In a society where mental health is gaining well-deserved recognition, Marisha Mathis is proud to announce the release of her groundbreaking book, “Big Mama Was Wrong: Embracing the Growth in Awareness.”
Mental health is critical to overall well-being, yet stigma and misinformation often surround the topic. “Big Mama Was Wrong” is a compassionate and insightful guide that aims to shatter these barriers along with myths, providing readers with areas to contemplate and examine to grow beyond mental health and develop other areas of their lives such as communication and safe spaces.
Marisha tackles a range of topics, from anxiety and depression to communication, shame, and resilience. The book delves into cultural shared experiences.
“Big Mama Was Wrong” goes beyond mental health, encouraging open and tough conversations and fostering a sense of community. With practical tips and resources, the book empowers readers to take control of their well-being and provides a toolkit for supporting others.
Marisha’s book is a timely and much-needed contribution to the ongoing dialogue around the stigmas and obstacles in the Black community. It combines personal insight with professional expertise, creating a resource that is both relatable and informative.
Key Features of “Big Mama Was Wrong: Embracing the Growth in Awareness”:
1. Personal Stories: Real-life narratives from Marisha 2. Expert Insights: Evidence-based information and practical advice. 3. Actionable Strategies: Practical tips and exercises to help readers manage their mental health, grow, and support others. 4. Community Building: Encouragement to foster open conversations, reduce the stigma, and embrace readily available growth
Marisha] invites readers to embark on a journey of self-discovery and empathy, creating a world where all embrace and understand mental health and other long-standing needs.
The book is now available for pre-order at online retailers. For more information about “Big Mama Was Wrong: Embracing the Growth in Awareness” and Marisha Mathis, please visit www.callmerisha.com or contact the author at contact@callmerisha.com.
Title: Big Mama Was Wrong: Embracing the Growth in Awareness
In a report published today, CGFNS International revealed that in 2023, it issued its highest-ever number of occupational visa certifications to nurses and other skilled health workers seeking to migrate to the U.S., where health systems confront a staffing crisis.
CGFNS 2023 Nurse Migration Report
The company, a non-profit that verifies credentials for immigration authorities and state licensing boards, said it issued nearly 27,000 of its VisaScreen® certificates during the government fiscal year that ended in October. That is more than twice the number of certificates CGFNS issued the previous year.
The increase continues a six-year upward trend, during which the annual number of VisaScreen® certificates has quadrupled. Over this time, U.S. health systems have increasingly scrambled to fill staff vacancies amid a longstanding nursing shortage that was aggravated by pandemic-era challenges and is projected to worsen through the end of the decade.
In the report, CGFNS stated that higher levels of nurse immigration in recent years are likely to have peaked, even as the nursing shortage widens. This is because, barring intervention, U.S. visa availability is declining to pre-pandemic levels.
Download the 2023 Nurse Migration Report: Navigating Nursing Shortages and Immigration Barriers.
Data in the report were derived from applicant information submitted to the VisaScreen® Service and the CGFNS Credentials Evaluation Service, two leading pathways through which foreign-educated nurses and other healthcare professionals can migrate to and work in the U.S.
Other key findings in the report:
– The Philippines continues to be by far the largest source of immigrant nurses for the U.S., accounting for more than 60% of the total VisaScreen® certificates issued by CGFNS.
– In 2023, the vast majority (85%) of certificates were issued to registered nurses (RNs), with another 14% issued to clinical laboratory scientists.
– More than three-quarters (78%) of those applying for certificates were seeking permanent green cards, up from 64% in 2018 and up nine percentage points in just the past year, showing a strong trend toward permanent migration among nurses.
“Recruitment of nurses from outside the U.S. by using best practices has been critical to helping U.S. health systems cope with extraordinary staffing challenges and to ensure patient safety. With many thousands of qualified foreign-trained nurses willing and waiting to migrate to meet this present need, now is not the time to further restrict their numbers, especially when nurses want to come to the U.S. to advance their careers,” said Peter Preziosi, President and CEO of CGFNS.
