
testing that may need to bedone.
And that happens, you know, ifyou are planning to become a
mother while you are, you know,going through your first,
second, and third trimester.
And then once you go home, theyare still, you know, that source
(11:20):
of support.
They encourage breastfeeding.
And so um, those healthcareprofessionals were, you know,
standard in our birthing center.
Uh, but not many healthinsurance providers cover those
expenses.
SPEAKER_02 (11:36):
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (11:36):
Um, and so, you know, if you are, you know, a
minority and you are givingbirth, you may be experiencing
pain during the labor anddelivery process.
Wow.
And they may not believe you.
You may not get the emergencycare, or, you know, you may go
(11:59):
through a C-section when youcould have gone through the
normal childbirth process if youjust had that patient healthcare
provider to coach you throughthat process.
Um, so there's a lot of benefitsthat we saw that the data showed
was beneficial to uh women ofcolor, um, but that went away
(12:22):
with the loss of the birthingcenter.
And so, you know, even ourpublic health officer is, you
know, creating an advisory boardto look at, you know, some of
the challenges that are facedin, you know, um, this
particular area of Blackmaternal health and looking at
resources, services that we canprovide to either recreate a
(12:49):
birthing center here, see whatthe possibilities are, what the
barriers are to um bringing sucha center back, and then just
ensuring that more black mothersare able to bring their babies
to term.
SPEAKER_03 (13:03):
That's wonderful.
And I guess healthcare beginswith the birth and with the
healthy mothers.
And so you're talking abouthealthcare, that's probably the
the the best starting point umthat the county can uh focus on
when you're talking about thethe um the future of children
having a great start, a healthystart is where it can start.
SPEAKER_01 (13:27):
Well, it actually begins before, you know.
You you have to make sure thatyou're eating healthy, you're
taking your prenatal vitamins,you know, um, that you have an
environment to bring a babyinto.
Do you have the space for, youknow, the crib?
And are you aware of all of theum, you know, materials that you
(13:52):
are supposed to have for yourbaby, how your baby's supposed
to lay in the crib, and youknow, what the most appropriate
um, you know, uh way to bringthe baby home and get acclimated
to this new responsibility.
And so, you know, we have lotsof programs here in the county
(14:13):
that we pay for um that are freeto moms to ensure that they're
one of my favorite words, countyresources free.
SPEAKER_03 (14:23):
Yes, yes.
So there's no barrier to gettingthat help.
SPEAKER_01 (14:26):
No, no, from the SMILE program to our other
programs that, you know, helpwith ensuring that, you know,
our mothers are maintaining ahealthy weight.
They are going to theircheckups, um, you know, trying
to ensure that babies are at ahealthy weight before they leave
(14:46):
the hospital, you know, all ofthat has to be determined before
they even come into this world.
And so having that supportsystem and that information
helps mothers, you know, so muchand baby.
SPEAKER_03 (15:00):
So much great information out there for new
parents who may not know some ofthe things that they may want to
do that they shouldn't do, likedon't land the beat with your
baby, you know, yeah, you mightend up smashing them, you know,
especially if dads, yeah, a bigdad, like you know, myself.
So, you know, yeah, you wannayou wanna love and hug on a
baby, but you know, don't fallasleep.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (15:19):
Yeah, and all of these, you know, OLO reports,
you know, you can go on ourwebsite, type in the search bar,
any number of topics that wehave explored and learn
information about, you know, theracial impact, the environmental
impact, and uh the financialcost of some of these decisions
(15:43):
and how they can be implemented.
They also includerecommendations for improving
outcomes.
So it's a really good resourcethat we have that residents can
access.
SPEAKER_03 (15:53):
Right.
It's a very thoughtful process.
And they'll, you know, uh manytimes um residents question how
did you make this decision?
Yeah.
And it starts with a thoughtfulprocess with research,
recommendations, a veryscholarly approach to um
assessing the situation andmaking recommendations.
What did what did this reportsay about the um disturbing
(16:16):
things when it comes to um thehomicide um rate and the suicide
rate around among AfricanAmerican men?
SPEAKER_01 (16:24):
Well, this is Suicide Prevention Month.
And so, you know, um mentalhealth was the number one factor
uh that was on the minds ofresidents during our community
survey um that we um sent out toresidents.
(16:45):
We do it every other year, andit has been the number one issue
since the pandemic.
And so, you know, our councilpresident, Kate Stewart, she
hosted an event about, you know,mental health.
We've also recognized mentalhealth um awareness month.
Uh, I believe that's in May toraise awareness about the
(17:08):
resources that are available,you know, um, from everyone, you
know, it's not just our kids.
