Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up

Dr. Eugenia Flores Millender traces a path from a young nurse searching for her voice to a force reshaping psychiatric-mental health care. An Afro-Indigenous Latina from Panama, she brings lived experience to the front lines of innovation—championing culturally grounded care, trauma-informed healing, and data-driven solutions. Today, she is a national and international leader advancing mental-health equity, building systems that meet communities where they are, and setting a new standard for how mental health care is delivered.

She calls on nurses to claim their rightful role not only as part of the conversation, but as architects, leading AI...

From her early nursing experiences in Tampa, Florida, to her advocacy for culturally responsive and compassionate care, Nephetalie shares how listening with empathy—and asking, “What happened to you?” instead of “What’s wrong with you?”—can change everything.

Discover how nurses can break cycles of trauma, address stigma in communities of color, and bring healing to both patients and themselves through mindfulness, empathy, and advocacy. Nephetalie also discusses how technology and telehealth can integrate trauma-informed practices and what it means to “nurse the future” in today’s rapidly evolving mental health landscape.

Tune in for a heartfelt conv...

Substance use disorder is one of the most pressing health challenges in rural America. According to the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), nearly 65% of all federally designated primary care shortage areas are in rural communities, and more than 60% of mental health professional shortage areas are rural as well (HRSA, March 31, 2025). These provider shortages are persistent and growing, leaving millions of Americans without timely or reliable access to behavioral health services—even as rural communities continue to experience high rates of substance use and related harms.

In this episode of Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up!, Dr. Serge W...

From tackling intergenerational trauma with Bowenian Family Therapy, to confronting bias in reproductive health, to exploring how climate change and artificial intelligence shape pediatric mental health, Dr. Josiah is redefining what compassionate, culturally responsive care looks like.

Listeners will hear how her journey from home health aide to nursing scholar fuels her passion for justice, how she’s pioneering simulation-based training for crisis response, and how her nurse-led EBAN Wellness Initiative, a community mental health program she designed to integrate nutrition, movement, and emotional wellness for children and families in underserved communities, is transforming community health from th...

Tune in as Steve discusses:

This is more than a conversation — it's a call to action for nurses, policymakers, and advocates to lead with empathy, cultural understanding, and courage.

Listen now and discover how Steve Li is nursing the future with heart, advocacy, and grit.

Learn more about Steve Li at h...

Discover how she navigates the complexities of diagnosing and treating ADHD, anxiety, and trauma, the disparities in care that leave many children unseen, and the role nurses play in ensuring no student “falls through the cracks.” Whether you’re a nursing student, educator, parent, or advocate, this conversation is a masterclass in compassionate, culturally responsive, and evidence-based care.

Listen now and learn how early intervention, family engagement, and nurse-led advocacy can transform a child’s life — and their future.

Learn more about Enyo Dzata at https://emfp.org/mfp-fellows/vivian-dzata 

Nurses can earn free Contin...

From her firsthand experiences in the military to her work at the VA and Department of Defense, Monique shares deeply personal and professional insights on the urgent mental health needs of veterans, military families, and underserved communities. She opens up about how her own experiences with intimate partner violence and traumatic brain injury shaped her nursing journey—and why she believes psychiatric nurses must lead the charge in dismantling stigma, improving access to care, and making behavioral health support culturally relevant and family-centered.

Whether you’re a nursing student, behavioral health professional, or policymaker, this is a must...

Kim shares her deeply personal journey from being a young caregiver for her daughter and mother to becoming a nationally recognized nurse educator and advocate. Along the way, she opens up about confronting diabetes distress, navigating intergenerational trauma, and breaking through the stigma and shame that often surround chronic illness—especially in medically underserved communities.

Listeners will learn how mental health support, community-informed approaches, and compassionate nursing care can transform lives—not just for individuals living with diabetes, but for their families and support networks as well.

Whether you’re a nursing student, behavioral health provide...

In this episode you will hear:

Dr. Starks is proof that there's more than one way to care—and that healing is about more than just m...

Listen now to discover why healing starts at home—and how nurses can lead the way in helping a generation reclaim connection and resilience. 

Nurses can earn free Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credits for listening to this episode. Full details will be announced at the end of the season.