Contact Information David St. John dstjohn@cgfns.org
Health Roads, LLC, today announced it has joined Civitas Networks for Health, the largest national network of its kind. Civitas includes member organizations working to use health information exchange, health data and multi-stakeholder, cross-sector approaches to improve health.
Health Roads is a specialized IT Consulting firm for the Health & Human Services industry focused on enabling care coordination for public health, social care, and multi-sector data integration for improved health outcomes. The company is based in the San Francisco Bay Area but conducts business in twenty-one states in the US and is growing steadily.
“Civitas Health Network’s mission is closely aligned with our mission. Our current and future customers and collaborators are either already members or planning to join this network. Civitas membership will allow us to be part of regional and national dialogues on multi-sector data integration initiatives, standardization for efficient data exchange and enabling Health Information Exchanges to become multi-sector data hubs of the future,” said Rajib Ghosh, CEO of Health Roads.
“Civitas Networks for Health is excited to have Health Roads join our national network,” said Lisa Bari, CEO of Civitas. “We are raising the voices of local health collaboratives and those providing critical services to support health transformation. From the secure exchange of life-saving data to the accountability of multi-stakeholder initiatives, our member organizations have built the most trusted, connected, and inventive programs to serve their communities. Health Roads brings several years of proven expertise in working with community based multi-stakeholder data exchange and Community Information Exchange (CIE) initiatives for improved health outcomes in many communities. Civitas looks forward to working with Health Roads.”
About Health Roads
Health Roads, LLC is a Newark, California based Information Technology Consulting firm focused on the Health and Human Services industry. Health Roads works with public sector organizations, local initiatives, community based social care companies, counties, and state agencies across the United States. The company works on cross-sector multi-stakeholder data integration initiatives, public health systems and social care system implementations, and CIO level information technology advisory services.
Civitas Networks for Health is a national collaborative comprised of over 160 member organizations working to use health information exchange, health data, and multi-stakeholder, cross-sector approaches to improve health. Civitas educates, promotes, and influences both the private sector and policymakers on matters of interoperability, quality, coordination, health equity, and cost-effectiveness of health care. The network supports local health innovators by amplifying their voices at the national level and increasing the exchange of valuable resources, tools, and ideas.
Health Roads, LLC Rajib Ghosh (510)-439-1696 health-roads.com
Bradford Health Services is proud to announce the launch of Hero’s Path, an addiction treatment program specifically designed to address the unique needs of veterans and active-duty military personnel. Eligible under the Veterans Affairs Community Care Network (VA CCN) and covered by TRICARE, the comprehensive program is available at Bradford’s Warrior, Madison, Cornerstone of Recovery, and The Estate at River Bend residential addiction treatment campuses, located throughout the Southeast.
Bradford developed the Hero’s Path program to confront the distinct challenges faced by those who are serving or have served in the armed forces with substance use issues. Acknowledging that veterans and military personnel often grapple with unique challenges, this program combines Bradford’s proven treatment methods with specialized support to help them regain control of their lives.
Research from SAMHSA indicates that approximately 11% of veterans aged 18-25 have reported misusing prescription drugs, while an estimated 20% of veterans have received a substance use disorder diagnosis. These issues have a profound impact on their physical and mental health, interpersonal relationships, and overall well-being.
“Hero’s Path has offered a way forward for so many veterans struggling with substance use disorder and mental health issues, and it has been an honor for my team and for me personally to witness the progress that they have made in their journeys,” said Angela Camp, MA, CEO of Bradford at Madison, one of the locations for Hero’s Path. “To hear the gratitude in their voice and to see the joy on their face as they talk about how much better they feel now is nothing short of a miracle itself.”