And, you know, we are we evenput resources into the budget to
ensure that our correctionofficers had access to mental
health resources in ourcorrectional facilities.
(17:30):
Um, we've seen our officers, youknow, commit suicide right here
in Montgomery County.
So we don't want anyone to um,you know, not have access to
these important resources.
And, you know, I'm sodisappointed that, you know,
that our young black boys are,you know, at the top of this
(17:52):
list for suicide rates andhomicide.
Um, and gun violence is at thecenter of this discussion, you
know, um, the country has beenin turmoil because of gun
violence, you know, and uh we'renot thinking about who's most
impacted.
And so I'm glad that we'rehaving this timely discussion
(18:16):
because, you know, at the end ofthe day, it's in the numbers
who's being impacted and whatare we doing about this?
You know, guns are too availableto our kids.
And if they don't have access tothe necessary resources for
mentoring or um things to do outof school time, positive
(18:40):
experiences or um, you know,ways to resolve conflict in a
meaningful way, they are goingto quickly resort to, you know,
making rash decisions that havelong-term effects.
Um, and so, you know, we areseeing that, you know, the CDC
(19:06):
said that, you know, 40% of thedeaths among black men age 15 to
34 um have primarily been byfirearms.
SPEAKER_02 (19:16):
Oh no.
SPEAKER_01 (19:16):
Um, we're also seeing that firearms were
involved in over 90% of thehomicides among black males aged
15 to 44.
SPEAKER_02 (19:25):
Oh, god.
SPEAKER_01 (19:25):
Um, so just to think that our young men don't know
how to resolve conflict or thinkthat they are in situations
where that is the only answer isa scary reality that I don't
think we are, you know, doingenough about, you know, I don't
know who's talking to our youngmen, or, you know, they don't
(19:47):
always have someone to go to.
And do they feel comfortablebeing vulnerable?
Do we give them the space tofeel vulnerable?
What messaging are we puttingout for our young men to seek
help and feel comfortable askingfor help?
And so, you know, it's it's veryimportant for us nowadays to ask
(20:09):
our kids how they're doing.
SPEAKER_02 (20:11):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (20:11):
We quickly, you know, want to make sure that
they are getting good grades,they're showing up, but are they
really showing up and are weshowing up for them?
SPEAKER_02 (20:21):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (20:22):
We're asking a lot of our educators, and you know,
they are on the front lines ofcheck in with our students.
But when you have a classroom of30 plus students, you don't have
a paraeducator, you don't have,you know, the support to not
only meet these benchmarks thatare required in our blueprint,
(20:43):
but also ensure that your kidsare mentally, emotionally, and
physically prepared to learn, itcreates just uh incredible
amount of concerning factors forour students and then our
families.
SPEAKER_03 (21:00):
So And uh it's just important to note that it's it's
okay to not be okay.
Yes, and a lot of times kidsdon't, with all that their
parents are probably dealingwith or their families are
dealing with, um, you may notknow that it it's okay as a
young kid, you know, to not beokay, and that your feelings do
matter, and that it's um okay toshare that with your parents or
(21:22):
with a a concerned adult andseek help.
Um and even for families that inmany cases mental health is a
bad word when you start thinkingyou immediately go to crazy, my
baby ain't crazy.
It's not crazy.
Um human beings have uh needsand there's need to care.
There's certain um things inplace to help us with our mental
(21:42):
well-being.
Yes um that can help to dissuadeus from um bad outcomes.
And you're talking about thatnow.
The report shows that there's aneed, and you've shown that
council is looking to providesome type of services to help to
address that need.
Um what other barriers are thereto health care um that exists
(22:06):
now among other servedcommunities?
Uh not not all of them.
You scale a couple of them, justquite a few barriers, but I
mean, just a few.
SPEAKER_01 (22:15):
I mean, financial, it's expensive.
You know, if you don't haveinsurance, it's hard to find a
healthcare provider.
And so, you know, through our umBlack Physicians Health Network,
we are able to provideculturally competent access to
free mental health services forour residents.
(22:38):
Um and, you know, we stood thatprogram up during the pandemic,
and it's continued because wesaw the demand.
Yeah.
Um, we saw that there was stilla need.
Um we kudos to them.
SPEAKER_03 (22:52):
They were at the Friendship Picnic and Ready
Health.
And when I talked to ReadyHealth, they had given away 60
free flu vaccinations.
Very.
Which, of course, will not onlyhelp the health and well-being,
but for families where sicknessor of a one-week flu could be
(23:14):
the difference between payingthe rent that month.
That's such an importantresource that the county is
helping to uh put out there.
