Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz : Mental Health Awareness Month
May 19, 2022
Hosted by Ingrid Cockhren
[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]
Guest Information
Episode Description
Each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with mental health struggles. The collective trauma of COVID-19 has exasperated our country’s mental health crisis. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This month, our co-hosts, Ingrid and Mathew, will speak with guests about this country's science, support, education, advocacy, and policies focused on mental health. In this episode, Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz will share her life experience in rural poverty and the impact systems, including foster care, played on her journey. Rebecca grew up in addiction and poverty. Against all odds, Rebecca was able to fight her way out of poverty and the trailer park in 2011 with three young sons because a local poverty resolution project found Rebecca and activated her journey. She later went to work for that non-profit and then went on to build multiple projects like it to help more families.
History. Culture. Trauma
Thursday at 1PM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Health and Wellness Channel
According to Resmaa Menakem, trauma decontextualized over time looks like culture. We, at PACEs Connection, agree. 2020, with COVID-19, our climate crisis, and the racial reckoning, has shown us that trauma is embedded within our institutions, our culture, and our history. 2020 was a collective trauma. And, with the addition of technological advances like the internet and social media, we are more connected to our collective selves than ever before. We can no longer live in silos, focused on the individual. We know now that our shared experiences matter. Our podcast will examine trauma and resilience, not just at the individual level, at the systems and cultural level. How has the trauma of slavery and genocide impacted our current society? Why are the cultural manifestations of trauma, i.e., community violence, school shootings, etc., so pervasive? Together, our hosts and their guests will outline the true impact of trauma and resilience on the human experience.
Ingrid Cockhren
Ingrid Cockhren knows first-hand how impactful trauma and toxic stress can be for children and families and has dedicated her professional life to investigating and educating the public about the link between early trauma, early adversity, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), positive childhood experiences and the consequences that occur across the lifespan. Specializing in creating equitable and inclusive environments within organizations, collective impacts and grassroot movements, Cockhren uses her knowledge of stress, trauma, historical trauma, human development, and psychology to translate research concerning DEI into community, workplace, and organizational solutions. Cockhren graduated from Tennessee State University with a B.S. in psychology and from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College with a M.Ed. in child studies specializing in minority and impoverished children. Her research areas are African American parenting styles, positive and adverse childhood experiences, historical trauma, intergenerational trauma, brain development, developmental psychology, and epigenetics. Cockhren’s experience includes juvenile justice, family counseling, early childhood education, professional development, consulting, and community education. She is currently CEO at PACEs Connection and an adjunct professor specializing in Black psychology, developmental psychology, abnormal psychology, and personality theory at Tennessee State University.
