OneOp

Learning to Say No for Work-Life Balance
2025-05-21 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | https://oneop.org/learn/160077/
Preventing burnout and effectively managing stress are critical skills for military service providers who often juggle demanding roles. This webinar provides actionable strategies to maintain a healthy work-life balance while meeting professional responsibilities. Attendees will learn to communicate boundaries clearly, strategically, and respectfully, ensuring professional relationships remain intact. The session will explore methods for effective delegation, enabling participants to optimize their workload, focus on core priorities, and reduce stress. Additionally, attendees will discover approaches to assess and sustain equilibrium between work and personal life, along with techniques to overcome common emotional barriers, such as resentment and guilt, that often hinder boundary-setting. By fostering a healthier mindset for self-care and productivity, this session equips military service providers with the tools to sustain their well-being while supporting others.
Learning Objectives:

Discover how to communicate boundaries clearly, strategically, and respectfully without compromising professional relationships.
Explore methods to delegate tasks effectively, enabling you to focus on core priorities and reduce stress.
Identify approaches to assess and maintain equilibrium between work and personal life.
Address common emotional barriers that hinder boundary-setting, such as guilt and fear of resentment while fostering a healthier mindset for self-care and productivity.

Associate Professor & Extension Mental Health & Well-Being Specialist
Family and Community Health
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Lakshmi Mahadevan, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor/Extension Mental Health & Well-Being Specialist at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. She has been with AgriLife Extension since 2006. In her role as a specialist, she offers valuable training and resources to individuals and communities in Texas, equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to build resilience and manage stress. As a professional development provider with 18 years of experience, Dr. Mahadevan also focuses on universal designed instruction, and educational enrichment for all adult learners.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 5/21/27
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 5/21/27
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 5/21/26
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 5/21/30
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education credit from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 5/21/27
Michigan Certified Teachers: This webinar has been approved for 1.0 SCECH from the Michigan Education Association’s Center for Leadership and Learning. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 5/21/27
Human Resource Professionals: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 5/21/27
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 5/21/27

OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Photo Credit: iStockphoto 2079141280, VectorMine

Social Drivers of Health for the Tactical Athlete
2025-05-20 11:00 - 12:00 | https://oneop.org/learn/160075/
Health and nutrition guidance that works well for civilian patients and clients often does not work as well for tactical athletes, which includes military personnel, firefighters, and law enforcement officers. Why is that? The lifestyle of a tactical athlete introduces unique factors into every driver of health – factors that require specialized approaches and understanding to address effectively. Attend this webinar to understand the unique social drivers of health for tactical athletes. Attendees will learn how to navigate those curveballs and methods for addressing these social drivers of health in their work with tactical athletes.
Learning Objectives:

Identify the key social drivers of health that uniquely affect tactical athletes compared to civilian populations.
Analyze how the identified unique social key drivers of health impact tactical athletes and their families.
Apply at least two evidence-based methods for addressing these specific social drivers of health when working with tactical athletes.

Dr. Jill Joyce is a Registered Dietitian (RD) that hates kale and loves chocolate. She is an Associate Professor of Public Health Nutrition and Co-Director of the Tactical Fitness and Nutrition Lab at Oklahoma State University.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close May 20, 2027.
Certified Nutrition and Wellness Educator (CNWE): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close May 20, 2027.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RD/RDN) and Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTR): This webinar is approved for Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) for 1.0 CPEU. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close May 20, 2028.
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education credit from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close May 20, 2027.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar Slides
Webinar Resources This series will explore the unique social drivers of health for this population and how the DOW meets their nutrition needs in the environments in which they serve. Photo Credit: iStock – guvendemir

