For the third time this year, Mighty Crow’s Co-Directors of Research and Evaluation, Dr. Brieanne Beaujolais and Dr. Rebecca McCloskey, have shared a research brief based based on research from the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) 2.0 program. The latest, entitled “Guidance for Preparing and Using Archived Qualitative Data in Research,” was produced in collaboration with the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University.

We recently celebrated milestone here at Mighty Crow - 15 years in business. While we’ve shared the story of how we started in a garage office back in 2011, we haven’t always talked about the support and encouragement that got us off the ground. As we celebrate this recent accomplishment, I am looking back with deep gratitude for the many people who have been a part of our journey.

Following the release of a first research brief in January, Mighty Crow’s Co-Directors of Research and Evaluation, Dr. Brieanne Beaujolais and Dr. Rebecca McCloskey,  have shared a second brief based based on research from the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) 2.0 program and is entitled ‘Strengthening Workforce Development Training Programs: Childcare Barriers and Recommendations.’

Dr. Tracy Yaeger, CEO of Portage Path Behavioral Health, discusses more than three decades in the field, the launch of 988 in Summit County, and why the hardest conversations are often the ones worth having. 

We’ve spent the first three weeks of May examining the amazing work our clients do, so for week four of Mental Health Awareness Month, where SAMHSA's theme is Connection is a Powerful Form of Care, we’re going to be a bit more introspective. We’re circling back to the nest with an eye on how we take care of each other inside our office here at Mighty Crow.

Healing rarely starts with a treatment plan. More often, it starts with words that put a name to the burden someone is carrying. What happens next is key. The right word, at that moment, can open a door. The wrong one can close it. This is the idea that’s the heart of the Week 3 theme of Mental Health Awareness Month:  Words Matter, Words Can Heal.  

For this week's Mental Health Awareness Month theme, "Early Support Matters: Recognizing Signs in Children and Youth", we’re looking at the role of childhood experiences in ongoing mental health.

Compassion and empathy are relational, just like Dr. Brene Brown so aptly explains in her short video shared below.  As I reflect on Mental Health Awareness Month and the first theme of awareness leading to compassion, I cannot help but think about the power of empathy and what it can do to fuel connection between people as Dr. Brown states. 

At Mighty Crow, everything we do is about helping organizations dedicated to public good; the ones on the front lines supporting communities, listening to tough stories of trauma and struggle, and identifying solutions, treatments and opportunities for those in need. But, our commitment to wellness isn’t just external, it defines everything we do as a company.  

In recognition of International Women's Day on March 8th, it’s a great time to remind you of our recent research brief that powerfully highlights the immense resilience and potential of women in workforce development programs.

This summer, I traveled to Nigeria to teach in two, one-week immersive programs organized by Professors Without Borders (PROWIBO) in collaboration with University of Lagos and Ekiti State University. Based on my other international teaching experiences, when I signed on to teach in Nigeria, I expected the experience would be meaningful. I also expected it would be challenging. What I didn’t anticipate was how deeply transformational it would be—not just for the students, but for me.

Most of my talk is focused on sharing information to help educate, but some of it is my lived experience as someone who has experienced severe compassion fatigue.  It’s not easy to give this talk – it takes a lot out of me.  However, this talk is needed. And, I am of service.  

As I try to navigate the barrage of news related to cuts and changes to the federal government, the question before me is, “So…what now?”  What do we do in the face of what may be a continuous cycle of unknowns and unexpected changes and potential cuts?  

There are many times in my 26 years of working in behavioral health and human services systems that make me think of the expression "death by a thousand cuts" and the historical implications.  One of my first experiences working in the field was adjusting to abrupt and unexpected funding cuts to our system of care while the expectation to serve everyone with excellence remained.

Mighty Crow recently received the Ohio Recovery Friendly Workplace designation.