Inclusive Hobbies That Boost Mental Health
On this episode of All Teach, All Listen, Beyond the ECHO, host Sean Cuddihy talks with Jaclyn Greenberg, Johanne Mayer, and Gabrielle Milani about the mental-health benefits of hobbies and extracurriculars and how to make them accessible for people of all ages and abilities. Guests share practical tips for finding or creating inclusive activities, balancing self-care with caregiving, and building community supports and resources to help everyone participate and thrive.
Resources from this episode can be accessed here. [https://rutgers.box.com/s/a91e4bj5vsam1zbdonowbhp7gnhz66c7]
Keep up with Project ECHO at http://projectecho.rutgers.edu/ [http://projectecho.rutgers.edu/]
Learn more about our speakers below:
Jaclyn Greenberg is a writer and advocate. Jaclyn writes stories for magazines and newspapers on disability and accessibility, drawing from her firsthand experience as a parent of a child with disabilities. She understands the challenges of navigating care, allowing her to connect deeply with her sources. This perspective enables Jaclyn to craft clear, compelling stories that resonate with readers and advocate for change. Jaclyn creates clear, engaging content that resonates with consumers, making technical information easy to understand and actionable. Jaclyn is a graduate of NJ Partners in Policy Making at The Boggs Center. Jaclyn loves to travel and share stories about locations as well as places that are inclusive and family-friendly.
Johanne Mayer is a disability advocate, educator, and podcast host who uses her lived experience as a person with Down syndrome to challenge discrimination and promote inclusion. She is the creator of the podcast Inclusive Views, which focuses on taking the “dis” out of disability and showcasing the value and contributions of the disability community. Johanne is an Ambassador for the National Down Syndrome Society and a graduate of NJ Partners in Policymaking, where she began her work advocating for policies that protect disability rights at both the state and national levels. She is passionate about educating the public and creating meaningful systemic change. In addition to her advocacy, Johanne teaches students with special needs at Mercer County Community College, where she earned her Associate’s Degree, and volunteers with Zani’s Furry Friends Dog Rescue. Helping people—and animals—is at the heart of everything she does, and her work continues to inspire others to lead with inclusion, purpose, and hope.
Gabrielle Milani, MPH, R-DMT, LCAT is the Executive Director at Lukin Center, where she is passionate about leading and strengthening the relationships between Lukin Center and the community. She does so by planning and the execution of outreach engagements, events, activities within local communities, organizations, businesses, and institutions. Gabrielle also leads in the business development and overall vision of Lukin Center which includes marketing, branding, social media, therapeutic group development and staff professional enrichment. She is a Licensed in Creative Arts Therapist and a registered dance/movement therapist with the American Dance Therapy Association. As a psychotherapist, Gabrielle specializes in providing therapy for young adults, adults and couples. Gabrielle leads in the development of the use of the creative arts through the therapeutic process through supervision, program development and more. Gabrielle holds a BS in psychology with a minor in dance, along with a specialization in child services from Rowan University. She earned her MS in dance/movement therapy from Pratt Institute, and earned her master’s degree in public health from Montclair State University.