Navigate Transitions with Both/And Thinking
2025-05-15
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Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzEyNDk3OCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTcxMjQ5NzgtbmF2aWdhdGUtdHJhbnNpdGlvbnMtd2l0aC1ib3RoLWFuZC10aGlua2luZy5qcyUzRmNvbnRhaW5lcl9pZCUzRGJ1enpzcHJvdXQtcGxheWVyLTE3MTI0OTc4JTI2cGxheWVyJTNEc21hbGwlMjIlMjB0eXBlJTNEJTIydGV4dCUyRmphdmFzY3JpcHQlMjIlMjBjaGFyc2V0JTNEJTIydXRmLTglMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0U= (Season 6, Episode 20)
Are you feeling stuck in an either/or mindset during challenging transitions? Discover how both/and thinking can help you lead with flexibility and compassion. Join us as Coral guides us through a transformative practice that can bring more connection and possibility into your daily life.
In this episode of Practicing Connection, hosts Jessica and Coral explore the concept of both/and thinking—a mindset that allows for multiple truths to coexist. Coral shares a practical exercise to help listeners move beyond binary thinking, especially during times of tension or uncertainty. Learn how to embrace complexity, foster connection, and find a better path forward with both/and thinking. Plus, we invite you to share what’s inspiring you right now!
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JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hello, and thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica, my co-host Coral is here as well. Today we’ll be exploring a mindset that can help you lead and navigate transitions with more flexibility and compassion, “both/thinking,” and Coral will be guiding us through a practice to help bring this to your day-to-day life.
Hi Coral.
CORAL OWEN: Hey Jessica, I’m so looking forward to sharing today’s practice. How are things with you this week?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Pretty good. I’m still super energized from the Virtual Systems Thinking conference I attended last week. It was just really nice to listen in and learn new ways of thinking about how I approach my work. I’m usually the one creating the content, it seems lately in my role. So it was kind of nice just to be a listener and to just let my mind expand.
CORAL OWEN: That sounds like such a nice change of pace, and such an interesting topic to delve into. [00:01:00] It’s been pretty low key here in Florida. A lot of summertime vibes, mercury’s getting a little higher with the temperatures, and it’s been really fun watching. We have the Monarch migration, and I know that we’ve talked about gardening on previous podcasts. So we’ve got milkweed in our yard, so there’s a bunch of, you know, like different chrysalis and caterpillars and just a lot of fun things to look at on a daily basis, and just watch that progression.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Where do they migrate to and from?
CORAL OWEN: Canada from Mexico.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Oh, okay. And they stop in Florida on the way.
CORAL OWEN: They do. Yep.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: That’s awesome, cool.
CORAL OWEN: It’s pretty neat. So yeah, it, you know, inspiration can be found in a number of different places clearly, and we would love to hear what’s inspiring our listeners. So if you’d like to share what’s inspiring you, you can click the, “Send us a text message” at the top of the description of this episode. When you click the [00:02:00] link, your text messaging app will open.
You’ll see a seven digit number and the words, “Do not remove.” Just type your message after that and click send. If you’re listening on a computer, you can email us at practicingconnection@oneop.org instead. So let us know what’s inspiring you right now.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Let’s learn more about the practice of both/and thinking. I’ve heard this term so much working at Extension. I have heard a lot of people say, “Oh, I think it’s both, and this is a both/and kind of situation.” I used to hate this phrase, I don’t anymore because I fully understand it now. But Coral, can you tell us a little more about the practice you’ll be sharing and why you chose it?
CORAL OWEN: That’s so funny that you mentioned that Jess. ‘Cause I, similarly, I had heard it in passing conversation and be like, “What? What are they talking about? And I finally learned the concept and no longer have that sort of relationship with it that it sounded like jargon, right?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: It sounds like jargon. [00:03:00] Yeah.
CORAL OWEN: Exactly. So if this is you, if that’s the boat you’re in, hang in with us and maybe we can come about a mindset shift for you as well. But anyhow, yeah. Today’s practice is one that has helped me not only professionally but personally, in really big ways and some pretty impactful seasons of life.
And particularly ones that have moments or prolonged seasons even of tension or uncertainty. And again, this is the, we’re referencing both and thinking and/both. And thinking is simply the practice of making space for multiple truths or realities to exist at the same time. And it’s a mindset. That helps us move beyond the binary, either/or thinking, especially during challenging transitions, when emotions and responsibilities and expectations tend to run pretty high.
So instead of saying, “I have to choose between being compassionate or being efficient,” a both/and [00:04:00] perspective of this might be, “I can be compassionate and keep things moving forward,” or, “This change is really hard.” And it might open up new possibilities or opportunities. I chose this practice because during change, it’s really common for us to feel stuck in this kind of either or space.
But when we give ourselves and others room for this complexity and this nuance, kind of that gray space even, of the in-between, it can create more connection, more possibility, and usually results in a better path forward.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, I really love this, and one of the things that’s sparking for me is, in some of the work that I’ve done before, with helping people sort of develop a more complete picture of other people. That’s also, I feel like both-end thinking can probably be applied to thinking about others as well.
We had this game we would play in some of our workshops called pickles. And it was basically about how a person [00:05:00] might really hate pickles. That doesn’t mean that you should look at them and say, “You’re probably a really picky eater and you know, you probably will only eat McDonald’s,” or, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but, “You probably are a very picky eater.”
No, no, no. Two things can be true. The person might hate pickles and also like kimchi, right? So they’re both fermented products anyway, so it was a way of like opening your mind up to be less judgmental as well.
CORAL OWEN: I love that. I love that. So, yeah, let’s go ahead and dig into how do we even do this. So this short, reflective practice is something that you can use when you notice yourself, or if you’re leading a team, noticing your team getting stuck in this. A kind of rigid thinking rut, or maybe it’s a high stress situation or polarized conversations that you’re noticing are coming to pass.
So step one is, like we just said, you’re noticing this either/or language. And what you should do or could do is [00:06:00] pause and ask yourself, “Am I framing the situation as a choice between two extremes?” Are there other strategies that you can use to help you notice or, you know, kind of looking out for keywords like always, never, should, either, or are these phrases or words showing up in the conversation once you’ve moved through this noticing phase.
Step two is to ask a both/and question, and we try reframing the scenario or the question or the conversation, from the space of curiosity. What if both of these things are true? What other perspectives or values are at play? How might I honor and recognize both what’s hard and what’s possible?
And then step three is to turn it into a phrase or a statement, something along the lines of, these are simply a few examples, “I’m feeling [00:07:00] uncertain and I’m doing the best I can.” “This decision is urgent and we need to pause for clarity.” “I can be a strong leader and feel vulnerable right now.”
You can do this in a variety of different formats or ways, depending on the space that you’re in. You might write it in a journal. You might share it in a team meeting if the scenario calls for it, or just pause and reflect silently with yourself. And you know, really I think understanding that the goal here is not to resolve the tension immediately. It’s really just to expand your awareness and recognition of what’s actually true, and what might be possible when we stop trying to force a single answer.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, this is beautiful. It’s a great explanation of both-end thinking and it reminds me of just how constructive this is, right when you might be feeling like you’re in a very difficult position. This is just [00:08:00] something that builds.
CORAL OWEN: A hundred percent. And you know, whether you’re leading your team or like me, you know, parenting a three-year-old toddler who has lots of opinions, you know, this can be highly, highly relevant and just a game changer in navigating any number of seasons or scenarios. And really, you know, overall just leaning into the humanness of these complex scenarios that sometimes can feel so high stakes.
It just lets us settle and ground in a bit, or a lot, and just feel more at ease about the process, and just recognizing and holding space for all of the things that are at hand.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hmm. Oh, wonderful. Thanks so much for that.
That’s it for this episode. Thanks for joining us. If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend. We’ll be back next week with [00:09:00] a new episode. Until then, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

