Public Health is Mental Health: Q&A With Dr. Sandro Galea November 21, 2019 | PRA Work | Crystal Brandow At PRA, we work for well-being. Our work in the wellness and well-being space seeks to improve outcomes for individuals with behavioral health conditions. We understand that all populations we work to serve have unique needs, and improving well-being can enhance the overall quality of life and outcomes for these individuals, as well as for… Read More
(S)he Served, Too November 11, 2019 | PRA Culture, PRA Work | Qwynn Galloway-Salazar As I reflect on Veterans Day 2018, I fondly remember my husband and I both proudly donning our hooded Army sweatshirts and heading out to enjoy a free lunch. As we entered the restaurant, my husband received countless, “thanks for your service,” “hey I served in the Army too,” “where were you stationed,”…I am sure… Read More
Focusing on Intellectual Wellness: My Golden Nugget November 6, 2019 | PRA Culture, PRA Work | Terri Hay A wise person once told me, take advantage of professional development opportunities, no matter how large or small. All you need is one good take away message, tool, skill…one golden nugget…to make it all worthwhile. As part of my professional development for this year, I attended the National Wellness Institute’s (NWI) 2019 National Wellness Conference… Read More
BJA’s VALOR Initiative Update October 30, 2019 | PRA Work | Amelia Allen All four of the BJA VALOR Initiative’s Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) sites [Huntsville, Alabama; Honolulu, Hawaii; St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, and Alamogordo, New Mexico] have completed their 40-hour trainings, with a total of 145 graduates. In addition, PRA has wrapped up the corresponding Train-the-Trainer workshops, so the four sites can continue to train law enforcement… Read More
What’s an Intern Again?: Reflecting Upon a Summer Spent at PRA September 11, 2019 | PRA Culture, PRA Work | Guest Post by Olivia Cook When I first thought of being an intern prior to this summer, I thought of The Devil Wears Prada-level stress: getting coffee, picking up dry cleaning, and living in constant fear of my supervisor (Who wouldn’t be shaking in their boots at the sight of the infamous Meryl Streep?). Never did I… Read More
Two Years and SOARing August 28, 2019 | PRA Work | Guest Post Guest post by a Florida SOAR Provider Two years ago this past April, we started the Hillsborough County Health Care Services SOAR unit in Florida with the vision of serving the needs of our indigent clients experiencing or at risk of homelessness while working towards becoming one of the best SOAR groups in the country.… Read More
2019 SOAR CJ TA Awardees: Implementation August 14, 2019 | PRA Work | Dazara Ware Beginning January 11, 2019, the SAMSHA SOAR Technical Assistance Center worked alongside local SOAR criminal justice (CJ) leads to plan and prepare SOAR Implementation meetings for six sites that were awarded the SOAR CJ Technical Assistance Opportunity. On May 13, 2019, the final Implementation meeting was held for this third round of awardees. The SOAR… Read More
Along for the Ride July 31, 2019 | PRA Work | Guest Post This story was shared with the SAMHSA SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) Technical Assistance Center by Daniel Rivera, whose wife Teddi Rivera is a SOAR Local Lead. An edited version of the story is below and underscores the power of the SOAR model and its reach in everything from income support, housing stability, employment,… Read More
SOARing in California July 24, 2019 | PRA Culture, PRA Work | Dan Coladonato In April 2019, I had the opportunity to participate in two SOAR Criminal Justice (CJ) Technical Assistance (TA) Implementation Meetings. These were the first meetings of this type I have been a part of since I started working for Policy Research Associates, Inc. and the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center. Fortunately, I had my two experienced… Read More
My Brother in Montana July 10, 2019 | PRA Work | Guest Post This story was shared with the SAMHSA SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access, and Recovery (SOAR) Technical Assistance Center by an anonymous individual who learned about the SOAR model when it was used to support their estranged brother. An edited version of the story is below and underscores the power of the SOAR model and its reach in… Read More
APHA’s Annual Meeting: A Marathon, Not a Sprint June 26, 2019 | PRA Culture, PRA Work | Crystal Brandow I am a member of the American Public Health Association (APHA), active in the Mental Health Section. As a new member and early career professional, I went to the APHA Annual Meeting in November 2017 for my Professional Development offered to staff at PRA. Traveling down to Atlanta, I was eager to join the nearly… Read More
When Worlds Collide June 19, 2019 | PRA Culture, PRA Work | Karli Keator Horses have been the central part of my life for as long as I can remember. Inside, I am forever that little girl. You know the one. The girl that points out every horse on a road trip; that has horse-themed wall calendars and mugs; that watches every horse movie unless it doesn’t end well… Read More
