Mental Health professionals have felt the physical and emotional effects of the demanding job long before the pandemic. Now, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, mental health workforce professionals are struggling with their own mental, physical and emotional well-being. How can these professionals avoid the emotional and physical burnout while caring for others?

WBFO Managing Editor, Brigid Jaipaul-Valenza, discusses mental healthcare professional well-being and burnout with Dr. Catherine Cook-Cottone, Psychologist, Professor at University at Buffalo and Marijke Kemble, Life Coach, Career Mentor & Mindfulness Teacher. Their conversation explored driving factors behind mental health professional burnout, how that burnout affects providers, and what things they should be doing to take care of their own mental health.

In partnership with the International Institute of Buffalo, BTPM presents Grasping the Dream: Mental Health Challenges for New Americans, a virtual community conversation.  Refugees, immigrants, and asylum-seekers experience a number of stressors and trauma from war, political violence, armed conflict, and various related threats. These populations often experience high amounts of stress and major life adjustments that can cause depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Many new Americans will not receive the mental health care they need due to barriers in services and cultural stigma.

Host Lynne Bader explored topics including refugee-related trauma and mental health issues, resettlement challenges and access to proper care, and culturally sensitive resources for service providers and the community. 

While the pandemic has not caused abuse, it has exacerbated abusive situations. Measures to keep the community safe, including shut downs and stay-at-home orders, have worsened vulnerabilities of individuals and families in violent and abusive situations. 

In partnership with the Family Justice Center, Buffalo Toronto Public Media hosted a virtual community conversation. Discussion topics included ways in which the pandemic and related economic and social factors have heightened situations of relationship abuse as it relates to mental health, as well as exploring regional and national resources available. 

Growing evidence shows that intimate partner violence has increased during the pandemic. It is important to note that intimate partner violence does not only impact women in heterosexual relationships. Intimate partner violence occurs in same-sex couples at rates equal to or higher than the rates in opposite sex partners. Communities of color are affected more severely as well, with systemic inequities often meaning lower income and less access to necessary services.

As part of WBFO’s Mental Health Initiative, Buffalo Toronto Public Media presents a three-part virtual series exploring the stressors and available resources for students, teachers, and faculty returning to in-person classrooms in the fall. This first discussion focused on elementary and middle school students. Academic transitions present a number of challenges for students, teachers, and parents and these pressures are heightened by new routines under the pandemic. Increased isolation has been difficult for many families, especially children. Effects of the pandemic can be associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression.

This virtual discussion series explores topics related to the reintegration of students and faculty into in-person learning. Topics include mental health and behavioral supports in schools, resources for parents, caregivers and families, and support and training for faculty and staff. 

WBFO’s Mental Health Initiative is funded by the Patrick P. Lee Foundation.

Moderated by Dave Debo, WBFO News Director
Panelists:
Jill Glowniak, LCSW, Family Support Center in Amherst Central School District 
Anne Landrigan, M.Sp.Ed., Coordinator for Student Services, Elmwood Village Charter School
Amanda Robert, Parent

As part of WBFO’s Mental Health Initiative, Buffalo Toronto Public Media presents a three-part virtual series exploring the stressors and available resources for students, teachers, and faculty returning to in-person classrooms in the fall. This second discussion focused on high school students. Academic transitions present a number of challenges for students, teachers, and parents and these pressures are heightened by new routines under the pandemic. Increased isolation has been difficult for many families, especially children. Effects of the pandemic can be associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression.

This virtual discussion series explores topics related to the reintegration of students and faculty into in-person learning. Topics include mental health and behavioral supports in schools, resources for parents, caregivers and families, and support and training for faculty and staff. 

WBFO’s Mental Health Initiative is funded by the Patrick P. Lee Foundation.

Moderated by Dave Debo, WBFO News Director
Panelists:
Celia Spacone, Ph.D., Suicide Prevention Coalition of Erie County Coordinator
Douglas Hahn, Youth Peer Advocate Coordinator, Mental Health Advocates of WNY
Peg Barrett, LCSW-R, School Advocate, Mental Health Advocates of WNY

As part of WBFO’s Mental Health Initiative, Buffalo Toronto Public Media presents a three-part virtual series exploring the stressors and available resources for students, teachers, and faculty returning to in-person classrooms in the fall. This third discussion focused on University and Higher Education. Academic transitions present a number of challenges for students, teachers, and parents and these pressures are heightened by new routines under the pandemic. Increased isolation has been difficult for many families, especially children. Effects of the pandemic can be associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression.

This virtual discussion series explores topics related to the reintegration of students and faculty into in-person learning. Topics include mental health and behavioral supports in schools, resources for parents, caregivers and families, and support and training for faculty and staff. 