Build Team Cohesion with 'Hippopotamus Days'
2025-05-08
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Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzA5MjU5NCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTcwOTI1OTQtYnVpbGQtdGVhbS1jb2hlc2lvbi13aXRoLWhpcHBvcG90YW11cy1kYXlzLmpzJTNGY29udGFpbmVyX2lkJTNEYnV6enNwcm91dC1wbGF5ZXItMTcwOTI1OTQlMjZwbGF5ZXIlM0RzbWFsbCUyMiUyMHR5cGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0JTJGamF2YXNjcmlwdCUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ== (Season 6, Episode 19)
What if a single phrase could transform your team’s understanding and support for each other on tough days? Discover how “Hippopotamus Days” can build connection, understanding, and trust—one inside joke at a time.
Building team cohesion isn’t just about big events or trust falls—it’s about the small moments of understanding that bring people together. In this episode of Practicing Connection, Coral and Jessica introduce the concept of “Hippopotamus Days,” a playful, team-created code word that signals when someone’s having an off day but still wants to be present. Learn how developing a shared language and group norms can foster empathy, reduce misunderstandings, and make your team stronger—even on the toughest days. Tune in for practical steps to create your own team phrase and see how humor and honesty can become powerful tools for connection.
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[00:00:00] CORAL OWEN: Hey everyone. Thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Coral, my co-host Jessica is here today as well. Today we’ll be talking about building team cohesion with an outside the box practice called “Hippopotamus Days.” Jessica’s gonna be sharing that practice with us. Hey Jess. How are you today?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hi, Coral. I’m doing pretty good. I have to confess, I can’t wait to get back to the book I’m reading. Of course I always enjoy hanging out on the podcast with you, but I just started reading novels again, and now I remember why my dad was always saying, “Get your nose out of that book and go outside to play!” Because once I start a book that grabs my attention, I don’t like to stop.
CORAL OWEN: I totally get that. I was definitely the kid growing up where my folks would knock on my door at like 11:30 at night and I’d just have my nose buried in a book for like the last two hours. They’d be like, “You need to go to bed.” So, you know, with the limited time I have these days as a mom to an almost 3-year-old, and lots of life stuff, I unfortunately don’t get to [00:01:00] dig into those books for the long periods of time that don’t exist right now. But looking forward to that season again soon, hopefully.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Did you keep a flashlight nearby so that you could put the covers over your head and turn a flashlight on?
CORAL OWEN: Oh, I sure did. I sure did.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I mean, that’s, I could have been doing a lot worse things, right. So –
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. Absolutely. So I know that we’ve got a lot of readers in our listenership and you know, if y’all are reading anything or coming across anything in your life, we would love to hear about what is inspiring you or sparking different lines of trains of thought.
So don’t ever hesitate to share what’s inspiring you at the moment with us. And you can click the “Send us a text message” button at the top of this description of this episode. When you click that link, your text messaging app will open. You’ll see a seven digit number, the words “Do not remove.” Just drop your message in there and click send afterwards.
If you’re listening on the computer, you can also just drop us an email to practicing connection@oneup.org. So hopefully, you’re [00:02:00] feeling inspired and you can let us know what’s inspiring you right now.
– break –
CORAL OWEN: All right, so let’s learn more about building team cohesion with “hippopotamus days.” I love the name of this practice, Jessica. I can’t wait to learn more about it. Can you share more about this practice that you’ll be sharing and also why you chose it?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. I am actually super excited to share this practice with you. As you know, before we started recording, you and I were actually talking that this episode was gonna be a completely different episode, and then I told you about hippopotamus days, and I’m like, “I think I’d like to create a practice around this.”
So I call this practice Hippopotamus Day in honor of a group I was working with, where their chosen code phrase to describe that they were, actually it was to describe several things. It was to describe that they were having a bad day, but that they’re okay. That they promised to be present, but they may not be as communicative as usual, they might be off camera.
This one phrase, hippopotamus day, [00:03:00] encapsulated a whole bunch of things. And so it was, “I am having a hippopotamus day,” is what people would share, when and if they felt the need to share that. And the result was everyone immediately understood, because we all had decided on that phrase at the beginning of our time together, and we immediately understood that this person needed some space. And we also immediately understood that they were not checking out, that they were there and present with us, and that just because their camera was off or just because they were not maybe speaking up as much as usual, they were still with us and they were listening. Because it was sort of like a social contract that we had all agreed on.
So at its core, this is about a shared language that is internal to your team to describe something that bridges understanding. So did your coworker nod at you instead of smiling and saying, hello?
Are they not speaking up during a [00:04:00] meeting? Maybe they’re having a hippopotamus day. So without some sort of shared language, we might assume our coworker is frustrated with us. In our minds, we might try to recall the last several interactions we had, to see if we can pinpoint why they seem so frustrated, and we might even get frustrated in the process.
So shared language can help us build understanding and simplify the complexities of life. I almost said simplify the complexities of work life, but actually it’s kind of also about simplifying the complexities of life, right? We don’t leave the rest of our lives, you know, when we walk into our office. We are whole people, right?
So for example, the group I was working with that used the phrase, “I’m having a hippopotamus day,” they used it in a way that helped describe several things at once. But beyond simplifying complex concepts, the shared language can also have the effect of building team cohesion. So I would even argue that using humor [00:05:00] in your language choices also helps. Like for example, hippopotamus is a funny word to say, and it’s funny to hear in relation to describing a bad day.
CORAL OWEN: I love that so much and you know, when we can bring an angle of humor or just lightheartedness to something that might otherwise be a bit of a downer or kind of a, hmm, you know, interaction. I think that just helps bring the energy up and it just gives us a little bit of a reprieve. So awesome. Can you just tell us how to get started, like, where would we even start to begin creating something like a hippopotamus day for our own teams?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, it’s a pretty easy practice, but it will take a bit of discussion with your team, right. Just instituting a top-down hippopotamus day decree is probably not going to work very well, right? ‘Cause this is about a shared language. So I recommend that you gain group consensus on the language that you [00:06:00] choose, and I also recommend that your team creates their version of a hippopotamus day, while you’re creating group agreements or team norms, if you don’t already have them. If you already have them, just append it with a hippopotamus day. So group agreements, in case you don’t have them, they are essentially a set of guidelines that your team has agreed to for how you’ll show up together as a team and for how you’ll collaborate together.
So for this particular practice, let’s focus on creating your team’s own version of a hippopotamus day, So, first, during a team meeting, set an agenda item to discuss team communication. You could have it as a simple item on your agenda that just says, “Team communication discussion.”
Number two, the concept of a hippopotamus day. Basically that it is a shorthand communication to describe that a person is having an off day, to build understanding among the team. You might ask your team as you’re [00:07:00] trying to come up with what your own version of hippopotamus, ask them what does that mean for us? If someone is having an off day, do we want to define it as that they need space? Or do we want to define it as they need support? Can your team member who’s having this off day show up with their camera off, if you happen to be in a remote situation? What are the guidelines around what your hippopotamus day means to your team.
Then step three, choose your team language to describe the group norm. You can use hippopotamus day if you like. I have also heard, Capuchin Monkey Day. My friend and I use platypus as our word, and I’ve even heard Whirly Gig. So I recommend making this phrase a little quirky and letting your team have fun with it.
And then the last step is to use the word [00:08:00] or phrase. If you’re the leader, model it. Ask team members, “Is this a hippopotamus day?” And then when they say yes, if they say yes, say, “Okay, I respect that,” and respect what your team developed as their definition of hippopotamus day.
So while you’re getting used to it, as the leader, you might need to start to use it yourself. So what I’ve seen happen once a group grabs onto the concept and starts using it, I’ve seen that it builds togetherness and understanding when someone is feeling off, and that is really powerful.
CORAL OWEN: I just love this, and I could even see an evolution for teams if they just love this and run with it, to even have, you know, perhaps a couple different flavors. They could choose from maybe like a “Domingo day” if they’re feeling like, you know, just extra with it. But yeah, what a fun practice for something that can sometimes be a little bit difficult, when we’re showing up as that whole person with a whole suite of emotions. So thanks [00:09:00] for sharing that, Jess. Really appreciate it.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: And I love what you just said with the flamingo day. Can you imagine, right, if someone mentions they’re having a hippopotamus day and someone else is like, “You know what? That’s okay. I’m having a flamingo day. I got you.” Like, I can help you out. Like I can bring up the energy right now, and not force you to bring up your energy.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah, absolutely. Awesome. That’s about it for this episode, but thanks again Jess, for such a fun conversation, and thank you all for joining us.
If you enjoyed this episode or if you’re even thinking about implementing it with your team, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend or a colleague, and we will be back next week with a new practice.
Until then. Keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

