Articles/Blogs from WISE Experts
Advice, research and insights around stigma reduction.
Nicole Heling, MPH, CHES
Discover how Harm Reduction Vending Machines are transforming public health in Wisconsin communities…
Thomasina Jenkins, LCSW, CSAC, ICS
Happy New Year! As we are starting our journey into 2024, we not only begin to reflect on our unproductive actions, but we also consider the actions we took that led to great results, which we…
Jesse Jonesberg, LCSW
Exploring the profound impact of structural inequity on mental health, uncover a compelling insight into how societal systems contribute to individual trauma and the journey towards recovery….
Dr. Ricardo Anderson
Find peace this holiday season with self-care. Embrace wellness amidst festivities and reach out for support to navigate this winter’s emotional landscape. You’re not alone….
Kevin O’Connor, MS, LPC-IT, MFT-IT
Couples counseling, often misunderstood as a failure, is a growth tool that strengthens relationships and overcomes harmful myths….
Jesse Heffernan
Have you ever wondered about the power of a single word? How does that word shape our collective journey towards recovery and wellness? This reflection takes us deep into the world of stigma within the realm…
Kevin O’Connor, MS, LPC-IT, MFT-IT
Dispelling the myths of masculinity and mental health. Embrace your emotions, prioritize mental well-being, and break the stigma. Your mental fitness matters….
Andrea B. Vassilev
Much is written and done to battle stigma in mental health these days. Groups such as WISE put out wonderful content to educate the public and eradicate stigma. One primary goal of stigma reduction is to…
Dr. Ricardo Anderson
Explore the impact of peer support in substance use and mental health recovery. Uncover the history, roles, and benefits of peer support workers in fostering understanding, respect, and empowerment….
Dr. Gabrielle Jones
“Hello, my name is Gabrielle, and I am an addict”. This is the way people in recovery are generally introduced in recovery meetings. They say their name and declare their addiction to substances. This process over…
Barbara Moser, MD
What is stigma? Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary defines stigma as “a mark of shame or discredit: STAIN.” WISE addresses 3 types of stigma: social stigma, structural stigma, and self-stigma. Do you ever have this feeling? If you…
Terri Ellzey, LPC, CSAC
I decided to write this following my last work-related mental health crisis resulting in me “quitting on the spot.” It was the first time I did not ponder about letting go. After weeks of contemplating leaving,…
Dr. Dominique Pritchett
Have you ever taken inventory of your social circles and asked yourself, “Do I feel seen, supported or psychologically (emotionally) safe?” If you answered “no” to any of these three areas, it may lead to difficulty…
Kristin Waite-Labott BSN, RN, CARN, CPRC
Kristin’s Story I have been a nurse since 1991. There was never anything else I wanted to do. But in 2004, I lost nearly everything when I was caught diverting drugs from the hospital I worked…
Terri Ellzey, LPC, CSAC
A Black mother’s cry for help! One day when working as a community intervention specialist, I remember being called to meet a 25-year-old Black male who was in need of emergency housing. What I later found…
Dr. Warren Braden
Thank you for pausing to read this blog. As to paraphrase the announcements on airplanes, you have choices when it comes to reading material and I appreciate that you are reading what I have written. Please do…
Dr. Ricardo Anderson
This blog is a reflection and to provide highlights of, “A Call-to-Action Symposium: The Intersection of Race and Mental Health” which took place on April 19, 2022, at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and virtually. The…
Dr. Warren Braden
As we begin to recover from the pandemic, we are not ready to exhale and breathe a sigh of relief that this pain and suffering from this worldwide event is over. When we examine the far-reaching…
John D. Hartman
I was asked to consider writing this blog post just a few months into my new career here at Rogers and I had to ask myself; Why me? Is it because of my Disability? Is it…
Heddy Keith M. Ed, CI, CPS
White all Right, Black Get Back While dark skin denotes acceptance and a sense of belonging on the African continent, light skin raises questions of authenticity and a conflicted sense of identity. A division of individuals…
Dr. Ricardo Anderson
This blog is an outlet for individuals to discuss and to provide possible solutions for mental health issues in our community. The topic of Black and Brown students’ race- based traumatic events continues to erode the…
Dr. Ricardo Anderson
Mental health issues are prevalent in Black and Brown Americans, however, the historical dehumanization, oppression, trauma, and violence against Black and Brown people continue to fuel the ongoing mental health crisis. Black and Brown communities are…
Mental health is full of misconceptions, the most common of which is that mental illness is rare when, in fact, about 1 in 2 people will experience a mental illness in their lifetime according to the…
What do actors Ryan Reynolds and Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson, NFL wide receiver Brandon Marshall, Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kevin Love, Princes William and Harry, musician Logic, Olympian Michael Phelps, and comedian Wayne Brady have in common? They…
Last September, we discussed the work of researcher, social worker, and storyteller Dr. Brené Brown. That post summarized concepts from Dr. Brown’s TED talk titled The Power of Vulnerability, which can be found here. In that…
Anyone can help prevent suicide — you don’t have to be a mental health professional. There are countless examples of silent heroes who recognize emotional suffering in people, respond compassionately to someone in distress, and then…
The recent release of13 Reasons Why season 2 is prompting an essential dialogue in our communities related to bullying, depression, sexual assault and harassment, self-harm, suicide, and substance use. Because many of13RW’s central characters are teens,…
In this post, we want to share an empowering strategy taught in WISE’s Honest, Open, Proud program. For more information about HOP, click here. It is called the 5 step strategy for challenging our hurtful self-talk….