WBFO’s Mental Health Initiative is funded by the Patrick P. Lee Foundation.

Moderated by Dave Debo, WBFO News Director
Panelists:
Eileen Niland, LMHC (she/her), Counseling Center Director, Canisius College
Sarah Young, Buffalo State College
Jéan Michel Jr., third year law school student 
 

Being LGBTQ+ is NOT a mental health challenge. However, LGBTQ+ youth often face external forces and stressors that can impact mental health. Stigma, discrimination, bullying, and hate speech are often reported experiences from LGBTQ+ youth and can be traumatic events that significantly influence a young person’s life and mental wellbeing. Buffalo Toronto Public Media partnered with GLYS to host a community conversation and panel discussion exploring issues that contribute to stress and negative impacts on LGBTQ+ youth on September 23, 2021.

Robert DiGangi-Roush, Executive Director of GLYS, served as host and moderator for LGBTQ+ Mental Health: What We All Need to Know. The panel discussed some challenges LGBTQ+ youth experience and how the intersection of social class, accessibility, religion, age, race, ethnicity, and more can impact mental wellness. The panel offered information for parents, caregivers, peers and the community on access to mental health care and services for LGBTQ+ youth. 

ABOUT THE MODERATOR AND PANELISTS:

Dr. Robert DiGangi-Roush (he/him & they/them), Executive Director of GLYS Western New York, Inc. has their undergraduate and Master's Degrees from The State University of NY at Buffalo, where their graduate work was in non-profit Administration. Their PhD is in Alternative and Complementary Healthcare from Westbrook University. Their dissertation is still used internationally as a textbook for creating a complementary and alternative healthcare clinic. In it, they used the same service wraparound concept that is now part of GLYS's Youth Gender Affirmation Program. 

Vivian D. Logan (she/her/hers), LMSW, APC; Outreach and Engagement Specialist with Horizon Health Services has worked in the Human Service field and in the field of social work for 20 years as a Licensed Masters Social Worker, prior to that she obtained an undergraduate degree in Psychology. Her MSW program at SUNY Buffalo entailed a program concentration in Families and Children and Mental Health. She has completed her doctorial course work, and currently preparing to conduct her research and complete her dissertation with UOP’s-online program in Educational Leadership and Administration. Her dissertation focuses on the leadership perspective of culturally responsive teaching practices as a method to engage and enhance the academic standards of ethnically and racially diverse students. As she believes a need exists for leaders to be culturally competent, understand the various theories of how people learn, and why factors such as “race, power, legitimacy, cultural capital, poverty, disability, ethnicity, gender, age, and language” can affect learning styles and skill development. In 2022, she will begin her quest to become a life coach, focusing on all areas of well-being.

Andrea (Andi) Binner (she/they) has worked in the Human Service field since they received their 1st Master’s Degree in Education/Counseling Psychology from St. Bonaventure University. Andrea also has a Masters’ degree in Social Work from the University at Buffalo. She started in the field working on a psychiatric unit/Emergency Room and then a Partial Hospitalization Program in Jamestown, NY. Andrea has enjoyed a mix of assisting both adult, teens and children throughout her 29-year career thus far. Andrea was trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and conducted research on HIV at SUNY – Binghamton where she earned her BA in Psychology. She also volunteered in helping individuals to grow safer, related to risk for HIV and other STI’s by assisting students, professors and anyone that wanted to learn about how to help make sex fun and consensual, while learning to have more agency over their sexual health. She continued this work at Evergreen and the Pride Center in 2015-2016. This is where she co-facilitated a Trauma Informed Psychoeducation group for people who identified themselves and Transgender/Non-Binary or Gender Expansive. Andrea has been in Private Practice full-time since 2016 in Buffalo, NY.

Jennifer Parrack has a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and has been living and working in Western New York for the past 11 years. She is currently employed by New York State.  She is a certified Our Whole Lives instructor, a comprehensive sex education curriculum that spans all ages. She is passionate about combatting bias in health care and the legal system (and life in general), from racism and transphobia to ableism and fat phobia. Jennifer is mom to two other panelists, 17-year-old, Allie (she/ her pronouns) and 14-year-old and Rin(they/ them pronouns).

Thank you to GLYS partners: Dr. Robert DiGangi-Roush, Executive Director and Rev. Susan Frawley, Community and Parent Outreach Coordinator and Pastor of the Hamburg Unitarian Universalist Church.

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It is estimated that 300-million people suffer from depression across the world. Experts say it's important to take action to deal with it. As part of our Mental Health Initiative, WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley says a local attorney found a way to help others as a way of enhancing his own mood.