Hope and #Livin (w/Kaitlin and PT)

DeAnn and Craig (Sober Positive Workplace) discuss the intersection of substance use disorder and suicide prevention, highlighting the work of the Livin Foundation. PT, a media personality and founder, shares his personal loss to suicide and the foundation's mission to remember loved ones for how they lived. Kaitlin, a co-founder, emphasizes the importance of peer-to-peer support and the Livin Foundation's new program to facilitate workplace mental health support. They introduce the AI-powered mental health platform Livin Connected and discuss the impact of open conversations on reducing suicide rates by 79%. The foundation also offers free virtual suicide prevention training and financial support for those affected by suicide.

 Info & Donate: www.livinfoundation.org  

Find HOPE at: https://livinconnected.org

LIVIN Foundation Story/Overview: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrIWBJZVYnk&t=6s

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Music Created and Produced by Katie Hare.
https://www.hare.works

Transcript

DeAnn Knighton: 0:01

Hey, Craig, hey, DeAnn, hey, I wanted to have you help me set up this episode today, sure, and I wanted to have you walk us through how you met these individuals and why it made sense for us to have this conversation today.

Unknown: 0:16

I met them really as part of my retirement recovery process. I retired at the end of the year, and I was looking for new things to do and focus on, especially with organizations that were mission based and seemed to be doing important work in the health and health care business. And a friend of mine from prior work that I'd done, recommended that I meet this group called live in and the co founders are people who both lost their fathers to suicide, and of course, with mental health and suicide awareness and prevention and and substance use disorder, all sort of tied so intricately close together, like one of the Most most powerful connections is between substance use and and suicide itself, right that people who are struggling with substances are often also ideating about suicide or going through a lot of emotional depression and and need that kind of help too. So I decided to to reach out and join the team and meet them at an off site that they were having. And what really surprised me was they also had this very fascinating technology angle to their work, that they were applying some of these new artificial intelligence tools as a way of helping people learn about and understand suicide prevention, and that they had brought this to life in this product that they were now taking to market. So that's how I met them, and I was so impressed by how this small, but you know, spunky team had put together this very interesting technology that I decided to get more involved.

DeAnn Knighton: 2:29

This is DeAnn, and you are listening to the sober, positive workplace series brought to you by show up and stay. Hi all. Welcome back to the podcast. We've been focused here the last several months on the importance of advocacy in the workplace for those recovering from substance use disorder, and today's conversation is a great opportunity to broaden that discussion. It should be no surprise to hear that there's a great deal of overlap in substance use disorder and suicide rates, and that suicide prevention and substance use prevention go hand in hand in the workplace and beyond. Today, I'm speaking with PT and Caitlin of live in foundation. PT is media personality and founder of the Minnesota based mental health nonprofit Living Foundation. Caitlin co founds this new revolutionary mental health support platform called live in connected, powered by hope, and also an advisory board member for the live in foundation. So let's actually start with you. PT, I want to have everyone get to know you a little more. So I saved some of the details about your story and background because I thought it would be so much better to have it come from you. So can you tell us what got you connected to this work and what drives your passion? Yeah,