So kudos to that program thatyou mentioned just now, the um
Black Physician Health Network.
Black Physicians Health CareNetwork.
Wonderful, wonderful.
Okay.
SPEAKER_01 (23:29):
And we also have our wellness centers that are at
some of our schools.
We're trying to expand uh thosewellness hubs so that, you know,
our students and their familieshave access to these
preventative and uh regularservices, whether it's, you
know, classes where they canaccess mentors or uh they can
(23:53):
even just talk with someoneabout um any physicals that they
need to participate inextracurricular activities.
We're trying to meet ourresidents where they are.
And, you know, we work with ournonprofits to make sure that we
also have culturally competentcare.
You know, we have a nursingshortage that's impacting how
(24:16):
many people can even be served.
That's why we have some of thelongest emergency room wait
times in the nation.
So, in addition to the financialcosts, in addition to the
cultural limitations on who cangive you culturally competent
care, do we have the staff?
Can you access this care?
(24:37):
And then are you dealing withthe stigma associated with
accessing this care?
And, you know, that and that'swhere the problem lies, you
know, making it normalizinggetting help.
We normalize getting, you know,our twice a year visits to the
(24:57):
dentist and knowing that when,you know, we have a cavity, we
go to the dentist, knowing thatwhen something doesn't feel
right in our body, we see ourprimary care provider.
SPEAKER_02 (25:06):
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (25:06):
But what are we encouraging and how are we
educating our young people abouthow to seek help and when,
what's appropriate, and whatdoes that look like, and why you
should feel comfortable in doingso, and why it's part of our
overall holistic health.
SPEAKER_03 (25:24):
Oh, wow.
That's daunting.
It's we applaud you for takingon such an intimidating uh cause
or uh such as this.
You've seen the data.
Yeah.
So you know there's a seriousneed, and you've seen the
budgets over the years, you knowthere's limited resources.
Um, but you're taking on thiswith a very conscientious and
(25:45):
thoughtful approach, uh, with uhan eye on impact in the
community.
Uh what do you see on thehorizon in terms of initiatives?
I know it's early on, but whattypes of things that might be in
the works that could beencouraging or something to
rally around for the communityin Montgomery County, Maryland?
SPEAKER_01 (26:03):
You know, I think we're going to have to take a
more holistic effect approach toaddressing these challenges.
Um, you know, education isnumber one, you know, ensuring
that, you know, our communityunderstands the resources that
are available to them, ensuringthat they are available in a
(26:25):
variety of mediums, languages,um, and ensuring that, you know,
our residents see themselves inthe messaging that we create,
the marketing for them to accessthese resources.
And, you know, we are supportingour students through the
pipeline to pursue these, youknow, uh career um
(26:47):
opportunities, you know.
Um, we also have to, you know,invest in these awareness
campaigns.
We have to advocate for policychanges.
We know that, you know, thisyear we have funded our budget,
but next year, you know, wedon't know what's gonna happen.
(27:09):
We had the highest uh job lossfrom the federal impacts here in
the county.
So we know that there are a lotof people here that don't have
health insurance.
Cobra's expensive.
Um, the Affordable Care Act,they are potentially going to be
cutting the subsidies that madeit affordable to access care in
(27:30):
that marketplace.
Um, you know, October 1st isright around the corner.
If this budget isn't funded,there's going to be a lot of
people who are going to be hitwith a lot of challenges that
we're going to have to absorb.
Um, and so, you know, we we'rebracing, we're working with our
health and human servicesdepartment.
(27:51):
You know, we're in closecommunication with our federal
partners to understand how tocommunicate, you know, what we
can continue to, you know,encourage our residents to
access.
Um, but it's it's really goingto come down to keeping those
lines of communication open anduh ensuring that we are raising
(28:15):
awareness about the servicesthat are available to our
residents.
SPEAKER_03 (28:19):
Speaking of services that are available, the
resources available in thecounty.
Yes.
We're going to change hats.
I'm going to take my host hatoff.
I'm going to give it to the verycapable and eloquent, uh, and of
course, better on the lens uhthan I am, um, Councilmember
Sales.
And she will be talking to acounty representative about the
(28:41):
resources available when itcomes to health, wellness, and
well-being in the county.
SPEAKER_01 (28:45):
Awesome.
SPEAKER_03 (28:45):
So, up next, look forward to something better.
unknown (28:48):
What?
SPEAKER_01 (28:51):
Welcome back to What's Happening MoCo.
I am Councilmember at Large,Lorian Sales, and I am so
excited to share this platformwith our Chief of Behavioral
Health and Crisis Services, uh,Chief Monica Martin.
