Blog - Page 20 of 58 - Healthy Minds Philly®

Mental Health Services for People with Developmental Disabilities

Janine Monico2022-03-11T09:23:55-05:00March 10th, 2022|Intellectual disAbility|

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? Obviously, this was a fluke or caseload oversight…right? Sadly, over the next few weeks, I learned about the [...]

Let’s Talk About Teen Dating Violence

Janine Monico2022-02-02T11:35:18-05:00February 14th, 2022|Family & Youth|

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, but what if you took the question seriously: Is John treating his girlfriend “right?” Is he being treated [...]

Why Mental Health is So Important to People of Color

Janine Monico2022-02-10T10:38:52-05:00February 10th, 2022|Lived Experience, Mental Health, Racial Equity|

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 show more strength. As a licensed clinician myself, as well as someone reared by a parent with clinical [...]

The Evolution of the School Counselor

Janine Monico2022-02-02T13:27:05-05:00February 7th, 2022|Family & Youth|

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” students as they prepared to transition from one school to the next. I didn’t need to see my [...]