Temperature Checks for Change: Staying Grounded Through Uncertainty
2025-05-01
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Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzA0Nzk4MSUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTcwNDc5ODEtdGVtcGVyYXR1cmUtY2hlY2tzLWZvci1jaGFuZ2Utc3RheWluZy1ncm91bmRlZC10aHJvdWdoLXVuY2VydGFpbnR5LmpzJTNGY29udGFpbmVyX2lkJTNEYnV6enNwcm91dC1wbGF5ZXItMTcwNDc5ODElMjZwbGF5ZXIlM0RzbWFsbCUyMiUyMHR5cGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0JTJGamF2YXNjcmlwdCUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ== (Season 6, Episode 18)
When change is the only constant, how do you keep yourself – and your team – grounded and connected? In this episode, we explore simple, powerful check-in practices that help leaders and teams navigate uncertainty with empathy, awareness, and trust.
Transitions and uncertainty are part of every leader’s journey.
In this episode of Practicing Connection, Coral introduces “Temperature Checks for Change,” a practical two-part check-in routine designed to help you stay present and responsive – both as a leader and as a team.
Discover how quick self-reflection and intentional team check-ins can build trust, foster alignment, and create space for authentic connection, even when answers are unclear.
Whether you’re leading through a big transition or just facing everyday challenges, these tools will help you and your team feel seen, supported, and ready for what’s next.
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JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hi, thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica, and my co-host Coral is here as well. We’ll be talking about check-ins, check-ins for yourself and your team while navigating through transition or uncertainty. Hey, Coral, how are you?
CORAL OWEN: Hey Jessica. I’m great. Thank you. We’ve been enjoying a touch of summer weather here in Florida and just been getting some time at the beach and the water, as well, which also just the way that I’m wired helps me feel grounded and a little bit more present. So that’s always a nice, refreshing kind of reconnect.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, I mean that makes sense. I feel like there’s lots and lots of research out there about nature and how it can make us feel that way and, frankly, that sounds wonderful. I think I’ll copy you and head out to Lake Michigan the first time. It’s warm enough, we are not experiencing summer weather here right now, but that’s okay.
It’ll be warm enough soon and while it’s not the ocean, but it almost sounds the same, and there’s a beach nearby where I live. So [00:01:00] I think the tourism marketers like to call the Great Lakes the “Third Coast,” which I don’t think has caught on with everyone. Except for those of us who live near it.
I think they say something like, I don’t remember how many, it’s like over 1100 or 1200 miles of coastline.
CORAL OWEN: Whoa.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Like the Great Lakes are huge.
CORAL OWEN: I had no idea. That’s also the first time I’ve heard the phrase, the Third Coast, and I lived up that way for several years.
JESSICA BECKENDORF:Yeah. Might be a newer thing, I don’t know. But for me, the sound of the water, the breeze, the open sky and the soft sand are what I go for when I’m looking for beach time. And I feel pretty lucky that even though I’m, you know, in the middle of the country, I do have a taste of that kind of life. Everything but the water itself, since I can’t swim.
CORAL OWEN: No, you’re so right. I just, Lake Michigan is so pretty. That area is just so lovely. And you know, I just, I think it’s so important regardless of how you’re [00:02:00] interfacing with nature, to just get that touch point to reconnect and just get grounded and just kind of, you know, give yourself some breathing space.
It’s so important and, I’m glad that you’ve got that opportunity up that way too.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: We’d love to hear what lake is inspiring you or what ocean is inspiring you as well. Or anything that’s inspiring you! So please share by clicking the send us a text message at the top of the description of this episode. When you click the link, your text messaging app will open and you’ll see a seven digit number and the words “do not remove.”
Type your message after that and click send. If you are listening on a computer, you can email us at practicing connection@oneop.org. So let us know what’s inspiring you right now.
– break –
Alright, let’s learn more about this practice. Coral, please tell us a little bit more about the practice you’re going to be sharing and why you chose it.
CORAL OWEN: Awesome. Thanks Jess. So this one today is a catchphrase that I came up with: “temperature checks for change.” You can call [00:03:00] it whatever you like though. But you know, really down to the nuts and bolts, it’s designed as a simple and intentional way to check in with yourself as a leader, but also to get a read on how your team is doing.
So when we’re navigating change, we don’t always have all of the answers. But we can build awareness and empathy and responsiveness by pausing. To check where we’re at, where our team is at as well. And you know, really at the core of these kinds of moments, they help us stay human and they also help our teams feel seen.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: And I also happen to think that catchphrase as you come up with yourself is. a good way to name all these activities, right? Because some of the activities that we practice don’t have a name, so it’s actually kind of fun that we get to give them one. So, walk us through the “temperature checks for change.”
CORAL OWEN: Sure thing. So this practice, it has two parts. The first one is for leaders, and the second one is for teams. And you can use them together or separately depending on the scenario and what’s needed, in that case. And also this first part may sound a little familiar if you listen to last week’s episode [00:04:00] on self check-in. It does build on last week’s practice that you introduced Jess, the leadership alignment reflection. So part one is this self check-in and it’s for you as a leader if you are leading teams.
Take five minutes or so before, after a meeting or perhaps at the start of your day. It really can happen anywhere that you just need this little check-in nugget and you can ask yourself any of the following questions, and just reflect on how am I feeling right now, mentally, emotionally, physically, what’s weighing on me. How do I want to show up today, or even in this conversation?
And then the final thing to consider in this first phase is what is one small thing that I can do to support my team or myself today? And if you want to keep this a little bit more, you know, nuts and bolts or quantitative, you can even give yourself a quick score from one to five in areas such as energy, clarity, confidence, not necessarily as a judgment, but just rather as a, you know, [00:05:00] data gathering, to give yourself some quick insight if that’s helpful for you.
So the second part is your team check-in. Of course you can do this in any instance. If you don’t need to do a self check-in, you can just dive right into this space if you need to. And this is for you steering something such as a team meeting, especially if you have some things that have felt uncertain or even tense.
There’s a couple formats, and a couple actually didn’t make this list, but maybe we can talk about those in a later Practicast. But two easy formats for consideration. The first one is called “fist to five,” and you can ask a question such as, how supported do you feel right now?
Or even, how aligned do you feel with what we’re working on? And then it’s just a quick hit. You can have everyone show a number. With their hand, a fist for zero, five for completely aligned, and then, you know, 1, 2, 3, 4, all the way up the line from there. And if you’d like to do a follow up, you can invite anyone to share a quick sentence about their [00:06:00] number and, you know, unpack anything along those lines.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: If you don’t mind, Coral, I’ll just add a really quick thing. Groups don’t have to do it this way, but some groups have said, if the decision you’re making is important enough that if someone is at a fist for zero, then that’s a deal breaker, and it’s time to have a conversation like, how can we get that to a one or a two or a three?
And, if it’s a five, then that is, you know, obviously a complete alignment. But, that also kind of gives your team a major voice in like how, and it really kind of builds that consensus and that culture of being able to come to consensus together.
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. Thanks for that additional insight, Jess. So the second format that you could leverage perhaps is something called “one word round.” And you can ask, “What’s one word that describes how you’re feeling today?É And everyone, whoever would like to participate, can share that in the chat if you’re in a virtual meeting or even aloud if you’re together in person. [00:07:00] And you don’t need to necessarily respond or fix anything right in that moment, but it just gives people a chance to be heard and really do a pulse checker, a temperature check, right, of how everybody’s doing. And just that quick synopsis.
You may find some trends or some, you know, consistencies across your team, or maybe there’s a lot of variety where folks are at, but it’s just that quick check-in to just see where everyone’s at.
And then just to bring everything home, we certainly want to do a little bit of follow-up, and reflection after you have one or both of those practices. And so after the check-in, you want to make sure that you take a moment to reflect either with yourself or even with your team to unpack anything if the time feels right, you know, are there patterns emerging, like we just mentioned.
Does someone need a follow-up? Perhaps on a one-to-one, or could you share something, some feedback that you’re hearing to show that it really does matter and that you’re taking that into account while navigating these times of [00:08:00] transition or change and really coming back to the foundation of things.
These moments are so important. They do take a little bit of time and additional awareness and intentionality, but the great opportunity here is that it helps build trust within your collaborative team, and it allows everyone to feel just a little bit more grounded, even if that ground underneath our feet is shifting a little bit.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Mm. I love that. And I’m always a huge fan of one-on-one meetings, especially when things aren’t, you know, things are feeling a little bit off maybe. So thanks so much for guiding us through that.
CORAL OWEN: Absolutely. And you know, I think really the key here, it’s just, as with any practice, it’s not about nailing this perfectly, right Jessica, it’s just about staying present with yourself, with your people, and noticing what’s happening within you and around you best as you can, and taking all of that into consideration day by day.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I feel like you just [00:09:00] described what life is about! All right. That’s it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining us.
If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend. We’ll be back next week with a new episode. Until then, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