Unknown: 3:47

thanks. Thanks for the opportunity. I think you know my story is, I think a lot like other folks, when it comes to a particular cause, I have a personal connection to it. I lost my father to suicide in 2013 and although, you know, he didn't necessarily struggle with substance use disorder, I think in a lot of ways, there are so many connections to, like mental health, mental illness, and just like other components, you know, we talk often that, you know, mental wellness is, is like a it's like a spoke on a wheel, right? There are so many components to it, and it's a little bit more more difficult to, you know, determine, like, you know, different, difficult to understand, compared to physical wellness, right? So after losing my dad about 12 years ago, I was kind of in a tough spot myself, I think, mentally and just trying to figure out where to go with it. But I knew that I wanted to remember my dad for how he lived rather than how he died. And I think in doing that, I started, I started the Living Foundation with just this idea of like we're. Remembering him for how he lived, rather than how he died. Because I think a lot of times in in a loss by suicide, you know, I think the legacy of that person, like, becomes a little bit too much about how they died. And so, like, I was thought about changing that, and honestly, it just started by me, you know, kind of talking about that, and sharing my story. And I think it just resonated with a lot of people because they were in a similar spot with, you know, either their loss by suicide or just like, their struggles themselves, like, or somebody in their family with with mental health and mental illness and whatnot and and, you know, maybe just realizing that through living and through this like hashtag, live in we almost became, you know, a talking point, maybe, dare I say, a platform or an excuse for somebody to have a conversation about this, this, you know, relatively difficult topic, and and it just kind of took off from there. So it started really, very organically, just with, again, kind of me trying to tell my story a little bit and remember my dad, and now it's turned into something that hopefully is, is giving a lot of people, you know, an opportunity to make connections with others, and hopefully an opportunity to tell their story and and find a level of of, you know, hope and healing, maybe through it and through that community and so on so forth. But I'll be honest, I I never would have dreamt, you know, of course, losing my dad. I mean, never expected that, but then never expected where we're at right now with the foundation, but, you know, obviously, at the same time, very proud of it.

DeAnn Knighton: 6:32

Oh yeah, that's wonderful. Thank you so much for sharing. And I, you know, there's so much that overlaps that we're going to talk about a little bit here. But I think one of the things that is really important is it just in the language and the way that we talk about these issues and that we do talk about them. Yeah,

Unknown: 6:48

I mean, on that note, I mean, to be honest, we're, like, we're very deliberate, like, when I say, like, a loss by suicide, or died by suicide, I think a lot of people, I think that, you know, they say commit suicide. Because I think back in the day, it was really more considered, I think, like, religiously, a sin in some capacity. So it's like, but, you know, we often will refer to the fact that you don't, you know, you don't commit cancer, and so people don't have this negative stigma associated with it. And you know, my partner, Caitlin here, you know we were talking about how I think a similar scenario and stigma and just wording with like substance use right and substance use disorder, versus saying like substance abuse, you know, I think that's, it's a dynamic that the wordings, you know, continues to perpetuate stigma, right and stigma is where I think we get into a lot of struggles with a lot of these things, you know. And it's not just substance use disorder, it's not just mental illness, but just like anytime you have a stigma associated with something because of, you know, maybe wording that needs to be updated, that's, you know, that's what you're going

DeAnn Knighton: 7:54

to get. Yeah, absolutely, yeah. Well, Caitlin, let's learn a little bit about you.

Unknown: 7:58

Yeah. Well, thank you so much for having us and to these point that was an educator. Me to remove substance abuse from my vocabulary and focus on substance use, so that, you know, again, my goal every day is to learn something new. And so now I'm, I feel like I'm more educated on the topic as well, and I very much appreciate that. So I'm Caitlin Vegas, and I have been with the live in foundation for a little over seven years. So the live in foundation just this month actually turned 10 years old. So we're just really grateful for the momentum. I'm part of the unfortunate club that a lot of Americans are in after losing my father to suicide as well. Unfortunately, when I was 12, and I spent the majority of my life in denial, you know, I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't really want to deal with it head on. And that went on for almost 20 years. And speaking of substance use, for me, specifically, being very transparent, because I wasn't, you know, willing or able to tackle it head on. It did start creeping out in my personal life as well, in certain ways, with substance use and excessive partying. And I started realizing that I needed to deal with this more head on. And then I I actually came across the live and Foundation, which has been a huge part of my healing journey. And quite honestly, you know when, when PT talks about how he founded the organization, I think, like he said, he didn't, he didn't know where this would lead. But for me, personally, talking about my journey, I'm a perfect case study of what he started and then how I was attracted to the Living Foundation and how, quite literally, it's helped me, but how it's put me personally on a better trajectory of healing and hope in my personal life. And so, you know, I would say, seven years ago, I started, kind of out of nowhere, really starting to say, Okay, I want to be more. Healthy holistically. And I had a mutual friend of myself and Paul's that said you should connect live foundation. So I went to one of his speaking engagements, and I heard him speak, and you know, it's one of those out of body experiences in your life. You go, I just need to know more about him and his story. And I was very drawn to the positivity of the messaging around the live in foundation. And for me personally, I found a community to be a part of, and for the first time, started focusing on how my dad lived when he was here, as Paul said, versus how he died. And for me, that change changed narrative. And like I had mentioned earlier, therapeutic for me. So just something simple as changing that narrative for me, it started to provide hope for me, and I started on a platform to share my story, and I started realizing how therapeutic that was for myself. And so I started out just volunteering with the organization, working with PT, and seven years later, here we are.