One of the biggest concerns that many who wish to help others face is the difficulty of bringing up and discussing various challenges. Mentioning private or sensitive subject matter may make you—or your family member, friend,…
At WISE, we talk a lot about the importance of self-care, or the providing of care by you and for you, and its importance in improving your compassion resilience, or CR, and maintaining your overall well-being….
In previous posts, we discussed stigma change processes and the use of TLC4 as a planning model for framing stigma change efforts. In both of those posts, we explored the effectiveness of contact-based strategies for decreasing…
As a young adult whose professional experiences have been limited, it never occurred to me to think about the extent that my own emotions are present in the workplace and how they do or don’t…
In February, we discussed the TLC4 Model, which explains how WISE reaches various populations and produces tangible change throughout Wisconsin. Click here to reread that article. In that post, we also said that the best…
In July, we learned about “public stigma” – the stigma that people express towards others. Click here to read that article. In this post, we will examine one type of public stigma that can have a…
In December, we discussed several stigma change processes, including protest, education, and contact. Of these, contact with those with lived mental health experience is the most effective. Hearing about the mental health challenges and the recovery…
Becase of their unique, stylistic elements, rappers pride themselves on their narratives, which often address current issues and/or popular trends. However, topics related to mental health have been noticeably absent from the rap genre. That is……
Back in July, we discussed what stigma is and where it comes from. Click here to read that article again. While this information is useful, the most important thing to know about stigma is that, in…
In October’s post, we talked about what compassionate boundaries are and listed six tips for setting compassionate boundaries with others. Incorporating these into your routine will help you build compassion resilience, or CR, and will…
Social media is immensely popular, particularly the powerhouse Facebook, which boasts 1.2 billion daily users and is now worth over 500 billion dollars according to Zephoria.com. No, you didn’t read that wrong— that’s billion with a…
In September’s post, we discussed compassion resilience, or CR, and how to move from compassion fatigue toward wellness. We also discussed the 7 C’s of CR that we can apply in our work with others to…
In August’s post, we “pounced” on the subject of compassion fatigue and its harmful path by illustrating Eric Gentry’s research with the help of some cats. Need a reminder? Review it here. Compassion fatigue can result…
If you’re a social worker, you’ve likely heard of Dr. Brené Brown, a self-described “researcher and storyteller” who studies topics such as shame and vulnerability. Dr. Brown’s personal background is in social work, so these topics…
We all know about the usage of certain substances like tobacco and alcohol. Knowing the risks, you’ve probably even used them yourself, as both are legal and/or socially acceptable. However, illicit drug use is a different…
In our previous posts, If We Want To vs. If We Can and Self-Stigma: Internalizing Trauma, we considered the many, multilayered connections between trauma and compassion. Now, we’ll discuss compassion fatigue, or the gradual lessening of…
Learn about what stigma is and where it comes from, as well as whether stigmatization is decreasing and at what rate….
Weigh the pros and cons of Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why” and consider the importance of being aware of and discussing suicide….
Learn about how trauma is internalized differently by adults and children, as well as the possible long and short term effects and how this can lead to self-stigma….
Explore the 7 Promises of the Safe Person Decal, created with WISE in order to provide more spaces for those in need of an open ear and support….
Compare the pros and cons of the current Affordable Care Act and how proposed changes by Republican leaders may or may not benefit you….
Examine how we give and receive motivation and the difference between the “do well if they want to” and “do well if they can” mentalities….
Learn about WISE, including who, what, when, where and why WISE is so important, and how you can get more involved in WISE’s work….