Leading Through Change: How to Stay Aligned and Present
2025-04-24
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Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNzAwODgzNyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTcwMDg4MzctbGVhZGluZy10aHJvdWdoLWNoYW5nZS1ob3ctdG8tc3RheS1hbGlnbmVkLWFuZC1wcmVzZW50LmpzJTNGY29udGFpbmVyX2lkJTNEYnV6enNwcm91dC1wbGF5ZXItMTcwMDg4MzclMjZwbGF5ZXIlM0RzbWFsbCUyMiUyMHR5cGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0JTJGamF2YXNjcmlwdCUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ== (Season 6, Episode 17)
Are you leading your team the way you truly want to? Or just reacting to the pressures of the moment?
Discover how a simple reflection can help you align your intentions with your actions and become the emotionally intelligent leader your team needs.
How we show up as leaders shapes our team’s experience, trust, and success.
In this episode of the Practicing Connection podcast, Coral and Jessica explore the power of alignment and presence in leadership. Jessica introduces the “Leadership Alignment Reflection,” a practical, step-by-step exercise that helps you examine how you’re currently leading versus how you aspire to lead.
Learn how regular reflection can boost your self-awareness, close the gap between intention and action, and help you lead with greater impact.
Tune in for actionable insights and a practice you can start using right now!
Links