Learn more about Dr. Vickye Hayter at https://emfp.org/mfp-fellows/vickye-hayter

Drawing from her personal experience navigating the U.S. health care system as a child refugee and her professional practice working with underserved, immigrant, and unhoused populations, Dr. Win speaks candidly about the mental health toll of displacement, family separation, and systemic barriers to care. She shares how screening for adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), implementing trauma-informed protocols, and creating community-based support systems can break generational cycles of trauma and behavioral health challenges, and support family healing.

From pediatric patients navigating life without deported parents to her pilot work establishing mindfulness and parenting support groups in shelters, Dr...

Why You Should Listen:

If you care about the mental health of young people, families, or underserved communities—or you're a nurse, student, or health professional wondering how to make real impact—this episode is your guide for purpose-driven practice.

Dr. Audrey Strock’s story is not just inspiring; it’s deeply instructive. She shows us what it looks like to turn lived adversity into advocacy, how to build a mental health practice rooted in empathy and excellence, and why culturally responsive, trauma-informed care is not a trend—it’s a necessity.

Listeners will walk aw...

Through dynamic conversations with visionary psychiatric nurses, we’ll explore:

Plus: Nurses can earn FREE Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) credits just by listening.

Subscribe now at emfp.org, follow us on YouTube @mfpana, and join us as we reimagine what mental health care can—and should—be.

Bold voices. Big ideas. Real impact.

In the season 4 finale of Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up! host Indrias Kassaye sits down with two pivotal figures behind the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) at the American Nurses Association: Janet Jackson, Project Director, and Samuel Suraphel, Digital Program Manager. Often working behind the scenes, Janet and Samuel are the program's driving force, tirelessly steering its mission to support psychiatric mental health nurses from underrepresented backgrounds and advance psychiatric mental health care for diverse communities.

Throughout this engaging and heartfelt conversation, Janet reflects on the personal stories that connected her to MFP’s mis...

In this inspiring episode of Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up, host Indrias Kassaye welcomes Dr. Giovanna de Oliveira, an alumna of the Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association and Associate Professor at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies. Dr. de Oliveira shares her journey from Peru to the U.S., where she discovered her passion for nursing, inspired by the compassionate care of Filipino nurses and her pediatrician father. Over her 28-year career, Dr. de Oliveira has evolved into a psychiatric mental health nurse scientist, deeply committed to addressing mental health...

In this episode of Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up! host Indrias Kassaye welcomes Rashida Charles, PhD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and doctoral fellow in the Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association. Rashida shares her journey from a first-generation Haitian-American background to her role as a trailblazing nurse scientist, shedding light on how her community roots and lived experiences shape her passion for health equity, particularly for Black men and marginalized groups.

Rashida opens up about her unique path to psychiatric nursing—a field she chose after witnessing health dis...

In this inspiring episode of Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up, host Indrias Kassaye chats with Dr. Thomas Sargent, a two-time Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) alumnus, whose journey from an unexpected nudge into nursing to becoming a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is nothing short of remarkable. Dr. Sargent shares his personal story of breaking through the barriers of a predominantly white, female-dominated profession as an African American male nurse practitioner.

Throughout the episode, Dr. Sargent reflects on his experiences—never seeing Black male nurse educators during his studies—and how that absence motivated him to push...

In this episode of Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up, host Indrias Kassaye is joined by Alice Dressler, a doctoral fellow in the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP), as they discuss her journey to becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner. This conversation takes place in the context of the 50-year anniversary of the MFP at the American Nurses Association, offering a unique perspective from a current fellow on the continuing importance of the program in addressing unmet behavioral health needs in underserved communities.

Alice shares her story of immigrating to the U.S. in 2017 and how her early l...

In this special episode, recorded during the MFP's 2024 Summer Intensive Training Institute in Washington, D.C., host Indrias Kassaye brings together an accomplished panel of MFP alumni to celebrate the program's 50-year legacy and explore the future of psychiatric and mental health care for underserved communities.

Join us as Dr. John Lowe, Dr. Eugenia Millender, Dr. Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda, Dr. Mary Lou de Leon Siantz, Dr. Kalisha Bonds-Johnson, and Dr. LaKeetra Josey share their journeys, groundbreaking research, and the profound impact they’ve had on the lives of those they serve. Dr. Lowe reflects on a powerful moment wh...

In this episode of Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up, host Indrias Kassaye welcomes Dr. Willa Doswell, a distinguished Associate Professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Development at the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. As one of the earliest fellows of the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) at the American Nurses Association, Dr. Doswell shares her inspiring journey into psychiatric mental health nursing—a path she was drawn to by a profound experience that highlighted the critical importance of mental health care.