In response to this pressing need, “Hero’s Path” offers a comprehensive range of evidence-based treatment options, therapy, and support services catered to veterans and military personnel. Staffed with highly-trained and experienced clinical personnel, many with military experience, the program’s primary objectives include:
– Establishing a secure and supportive environment where individuals can address their addiction-related challenges. – Delivering counseling and therapy sessions to help individuals cope with trauma, stress, and the specific experiences tied to military service. – Crafting individualized treatment plans that center on each participant’s needs and aspirations. – Fostering peer support and camaraderie, enabling participants to connect with peers who share similar experiences. – Facilitating the transition to a life of sobriety and wellness, coupled with ongoing support beyond the residential program.
“Hero’s Path has given me the opportunity to jump in the fighting hole with the veterans and military members who are struggling with some of the same issues I faced when I retired from the U. S. Marines,” said Jason Smith, MSgt USMC (RET), CPSS, Bradford’s Veterans Business Consultant and Military Liaison. “It’s also a blessing to have compassionate clinical teams and staff members, active veteran coalitions across the nation, and the chance to serve with those within our Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers and VA STAR Programs who are caring and supporting our nation’s heroes.”
If you are a veteran or military member seeking help or know someone who could benefit from the “Hero’s Path” program, please call 888-4-A-HERO-1 (888-424-3761) for more information or to schedule a confidential assessment.
For additional information, please visit bradfordhealth.com.
About Bradford Health Services Bradford Health Services is one of the largest and longest-tenured providers of substance abuse treatment and recovery services in the Southeast. Through a coordinated network of 40 facilities, Bradford Health offers affordable, proven treatment services across the entire spectrum of acuity, including early intervention services, crisis response, intensive outpatient care, partial hospitalization and residential care, inpatient detox, and transitional living and life skills programming. Additional information is available at bradfordhealth.com.
Bradford Health Services Chandler Keel 828-468-1302 www.bradfordhealth.com
The Under Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, enlightened participants of the annual Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (RACMA) Conference in Auckland, New Zealand today (October 13, Auckland time) about the progress of Hong Kong’s efforts in reforming the primary healthcare system. During her stay in Auckland, she also visited several primary healthcare organisations to learn from their experiences on providing primary healthcare services through collaboration of government and non-profit organisations.
Dr Lee visited Auckland mainly to attend the annual conference organised by the RACMA from October 11 to 13 with the Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, Dr Pang Fei-chau, and Assistant Commissioner for Primary Healthcare Dr Tony Ha. At a conference session today, Dr Lee gave a presentation on the primary healthcare service reform led by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. She introduced the various measures rolled out since the release of the Primary Healthcare Blueprint last December, including the establishment of a primary healthcare system at the district level, promotion of the family doctor concept and the mindset of early management of health and chronic diseases among citizens, as well as the enhancement to the Electronic Health Record Sharing System.
Joined by the two commissioners, Dr Lee also visited in Auckland a Primary Health Organisation (PHO) and two general practice clinics to gain a better understanding of their approach of engaging non-profit organisations and private healthcare organisations in co-ordinating or providing primary healthcare services under government subsidy. They met with representatives from the Health New Zealand (Health NZ), the Auckland PHO, the East Health Trust PHO and ProCare, which is a leading healthcare provider, to have in-depth exchanges. In addition, the party toured teaching clinics of the University of Auckland to explore New Zealand’s work in nurturing primary healthcare talent.
Dr Lee stated that the New Zealand Government set up the Health NZ last year. One of the functions of the Health NZ is to consolidate primary and community care with PHOs under its purview. PHOs in various districts of New Zealand are funded by the government to bring together general practitioners, nurses and other healthcare professionals in the community to ensure a seamless continuum of care and, in particular, better management of chronic conditions. This model is akin to the mode of operation of the Primary Healthcare Commission in planning and the upcoming Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme in Hong Kong. The visits provided a chance for a comprehensive understanding of New Zealand’s experiences which are valuable to Hong Kong in accomplishing the city’s primary healthcare development in a refined manner.
Upon the end of the conference today, Dr Lee and the two commissioners will return to Hong Kong tomorrow (October 14).
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