Chosen Families & Equitable Programming (with Rheneisha Robertson & Damien Rush)

Practicing Mindfulness in School (with Sebastian Ramos)

We are excited to welcome National Runaway Safeline's Director of Training, Sebastian Ramos, to the podcast! In this episode, we have conversation reflecting on the missed opportunities to teach and practice mindfulness during our school years. Sebastian shares his thoughts on ways mindfulness can be implemented in an educational setting today, and how talking about self-regulation at a young age teaches young people how to set healthy mental health boundaries. Click here to learn more about the Let's Talk: Runaway Prevention Curriculum modules on Stress Reduction and Anger Management. [https://1800runaway.org/letstalk] Click here to learn more about Youth Homeless Outreach, Prevention and Education (HOPE) Month, formerly National Runaway Prevention Month (NRPM). [https://1800runaway.org/hope]

Internalized Homophobia, Forgiveness and the "Road Home" (with Rex Ogle)

[This episode features some coarse language, and discussions about suicidal ideation.] In a special PRIDE episode of "Let's Talk" we're joined by novelist and comic writer Rex Ogle. Rex recently released Road Home, the final installment of his memoir trilogy that focuses on his experiences with poverty, abuse and homelessness.  Rex is open and honest about his struggles with suicidal ideation, how RuPaul's Drag Race helped him address internalized homophobia, and healing yourself through forgiveness.  Order a copy of Road Home here: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324019923  [https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324019923] Follow Rex on Instagram here: @ThirdRex [https://instagram.com/thirdrex]

Chosen Families & Equitable Programming (with Rheneisha Robertson & Damien Rush)

In this month's episode we're discussing chosen families with Covenant House New Orleans. We're joined by Rheneisha Robertson, CEO at Covenant House New Orleans, and Damien Rush, youth advocate with experience using Covenant Houses's programs and services. Learn more about Covenant House New Orleans by visiting https://www.covenanthousenola.org [https://www.covenanthousenola.org/]. * Listen to the "Red Bean Baby" Podcast [https://www.covenanthousenola.org/podcast/] * Learn more about Covenant House Sleep Out events [https://www.sleepout.org/] * Watch Covenant House's short film "Pay It Forward" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZfdC7UfI3I]

Confronting Mental Health Stigma in the Black Community

The Let's Talk podcast kicks off its 6th season with an episode in honor of Black History Month, featuring insightful conversations with Amea Smith and Antonio Davis-Robinson. Both Amea and Antonio serve as passionate advocates for youth mental health through their roles on the NRS Youth Advisory Board, and through their career choices. In this episode we discuss the stigma surrounding mental health within the Black community, the emotional toll of code-switching, and the personal journeys of Amea and Antonio.

Helping Justice-Involved Youth Reach Their Full Potential (with Margaret Windham)

Season 5 comes to a close with a conversation about youth who have been involved in the juvenile justice system, and how the right opportunities can help them reach potential they don't necessarily see themselves. We are joined by the Margaret Windham, Executive Director at Cafe Momentum in Dallas, for a conversation about the incredible impact they've had in their community, the importance of community partnerships, and the joy young people experience through their internships and externships. You can support Cafe Momentum through donations or partnerships by visiting their website, CafeMomentum.org. [https://cafemomentum.org/]They also offer volunteer opportunities [https://cafemomentum.org/get-involved/#volunteer], which will be available in more locations soon as they plan to expand to 30 locations over the next 10 years.