Karen Zarsadiaz joins us on the Free Your Mind Projects Radio show this morning from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to give an update on new housing developments which are coming to fruition all over Los Angeles County through support of MHSA funds! Housing is the anchor that can help people who are homeless and or dealing with substance and alcohol abuse get some stability to get on the path of Hope, Wellness and Recovery. Our guest in the third and fourth segments of the show is Loraine Morland, who now works at the Good Shepherd Center For Homeless Women and Children. Not so long ago, Loraine spent 8 years on the streets of Los Angeles. Her path included losing her housing, losing her family and losing her sense of her real self. Find out what happened to Loraine, and hear a truly inspirational story...along with a song! To get involved with Good Shepherd with donations or to volunteer, go to: www.gschomeless.org

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Dr. Curley Bonds, Medical Director and Rick Mogil, Program Director, Suicide Prevention and Bereavement Programs, both from the DiDi Hirsch Mental Health Services Center, join Kathleen Piche’ from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health to discuss the importance of dealing with mental health issues as a prevention to suicide. This week saw the lives of Don Cornelius and artist Mike Kelley taken from suicide... not to mention the many more lives lost who are not famous. Learn how to deal as a survivor, and learn resources available. Learn how to help and perhaps save a life. For more information, www.didihirsch.org

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On this week's "Free Your Mind Projects Radio Show", the conversation will focus on mental health support systems. Pete Linnett is the executive director and founder of the Life Adjustment Team which provides in-home structure and support systems to its mental health clients. The Life Adjustment Team provides one-on-one help and assists clients in achieving a successful level of independent living. You can reach the Life Adjustment Team at www.lifeadjustmentteam.com or 310-572-7000.

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On this week's "Free Your Mind Projects Radio Show", Dr. Charles Sophy will talk about DCFS and how he works directly with families and children to ensure the safety of over 40,000 foster care children. DCFS is considered the nation's largest child welfare system. Dr. Sophy is responsible for directing the physical and mental health of the children under the care of DCFS. Dr. Sophy is board certified in three clinical specialties: adult psychiatry, child & adolescent psychiatry and family practice. His book, "Side By Side – The Revolutionary Mother-Daughter Program for conflict free Communication" is available in select bookstores and at Amazon.com. If you suspect child abuse in LA County, you can anonymously call 1-800-540-4000 to discuss the situation. We also discussed Cyber-Bullying in our second segment, and if you're looking for resources about dealing with Cyber-Bullying, check out www.reachout.com

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Anyone who has received a diagnosis of Cancer knows the range of emotions that occurs. Dr. Stewart Fleishman, internationally recognized expert on Cancer and Cancer treatment, has authored the first guide of its kind to help patients and family members navigate the foreign territory of dealing with cancer. The book is "Learn to Live with Cancer" and Dr. Fleishman joins us on the show to share some of the really great tips from the book. LACDMH PIO Kathleen Piche' also shares how Dr. Fleishman's L.E.A.R.N approach also makes sense for dealing with mental health issues.

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Why are we so stressed out in Los Angeles? Find out as we discuss a recently released American Psychological Association Study and offer tips that can help you stress...less! Also joining us is Dr. Sam Keo, a licensed Clinical Psychologist working for the County of Los Angeles Department of Mental Health. Dr. Keo is the Author of "Out of the Dark: Into the Garden of Hope" available at www.IUniverse.com (type Sam Keo into search box), which chronicles his life escaping the "Killing Fields" of Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge as a teenager. Dr. Keo's personal story is at the same time horrifying and inspiring. We also learned what the "Honeymoon Period" is in regard to PTSD through our interview with Dr. Keo as he discusses how long it took for symptoms to manifest themselves after coming to America. Dr. Keo takes us on an incredibly journey of "Hope, Wellness and Recovery" from which we all can learn. A "must listen" Free Your Mind Projects Radio Show.

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We have had the honor of inviting the people over at the David Lynch Foundation onto our show again. Thanks to Ken Chawkin and Lynn Kaplan, who both set us up with one of their great Transcendental Meditation (TM) teachers, Denny Goodman, and also a US veteran, David George, who has been to hell and back. Listen as they talk about how TM has helped soldiers recover from PTSD, and how they are committed to helping 10,000 Vets across the country. We also have a clip of our interview with David Lynch at his past event. Also thanks to our guest host from LA County Department of Mental Health, PIO Kathleen Piche′, for getting us in touch with TM!

This is the video that we talk about on the show, which has David and his mother talking about his ups and downs and finally his recovery.

Please note, our guest stated the way to make this kind of therapy available for all Veterans across the country who may be coming back with conditions such as PTSD (that’s about 500,000 vets!), is to have them tell the Veteran’s Administration they want this for everyone. Please, if you know a Vet, let them know this is available and to reach out to the VA and the David Lynch Foundation. Thank you.

Here is the link for Operation Warrior Wellness, the David Lynch Foundation division that is offering Transcendental Meditation to Veterans: http://www.operationwarriorwellness.org/contact-us.html.

You can find the printed version of previous Free Your Mind Projects Radio Show Guest Dr. William Arroyo from LACDMH and Project ABC’s "8 Easy Ways to do Your New Year’s Resolutions" on our Free Your Mind Blog.

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We’re starting the New Year with a truly inspirational trip down memory lane for 2011, and a TRULY inspirational guest. Catherine Bond, a consultant in System Development and Strategic Planning for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health joins us and shares her personal story. Her journey to Hope, Wellness and Recovery includes not one but two Master’s Degrees, as well as time living on the streets of Santa Monica. Catherine’s story of success is one that is inspirational and important. She’s the perfect guest to ring in 2012 on a positive note!

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We welcome back Julie Boynton from Project Sister Family Services, and Author Millisa Thomas as we continue an in-depth discussion about how to help survivors find their voices and heal from what they’ve been through. You can check out Part One and more information from last week’s show.

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Join us along with Kathleen Piche’ from the LACDMH and Julie Boynton, L.C.S.W., Executive Director of Project Sister Family Services (PSFS) and author Millisa C. Thomas as we discuss the effects of physical and sexual abuse in Part One of a very special two part series. PSFS is a non-profit that aims to reduce the trauma of sexual assault, child abuse and child sexual assault by providing crisis intervention services, outreach and prevention programs. Millisa Thomas has authored books about surviving childhood abuse at the hands of her stepfather. The titles, Can You Keep a Secret? And Look for the Miracle in All Things and Other Poems are available at www.barnesandnoble.com and www.amazon.com

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