Thank you so much for joiningus.
SPEAKER_00 (29:12):
Thank you for having me here.
Such a pleasure.
SPEAKER_01 (29:14):
Of course.
Why don't you share a bit aboutyourself?
You've been in this role.
Has it been a year yet?
It will be in another 10 days.
So almost.
So we are almost at yourone-year anniversary, and you
have been with us for quite sometime in different roles, made it
through the pandemic, and nowleading our behavioral health
(29:36):
and crisis services.
So tell us a bit about yourjourney and what this year has
been like for you.
SPEAKER_00 (29:42):
Thank you.
I will, but I can't do thatwithout first thanking you,
Councilmember Sales, for yourservice to the whole county and
especially on the Health andHuman Services Committee and as
a clinical licensed socialworker to your mother for her 30
years of service as a socialworker here in Montgomery
County.
Um, on the Forget that in yourfirst term as a council member,
(30:02):
you very proactively reached outto come to visit one of our
Linkages learning sites andlearned about some of our
integrated primary andbehavioral health care for our
youngest students at MCPS.
So, so thank you for that.
So, as I just shared, I'm alicensed clinical social worker.
So I'm a clinician by training,and I've had the privilege and
honor of working for MontgomeryCounty's Department of Health
(30:24):
and Human Services for 18 yearsat this point.
Before then, I was doing a lotof work focused on youth and
families.
That's how I came into thiscounty work.
So I was a clinician thatspecialized in working with
adolescents and their families,working in the private nonprofit
sector and a behavior healthorganization that served the
(30:47):
Baltimore and DC greaterWashington metropolitan area.
So I'd done that for eightyears, focusing on prevention
and early intervention in thebeginning, partnering with the
county's Department of Healthand Human Services to expand
some of those school-basedinitiatives and programs at that
time when our linkages learninginitiative was expanding in the
(31:07):
Up County region in particular.
But prior to that, I had donework as a hospital social
worker.
I had done work as a socialworker serving migrant
populations and in ruralVirginia.
I had done school-based work aswell, hence the circle back
around to the passion forintegrating mental health care
into our schools.
(31:28):
And then when I came toMontgomery County in HHS, that's
exactly what I stepped into,kind of furthering those
school-based partnerships withinour children, youth, and family
services division.
Yeah.
To be at school-based, schoollinked, all kinds of different
avenues to try to, again, reachmore youth and families in that
wonderfully accessible locationof the schoolhouse and the
(31:49):
community that surrounds it.
So a year ago I came into thisrole and kind of back into my
clinical roots in terms ofoverseeing some of our services
that serve the most vulnerableof our residents in terms of
those that experience thegreatest disparate disparities
(32:10):
and the greatest barriers toaccessing behavioral health care
as part of our local publicsafety net.
So this is where I am now.
And I'm so privileged andhonored to be here with you
today.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_01 (32:21):
Thank you for sharing that with us, Ms.
Martin.
And so this is SuicidePrevention Month.
Sure is.
SPEAKER_00 (33:04):
Yeah, thank you for uh speaking so eloquently to all
the uh barriers that so manypopulations face in um really
accessing all the resources andsupports they need to be
healthy, period.
It all contributes to uhescalating uh uh states of
mental health distress if youdon't have access to healthy
(33:25):
resources, period, as you'regrowing up and disenfranchised
and doing so.
But in terms of the termself-love, um it can sound
abstract or or cliche, but it'sreally about how we treat
ourselves, especially when noone's watching.
That's the key thing.
That's the qualifier that Ialways put out there.
Yeah, especially when no oneelse is watching.
(33:46):
So it's really the ongoingpractice of valuing, respecting,
and caring for yourselfphysically, emotionally,
mentally in all realms, throughyour actions, through your
boundaries.
It's a very important one aspectof self-love, and through
self-talk.
Um, so it is everything fromgetting enough rest and not
(34:07):
glorifying burnout to givingyourself permission to feel
emotions without judgment, tosaying no to things that drain
you, even when you're expectedto say yes.
So it's those kinds of thingsthat um we need to do for
ourselves to keep our thoughtourselves healthy and on our
best.
SPEAKER_01 (34:27):
No, that's so important, you know.
As woman, you know, I think inour parents' generation, it was
glorified to be superwoman.
And I'm so glad that ourgeneration has learned about the
burnout culture, and we are nowum trying to model healthier
(34:49):
ways to, you know, exerciseself-love and hopefully instill
that in the next generation.
And so you mentioned some smallpractices that our, you know,
young people and community cando.
Um, you know, how does thiscontribute to, you know, overall
(35:09):
better mental health and overallwellness?