DeAnn Knighton: 11:07

Oh, that's beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing that. And we often find that those who sometimes struggle with addiction, it is typically a symptom of something else, and oftentimes a lot of unresolved things from in the past, kind of like you're talking about right, where some of those things that we don't face can creep up in different ways and show up in different ways for people, the stigma part of this we've talked on a little bit, but I think it would be so lovely. PT, maybe if you have a story or an experience that you can share from the work that you've been doing, where you've seen the power of someone being able to talk about something that they hadn't before or in a different way and and heal through that. I mean,

Unknown: 11:47

one of the first interactions with live in as it pertains to that community that Caitlin mentioned is really the, probably my aha moment that I refer to sometimes I was doing radio in the in the Twin Cities, and I started talking about my loss of my dad, like publicly on the air, okay, which was a very, very difficult thing to do, obviously, and but I, for whatever reason, I felt like it was necessary to start getting, you know, getting it off my chest, or just sharing it, or making it more of a component of my healing journey. Okay, and so in doing that like it did become, I mean, honestly, it was difficult, obviously, at first, but it did become a part of my healing journey, and where, really, where, like I said, the aha moment came is I was at an event with our radio station, and a gentleman came up to me, probably, you know, might have been in his late 50s, early 60s, and he came up to me and he asked me, who at the radio station, like which one of the DJs talked About a loss, by by suicide and stuff like that. I said, Well, it happens to be me, you know, I lost my father. And he said, You know, I just want to thank you, because every time you do that, it gives me some strength and some courage and some hope that I I'm not alone in my journey. And it turns out that he had lost his niece earlier that year, okay, and he had been struggling, you know, with with the questions surrounding a loss by suicide, right? And like, whether it's the feeling of guilt or the feeling of sadness or frustration or anger or whatever. Like, we all go through various stages and emotions and stuff and but here, you know, here you hear this perfect stranger, and I'm hugging them, right? So now we're hugging, and I happen to be having a living shirt on which, even to this day, is like, kind of whatever. He's like, I, you know, I want one of those shirts. Like, I want to. I want to. I want to be part of the movement. I want to be part of the story, like I want to be, you know, unfortunately, again, we're like, Caitlin mentioned, we don't want to be part of the club, but we want to be part of the change, maybe, and so, you know, and he's like, Hey, he's like, thank you. And we so we just had this moment, and I think it was at that time, if I hadn't realized it already, like, that was where now I realized that, like, maybe we were kind of on to something, right? I'm not going to wear a shirt that says I lost my dad to suicide, but I very proudly wear my living swag, okay? Or I'm wearing my living wristband. It reminds me, like, what, you know, why I'm here, what I'm doing, how I'm living today. And now this other gentleman, same, same boat. He's not going to, you know, wear a big sign over his head that says, I lost my niece to suicide, right? But he's proudly a part of the Living Movement. And so when people then ask the question, hey, what's living all about? Or tell me what that is. Or when people do know, it's like, Hey, I know that you're a part of something. Again, it's almost like, it's like the pink of breast cancer, sort of, right. There's nothing positive about breast cancer, per se, other than beating it right and like being a breast cancer survivor, but like, through the color pink and through a. Events and just whatever, there's this community that is created whereby there is a sense of belonging, dare I say, right? And I I think that hopefully, through some of the things that we've done with living and, frankly, a lot of other organizations like we are by no means, you know, alone in this, in this, in this space, but I think through that, we find connections. So that would be like, the story that always resonates to me, and I think always is like, you know, kind of one of the initial stories is just like, wow, here's two strangers now connected over something that we would never normally know at all. And, and I can't tell you how many now subsequent conversations that we've had with people that you know are are moved to become part of the movement because of a connection that they have in their lives in some capacity.