The Art of Coaching Teams, by Elena Aguilar
Practicing Connection worksheets

Coral Owen: [00:00:00] Hey there. Thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Coral, my co-host Jessica is here today as well. We’re going to be talking about how to remain aligned and present while leading teams through change, and Jessica’s going to be sharing a practice with us. Jess, how are you today?
Jessica Beckendorf: I’m doing pretty good. I have finally had some nice weather and I’ve been getting out whenever I can and preparing my yard for summer, so getting the grill ready and even grilling, preparing my patio, you know, planning some new planting beds. And I looked over at the rock picking job that I started last year and I started to plan out how and when I’m going to finish picking all those rocks out of that landscape bed.
Coral Owen: That is just the best. Spring is one of my favorite times of year as well, and I know that I am in Florida, so our seasons are really just hot as heck and then not as hot. But my son, Kai, recently had a gardening day at his [00:01:00] preschool and poor kid, everybody showed up with like marigolds and tomatoes and you know, fun little, I’m gonna air quotes here, like, “normal plants,” and he got stuck with a small papaya tree, and a beach sand bucket from our compost pile.
Jessica Beckendorf: Well, I mean, as someone with a tomato allergy who lives in a northern climate and can’t grow a papaya tree, I think papayas sound way more interesting. And I’m pretty sure that they’re all going to be so excited to have more than just tomatoes to eat and marigolds to look at when everything is fully grown. So I think you did well, with your compost pile.
Coral Owen: That’s very generous of you (both laugh). Oh boy. Well, we would love to hear what’s inspiring our listeners, so please share what’s inspiring you by clicking on the Send us a text message button at the top of the description of this episode. When you click the link, your text messaging app will open, and then you’re gonna see a seven digit number in the words “Do not remove.”
Type your message after that and click send. Don’t [00:02:00] remove that number. We won’t receive your message. To protect your privacy, we won’t see your phone number and we can’t unfortunately text you back, but we’ll share your feedback on a future episode. And if you’re listening on the computer, you can just email us at practicing connection@oneop.org.
So let us know what’s inspiring you right now.
– break –
Coral Owen: All right. Let’s learn more about leading through change and how to stay aligned and present through the process. Jess, can you tell us a little bit more about the practice you’re going to be sharing today and why you chose it?
Jessica Beckendorf: Yeah, absolutely. Today I’m sharing what I’m calling the Leadership Alignment Reflection. I got this from a combination of sources, but primarily from a book I reference frequently called The Art of Coaching Teams, by Elena Aguilar. The Leadership Alignment Reflection is a simple way to check in with yourself as a leader and see if you’re showing up the way you really want to for your team.
And I chose [00:03:00] this activity because how a leader shows up in spaces with their team is really important, especially during times of change. Your team depends on you to set the standard, including the emotional standard. They look to you for cues. It can actually be quite difficult when a meeting is tense, for example, to regulate ourselves in a way that honors our values or how we wanna show up for others. And also to be present in a way that’s cognizant of our position as the leader in the room. So, take a few moments before a meeting to check in with how you wanna show up for your team. Then checking in with yourself after the meeting to reflect on how it went.
It’s a really great way to start aligning our actions with how we wanna show up. Especially when there are changes occurring within the organization, and you know, Coral, both the big and small changes, this can really affect both.
Coral Owen: Absolutely. So Jess, can you get us started and just [00:04:00] walk us through the steps of how to do that?
Yeah, there are a lot of different ways to implement your own leadership alignment reflection. I’m just providing one way, but you can change up the questions to suit your situation. So first, before a meeting, write out your responses to the following questions: “How do I want to show up in this meeting? If I’m showing up the way I want to, what will it look like and sound like?” And, “How do I want to feel during and after this meeting?”
And then after the meeting, write your responses to the following: “How do I think I showed up, and what was the evidence of that?” How do I feel now?” And, “How did I respond in the tough moments?
Now I specifically said you should write out your responses, but I’m going to go a step further and add that you may want to consider keeping these notes in a place where you can [00:05:00] refer to them and learn from them. Keep them as long as they serve you, and get rid of them when they stop serving you.
Coral Owen: Well, that sure seems simple enough, and I look forward to trying this in the near future. So thanks for guiding us through.
Jessica Beckendorf: Yeah, you’re so welcome. And we will have a downloadable version of those questions that are linked in the show notes, so you can just download them and use those as your notes.
Coral Owen: Good deal. Alright, well that is it for today’s episode. Thank you all so much for joining us. If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend.
We’ll be back next week with a new practice, so stay tuned. Until then, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

Supporting Military Families: An In-Depth Look at the TRICARE Autism Care Demonstration
2025-04-23 11:00 - 12:00 | https://oneop.org/learn/160082/
Join us for a comprehensive professional development session designed to equip military service providers with the tools and knowledge needed to support caregivers of individuals with autism. This webinar will explore the TRICARE Autism Care Demonstration (ACD), offering valuable insights into its scope, services, and benefits for military families. Participants will gain an understanding of the program’s purpose and learn about the evidence-based treatments available, as well as the critical role providers play in delivering care.
The session will also analyze recent updates to the TRICARE ACD and discuss their impact on military families, ensuring that attendees stay informed of the latest changes. Strategies for navigating the system to maximize program benefits will be shared, along with practical guidance on the referral process and specialty care services as TRICARE transitions to new contracts in 2025. Whether you are new to working with military families or looking to stay up-to-date on the TRICARE ACD, this webinar will empower you to effectively support families navigating this essential program.
This session is ideal for military service providers, healthcare professionals, and support staff working directly with caregivers of individuals with autism. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your understanding and provide the best possible care to military families.
Learning Objectives:

Understand the purpose and benefits of the TRICARE ACD, including the services available to eligible beneficiaries.
Examine evidence-based treatments covered under the program and the critical role of providers in care delivery.
Review the latest changes to the ACD and their impact on military families, ensuring your guidance is current and effective.
Learn strategies for optimizing access to ACD services and maximizing program benefits for families in your care.
Gain clarity on the referral process and specialty care services as TRICARE transitions to new contracts in 2025.