SPEAKER_00 (35:13):
Yeah, it um really makes a huge, huge difference.
Um, if I can elaborate a littlebit more on if people don't know
about this concept, many peoplehave heard about it, um, but
don't know whether or notthey're practicing it in their
day-to-day lives.
Yeah, um, I always say, andyou'll hear anyone who's
familiar with this concept say,if I treated myself like someone
(35:34):
I deeply cared about, what wouldI do differently today?
Uh for me, when I feel like I'mstruggling with self-love, I
think about my dear grandmother,my 96-year-old grandmother uh in
in Puerto Rico, who um is stillwith us and probably will
outlive all of us, um, but whois so endeared to me.
(35:54):
And I think if she were sayingthis to me right now, if she
were feeling this right now, ifshe were doing this right now,
what would I be saying back toher?
Um, and so it's it's reallyimportant to try to have that
perspective with yourself, totry to adopt that
self-compassion.
Um, because when you replacethat harsh self-talk that many
(36:15):
of us have grown up with, uhwhen you replace that with
kinder, more understanding wordssuch as, I'm doing the best I
can right now, and that'senough, right?
I'm enough.
When you allow yourself to makemistakes and to love yourself
through those mistakes, I lovethe term that um I adopted at
(36:35):
some point that I'm a recoveringperfectionist.
It's a lifelong journey.
And it's and and I've I've builta small community of recovering
perfectionists along with me inthe workplace.
We have conversations aroundthis.
Um, that all allows us to againtake a step back from the
immediate situation because wehave to learn that narrative,
(36:58):
that self-talk.
It allows us to regulate ouremotions, which reduces stress
hormones, which helps with ouroverall health.
Um, it allows us to prioritizeourselves and again not be in
relationships that arecodependent or toxic, right?
Part of that, what I mentionedearlier was the boundaries
(37:20):
piece, learning to how to sayno, understanding that no is a
complete sentence.
Uh and it's okay to be said, um,and not just, you know, once.
It doesn't mean that you'rethrowing a tantrum, especially
as a woman, if you're setting aboundary or otherwise.
Um, there's so many things thatum youth as well can do for
(37:42):
themselves in in situationswhere they are um seeing
themselves reflected through theeyes of, for example, social
media.
That is so important that adultsmodel for youth, unplugging,
intentional unplugging fromsocial media use from the
electronics.
Oh, yeah, to ensure that there'sthe capacity, again, to instill
(38:06):
conversations, intentionalconversations, whenever
possible, around that positiveself-talk that is so important
to have.
So um no, the the benefits areare immense.
It reduces anxiety anddepression, absolutely.
Um, it helps to kind of lift themental load of the worries that
lead to anxiety and depression.
(38:27):
Um I could go on.
SPEAKER_01 (38:28):
The benefits are yes, I'm I'm glad that we have,
you know, the county's respectfest happening where um, you
know, our young people arereally driving the
communication, the aroundhealthy relationships and
boundaries and yes, knowing thatno is okay and being comfortable
(38:51):
with it.
And so I'm glad you mentionedthat boundaries.
And so being chief of thisdepartment, you know, what are
some common signs that someoneshould reach out for
professional support instead oftrying to push through and, you
(39:13):
know, try to navigate thischallenging time on their own?
SPEAKER_00 (39:18):
Yeah, I think first and foremost, it's important to
always remember that it's alwaysokay to reach out.
It is never a mistake to reachout.
If it turns out you're reachingout and you're speaking to a
mental health professional or acall taker on our 988 line, or
your primary care physician andyou're sharing, I'm having these
thoughts.
Um, these are my new behaviors.
I'm finding myself avoidingcertain things.
(39:41):
Whatever's happening for you,I'm not enjoying what I used to
enjoy.
Whatever that is, um, anyone inthe helping profession is going
to be, first of all, um very,very affirming that you have
done that because that's asource of strength, reaching out
for help.
It's not a sign of weakness.
Um, and if it turns out youdon't need therapy right away,
(40:02):
they're gonna make thatassessment and they're gonna
support you through that.
And that's okay.
Um, having said that, it isnormal for all of us to have our
ups and downs.
Absolutely.
And there are certain times whenit really is important for us if
we notice these uh things inourselves or for um our loved
ones, if we're noticing in ourloved ones, for us to prompt
(40:22):
them to reach out for supportwith uh certainly persistent
feelings of sadness orhopelessness, right?
So not temporal, not for a shortperiod of time, but for weeks or
months without relief.
That is definitely a sign.