Reflecting on 50 years of the MFP, Dr. Doswell discusses the evolving landscape of...

In this timely episode of Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up, host Indrias Kassaye chats with the dynamic Dr. Tanya Sorrell, a leader in psychiatric nursing and advocate for culturally inclusive health care. As the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) at the American Nurses Association hits its 50-year milestone, Dr. Sorrell dives into how the program is shaping the future of psychiatric nursing.

Dr. Sorrell shares her incredible journey from being the only Black student in a Baton Rouge Gifted and Talented program to becoming a trailblazer in her field. She reveals how a life-changing encounter with a...

Throughout the episode, Dr. Boston-Leary delves into the transformative journey of the MFP, discussing its pivotal role in addressing disparities in underserved communities and its evolution as a model for inclusive care. She also explores the broader context of nursing history, the ongoing challenges of equity and inclusion within the profession, and the vital importance of sustaining and expanding programs like the MFP to foster a diverse and culturally competent workforce.

Tune in to hear Dr. Boston-Leary's reflections on the future of the MFP, her vision for continued progress in health care equity, and her inspiring advice...

In this third episode of "Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up!" host Indrias Kassaye speaks with Dr. Mary Lou de Leon Siantz, a distinguished alumna of the Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association. As the podcast continues to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program, Dr. Siantz offers a compelling historical perspective on mental health and substance use disorder care for Latino communities over the past five decades.

Dr. Siantz provides an in-depth look at the unique challenges faced by Hispanic populations, emphasizing the critical need for culturally tailored mental health...

Join us for an enlightening conversation on "Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up!" with your host Indrias Kassaye and the distinguished Dr. Gary Lawrence, Director of Nursing at the Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority. In this second episode of 50 Years – Reflect and Project, celebrating half a century of the SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association, Dr. Lawrence shares his inspiring journey from being an LPN, detoxing patients in rural Oklahoma, to becoming a pioneering mental health researcher and advocate for Native American communities.

Dr. Lawrence, an alumnus of the Minority Fellowship Program, discusses th...

Welcome to Season 4 of Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up. In this special episode, we kick off the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) at the American Nurses Association with an extraordinary guest, Dr. Linda Washington Brown.

Join us as we delve into Dr. Brown's inspiring journey from the segregated South to having a seat at the table where national health policies are made. Dr. Brown reflects on the transformative impact of the MFP, which has trained over a thousand behavioral health professionals, including herself. She shares heartfelt stories of overcoming...

Welcome to Season 4 of Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up! This season, titled "50 Years - Reflect and Project," premieres Monday, June 11, 2024, and is dedicated to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association.
Join us as we pay homage to five decades of groundbreaking contributions by visionary psychiatric nurses. We’ll delve into their remarkable legacy, reflecting on the strides we've made in mental health and substance use disorder care, particularly within underserved communities across America.
This season promises a wealth of inspiring interviews, profound reflections, and forward-thinking projections from...

Wonkyung Chang made the big move to New York City from her native South Korea to pursue her dream of a career as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. Soon after taking up residence in the big city, COVID swept through transforming life in ways she had never imagined. In addition to the pressures on health care workers was the rise in anti-Asian sentiment that ultimately led the young recent immigrant to relocate to Rochester, NY, which is where we catch up with Wonkyung on this final episode of Season Three of Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up...

Substance use disorders, the impact on adolescents and young people and what behavioral health professionals including psychiatric mental health nurses can do to address the rising toll on the mental health and wellbeing of American youth is in the spotlight for this episode of Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up! SAMHSA Minority Fellowship at the American Nurses Association Alumna, Dr. LaKeetra Josey, who is on the frontlines of efforts to address the mental health impact of increasing substance use disorders among young people, joins host Indrias Kassaye for this exploration of emerging trends in drug use among young...

Our conversations on the mental health related challenges facing young people in America continues with a discussion on the importance of belonging for the mental wellness of adolescents and youth.

Public discourse in America today laments increasing polarization, a society wide retrenchment into siloed communities defined by characteristics which can include race and ethnic identity, religion, political affiliation, perspectives on gender roles and sexual orientation, and a whole host of other factors.

Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up host Indrias Kassaye is joined by SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association Alumna...

Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up’s seasonal focus on the mental health challenges facing adolescents and youth from ethnic and racial minority groups in America continues with a new episode focusing on the experiences of young people who identify as LGBTQ+.

SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association alumnus Dr. Austin Nation joins host Indrias Kassaye for a frank discussion on the unique mental challenges that LGBTQ+ youth often face due to the intersection of their sexual orientation, gender identity and societal factors including racism, the opioid epidemic, and the impact of polarized po...

SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association alumna, Faven Mesfin joins Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up host, Indrias Kassaye, in this episode on the youth mental health challenges that immigrant adolescents and youth face in America today.

Young people from recent immigrant backgrounds are the fastest growing segment of America’s youth population today. The majority of them are from ethnic and racial minority groups. The youth mental health crisis that has been raising alarm bells is even more intense among these foreign born and first-generation young people where rates of depression, anxiety an...

As with any kind of illness, the proverbial adage ‘prevention is better than cure’ rings true for mental illness. If simple measures can stop what can become lifetimes of suffering, bring it on.

As we continue our exploration of the mental health challenges facing adolescents and youth from ethnic and racial minorities in the United States today, our guest on this episode of the SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association’s Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric nurses Speak Up! podcast, recently graduated fellow Dr. David Agor, presents his insights into what his research indicates could be the...

SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association Alumna, Dr. Daisy Lara, joins host Indrias Kassaye for a conversation on the mental health related challenges facing the fastest growing adolescent and youth population in the United States today, Hispanic young people. While the Hispanic community is not a monolith with plenty of diversity and nuances, as a group, reasons for concern include having the highest levels of depressive symptoms relative to other ethnic or racial groups, and the second highest rate of suicide after Native American/Pacific Islander youth.

Nurses can play an important role in...

With Dr. Bridgette M. (Brawner) Rice

Gun violence and what should be done about it continues to be the subject of raging public debate in America today. Beyond the headline generating partisan back and forth regarding gun control is the mounting and inadequately addressed toll that gun violence is taking on the wellbeing of the nation, including on youth and adolescents from minoritized communities.

In this episode of Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up! SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association Alumna, Dr. Bridgette M. (Brawner) Rice joins host, Indrias Kassaye, for...

Alarm bells have been ringing about rising rates of suicide among young African American youth for several years now, with present trends suggesting the situation is not getting better. In the not too distant past, however, these same rates were far lower in black communities when compared to the general population.

Dr. Frieda Outlaw, Executive Academic Program Consultant and alumna of the SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association joins host, Indrias Kassaye, to explore the historical dynamics that have contributed to this reversal.

What were the unforeseen mental health consequences of desegregation...

Native Americans, including adolescents and youth, have consistently had the highest rates of death by suicide from among all other racial and ethnic groups in America. The need for effective action to save young lives and reverse these trends has never been more dire.

SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association alumna, Dr. Beverly Patchell, an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, joins Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up! host Indrias Kassaye, to discuss the unique factors and circumstances that have contributed to high suicide rates among Native American Youth and what...

Mental Health Trailblazer’s focus on youth and adolescent mental health continues with a conversation around bullying. According to the US Surgeon General, one in five high-schoolers in America report being bullied, and one in six have experienced cyberbullying. The mental health consequences can be severe with consequences for the victims, the perpetrators, their families, communities and wider society, lasting a lifetime. SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association alumna Dr. Teresa Combs who has studied the phenomenon of bullying and addresses bullying in her clinical work, shares her insights with our host, Indrias Kassaye. Together they ex...

Season 3 of Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up! takes off with a conversation on the impact of social media and internet culture on the mental health of adolescents and youth from marginalized communities.

As alarm bells ring, warning of the youth mental health crisis across America, social media and the online experiences of adolescents and young adults have been flagged as contributing factors to many of the worrying behavioral health trends. These include rising rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, among others.

J’Andra Antisdel, SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program at the Amer...

Season 3 premieres Monday, April 24, 2023! Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up, is back for a third season of conversations with psychiatric mental health nurse scientists from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds. 

Our focus this season is nursing’s response to the deepening mental health crisis among adolescents and young adults from communities of color across America. 

Tune in every two weeks for insights from researchers and clinicians responding to the crisis. 

Each podcast offers FREE CNE from the ANA, an ANCC accredited provider of nursing continuing professional development. 

Remember to subscribe at emf...

