Vida Khavar is a licensed Marriage and Family therapist who has 25+ years’ experience in child welfare. She has assisted many organizations in developing programs that serve children and families. Vida was a consultant for the federal project: RISE, which aimed at improving the lives of LGBTQ+ youth in foster care in Los Angeles County. She is currently the Clinical Director at Family Builders. As such, she collaborates with the California Department of Social Services in developing and implementing affirming policies and practices for LGBTQ+ children in foster care. Vida also leads the Youth Acceptance Project and provides her clinical expertise to several jurisdictions throughout the country.

• vkhavar@familybuilders.org
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/vida-khavar-lmft-918a393/
• lgbtqequity.org/june-2024-podcast-series/#
• https://familybuilders.org/programs-services/youth-acceptance-project
• https://youtu.be/fyXRwX3aeOU - video (Support for LGBTQ Youth Starts at Home)
• Youth Acceptance Project – The National SOGIE Center
• www.samhsa.gov/behavioral-health-equity/lgbtqi

Dr. Bryant brings a plethora of experiences and knowledge dealing with substance use disorders (SUD), HIV/AIDS prevention and education, diversity, equity and inclusion training, anti-racism training, and sexual orientation education. He has been successful in developing and implementing a statewide strategic plan for Georgia in response to the opioid and prescription drug overdose epidemic. As a result of this formative work, Dr Bryant received a grant to do a multi-cultural needs assessment among vulnerable populations in support of the Statewide Strategic Plan from the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Dr Bryant has published over 20 peer-reviewed articles in the areas of HIV/AIDS, homophobia, racism, and tobacco use prevention, and has been a registered respiratory therapist (RRT) for over 45 years, fighting on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a part-time Assistant Professor at Kennesaw State University and Capella, University, Dr Bryant teaches courses in SUD, health and wellness and does research and training in the areas of SUD prevention, treatment, and recovery. Dr Bryant also has over 30 years in long-term recovery.

• Lbryant1924@gmail.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrence-bryant-phd
• https://youtu.be/Tqryt-j94cY (video about LGBTQ+ Older Adults)
• lgbtqequity.org/june-2024-podcast-series/#
• www.samhsa.gov/behavioral-health-equity/lgbtqi

Angela Weeks brings extensive national experience creating, implementing, and evaluating programs and initiatives that improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people and communities. She has led the development of LGBTQ+ trainings and tools, policy revisions, webinars series, supported the design and implementation of interventions to support LGBTQ+ youth, and maintained resource databases and websites. In addition to directing this Center, Angela is the Project Director for The National Quality Improvement Center on Tailored Services, Placement Stability, and Permanency for LGBTQ2S Children and Youth in Foster Care (QIC-LGBTQ2S). As the Project Director for the QIC-LGBTQ2S, she has helped develop, implement, and evaluate 15 different LGBTQ+ programs and initiatives for LGBTQ+ foster youth, their families, and the workforce that serves them. She also has extensive experience supporting LGBTQ+ populations experiencing homelessness and the juvenile justice system. She holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from the University of Maryland’s Global Campus and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.

• angela.weeks@uconn.edu
• lgbtqequity.org/june-2024-podcast-series/#
• https://youtu.be/-CrjaFBF5dY (video - Learning about Sexual Orientation)
• www.samhsa.gov/behavioral-health-equity/lgbtqi

Karie, is a Certified ToP® Facilitator and Mentor Trainer with extensive experience in strategic planning and community engagement. Her passion for fostering collaboration and driving positive change has led her to dedicate her career to helping organizations and communities achieve their goals through effective facilitation and inclusive decision-making processes. She excels at creating safe and inclusive spaces for dialogue, managing diverse perspectives, and ensuring that all voices are heard and valued.

· www.karieterhark.com

· https://www.linkedin.com/in/karieterhark

· https://www.instagram.com/kt_facilitation/

· https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550480096730

Nathan Wray a Prevention Coordinator for the Roane County Anti-drug Coalition in Tennessee. He’s also a highly sought after motivational speaker whose life story is nothing short of inspirational. Nathan speaks from the perspective of lived experience, in hopes of empowering youth, and his story is a powerful testament to the human spirit's resilience. Nathan’s message combines his passion for change with a sense of humor that connects with the audience to make a lasting impact. In his spare time, he hangs out with his four kids and his beautiful life.

· Website: https://www.nathanwrayspeaks.com/

· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatnathanwray/

· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nwrayspeaks/

Rodney Wambeam, Ph.D. is a Senior Research Scientist at the Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center (WYSAC) of the University of Wyoming (UW). He is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science at UW. Dr. Wambeam completed his Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska in 1999 and served as policy advisor to Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson. He was Director of the Evaluation Research Department at the Nebraska Council to Prevent Alcohol and Drug Abuse before moving home to Wyoming in 2002. At WYSAC, Dr. Wambeam and his team conduct numerous substance abuse prevention and treatment research projects in many states including Arkansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and Wyoming. He currently leads the Federal Prevention Block Grant, State Opioid Response Grant, and National Opioid Litigation evaluations in Arkansas, as well as leading the Opioid/Fentanyl Needs Assessment and Strategic Plan in Wyoming. He has presented more than 50 keynotes across the country on substance abuse prevention with millennials and on the history of alcohol in America. His book “The Community Needs Assessment Workbook” from Oxford University Press came out in 2015.

• Email: rodney@uwyo.edu Website: https://wysac.uwyo.edu/wysac/people/rwambeam/
• Book: The Community Needs Assessment Workbook

My guest on this episode is Rikki Barton who has a passion for communicating essential messages to move individuals and communities onward in their goals. She is the Founder/Lead Consultant of Onward Consulting and holds the Missouri Advanced Prevention Specialist certification as well as international IC&RC certification. Rikki has over 14 years of prevention field experience and currently serves as a consultant to assist organizations, coalitions, and state/federal agencies in the areas of substance use prevention, suicide prevention, and mental health promotion. She has extensive experience working with community coalitions, providing training, grant writing, managing funding sources, and leading a team of preventionists. Rikki trains for CADCA in their youth and adult training programs as well as trains for National Council for Mental Wellbeing as an Adult, Youth, and Teen Mental Health First Aid Instructor. She holds a Bachelors degree from Pennsylvania State University and a Masters degree from Liberty University. In her free time, Rikki loves exploring the outdoors on hikes with her rescue dog, Oreo. Rikki recently returned from an epic adventure trip to Nepal, where she completed the Everest Base Camp trek (unfortunately, without Oreo).

· Email: rikki@onwardconsulting.biz

· Web site: https://www.onwardconsulting.biz

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rikki-onward

· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onward_consulting/

· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onwardconsultingllc

The funder of this project, along with all other products of the Mid-America PTTC is the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Although funded by SAMHSA, the content of this recording does not necessarily reflect the views of SAMHSA. The National Center of Excellence on social media and Youth Mental Health serves as a centralized, trusted source for evidence-based education and technical assistance to support the mental health of children and adolescents as they navigate social media.

https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/media-and-children/center-of-excellence-on-social-media-and-youth-mental-health/

The internet has dramatically reshaped how we buy and sell everything – including each other. Social media has been used by traffickers to recruit victims, to proliferate their trafficking operations, and to control victims through restricting their social media access, impersonating the victim, or spreading lies and rumors online. A leader in helping us to understand this issue is the Polaris Project, they are a survivor-centered, justice- and equity-driven movement to end human trafficking.

https://polarisproject.org/human-trafficking-and-social-media/