Um, as I mentioned earlier, theloss of interest in activities
that you once enjoyed, um,having not just nerves or
(40:44):
stress, but overwhelming anxietyor panic, so constant worry,
racing thoughts, certainly panicattacks, um, anxiety that
interferes with your daily lifeor with your decision making,
right?
Paralysis due to the stress thatyou're feeling, difficulty uh
regulating emotions.
So if you're someone whotypically doesn't express anger
(41:05):
and suddenly you're you'rehaving intense anger,
irritability, or it's a youknow, slowly escalating thing
that you notice, or or theconverse, emotional numbness.
You're not expressing theemotions you typically would
have expressed.
Um, if you're having mood swingsthat affect your relationships
or your work, uh if you havechanges in sleep or your
appetite, those are symptomsthat often accompany depression
(41:29):
or anxiety.
And certainly if you findyourself withdrawing and
isolating, if you're avoidingthe social interactions you used
to enjoy, if you're feelingdisconnected from others, even
if you're still interacting withthem, but you're feeling like
people aren't hearing me, peoplearen't seeing me, they're
understanding me, or I don'twant them to right now.
Yeah.
(41:49):
Because it's too scary to thinkabout what they might see or
what I might see reflected inthem if they shine a mirror on
me, right?
So those are all signs that youshould reach out.
Certainly thoughts of self-harmor suicide.
That is an emergency.
Do that right away.
But it's absolutely criticalthat we know, just like with any
(42:11):
aspect of our overall health andwellness, prevention and early
intervention is key.
SPEAKER_02 (42:17):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (42:17):
It absolutely can turn the curve on experiencing
uh more symptoms later, um, moreanxiety, more depression, more
debilitating uh situations.
So reach out when in doubt.
SPEAKER_01 (42:29):
Thank you.
Always a good time to reach outand have someone you can trust
when you're feeling down.
And so I know that um, you know,you mentioned it's always a good
time to reach out.
And what can friends and familymembers do?
(42:50):
Um, what are some of the warningsigns that they should recognize
to support a loved one andencourage them to take that next
step to get help?
SPEAKER_00 (43:02):
Yeah.
So obviously having observedanything that I already, you
know, shared, um, but again,there could be there's different
signs for different people, um,trouble concentrating or
completing tasks or maintainingproductivity that's important.
If you notice that on acolleague at work, for example,
um, if someone expresses umsentiments such as are feeling
(43:23):
stuck or unable to move forwardin life, if you see your loved
ones um taking on some unhealthycoping behaviors, so the
increased use of alcohol ordrugs or other risky behaviors,
um, or again, um, distractionsor avoidance um behaviors, such
as uh binge watching,overeating, things like that to
avoid emotions, if that's ashift in what someone um is
(43:46):
doing typically.
Um if you're seeing thatsomeone's trauma or grief seems
to be unresolved after a loss,after abuse, after a major life
change, um, if they're sharingthat they're having flashbacks,
nightmares, or they're avoidingreminders of some of their past
and experiences they've beenthrough.
(44:06):
Um, all of these things arethings to watch out for.
And what's really important isthat you should never be afraid
to directly speak to someonethat you think, even if it's not
true, even if it turns outthey're just fine and they're
just having a day.
Okay, it's never wrong to checkin, right?
Better be safe than sorry.
Um, supporting someonestruggling with their mental
(44:28):
health can really it can bechallenging, but also deeply
meaningful.
So um the way to approach it isto start with eye sentences,
right?
Where we talk about a lot.
So I've noticed you seem reallydown lately and I'm concerned,
right?
It's about your observations,it's about your worries.
Um, you want to make sure toavoid judgment.
(44:49):
You're not trying to fix orproblem solve.
You want to listen with empathy,be an ear.
Um, you want to encourageprofessional help seeking.
And um, I've often said, do youwant me to go with you to your
first appointment with atherapist?
Um, normalize the idea oftherapy and help seeking by
comparing it to seeking help forphysical health, right?
(45:10):
Because mental health strugglesare they're brain-based issues.
They're part of our biology andphysiology.
We are all one being.
It's very important.
Um, it's important to be patientand consistent with our loved
ones, especially those that arestruggling with ongoing mental
health uh concerns.
Healing is not linear, just likeit isn't for a lot of other
chronic conditions, physicalconditions.
(45:31):
So um ensuring that you kind ofstay the course with them,
respecting boundaries, but alsochecking in.
There's so many ways that's thisis, you know, in the digital
age, this is what's great.
You don't have to show up atsomeone's door, you don't have
to pick the phone and call.
You can do a text, you can do achat, just little check-ins can
make all the difference.