Dr. Erica Joseph grew up on the Allendale Plantation (former slave quarters) in Port Allen, just outside Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with her single-mother and grandparents. They made their living as sharecroppers picking cotton in a rural community where modern health care was inaccessible and folk relied on home remedies to treat most ailments. (Sharecropping is a type of farming in which families rent small plots of land from a landowner in return for a portion of their crop, to be given to the landowner at the end of each year.)

Dr. Joseph’s grandmother was particularly adept as a...

Dr. Schola Matovu’s journey from a girl in Uganda to completing her PhD at the University of California, San Francisco, one of the leading nursing schools, is an inspiring story of achievement against great odds. Dr. Matovu was raised by her grandmother in a village in Uganda in East Africa. Her childhood memories are filled with marvel for her Jaja, as she affectionately calls her grandmother, and her Jaja’s healing and midwifery skills, which were highly sought after in their village. Dr. Matovu’s own path to a career in healthcare began in those formative years where she wo...

Dr. Udaya Thomas’ journey to becoming a Ph.D trained behavioral health nurse scientist begins in the Indian state of Kerela from where her parents immigrated to the United States when she was just a toddler. Growing up in the American mid-west, Dr. Thomas recalls being challenged by a constant dose of bullying because of the color of her skin and her ethnicity, experiences that have helped mold her into a champion for the proverbial underdog. Strongly held values that elevate the welfare of community over self, instilled by her parents and cultural heritage, have guided her trajectory as a...

Why are maternal mortality rates in America, the wealthiest country in the world, the worst amongst economically advanced countries? And why, despite knowing the reasons mothers are dying in the process of giving life and what should be done to improve things, are things getting worse, especially for women of color?

Season Two, Episode Nine of Mental Health Trailblazers takes a hard look at maternal health and mortality in America at a time when indicators for underrepresented communities, African American women in particular, are getting worse. MFP Alumna Dr. Agnes White provides context and offers solutions for...

Season two of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” continues with an intimate exploration of historical trauma with our host, Indrias Kassaye, and MFP alumna Dr. Cynthia Greywolf, a psychiatric nurse scientist beginning her second year as a postdoctoral researcher at The University of Texas at Austin.

Dr. Greywolf’s scholarly pursuits are influenced by her personal experiences growing up on a Cherokee reservation in Oklahoma, and a deep-rooted desire to understand why substance use and behavioral health disorders are prevalent within Indigenous communities, and how best to address them.

Dr. Greywolf opens up about he...

Air Force Major (ret) April Ames-Chase got her start in healthcare volunteering at Provident Hospital, a predominantly Black hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Her mother “unknowingly signed her up” to work there as a candy striper at 15 years old. Inspired by the life-saving work provided by professionals who looked like her, Ms. Ames-Chase went on to receive her Bachelor’s in Nursing from Coppin State University, after which she enlisted with the U.S. Air Force, continuing a family tradition, where she was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant.

Working as a nurse with the U.S. Air Force, Ms. Am...

Season two of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” keeps the conversation alive and meaningful with episode 6. This week, our host, Indrias Kassaye, is joined by Mr. Uriah Millen, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) student, former Nurse Manager for the intensive care unit at St. Joseph's Hospital-North who recently moved on to behavioral health nursing. Mr. Millen opens up to Indrias about what he’s observed as a Black, immigrant man forging his own path in the field of psychiatric nursing. Uriah Millen believes providing mental health care is his calling and desires to impact minority youth suffering...

The second season of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” episode 5 isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions. This week, our host, Indrias Kassaye, digs into the life and research of the forward-thinking Duke University School of Nursing PhD candidate, Lisvel Matos. Ms. Matos went from being a high school dropout to becoming a PhD candidate at one of the leading universities in the world. She aspires to be a leader in nursing science with a focus on the reduction of Latinx sexual and reproductive health disparities.

Ms. Matos’ interest in nursing comes from an u...

Looking for more on the overlap of psychiatric nursing and cultural diversity? You’re in the right place! In the fourth episode of the second season of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” our host, Indrias Kassaye, discusses the importance of having nursing educators that reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of nursing students and the wider community with Professor Griselle B. Estrada, MSN, RN, Clinical Assistant Professor at Baylor University’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing. Ms. Estrada is currently completing the dissertation phase of her PhD in Nursing at Duquesne University. Her research interests include culturally congruen...