DeAnn Knighton: 15:47

Yeah, I love that, and I think it really plays well into the conversation about bringing this message to maybe some of the spaces where we have typically avoided this for so many reasons and tried to keep it kind of separate from personal but I think this is such a great way to consider how to integrate that. And Caitlin, I know that you've done some work around bringing this work into different spaces, and what that could look like to open up conversations where they normally haven't happened.

Unknown: 16:15

Yeah, I think before I even get into that, I would say the general crux of everything that the live in. Foundation stands for all of our programmatic, you know, arts, and even this next program I'm going to talk about is really peer to peer support. I would say that's the general theme, kind of across our organization. And what's a little bit more unique. And although the organization started with PT in his vision and losing his father and now myself, we like to say all the time that it's not our story, it's your story, you know, and everyone's story is different. Everybody has one right and through avenues, via peer to peer support, how natural it can be in organizations, in the workplace, really, across our communities, to start those conversations and make it okay for people to talk about right at their at their level, whenever they're comfortable, right, whatever that might be, because it's different for all of us. And that's a good segue into some of our other programming. We just developed a new program offering called mind well balance five which will be offered in the workplace, which really, we're just saying that it's five actions to fostering mental health within the organization. And what, what makes it unique is really that human element. And in taking that out, and we're seeing a huge appetite within these workplace and organizations wanting and needing assistance when it comes to crisis and general suicide intervention methods and using training, education and really just Helping with cultivating the culture within the organization. There's a lot of organizations that are asking and needing help with that. So we've got lots of resources out there, not just us, but as a community and as a society. There's a lot of technology and resources, but some of the missing link to the connection there is the human element. And so organizations are saying, I know this is a problem, and we've identified that it is. I'm not really sure what to do next, right? So live in foundation is coming in, and we're saying, Hey, we can break this down into five simple methods in which we'll come on and walk alongside you in the journey, and we'll start very naturally with that peer to peer support, whether it's training and education with the leadership team and the organization as a whole, inspirational speaking engagement, just slow, slow conversation starters, and on people's terms they can start those conversations. And just how naturally people open up to that. And so that's been really, really awesome to see. And then, you know, by way of the human interaction, moving to the technology component, which we founded a mental health platform called Living connected, which is powered by way of an AI chat bot named Hope. So really, the crux of it is the we know can't be replaced by technology, but it's really the idea of, take my hand and come with me, and I will guide you to support knowing that, again, everyone's journey is different, so it's tailoring what you need in that moment. And not everyone is in crisis. Some people might just want a podcast or a box breathing exercise or to chat with a community that understands what they're going through in that moment, no matter what it is. And then there are crisis intervention so this platform now can be customized and white labeled for any organization, for any workplace. So. So they can take their element and plug that into the platform, and then even encompass their resources and their tools and just have hope guide, guide you to the support. But I

DeAnn Knighton: 20:12

wonder if you could speak to maybe some of the skeptics out there around the this idea of technology as a tool for healing in this capacity, because I know that that's something that people question a lot, and we've had so much change in the last few years, I think it's important to touch on,