And um offering very practicalsupport, running errands,
(45:53):
watching kids, things that justrelieve a burden for someone
who's going through a mentalhealth struggle.
SPEAKER_01 (45:59):
Nice.
Those are such helpful tips torecognize.
And, you know, just thinkingabout our kids and how much time
they spend on social media and,you know, being a parent and
checking in and asking thosequestions.
Who are you talking with?
Who are you surrounding yourselfwith?
(46:20):
And, you know, understanding thevulnerabilities that, you know,
our um young people could beexposed to on those online
platforms, chat rooms.
And so it's great that parentsand loved ones can check in.
SPEAKER_00 (46:36):
And it's critical to get into that world, right?
No teenager is going to be like,sure, here's what's happening.
I'm gonna but if you get intothat world with genuine
interest, which comes out oflove for our kids anyhow, yes,
um, and just have um really uhyou know honest interest in
what's happening for them onlinein their online lives, you'll
(46:57):
get bits, you'll get enough.
SPEAKER_01 (46:59):
Make a difference.
Yep, yep.
SPEAKER_00 (47:00):
And then monitor on the side.
So if you have access to monitordirectly and could do it, do it.
Yes, definitely.
SPEAKER_01 (47:07):
And so for someone new to therapy, the process of
finding a provider can feeloverwhelming.
Yeah.
Where can we direct ourcommunity, our young people?
Where can they start?
SPEAKER_00 (47:22):
Well, for our young people, you have many more
resources in your schoolbuilding now than um we used to
hear in Montgomery County evenjust uh five years ago.
Um, we have big schools.
We're a large community, we're adiverse community.
So I say that with all respectand um affirmation for those
that might still feel alone intheir school or in their
(47:45):
community.
However, you have beyond yourschool counselor, you have,
depending on if you're in umprimary or secondary school, you
have parent communitycoordinators who also are there
for young people, schooladministrators.
Um, we have lots of programs inMCPS right now to support you
with.
You already mentioned thewellness centers earlier that
(48:06):
are available in many highschools in Montgomery County.
We have the Bridge to WellnessInitiative that is available in
all of the remaining highschools in Montgomery County.
Um, the important thing is thatyou reach out to someone you
trust, whoever that may be.
SPEAKER_02 (48:22):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (48:23):
Um, and if that's not an adult, if you really do
not think you can talk to anadult, confide in a trusted
friend.
Yeah.
Right.
And that's why it's reallyimportant that we have so many
youth-led peer initiatives.
SPEAKER_01 (48:36):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (48:37):
Um, and that we have youth trained in mental health
first aid and um all kinds ofstrategies to support each other
and connecting um fellow peersto care and connecting them to
trusted adults to support them.
SPEAKER_01 (48:50):
Yes, we're very fortunate in Montgomery County
and at the state to have uhwell-funded and accessible
resources.
And so uh thinking about thoseresources, how can patients
ensure the therapist is a goodfit, whether that's culturally,
emotionally, practically,insurance, location, language
(49:13):
barriers?
That can be tough.
SPEAKER_00 (49:16):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (49:16):
That can be tough.
SPEAKER_00 (49:17):
Um, you have to think about it as it's a say,
you know, we we shop for primarycare physicians sometimes,
right?
If we're lucky and we haveoptions, which not all of us
are, right?
Um, but I will say the the firststep is certainly if if you do
have insurance, whether it'spublic insurance or private
insurance, that you look at thenumber of the back of that card
(49:38):
that might look like a numberthat you're you know looking at
to get your flu shot or to getyour um well visit, you call
that number.
Mental health parity exists inthis country um legally, and you
ask around you you ask for theresources for behavioral health
and that kind of support.
If you're not finding what youneed there, um many insurance
companies now will, of course,have online directories, just
(49:59):
like you might for, you know,dentist, um, again, whether it's
public or private insurance.
Um and you can um you can usefilters to search by location.
It's really important that you,you know, don't have to take
three buses or drive um an hourto access someone that you can
um uh seek help with.
Um they have languages, most ofthem as well.
(50:21):
Um, you know, in terms ofculturally competent care, a lot
of them don't have race.
Some of them have pictures.
Yes.
But um, I tell anyone who hasseeking a therapy, I say whether
or not your insurance company orthe provider that you first go
to says that they offer this,ask for a one-time free
(50:42):
consultation.
Many, many clinicians will dothis.
Um not all will.
I'm not saying that all will,but ask for it, right?
You are the consumer.
Uh, ask for it.
Um, many will do this,especially upon requests.
They'll spend 20 minutes or halfan hour with you.
You can kind of interview them,yeah, get to know them a little
bit.