Season 2 of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up!” is in full swing with episode 3 guest, Mr. Pak Chau, and our host, Indrias Kassaye. Together, Pak and Indrias highlight the importance of culture, community, and alternative treatment options in the mental health field.

Pak Chau is a master’s fellow at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and is slated to graduate in July of 2022. He is interested in using technology to bridge gaps in care, identifying public health inequities, and providing culturally and linguistically appropriate psychiatric care to minority populations.

Pak Chau comes from a...

Welcome back for the second episode of the second season of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” with our host, Indrias Kassaye. This week, Indrias discusses community engagement in research, the impact of elder care on caregivers, and Alzheimer’s research with Dr. Kalisha Bonds Johnson, PhD, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC. Dr. Bonds Johnson is currently an Assistant Professor, Tenure track at Emory University’s Nell Woodruff School of Nursing. Her research focuses on the mental health of African American individuals with dementia and their caregivers, beginning with early diagnosis and treatment.

Dr. Kalisha Bonds Johnson believes her desi...

It’s good to be back! Check out the season 2 premiere of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host, Indrias Kassaye, digs in to the complex issues in psychiatric mental health and healthcare today with Marcus Henderson, elected board member of the American Nurses Association and member of the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing. Marcus Henderson is a current MFP Fellow pursuing a PhD at John Hopkins University School of Nursing with the goal to improve care, eliminate disparities, and optimize outcomes for children and adolescents from marginalized backgrounds.

Henderson’s own adolesce...

Premieres Monday, April 11th, 2022. Host Indrias Kassaye welcomes you to partake in Season Two of the "Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up!" podcast. The Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association’s podcast highlights the innovative explorations of black, indigenous and other peoples of color, nurse practitioners and researchers in their pursuit to meet the urgent and often unrecognized psychiatric and mental health needs of minority communities in America and worldwide.

Enjoy the season one finale of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be interviewing Dr. Mijung Park, a tenured Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Nursing. Through years of analysis and education, Dr. Park’s research has investigated the meaningful roles that both casual caregivers and close family play in fruitful chronic disease self-management between culturally and economically diverse communities.

After a fateful encounter on a subway in Korea, Dr. Parks was inspired to work in a psychiatric mental health inpatient unit as her first...

Sample the penultimate season one episode of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be interviewing Dr. Jillian Inouye: a licensed psychologist, a qualified mental health professional, a board certified clinical specialist in psychiatric nursing, and an advanced practice registered nurse. Among her many areas of research, she’s presented new insights on topics such as Asian-Pacific Islanders' Health Disparities and psychiatric care, including schizophrenia, depression, substance use and abuse and more.

Working hand-in-hand with politicians during an early summer internship, Dr. Inouye found her love of psychology, psychiatry, nursing and cross...

Press play on another episode of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be interviewing Dr. Cheryl Woods-Giscombe, a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, social and health psychologist, and a Professor at UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing. Via her program of research, Dr. Giscombe uses a sociohistorical lens to investigate how stress and coping strategies contribute to the psychological and physical health status of African American women.

During her first semester as a PhD student, Dr. Giscombe detected a desire to learn more about nursing while working hands-on collecting data in a...

Settle into another episode of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be interviewing Dr. Marie Smith-East, a clinical assistant professor and the Director of the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program at Duquesne University. Her research focuses on geographic access to health care utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), particularly for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Dr. Smith-East always knew she wanted to be an educator, but it was through an early encounter with a patient experiencing ICU psychosis that made her realize how to unite her elementary education passion, health educ...

Join us for another episode of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be interviewing Dr. Cheedy Jaja, an Associate Professor of Nursing and the Assistant Dean of Global Engagement at the University of South Florida. His research interests focus primarily on sickle cell disease pain, analgesic, and psychopharmacogenetics.

Starting life as an air traffic controller and professor of philosophy, Dr. Jaja found a love of science via the Human Genome Project and has since combined his interests into a compelling career addressing psychosocial and mental health issues within international patient popu...

Tune into the final portion of the first three-part conversation of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be connecting with three current MFP fellows to discuss the crucial role and representation of men in nursing.

Finally, within part three of this topic, Indrias is joined by Keith Carter, a third-year psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner as well as a doctor of nursing practice student at Rush University. His DNP scholarly clinical project is to implement a violence risk assessment tool on a community hospital psychiatric unit on Chicago’s South Side.<...