Unknown: 20:28

you know, what's interesting about anybody who might be skeptics of AI and technology? We totally understand that. And I think what we're saying is that the technology isn't the be all, end all, that's in parallel to and alongside the human component, and then it doesn't replace that, right? So the power of being able to do the two together is just really amazing. Who isn't a skeptic? I mean, honestly, you know, who isn't a skeptic? I mean, here's the thing, right? Like, as Caitlin mentioned, you know, I don't think hope, or any of the technology from an AI standpoint, or anything else, eventually, it's never going to replace, you know, interpersonal communication and connection, right? Like nothing. We don't really think anything can replace that? Is it possible that technology can can be just that, as you mentioned, a tool to help people get to the connection that they need to get to? You know, basically faster or more efficiently, or whatever? Because, let's be honest, too. In certain situations when resources are needed, time is the time is of the essence, right? It absolutely is a scenario where it can be very important. And so if we can lower the barrier to, you know, providing a number of resources to somebody in need faster or again or more efficiently, then that's a, I think that's a bonus. You know, the other thing about, I think, just like the technology and everything, is the fact that it's like, it's becoming more, I think people are opening up to it more. I mean, like, look at anything like self driving cars, right? Like, you know, five or 10 years ago, we were probably all freaking out about it now, like people actually get in vehicles that are, you know, it's like. So I think we're ready for it. And even getting back to the conversation we've been having on this podcast that you know, is the work place, more ready for this conversation now than it maybe was 1015, 20 years ago. Okay, in general, we as a culture, maybe haven't been ready, or as ready for the mental wellness conversation in everyday life. But clearly we have, whether it's been through the, you know, the pandemic and the conversation of mental health in schools or with people or whatever, getting back into normal life. Well now like workplaces, you know when, when you apply, when you when you look at a job. You know there are mental health. You know benefits that are literally being used as potential. You know reasons to work for an employer. So if an employer is now going to that length of of including mental wellness as part of their program, or whatever, or talking to us about how we can incorporate, you know, live and connected or hope into the things that we're doing. Like, maybe people are more willing and open to that conversation now, and I think that's no different than whether it's substance use disorder or anything else, right? Like, if people are more willing to to have these conversations, we all got to be there collectively, to to engage in them as a society. And what we believe is that we have, really have to meet people where they're at and so that that's that's all different elements, because some people want to remain remain anonymous, especially in the workplace, and so being able to give people several different options is a must if we're going to, you know, scrape away at suicide prevention and the technology that we've provided on purpose. There are no logins, you can chat anonymously, there's no tracking, and we've done that very deliberately, because we want people, especially in the workplace, if you're feeling like, well, I don't want them to track me. I don't want them to know what I'm going through. Because there is still a stigma in the workplace, of course, and people are worried about who's going to know what. We want to keep it like that on purpose. And so there's a lot more pros, I think, than the cons, although, you know, all things to to weigh against each other. You know, absolutely,

DeAnn Knighton: 24:47

yeah, you know, it's interesting. I was recovering from substance use disorder during the pandemic. Was kind of the period of time where I was really isolated and had hit a wall with my recovery. And. And actually, as a result of the pandemic, I was able to find resources that have have been life changing for me that I probably would not have found otherwise, because the treatment community was kind of pushing me towards local resources, and I was able to connect and meet with people in different parts of the country and build relationships in a different way that I am so grateful for and really like has changed my path. So I'm a big proponent and supporter of that idea. And I think maybe the one thing I wanted to ask about, too, now that this conversation is making me think about, is there's also maybe a little bit of a misunderstanding or misconception that if we talk about things, that somehow it's going to make it more prevalent? Yeah,

