Committed to Healthy Safe Streets

In this episode, Dr. Carolyn West, internationally recognized expert on intimate partner violence and professor of psychology at the University of Washington Tacoma, discusses domestic partner abuse, especially those who are survivors of color.

Normal adolescent behavior sometimes leads young people into entanglements with the criminal justice system. But as is the case across the U.S., in Pierce County, Wash. such encounters can have particularly detrimental effects for Black and Brown youths. Kaitlan Ohler, Director of the Imagine Justice Project, explains how her organization employs community-driven efforts to build safe and just futures for youths of color.

In this episode, the second of two discussions about Pierce County’s Key Peninsula (also known as “the KP”), Fire Prevention Specialist and Public Information Officer Anne Nesbit explains the health needs and challenges associated with delivering services to those who live and work in a rural, geographically isolated area.

In this episode, Dr. Jessi Quizar, an urban studies professor at the University Of Washington-Tacoma, describes how racism and discriminatory practices of the past have adversely affected overall public health and well-being in Tacoma and the South Puget Sound.

In this episode of Elevate Health’s 80/20 Project, Exita Lealofi, Youth Development Specialist for Proyecto Mole in Tacoma, Washington, explains that youths of color in the South Puget Sound are often unaware how or where they can access basic health services for themselves and their families.  

Past efforts to address substance use disorders in the United States have largely fallen short and created stigma. But in this episode of Elevate Health’s 80/20 Podcast, Alli Toren, a staff member for the Pierce County Opioid Task Force, says public opinions and attitudes appear to be shifting.

Established more than 30 years ago, the grassroots organization Safe Streets has evolved with the times, helping ensure safety and security in South Puget Sound communities. Safe Streets Executive Director Dr. Nora Flemming de Sandoval describes today’s challenges and opportunities.

In Pierce County, Washington, youths and families are engaging in a program designed to help them see, understand and respond to signs of mental distress and substance use disorders. Courtney Chandler, Health Promotion Coordinator for the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, explains how this collaborative approach is changing lives. https://www.tpchd.org/healthy-people/behavioral-health/mental-health-first-aid

It’s true that babies don’t come with instruction manuals. But a program called Family Connects Pierce County is helping hundreds of parents in Washington’s South Puget Sound Region navigate the unique needs and challenges that newborns bring. In this episode, Dr. Aisha Nnoli, a local OB-GYN, and Family Connects Program Director Emily Poncik, discuss the importance of post-partum care. https://www.familyconnectswa.org/

One in four Americans currently falls into the categories of either aging or disabled, according to U.S. population statistics. Matt Santelli, Education and Outreach Specialist for the Aging and Disability Resource Center in Pierce County, Washington, explains that providing support services to such residents can be challenging, but also critically important. www.piercecountywa.gov/1986/Aging-and-Disability-Resources