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About Janine Monico

Janine Monico is a digital marketing consultant who has managed the Healthy Minds Philly initiative website since 2015.

From Crack & Alcohol to a Life of Health & Service

“She had the life that I wanted,” said Starlene, a Germantown resident who calls her sister her “hero.” "She showed me what recovery was all about." Initially, Starlene resisted seeking recovery help, but despite her reluctance, her sister never gave up on her. “She would leave information about recovery everywhere, in my pockets, on the table, on my wallet. When I was ready and needed it, it was there for me to find.” After a harrowing experience involving crack, alcohol, and weed, Starlene suffered a stroke that left her unable [...]

2025-03-08T13:12:04-05:00March 10th, 2025|Addiction & Recovery, Lived Experience|
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How to Deal with Ghosting and Zombie-ing in Dating

Let’s have some real talk about two things that plague the dating scene in Philadelphia: ghosting and zombie-ing. If you have not been through them, you probably know someone who has. HealthyMindsPhilly’s got your back! Ghosting When someone you have been texting with, talking to, or dating just straight up vanishes, you’ve been ghosted. Poof! No explanation, no goodbye, just poof – gone like they never existed. One minute you are texting every day, making plans, and the next, crickets. It is like they turned into a magic trick, leaving [...]

2025-02-28T13:38:34-05:00March 5th, 2025|Dating & Relationships, Self-Help|
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Luis’s Path as a Certified Peer Specialist

“Working in this field has been transformative, opening doors I never imagined possible.” Luis, a 51-year-old Philadelphian, works as a Certified Peer Specialist. His experiences living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Schizoaffective Disorder have helped him become a Certified Peer Specialist and work with others who need mental health services. It all started in 2022 when Luis realized his potential to help others facing similar mental health challenges. “Learning about Certified Peer Specialists classes through DBHIDS got me excited. I enrolled in the training and loved it.” Luis [...]

2025-03-06T15:37:00-05:00February 28th, 2025|Certified Peer Specialists, Training|
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Neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, and Afro-Indigenous Path to Adulthood

"The stressors of this moment in my life are transitioning into adulthood and figuring out who I am. What is my identity? What is the career path that I plan to pursue," Rouge reflected. Rouge, a 22-year-old West Philadelphian, sat down with HMP to share their experiences navigating the stressors that come with becoming an independent adult. For them, the transition period is marked by a deep exploration of their intersecting identities as a Black and Indigenous neurodivergent LGBTQ+ Philadelphian, each aspect bringing its own unique challenges and strengths. Rouge’s [...]

2025-02-19T10:54:22-05:00February 19th, 2025|Community, Lived Experience|
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Healthy Minds Philly is an initiative of the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services, City of Philadelphia

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