Unknown: 25:42

I think that the more that we talk about things, the more people open up. I think specifically in the workplace, what we're trying to do is to prepare people for that. So once you start those conversations, and you deliberately start them, just ensuring that people are equipped to say something or how to handle it. So I just learned that the number one response that people get, so if you're struggling and you reach out to a friend or a confidant, or even in the workplace, you say something, the number one response that people are met with is a non response, and that is super heartbreaking. And so I think our due diligence is to equip workplaces and organizations to have that not be a thing. So before we go in and start, you know, deliberately fostering an environment in which we open up those conversations which can be done it, there's steps before that that you know, need to happen so that you can just feel somewhat comfortable to say something, right? None of us have to be subject matter experts. You know, we don't have to be crisis intervention experts or professionals, but just be comfortable enough to ask somebody if they have a plan or if they're struggling, and, more importantly, walk alongside them, to get them support, you know, or a safety plan. And so, you know, I'm, I would just say that that's where we come in, to help with that, to help not only foster the dialog, but to help support people. Because, you know, it definitely is impactful. One thing that I would probably add to that, and you know, it's like, if we're not going to talk about it in the workplace, we're either making, I guess I would say, one of two assumptions, right? Either one is that it's not happening and we're just ignorant to it, right? Which we all know is not true, right? So there is going to be mental mental health concerns, there is going to be substance use disorder, whatever, right. So to be ignorant to it is probably not the right way. The only other conversation is maybe that it, you know, it doesn't belong in the workforce, or for whatever reason, like the, you know, the A company's job is not that right. And I think our challenge to that would probably be if you've got people that are spending, you know, 40, 5060, hours a week, you know, I mean, like your work, family is a big part of who we all are, okay. And, I mean, I remember we had a conversation early on in live in that we talked about a vision where we could be as comfortable talking about mental mental wellness as we are the weather, right? Because, and now we're in Minnesota, and Minnesotans can talk about the weather like with anybody. Okay, so how is it possible that I can talk, you know, about the weather for five minutes riding up and down an elevator with a stranger, but I can't talk to people that are super close to me about a concern that I'm having, or an issue that I might be having, or a tough time that I'm going through, think about that that's such a, you know, an interesting dichotomy, right? So we said, Okay, what if we could make it as comfortable as talking about the weather? Well, if we're going to do that, then we have to get into places where the conversation maybe isn't normally seen in schools, for example, which a lot of people are doing that now with kids, which is great, you know, at home, and I think a lot more conversations are starting to happen at home with with loved ones and stuff like that, in families, you know, at the dinner table, you know, Caitlin talks all times like, let's just have everyday conversations about mental wellness and make it okay. And maybe another one or and you could almost argue. The third one is in the workplace, right? You're spending a lot of your time in the workplace. So if, if we can't talk about this there, if we can't engage in a in a conversation in the workplace, that is productive, and that is in some way, shape or form, you know, engaging to people, or, dare I say, like, even helpful, therapeutic, whatever we're missing out on a big chunk of people and a big chunk of time when it comes to this problem.

DeAnn Knighton: 29:47

Yeah, I believe it definitely. And, you know, I actually was recently for school looking at something around obsessive compulsive disorder and obsessive thoughts in particular, and how that can be tied, you know, right to potentially. Like suicidal ideation, and the way through that is like exposure to the idea, and if it stays in the dark, in the shame, that's actually when it's far more dangerous, right? Than than being able to talk about it or hear other people talking about it, and sort of bringing this idea forward, that you're not alone. And I

Unknown: 30:17

just recently through the QPR Institute, the National QPR Institute, Question, Persuade, Refer, that's a nationally, nationally renown suicide prevention methodology and training. And I just recently got myself certified as an instructor. And as part of that training, they actually tackle specifically your question about, hey, does talking about this and fostering additional dialog. Does that actually increase the risk in which people would, you know, think about these things or do them? And there's actually been surveys and studies done nationally that indicate that is not the case. There's nothing out there. And again, those are nationally renowned surveys by American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the QPR Institute themselves, clinically, doctors, you know, all those things that indicate that's not the case. And in fact, it by actually fostering these things, it reduces the risk by 79% which is in that those are workplace statistics. So they say that the average suicide within a workplace, costs an organization upwards of $1.3 million just in lost productivity and obviously the ripple effect through the organization. But that by implementing suicide prevention programs such as this and fostering dialog, starting those conversations, making it okay, it actually reduces, you know, suicide in the workplace by 79% and to me, that's really powerful, right? Because there's simple things that can happen, like conversation starters, that actually reduce the potential of that happening. Yeah, I think the the simple, you know, conversation or maybe narrative, is that it's like you don't give some like, you don't give someone an idea of, like suicide, like, if they're if they're having suicidal ideation, or whatever, like that that is coming from either something that they have, you know, dealt with for many years through, you know, through a lot of different things. It's not like you come in talk about it, and someone's sitting in the room going, Oh, great idea. I never thought of that. You know, it's just that's just a it's just that that's not how it works.