(51:02):
It's confidential.
Um, and it gives you a sense ofwho they are before setting up
an appointment.
SPEAKER_01 (51:08):
Um good.
And I know that you know,telemedicine is also on the
rise.
Absolutely.
Addressing barriers to accessingcare is becoming more and more
easier to um seek out.
So what do you suggest ifsomeone tries therapy and
(51:31):
doesn't connect with their firstprovider?
How can they advocate forthemselves and still uh continue
to seek the care they need?
SPEAKER_00 (51:40):
Yeah.
Um the first thing I recommendis that you share your thoughts
and feelings about this notbeing a good match directly with
the provider.
SPEAKER_02 (51:50):
Okay.
SPEAKER_00 (51:51):
You may be surprised, and the provider may
respond in a way that helps youfeel safer, more connected,
especially depending on how longyou've invested in that
particular, you know,relationship or clinical
relationship.
Um that can be a verychallenging scenario to feel
comfortable sharing that.
(52:11):
So it it may or may not be theright choice for everybody in
that situation.
But if you feel like you can doit, I recommend it because
you're seeing you should beseeing a professional.
And if they are a professional,um, not only might um they be
able to change how they'resupporting you in a way that is
a better fit, but if that is notthe case, they may be your best
(52:33):
friend in helping you find yournext best fit as well.
Um, now, again, if you don'tfeel like you can speak to this
person in that way, then clearlythat's not a safe place for you
to be receiving therapy anyhow.
Um, and so um, you know, again,depending on your insurance
status, it's important to gothrough um through uh your
insurance payer to try to findthe best fit, but there are
(52:55):
other options as well.
And so I just want to make surethat folks know that um, again,
both public and privateinsurance uh insurers do have
now uh individuals that arecalled health coaches or care
coordinators that you can reachout to and say, look, I did
this, it didn't work, I don'thave time to keep shopping for
someone else.
Please help me out.
You get to talk to themtypically, and they you they get
(53:16):
a sense of what it is thatyou're looking for and what you
want.
And they might be able tosupport with kind of casting the
net on what other providers arein your network or um can be
seen through your insurance andhelp make that match with you
and for you.
Um, if you do not haveinsurance, because many people
do not, or you do, and the copayis too high and the deductibles
are too high for you to affordit, know that you have other
(53:39):
options.
Um, I need to repeat that the988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
is an emotional supportlifeline.
You don't have to be in um in asituation that you assess to be
a crisis to call and getsupport, including support
around how to access treatment.
Um, here in Montgomery County,we have a service in our
(54:00):
behavioral health and crisisservices division that's called
Access to Behavioral Health.
So this is for adults who haveno insurance or who have
Medicaid or Medicare.
And you can access that serviceby calling 240-777-1770.
And they can support you withinformation and referral
(54:22):
services.
They can provide a screening foryou over the phone, virtually or
in person.
And this is for mental healthassessments and for treatment
for mental health and substanceabuse concerns.
You can walk in in personwithout an appointment at 27
Courthouse Square, suite 101,right here in Rockville.
And uh if you do have insurance,public insurance, bring your
(54:44):
proof of insurance and/or incomeinformation.
Um, it's also a service that'savailable to provide telephone
consultation for not just ourresidents, but professionals are
referring agencies.
Um, so if you're connected tosomeone, uh, if you're, for
example, at a at a at a clinicand you have a wait list and
(55:05):
people reaching out saying,where else can I connect?
Um, you can call Access toBehavioral Health Services to
get consultation about how todirect people that are looking
for care.
We're also fortunate in thestate of Maryland to have what's
called a health coverageassistance team.
This is a state resource thatcan help you get answers to your
health insurance questions ifyou're uh experiencing barriers,
(55:25):
whether you're uninsured orinsured.
They address health insuranceproblems and concerns.
Uh, it's also a place where youcan file a complaint about your
health insurance if you need toor your concern, but they
connect you to resources aswell.
So they can be reached at410-468-2442 or via email at
(55:45):
hcat.mia at marilyn.gov.
SPEAKER_01 (55:50):
All right.
Well, thank you again, Ms.
Martin, for you know, bringingyour talents here to Montgomery
County.
Thank you for sharing yourperspective on mental health and
ways we can uh seek outresources right here in the
community in a healthy way.
And thank you to everyone whojoined us uh for this incredible
(56:15):
segment and discussion.
And uh that's our show forwhat's happening in Moco.
Thank you.
Thank you.
SPEAKER_03 (56:25):
Thanks for listening to What's Happening in Moco.
Please subscribe to get yourfavorite podcast platform.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.