Stigma Reduction Episodes
Feb. 3, 2026
1062: Meeting Youth Where They Are: Expanding Mental Health Access and Youth Voice with PHIG
How do public health agencies expand access to mental health support while genuinely engaging the next generation? In this episode, we speak with Heidi Laird and Xavier Foster from the Southern Nevada Health District about two PHIG-funded initiatives designed to do exactly that.
Guests: Heidi Laird, CHES , Xavier Foster, MEd
394
Sept. 12, 2025
989: HIV and STI Efforts in States
Dr. Sameer Vohra, ASTHO member and director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, discusses the op-ed he co-authored in the Chicago Tribune on the progress his state has made in treating HIV; Brandon Kufalk, STI unit supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, explains...
Guests: Sameer Vohra MD JD MA FAAP , Brandon Kufalk
378
Aug. 20, 2025
973: Never A Bother Campaign, Expanding Academic Partnerships
Darcy Pickens, program coordinator for the office of suicide prevention at the California Department of Public Health, explains how the state’s “Never a Bother” youth suicide prevention campaign collaborated with youth to develop a campaign tailored to their needs; Courtney Dezendorf, director for the office of practice and learning at the Texas Department of State Health Services...
365
July 30, 2025
958: Public Health & Politics, Community Connections Through Storytelling
Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, epidemiologist and CEO of Your Local Epidemiologist, addresses the intersection between health and politics and provides words of encouragement to her fellow colleagues in public health; Grace Lee, senior analyst for infectious disease infrastructure and policy at ASTHO...
Guests: Katelyn Jetelina, PhD, MPH , Grace Lee MPH CPH
506
May 2, 2025
898: Community Crisis Centers, Congress Back In Session
Kelly Crosbie, director of the North Carolina Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services, tells us about the community crisis center initiative in her state; Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO's senior vice president of...
Guests: Carolyn Mullen , Kelly Crosbie MSW LCSW
495
April 17, 2025
887: Keep America Safe Coalition, Puerto Rico Health Priorities
Sharon Gilmartin, executive director of the Safe States Alliance, tells us about the Keep America Safe Coalition; Dr. Victor Ramos, secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Health and an ASTHO member, breaks down the health priorities for Puerto...
Guests: Sharon Gilmartin MPH , Victor Ramos Otero MD
201
Jan. 30, 2024
590: Four Overdose Prevention Policies Explained, Winter Storm Lessons
Kayley Humm, ASTHO Senior Analyst, discusses a new ASTHO report that outlines a series of overdose prevention policies for consideration by public health agencies; Sarah Bonk, Mental Health Disaster and Emergency Response Coordinator for Erie County,...
Guests: Kayley Humm MPH , Sarah Bonk MSW