DeAnn Knighton: 32:31

Yeah, I think it's important to mention though, too, because I think sometimes there's, there's different thoughts about it. Thank you. Let's just jump over and talk about what you have coming up and anything that you want to share with the audience in terms of how to find resources and more about your organization. Yeah,

Unknown: 32:50

so all of our all the information, can be found at our website, live in foundation.org, so we have lots of ways to get involved and look at our upcoming events. We have an annual Music Festival at ERX motor Park, just community that comes together and really live, do all things that are living for that weekend, music, barbecue, kids activities, again, that can be found on our website. And just would love to have you come out and enjoy enjoy life with a community that understands what it's like. So again, back to the peer to peer and the live in camp and individual retreats for families and individuals that have lost a loved one to suicide, and those are annual events, so whether your family unit would like to come together and heal with intentional, voluntary activities that are planned, or you would want to come as an individual, whether it's an adult or a father, and again, come together around a bonfire and through group activities, again, very intentional, and you can heal together As a community that understands what it's like to lose someone to suicide and then pick up the pieces and then try to heal going forward. And we also have a financial grant program, so it's called the Living Community Fund and individuals that is open year round. You can apply on our website under the Get support section, and you know, we've covered, we cover things such as preventive measures. So whether it's I need to go to therapy and I need assistance with covering some of that cost, or, unfortunately, after a loss, assisting with funeral expenses and just day to day living expenses. So we have a grant committee that reviews all of those one by one, on a case by case basis, and we've been very fortunate by some community partners, specifically Kraus Anderson, who has taken a huge stance in funding and helping us be able to I. To reach more people with that program. Because up until this point, we've only been able to approve 5% of the requests that come in due to our budget constraints. But Krause Anderson construction came on and said, We're we're going to come on in a big way and help you reach more people. So that's been really powerful. And if anyone is listening to this again, you can find that application on our website and share that with individuals that could use a little bit of hope in the form of some financial assistance to kind of show you that someone cares and help you get through whatever that situation is that you're going through. And then we, as I mentioned earlier, we just launched a new mental health product called Mind Well five. So that is a holistic program where we will come alongside you and help foster these very important conversations within the workplace. Also implement some technology via a new so all these things are a great gateway to start the conversations and then very intentionally, get you to the help you need. In addition to all of those things, we also offer free virtual suicide prevention training to anyone nationwide, and that can be found on our website under the Get Involved section and on our social media, at live in foundation, on Facebook and Instagram. So again, you can take that training in the comfort of your own home. It's a 90 minute training in which you would then get a certification afterwards. Again, that training teaches you you know how to identify warning signs, not just in loved ones and friends, but specifically in the workplace as well, but more importantly, what to do and say if someone is struggling. And so we it's been really cool. We've had attendees come from all over the world to those trainings, and that's what we go into organizations, and we teach as well with a more tailored, customized training for leadership teams and the organization. Oh,

DeAnn Knighton: 37:05

that's amazing. Yeah, I'll make sure that there's links to all of that good stuff in the show notes so that people can find that easily. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for the work that you're doing and for all of the energy and effort you're putting into this important topic. It was so great to talk with you both today.

Unknown: 37:22

Thank you so much. We appreciate it. Very much. Thanks for the opportunity. We appreciate it.

DeAnn Knighton: 37:30

So Craig, I thought we would just talk a little bit now that we've had that conversation, what were your thoughts listening to us talk about the mission of sober, positive workplace, and then what live in Foundation is doing? The simple

Unknown: 37:44

answer is, I was struck so many times that I wanted to unmute myself and jump into the conversation at how closely parallel these two challenges are, and it's not surprising at all. Right, there's a reason that, from a clinical point of view, we call these co occurring disorders, right? They they have so many common causes and so many common solutions that the umbrella of mental health is about as good as I think we've been able to come up with to capture the fact that we have a whole person who is sick and this thing is happening to them, and we need to make them whole again. And the the ways we fail and the ways we recover from are so similar, regardless of what the actual diagnosis is, right it so that just shouted in volumes to me as I listened,

DeAnn Knighton: 38:43

yeah, I really did. I Yeah. I liked what you said about the fact that, basically, at any point in time we could have said substance use disorder or suicide, and it would have fit into whatever sentence the other person was saying. I think that, like, it's very true thinking back on that. Yeah, that was a great conversation. Thanks so much for setting this up. Yeah, I

Unknown: 39:05

hope everybody else enjoyed it.

DeAnn Knighton: 39:11

For more information on sober positive workplace, please visit our website, sober positive workplace.org, this podcast is written and hosted by me deannnighton and produced by the wickedly talented Katie hare you.