Collaborative Solutions Podcast

Episode 50: From the Dais With Amber Sellers: Building Policy That Works for People

n this episode of Collaborative Solutions, recorded during a dangerous January polar freeze, the conversation moves seamlessly between urgent, on-the-ground homelessness response and the deeper policy structures that shape who is helped, and how. City Commissioner Amber Sellers offers a rare perspective from inside government: someone who has worked directly with people experiencing hardship and now helps shape the policies that affect them.   Commissioner Sellers shares why she believes the people closest to the pain must be closer to power, how she has learned to re-channel advocacy into effective governance, and why housing, access, and coordination of care are inseparable from public health and community well-being. Lawrence is no longer just talking about solutions; it is showing and proving that coordinated, people-centered policy can move the needle.

Episode 49: How Cities Move Forward: Leadership, Collaboration, and the Work Ahead with Mayor Brad Finkeldei

We kick off 2026 with a conversation with Mayor Brad Finkeldei, who shares what it’s really like to lead a city through complex and often polarizing issues. From homelessness to community growth, Mayor Finkeldei reflects on the role of political will, collaboration, and steady leadership in shaping Lawrence’s direction.   This episode explores what happens when policy, partnership, and persistence come together - and why progress is rarely linear, but always worth working for.

Episode 48: Trusted Navigators - Community Health at Work in Lawrence

Today’s guests are three frontline community health champions: Raul Saenz-Escarcega of Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, a certified CHW who builds trust through relentless outreach—from encampments to home visits with Mobile Integrated Health—connecting neighbors to food, transportation, and care while advocating for equitable systems; Jenn Kessler of Heartland Community Health Center, who leads CHW efforts that remove real-world barriers (think flexible appointment policies, rapid warm handoffs, and a volunteer-powered care cupboard) and weave tight partnerships across agencies; and Shawna Davis, also at Heartland, a pediatric-focused CHW whose lived experience fuels compassionate, rapid response for families—spotting crises early, rallying supports, and meeting parents and kids exactly where they are. Together, they’re the relationship-driven navigators turning “a place for everyone” from slogan into daily practice in Lawrence and Douglas County.

Episode 47: Building Community Infrastructure for Behavioral Health - A Conversation with Dr. Kenneth Minkoff

On this episode of Collaborative Solutions (August 20, 2025), hosts Barry Feaker, Misty Bosch-Hastings, and Brett Hartford welcome special guest Dr. Kenneth Minkoff, a nationally recognized leader in psychiatry, addiction, and system design for behavioral health. Dr. Minkoff shares insights on how Douglas County became connected to his work through the Roadmap to the Ideal Crisis System, and he emphasizes the importance of building proactive, community-wide crisis response networks that treat behavioral health as essential infrastructure—on par with police, fire, and EMS. The conversation highlights Lawrence’s progress in reducing homelessness, the role of outreach teams in engaging people with complex needs, and the value of small, compassionate steps that build trust and long-term stability. Dr. Minkoff also cautions against framing behavioral health investment only in terms of cost savings, stressing instead that effective crisis care is a fundamental community responsibility.

Episode 46: Building Hope and Community: Catholic Charities’ Mission in Action

In this August 13, 2025 episode of Collaborative Solutions, hosted by Barry Feaker and guest co-host Brett Hartford, the conversation centers on tackling homelessness in Lawrence, Douglas County, and beyond, featuring guests Kaitlyn Mercer, Manager of Family Support for Catholic Charities in Lawrence, and Nelson Vowels, Senior Director of Mission Operations for Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. Mercer shares how the Lawrence Family Support Center provides food, clothing, rental and utility assistance, homeless prevention, and rapid rehousing, with a focus on wraparound services that stabilize and uplift individuals and families. Vowels offers a regional perspective, describing Catholic Charities’ 21-county network, including transitional housing programs like Shalom House, eviction prevention, refugee resettlement, and immigration legal services—all available to people of any faith or no faith. Together, the guests emphasize the importance of both transactional aid and relational hospitality, illustrating how simple acts of connection can restore dignity, foster hope, and inspire community transformation.