In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, Joana Melendez, School-Based Programs Supervisor, and Nichole Duck, School-Based Programs Director, unpack the complex realities of mental health within Mexican-American and Native American communities. From generational stigma and language barriers to historical mistrust and faith-based taboos, they explore how culture deeply shapes access to care and perceptions of wellness. Together, Joana and Nichole discuss...

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, Stephanie Andrews, Executive Director of Student and Family Support Services at Tulsa Public Schools, and Faith Crittenden, Vice President of School-Based Programs at FCS, break down the far-reaching effects of chronic absenteeism. From falling behind academically to feeling disconnected from peers, missing school goes far beyond a few lost lessons. Together, Stephanie and Faith explore how cultural norms, post-...

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, Jesse Guardiola (Vice President of Community Engagement at Tulsa Area United Way), Adam Andreassen (CEO of Family & Children’s Services), and Anthony Adams (School-Based Program Administrator) have an honest conversation about the evolving definition of strength for men. They discuss the rising rates of male depression and suicide, and how outdated expectations around masculinity — from emotional silence to c...

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, Dr. Stevan Lahr, Medical Director, and Kaitlin Foster, Vice President of Adult Outpatient Services, unpack what anxiety truly is—and what it isn’t. From the biology behind the brain’s fight-or-flight response to the emotional toll of everyday stress, the conversation explores how anxiety manifests, how to recognize it, and why it’s one of the most treatable mental health conditions. Support and stay connected to ...

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, we explore the everyday challenges and life-changing impact of early parenting support. Lorinda Reed and Sarah Lankford Cerbino - leaders in the SafeCare® Home-Based Parenting program - join hosts Chris Posey and Rachel Roberts to discuss how Family & Children’s Services is helping families build safer, healthier home environments for young children. Designed for parents and caregivers of children ages 0–5, t...

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, Dr. Paul Baker, neuropsychologist and author of The Hopeful Brain, shares how breakthroughs in neuroscience have fundamentally shifted the way we view mental health, especially in children. Exploring core needs, rooted in neuroscience, offer a lens to understand behavior not as a problem to fix, but as a message to decode for hope. Joined by Adam Andreassen, CEO of Family & Children’s Services, and Chris Mas...

In this episode of OK State of Mind, a Family & Children’s Services podcast, we share an extraordinary story of perseverance, adaptation, and giving back. Sean MacLeod, an engineer at a Tulsa-based energy company and a Young Professionals Advisory Council (YPAC) board member, joins Adam Andreassen, CEO of Family & Children’s Services, and Tom Taylor, Chief Development Officer of Family & Children’s Services, to discuss the power of resilience and the role of community support in t...

Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community brings with it unique challenges. According to 2023 Gallup research, 7. 6% of U. S. adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. Within that group, most rated their mental health and emotional wellbeing much lower than their peers. In today’s episode of OK State of Mind, we speak with two members of the LGBTQ+ community who share candidly about their own challenges in coming out, maintaining relationships with friends and family, and thrivi...

Join us as we speak with Darryl Turpin and Guy Wheeler about Habilitation Empowerment Accountability Therapy (HEAT) and Habilitation Empowerment Recovery (HER). These two group counseling interventions are culturally tailored and explicitly designed to meet unique needs of those involved with jail diversion, substance use disorder, and women’s justice initiatives. Turpin and Wheeler currently partner with jail and prison diversion programs, substance use disorder programs, and women's justic...

When it comes to mental health, there are so many hurdles that people have to overcome just to step foot in a therapist's office or to join that telehealth meeting. These hurdles can be particularly challenging for certain people groups. In this episode, we're speaking with Teresa Williams, Clinical Director at Family & Children's Services, and Carlos Meeks, Clinical Supervisor at Family & Children's Services, about the stigma surrounding seeking therapy, particularly among African A...

Join us for a "real" conversation with two incredible leaders shaping behavioral health in Tulsa: Adam Andreassen, CEO of Family & Children’s Services, and Jim Serratt, CEO of Parkside Psychiatric Hospital. This episode isn’t just about data and strategies; it’s about the strength of partnerships and how communities can come together to make real, lasting change for people. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening to us. Subsc...

In 2017, the City of Tulsa was receiving more than 1,300 mental health-related 911 calls annually. City services were strained, and emergency resources were stretched thin. In response to this remarkable realization, a partnership between the Tulsa Police Department, the Tulsa Fire Department and FCS was formed. This partnership, known as the Community Response Team (CRT), serves in part to triage callers suffering from mental illness and place them with dedicated mental health professionals....

How can individuals who suffer from severe mental illness receive they care they need upon transitioning out of inpatient care facilities? Support during this period of transition is critical to those in need to help them avoid bouncing back into inpatient facilities or suffering alone in their homes, or worse, on the streets or wrapped up in the criminal justice system. Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT), a program found throughout the US, is a system of outpatient treatment th...

While the summer months often provide great opportunities for family members to connect with each other, they may also introduce some challenges to family wellness. In today's episode, we speak with Lorri Perez, Senior Program Director for the Child and Family Strengthening Center at FCS, about how to handle summertime situations such as vacation stress, adolescent screen time, expectation management, and even the occasional guilt feelings parents can experience in interacting (or not interac...

In this episode of "OK State of Mind," host Dee Harris is joined by Dr. Jennifer Hayes Grudeau and Dr. Amanda Sheffield Morris from Oklahoma State University, along with special guest Christine Marsh from Family & Children's Services. Check our our previous conversation with Jennifer and Amanda in our episode titled "Moving Beyond Adverse Childhood Experiences: ACES and PACES." This new conversation delves deeper into the critical role of protective and compensatory experiences (PACEs)...

According to CDC research, postpartum depression impacts roughly 1 in 8 women who go through a childbirth experience. But what is “postpartum depression”? How is defined, how does it differ from general depression, what are the symptoms, and how can it be addressed by moms, their families, and the medical community. We’ll examine these questions and more in this episode of OK State of Mind. Support and stay connected to us. First, be sure to hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening...

Prepare to be inspired by this episode – a personal success story about one woman’s path from incarceration to a thriving career in none other than the mental health industry. With the guidance and support of the FCS Women in Recovery diversion program and one employee in particular – who also takes part in this episode – our guest altered her life’s trajectory from one of drugs and crime to one of ambition and success. Join us for this motivating, candid conversation on OK State of Mind. Sup...

In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Hays-Grudo and Dr. Amanda Sheffield Morris, co-authors of Adverse and Protective Childhood Experiences: A Developmental Perspective and Raising a Resilient Child in a World of Adversity: Effective Parenting for Every Family, provide hope to those who have experienced childhood abuse, trauma, and neglect. Hays-Grudo and Morris discuss how Protective and Compensatory Experiences (PACEs) not only address, but counter the effects of Adverse Childhood Experience...

Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACES, can have a profound and lasting effect on children’s health and well-being. Oklahoma is 41st in the country for Adverse Childhood Experiences, and 21 percent of children in the state have experienced two or more ACEs. In this episode, we sit down with Christine Marsh, Chief Program Officer for Child Abuse and Trauma Services, also known as CATS, at Family & Children's Services. As a licensed clinical social worker and a nationally certified expert i...

In today's special episode, we’re redefining the conversation around mental health and I’m honored to host two remarkable individuals at the forefront of Tulsa's health landscape. Please welcome Bruce Dart, the visionary Executive Director of the Tulsa Health Department, and Adam Andreassen, the dedicated CEO of Family & Children’s Services. Embark on a thought-provoking exploration of the intricate dance between physical and mental well-being. From the importance of holistic healthcare t...