Crista Metzger-Leady, Family Coach from Family Success Network of Mercy Health, explores the topic of substance use disorders including the effects on the brain, how individuals can talk to their loved ones about addiction, and her own experiences living in recovery.

To watch the free webinar version, visit https://namiwoodcounty.org/nami-education-series/

Bridget Britton, MSW, LSW is the Behavioral Health Field Specialist in the Agriculture and Natural Resources program area for The Ohio State University serving Tuscarawas County and around the state of Ohio. In this webinar, Bridget will discuss stressors that the farming communities face, how to engage farmers in conversation around mental health, and address misconceptions around mental health and the farming community.

To watch the full free webinar, visit https://namiwoodcounty.org/nami-education-series/.

Maren Simon, LISW, MSW, ACHP-SW, Bereavement Team Coordinator for Hospice of Northwest Ohio, discusses important information for those experiencing grief and loss, ways to take care of yourself following a loss, and stigma associated with suicide and overdose deaths.

To watch Maren's webinar, please visit namiwoodcounty.org/nami-education-series/. To learn more about Hospice of Northwest Ohio, visit hospicenwo.org

Alexis Eggenberger, MBA, MSSA, LISW-S, BCBA Director of Autism Services from Avenues from Autism discusses what services the organization has to offer, and answers some questions about stigma and supporting loved ones who have recently received an autism diagnosis.

To watch Alexis' presentation, visit namiwoodcounty.org/nami-education-series/. To learn more about Avenues for Autism, visit avenuesforautism.org

This episode features Amy Foley, MMT, MT-BC and Jaclyn Hotaling-O'Neill, MMT, MT-BC from Heartstring Melodies. We will talk about what music therapy is, and how it can benefit individuals from attending as well as address stigma associated with this type of practice.

Click here to learn more about Heartstring Melodies!

Advocacy is defined as "public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy." Featuring Dakota Stone from the Alzheimer's Association and Stuart James of The Ability Center, we will be talking about what advocacy looks like and how people can advocate for services and different causes. We will also learn about some of the great services both these organizations have to offer. Click the links below to learn about these wonderful agencies:

The Ability Center's website
Alzheimer's Association's Northwest Ohio Chapter

What happens after a new mental health condition diagnosis? What services are available to help me on my journey to recovery?

As Stigma Busters transitions hosting sites, NAMI Wood County will talk with Amanda Kern, Executive Director of the Wood County ADAMHS Board, and three peer facilitators, Shari, Pat, and Aissa, to learn more about the ways individuals can support their recovery journey. Also, learn helpful questions to ask when looking for a new mental health provider!

To learn more about how NAMI Wood County can help you on the Road to Recovery, visit www.namiwoodcounty.org/road-to-recovery-packets/.

This episode of includes a conversation with licensed independent social worker, Brianna Megyesi, who works at the Center for FASD with OhioGuidestone. We talked about what Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder is and the stigma that is associated with both children and parents affected by FASD. To learn more about FASD, OhioGuidestone, and other related resources:

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Services 
FASD United -Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders 
Circle of Hope - FASD United
Center of FASD at OhioGuidestone

This episode has guest, Crista Metzger-Leady, a parent advocate who shares her lived experience as a parent of a child living with a mental health condition. Crista shares her experience with navigating the mental health system, how she recognized symptoms in her child, and how other parents can advocate for better mental health care for their children.

This month's episode included a conversation with Ashley Hartman and Lauren Albert, health educators from the Bowling Green State University Wellness Connection. Take a listen to learn more about their programs, how stigma impacts college campuses, and how students can seek help for their behavioral health concerns.

To learn more about the BGSU Wellness Connection, visit https://www.bgsu.edu/recwell/wellness-connection.html. 

March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month, and our host talked with Kyle Clark and Bill Ivoska with the Wood County Educational Service Center. Topics of conversation included recent trends, how gaming and gambling may affect youth in the future, stigma associated with behavior addiction, and more!

Do you or someone you know need help with a gambling problem? Call or text the National Problem Gambling Helpline at 800-522-4700. For local resources, visit wcadamh.org. 

In recognition of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week at the end of February, our host chatted with Amanda Like, a community member living in recovery from an eating disorder and who has worked in a local facility to help adolescents struggling with eating disorders. This conversation included education about signs and symptoms, how to help loved ones, and misconceptions about eating disorders as well as Amanda's personal story.

