PrevenTable: A PreventEd Podcast

Aldin Lolic has been working to address opioids and substance use disorder in the St. Louis Bosnian community for 4 years and is now the chair of the newly formed Bosnian Opioid Project. He discusses why we need to be proactive instead of reactive, the importance of community, and why stigma and shame have a devastating domino effect on fighting causes such as substance use disorder. He notes the challenges that both immigrants and refugees face when resources are needed and what St. Louis is doing to address them.

Principals are scary, right? Wrong! North Kirkwood Middle School Principal (and uber-wrestling fan) Dana Liberton, sheds light on her journey from student to head principal, including the strong women and happy accidents that helped shape her. Dana lights up as she describes the significance of her role in young people’s lives, the importance of prevention programs, the strength of her team, and the eccentricities of middle schoolers.

Alicia and Courtney, the dynamic community engagement duo, are back with more tips and tricks. They highlight some accomplishments of PreventEd’s newly-formed Community Advisory Board, including widespread installation of 100 Naloxboxes in the St. Louis Region!

What the heck does “Community Engagement” really mean? And how do you do it? Alicia Smith and Courtney Hinton provide a behind-the-scenes look at PreventEd’s newest department, Community Engagement. It’s a little art, a little science, and a lot of relationship-building and connecting the dots.

Lily Geiger stops by the PrevenTable to discuss Figlia, the alcohol-free aperitif she created, and the inspiration behind it. It’s a tribute to the power of family – the given and the chosen. And an opportunity for honest conversations: serving the good stuff while talking about the hard stuff.

What do you do when you can’t do what you’ve always done? Alexis Thurston details how she pushed forward after a life-altering car accident dashed her college rugby career and found new purpose through motherhood, recovery, exercise, and forest bathing (what the heck is that?).

Dave Kuntz from R3 Development talks all things “building” in East St. Louis: Jobs. Community. Housing. Joy. Sense of Self. Assets. He discusses how to affirm dignity and build trust while pushing against the “white savior” mentality. And how.

Colton Baker describes his role as the Lead Recovery Coach in the EPICC Outreach Project and details how the project works to connect people with resources and peer support after an overdose. He describes the project’s success (e.g. high engagement rate, low response time, coordinated response) in keeping people out of the hospital system and making treatment truly accessible.

Dr. Hedva Barenholtz-Levy explains her role as a geriatric specialist pharmacist and the complexities that accompany working with older adults. Listen as she describes the risks that alcohol, cannabis, and opioids can pose to seniors and as she urges consumers to become an active part of their healthcare team.

Geraldine and Belinda of the First Ladies’ Network discuss high infant mortality rates in St. Louis’ Black community and what they are doing about it. These First Ladies of the church engage in peer-led discussions with prenatal and postpartum moms to support their mental health and provide needed services.