Thank you for your submission
Thank you for offering to contribute content to our website! While we review your submission, please browse our blog to get a feel for the type of content we’re looking for:
Recent Posts
Living in a Puzzling World with Infinite Possibilities
Every day I find myself working to grow within an environment that’s hard to understand socially – an environment where people sometimes have a hard time getting along with others. That difficulty is where I find the inspiration and realization that there’s so much more out there for me to understand. That one step was where I think I needed to begin. Learning how to discover myself from youth to adulthood gave [...]
Intellectual disAbility Month
Since the moment our nation declared independence, the words “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” have represented our freedom. These rights are said to be inalienable and for all. However, it wasn’t until 1990 that individuals with lived experience of disability were included and protected federally by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Before this, those who lived with disabilities were often cast aside, ignored, hidden, and disrespected. The unfortunate reality [...]
Mental Health Services for People with Developmental Disabilities
It’s June 19, 2013, my first day as a behavior and sexuality support professional. I’m handed a caseload of over 30 people with developmental disabilities and mental health diagnoses. All of them had a psychiatrist who prescribed psychotropic medications; however, none of them were working with a therapist. How were they ever going to get off these high doses of psychotropic medications without working with someone on the underlying mental health challenges? [...]
Let’s Talk About Teen Dating Violence
You’re at a family gathering. Your kids trade TikToks with cousins while you pass out cookies and cider. Your 14-year-old, John, walks into the kitchen when Uncle Pete yells, “I heard someone has a girlfriend!” “Oohs” and “aahs” fill the room. John, red faced, spins around to get the heck out. Uncle Pete calls after him, “You make sure you’re treating that girl right!” Maybe Uncle Pete is teasing, [...]
Why Mental Health is So Important to People of Color
As a Black man, I am continuously aware of some of the stigmas surrounding mental health from both a gender- and race-related perspective. More often than not, people of color feel that these services may make them look weak or that they are broken. However, taking proactive approaches – whether it be simple wellness practices such as yoga or meditation or more substantive ones such as structured therapy – could not [...]
The Evolution of the School Counselor
Growing up as a student in the public school system, there were school community members who were seen as staples of the building. Of course, everyone knew their principal, their teachers, whether general education or specialist teachers, and the nurse. However, there was one community member who often went unnoticed: the school counselor. During my days as a student, we called them “guidance counselors.” Oftentimes they worked in isolation and solely “guided” [...]