Bill Emahiser with Unison Health joined Stigma Busters to talk about the new Crisis Stabilization Unit in Wood County, a 12-bed voluntary facility for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.

To learn more about the CSU and other services through Unison Health, visit unisonhealth.org

This episode includes Angie Patchen and Annie Pilmore from the Wood County Educational Service Center. They discuss how to identify signs of a mental health concern in youth and ways we can support the mental wellness in youth. 

To learn more about their services, visit www.wcesc.org. 

This month's episode is all about our emotions. Take a moment to sit with us and learn about how to identify emotions, how to express emotions, and how this can help in our every day life.

Join the conversation with Mike Ginnetti with St. Aloysius Catholic Church. We'll talk more about how faith (with specific examples for the Christian faith) can help individuals struggling with mental health and how faith leaders can start the conversation about mental health with church members.

To learn about St. Aloysius, visit www.stalbg.org or contact Mike at ginnetti.m@stalbg.org or Father Tom McQuillen at frtom@stalbg.org. 

Have you heard of the Crisis Intervention Team program in Wood County? Learn more about how the CIT program has grown over the last decade from Jessica Hartman. To read more about CIT in Wood County after the episode, visit: https://namiwoodcounty.org/crisis-intervention-team/

Bree Snow, the AOT Client/Family Advocate with NAMI Wood County sits down with us to talk more about the Assisted Outpatient Treatment program in Wood County. Join the conversation as we talk about what the program is, how it works, partners involved with the program, and how individuals can get referred. 

Visit https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/aot/what-is-aot to learn more after listening to the episode.

Take some time today to learn about one of the treatment agencies available in our community: Arrowhead Behavioral Health, located in Maumee, Ohio. Not only will we chat about services, but we will talk more about how to support your loved ones struggling with addiction and debunk some stigmatizing myths about substance use disorders.

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I'm joined by Carol Asmus, a huge mental health champion in the Wood County community. Listen to learn more about how mental health stigma has changed over the decades and about resources available for family members impacted by mental illness.

Today, I'm joined by Dr. Chet Hesson of Bowling Green State University's athletics. We'll be chatting about mental wellness, stigma and stress within student athletes, and the strides BGSU is taking to help address student-athlete mental health. 

This month, I'm joined by Susan Montgomery, a local artist, author, and musician in Wood County Ohio. She's going to chat about how she uses creativity to help cope with her invisible disabilities and more about her recovery journey. Learn about her works at createdbysusan.com.

February is Teen Dating Violence Prevention month, and on this episode of Stigma Busters, we'll be sitting down with the Executive Director of The Cocoon, Kathy Mull, to talk about prevention, intervention, and stigma with domestic violence. Tune in to learn more about the great services of The Cocoon in Wood County, and as always, bust some stigma!

Join us for our first episode of 2022 as we chat with Madison Weilnau, LSW and Deputy Sheriff Kaleb Smith about ARC, Addiction Response Collaborative. We will not only talk about what the ARC program but also stigma surrounding addiction and relapse, and how community members can best the stigma too.

Bust the stigma surrounding the holiday blues with your friendly podcast host, Courtney Rice!

Fire up the grills! On today's Stigma Busters, we'll be hearing from Scott Frank about men's mental health.

Join us as we sit down for a special spooky episode with NAMI AOT Client/Family Advocate, Brianna Snow! Hear her discuss the potential for harmful and stigmatizing Halloween costumes, decorations, and media. Tune in to learn more!

Hear the first-person perspective of someone living with a mental health condition and the important advocacy work they do for the Wood County community.

Join us as we chat with Eric Barton and hear more about his experiences in Wood County and the great work being done at The Connection Center.

Find out more about the crisis services in Wood County from Jeanie List, one of the many hard-working individuals who works as a crisis counselor at Unison Health.

We'll be chatting with Noelle Duvall of Children's Resource Center about the trauma-informed care model used at their agency.

In this episode, we will be discussing more of the stigma with mental health in the criminal justice system, and how the Wood County ADAMHS Board supports these efforts.

Today, we are talking with the folks from NAMI Wood County here in Bowling Green, Ohio!

Join us as we discuss all the work being done with the Wood County Suicide Prevention Coalition!

Bill Emahiser from Unison Health will be talking about stigma surrounding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and other Anxiety disorders.

Listen to Deanna Stanton, Executive Director of the Wood County ADAMHS Board talk about her past experience working in mental health in Wood County.