Continuing onward within the first three-part conversation of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be connecting with three current MFP fellows to discuss the crucial role and representation of men in nursing.

Featured within part two, is Caesar Rangel, who is currently working on his psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner degree. Mr. Rangel is committed to working with intergenerational and culturally diverse groups, and places a heavy significance with an emphasis on supporting individuals in underserved communities.

Caesar discusses pathways to correcting mis-representations, the benefits of being a male...

Introducing the first three-part conversation of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be connecting with three current Minority Fellowship Program Fellows to discuss the crucial role and representation of men in nursing.

The first guest in this series is Shelby Husband, a third-year doctoral student at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Upon graduation, Mr. Husband will focus his practice on expanding mental health services to minority youth and improving mental health in the public school system for children and adolescents.

Learn how training within the military kind...

Welcome to the first two-part episode of “Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be connecting with two key guests to discuss essential aspects, important facts, and unknown surprises around Indigenous nurses.

Queued up first is Dr. John Lowe, a Professor and Joseph Blades Centennial Memorial Professorship Chair at The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing. Dr. Lowe’s research career was launched from his doctoral dissertation “ Talking Circle Intervention” with a focus on the cultural values that contribute to Native American health and well-being.

In a conversati...

Turn up the volume on a new episode of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be connecting with Dr. Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda, an Associate Professor at Duke University School of Nursing. At the center of her research and professional career lies a focus on improving the behavioral health and public health of minorities as well as other at-risk communities throughout the world. Understand directly from Dr. Gonzalez-Guarda how her initial community research scaled in focus to international heights to capture engagement and representation of diverse communities. Through her stories, you’ll dive into the “why” beh...

Plug into a new episode of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be connecting with Dr. Christopher Coleman, professor and associate dean at the Indiana University School of Nursing. His research focuses on understanding factors that influence health-promoting behaviors of HIV infected middle-aged and older African American men and HIV risk factors among vulnerable populations Hear directly from Dr. Coleman about how a chance encounter accompanying a roommate into the ER led him to grow into a seasoned nursing professional with experience in critical care, ER, administration, and psychiatric wards. Through past and pres...

Tune in for the next episode of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be connecting with Dr. Phyllis Sharps, professor emerita and former associate dean for Community Programs and Initiatives at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. Her practice and research examine the consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV) among pregnant and parenting women specifically the effects of IPV on the physical and mental health of pregnant women, infants, and very young children. 
 Dive into Dr. Sharps' journey from being raised on a former plantation where her high-school educated father built a nurturing home t...

Join us for the next episode of “Mental Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be connecting with Dr. Dr. Dawn Bounds, an assistant professor in the Sue and Bill Gross School of Nursing at the University of California, Irvine. Her program of research is focused on the risk and resilience of youth, with an emphasis on addressing gaps in both policy and practice. Learn more as together they delve into topics such as youth homelessness in relation to nursing and race, her experience within the MFP/ANA Fellowship Program, and her thoughts on diversity bein...

Come along for the next episode of “Mental Health Trailblazers - Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” where our host Indrias Kassaye will be chatting with Dr Marife Aczon-Armstrong, an Assistant Professor at Roseman University of Health Sciences College of Nursing. As a member of Asian American Pacific Islander Nurses Association (AAPINA), she continues to focus on mental health issues in research.

Listen in as they dive deeper into topics such as working on the front-lines during the COVID-19 crisis, minority representation in healthcare, and expanding on how her passion to serve the ethnic minority population globally keeps her moti...

On the inaugural episode of “Health Trailblazers, Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up,” our host Indrias Kassaye will be chatting with Dr. Bridgette Brawner, an Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and Chair of the National Advisory Committee for the Minority Fellowship Program.

Come along as they dive deeper into topics such as Dr. Brawner’s personal journey in the field of nursing and how the MFP molded her into the professional she is today. Through this riveting conversation, you’ll learn more about racism in nursing as well as how COVID-19 and map's reveal health di...

Premieres Monday, August 16. Indrias Kassaye invites you to tune in for "Mental Health Trailblazers: Psychiatric Nurses Speak Up!" The Minority Fellowship Program at the American Nurses Association’s podcast featuring the groundbreaking journeys of black, indigenous and other peoples of color, nurse practitioners and researchers in their quest to meet the urgent and unmet psychiatric and mental health needs of minority communities in America and beyond.