Clinical Psychologist, Medical Affairs
Complex Pediatric Clinical Community, Program Manager
Autism Care Demonstration, Clinical Lead
Clinical Communities Policy Support, Clinical Support Division Medical Affairs
Defense Health Agency
Dr. Bienia is a clinical psychologist and a senior policy analyst for the Defense Health Agency (DHA) in the Medical Affairs Directorate in Falls Church, VA. She serves as the DHA lead for the Complex Pediatric Clinical Community and is the clinical program lead supporting the TRICARE Health Plans for the rapidly evolving Autism Care Demonstration where she implements clinical expertise in program development and oversight for a program that significantly impacts overall Military readiness. Dr. Bienia has over twenty years of experience working directly with beneficiaries diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as well as their families and other health care providers.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/23/27
Certified Personal and Family Finance Educator (CPFFE): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/23/27
Accredited Financial Counselors (AFC): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit by the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/23/28
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) contact hour by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/23/27
Board Certified Disability Management Specialists: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) clock hour from The Commission for Case Manager Certification. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/23/26
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) clock hour from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/23/26
Certified Personal Finance Counselors (CPFC): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from The Center for Financial Certifications (FinCert.org). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/23/28
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/23/28
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education credit from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/23/27
SCECH: Michigan Certified Teachers: This webinar has been approved for 1.0 SCECH from the Michigan Education Association’s Center for Leadership and Learning. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/23/28
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/23/27
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Presentation Slides (PDF) Photo Credit: iStockphoto 1987605412; andreswd

Adventure-Ready: Strengthening Military Families Through Teen Camps
2025-04-17
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjk3ODA4MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTY5NzgwODMtYWR2ZW50dXJlLXJlYWR5LXN0cmVuZ3RoZW5pbmctbWlsaXRhcnktZmFtaWxpZXMtdGhyb3VnaC10ZWVuLWNhbXBzLmpzJTNGY29udGFpbmVyX2lkJTNEYnV6enNwcm91dC1wbGF5ZXItMTY5NzgwODMlMjZwbGF5ZXIlM0RzbWFsbCUyMiUyMHR5cGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0JTJGamF2YXNjcmlwdCUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ== (Season 6, Episode 16)
Looking for a way to empower military families while fostering resilience and connection?
Join us as we explore the transformative Military Teen Adventure Camps, where service member parents and teens bond through adrenaline-pumping activities like ziplining, whitewater rafting, and rock climbing.
Discover how these camps are creating lifelong memories and strengthening family ties.
In this episode of Practicing Connection, host Jessica Beckendorf and special co-host Kristen Jowers welcome Dr. Kerri Ashurst and Tyrone Atkinson from the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service to discuss Military Teen Adventure Camps.
These camps provide military families with unique opportunities to strengthen parent-teen relationships through thrilling outdoor activities like whitewater rafting, mountain biking, and ziplining.
Learn how these adventure-based programs build resilience, improve communication, and foster teamwork among military families.
More Information on the Camps
Ocoee Whitewater Rafting and Outdoor Quest
Primary Activities (i.e. camping, hiking, kayaking, etc.): whitewater rafting, tubing, rock climbing, lake activities
ACE Whitewater Rafting, Climbing, Rappelling and Outdoor Adventure
Primary Activities (i.e. camping, hiking, kayaking, etc.): Whitewater Paddling, mountain biking, zipline and canopy tour
Note – families from any state and branch are welcome to register, including active duty, reserve, guard, retiree families.
Links

Kentucky Military Teen Adventure Camps (MTAC)
Kentucky MTAC Facebook group
University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service

JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hello, welcome to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica Beckendorf, and I’m so excited today to be welcoming our special guests and a guest co-host Kristin Jowers, whose voice you might recognize from our other wonderful collaboration on grief and loss, and in our annual reflection episode, just this past December. Welcome back to Practicing Connection, Kristin. Would you mind introducing yourself a little bit more?
KRISTEN JOWERS: Thanks Jessica for having me back on the pod. I am Kristin Jowers and I’m an extension specialist at the University of Kentucky Family and Consumer Sciences Extension. I joined the OneOp team, in the role of program coordinator, in 2023. Although I have been tuning into the Military Families Learning Network webinars since 2016. And I’m a longtime listener of this podcast, so it is a joy to be co-hosting with you [00:01:00] today, Jessica, and I’m really excited because I have two colleagues from the University of Kentucky joining us as well.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, there are three. I found out that you are the Kentucky Wildcats. There are three of you in the house. I am the only Badger. But I feel like Badgers and Wildcats, that would be a pretty good matchup, don’t you think? Like, badgers are pretty vicious. And so are Wildcats. Alright, so, Dr. Kerri Ashurst is a Senior Extension Specialist for Family and Relationship Development. She serves as director for a variety of grants focusing on outreach and support to military families, and for Kentucky’s children, Youth and Families at Risk joint grant with Kentucky State University, focusing on life skills for Kentucky youth. Kerri also serves as a federal coach for USDA, for the Children, Youth and Families at Risk Professional Development and Technical Assistance Center.
She has a background in marriage and family therapy, and a PhD in family [00:02:00] science. She began her work with military families in 2008, so she’s been doing this a little while. Dr. Ashurst’s focus is building statewide and national capacity for reaching underserved children, youth, families, and communities. She has worked in family and consumer science’s extension at the University of Kentucky since 1999, and enjoys developing programs for the families throughout the lifespan and supporting service providers all over the country who provide family focused programs.
KRISTEN JOWERS: Also joining us today is Tyrone Atkinson, Extension Specialist for Family and Consumer Sciences Extension. He holds a Master of Science in Community and Leadership Development and a Bachelor of Science degree in Family and Consumer Sciences from the University of Kentucky. He began his work with military families in 2009.
His main role is to enhance family life and wellbeing [00:03:00] through high adventure camps that generate support networks for military families and lifelong bonding experiences. His focus is helping families create and strengthen bonds that exist within the family structure, and equipping them with the skills to nurture and expand those bonds. Being a part of the University of Kentucky Extension within Family and Consumer Sciences since 2007, Tyrone enjoys community outreach and being able to facilitate face-to-face programming with various audiences that build strong families. Hi Kerri. Hi Tyrone. It seems like just yesterday we were together in Louisville at the Kentucky State Extension Conference. Thank you both so much for joining us on Practicing Connection.
KERRI ASHURST: Thank you. We appreciate you having us along with you.
TYRONE ATKINSON: Thanks for having us, it’s great to be with you and see you again.
KRISTEN JOWERS: Yes, we’re so excited [00:04:00] to chat with you both today, more about the Military Teen Adventure Camps. And so to begin, we’d love to hear what inspired the creation of Military Teen Adventure Camps and how they have evolved since their inception.
KERRI ASHURST: I was a camper for life, as a child, my dad actually worked in 4-H and so from a very young age, I started going to 4-H Camp and loved it and spent a lot of time outdoors with my dad as a kiddo. And, it was just always where I found a lot of peace, a lot of joy, and definitely lots of great connection and fun memories with my family and with my father, specifically.
And so when I first started working with military family programming many years ago, I was very blessed to receive some funding that focused on military camps for the family. And when we first started, we actually had, gosh, I think the youngest we ever had at one of our camps was three weeks old, and the oldest we had was 74 years old. And we had everything in [00:05:00] between.
But one of the things we kept hearing over and over the first couple of years of doing those military family camps is how much the parents wanted time with their teenagers. And that they just didn’t have much of that, that they had missed a lot of their lives from deployments and other things, and that they really wanted that ability to be able to have some one-on-one time with their teenage children.
And so that’s kind of where this was born. The idea for it came out of some of those pieces we are getting from families that came to different programs we are doing. And then also a lot of military parents telling us, you know, “We’ve moved a lot, we’re in new places. Sometimes it’s a little scary and overwhelming to send our kids off to a camp alone, or at least at first.”
And that we even saw this as a possible way to be able to help build some connections too with things like having them start into some of our programs and then be able to go on into a 4-H camp or different things as well.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Wow. I really aspire to be a 74-year-old kid! [00:06:00] So what are the primary goals of the military team and adventure camps, and how do adventure activities facilitate these objectives?
TYRONE ATKINSON: That’s good. We, first of all, M-TAC, I’ll say M-TAC just that’s our shortened abbreviation for Military Teen Adventure Camp. So, M-TAC, we have a host of things that we try to provide for families and our goals in reaching the teens and the parent service members or guardians together. One of those is increasing informal support networks.
Our systems for military families to provide safety and a welcoming environment. We want them to have healthy introductions to outdoor programming. We do come across a lot of families with youth who have never been to camp before. And unlike Kerri’s experience where she grew up going to camps, I was a kid who did not go to camps.
I grew up in a very urban city in Kentucky, and I had very bad experiences camping early in my childhood. So it kind of turned me off. And I was one of those people that wanted to be a mama and [00:07:00] daddy’s boy, so I didn’t want to leave them for a week at a time. They weren’t gonna get rid of me.
So one of the things we do is focus on helping to have positive, initial interactions with outdoor programming for those who have never been outside or never have done any nature programming, and especially staying overnight. We also seek to increase youth awareness, the importance of working with others and teamwork, communication and cause and effect relationships between their actions, and their consequences to increase responsible citizenship. So we do hint and hit at a lot of the 4-H components, which are centered in just building young people up, helping them to become leaders in their communities, helping them to take ownership of their futures and of their own leadership.
And just building that resiliency. And just learning how to adapt to change. Kerri alluded to earlier, our camp started with a lot of families experiencing deployments that had never operated as a military family. So a lot of guard and reserve [00:08:00] families that did not have this ongoing military lifestyle.
So that is, you know, as deployments ramped up over 10 – 15 years ago, families were being suddenly activated or having to endure this life that they really hadn’t been used to. So teaching a lot of young people, and we really do believe military youth get it well, as they start to learn to adapt to all kinds of changes.
So we do that at camp in helping them to adapt, and learn resiliency. So those are some of the things.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: You know, exposing people to positive experiences in nature really is a great way to teach adaptation. I mean, I remember, you know, I was a military kid, I grew up in large cities and I remember constantly so many times my dad saying to me, “Get your nose outta that book and go play outside.”
But I was like, “But there are ticks outside. Like there are, there are snakes outside!” I did learn to be very adaptable, and I think a lot of military kids end up being adaptable through some of their other [00:09:00] experiences. But I think what you’re describing is just a really well-rounded way of teaching things like adaptability.
KERRI ASHURST: Yes. And you know what, we use the line challenge by choice. So we’re doing lots of fun things outdoors and introducing people to new things that might be a bit out of their comfort zone. And we’re encouraging them to try something new that is a little bit scary or new, but it’s all challenged by choice as well.
And so I think that’s a really great part of a lot of this is, people can say, you know, “Here’s my limit. But we’ve also had some really cool experiences.” I always bring up zip line when it comes to this kind of thing. We’ve had some kids who have gotten up there to do a zip line, and it’s, you know, it’s what they wanna do more than anything else at the whole camp.
But then they get there and they see it and they feel overwhelmed. It’s very scary. But then once they finally release and let go, and they do it, they say it’s the greatest thing they’ve ever done. So a lot of that challenge by choice with experiential education can be incredible, to push you out [00:10:00] of your comfort zone a little bit in a lot of good ways.
KRISTEN JOWERS: Yes, Kerri, I love hearing about their experience coming up upon a big challenge and then sometimes making the choice for themselves that they don’t wanna do it, and then other times kind of pushing through and still experiencing something that they maybe had some fear.
I’m curious what other activities and what other adventure happens at these camps. Are there other kinds of adventures happening?
TYRONE ATKINSON: We do a whole host of fun things that we just love to do. And I have a lot of personal favorites. Especially some of the programs that we’ve done that Kerri already said, zip lining, which is a very big activity. We have mountain biking, we’ve done mountain biking, we’ve done rock climbing.
Even, we’ve done winter camps in the past where we’ve had skiing and snow tubing camps. We’ve done whitewater rafting, which is one of my favorites. Canoeing, whitewater canoeing and regular canoeing, which are two different things that I didn’t know because [00:11:00] of course not going to camp.
I learned that very, very, shortly after I got involved with M-TAC, that whitewater canoeing and regular canoeing are two different activities. But we do a lot of just team building. And it depends on the place where we’re actually hosting camp, the layout, the demographic of where that camp may be.
We kind of rely on the outdoor nature of what we’re doing there. We do a lot of hiking. We do a lot of, you know, just finding our space in nature and just game times, where we’re learning to do small group games, and build relationships. But we’re also doing the fun things that you would do at a camp when you’re camping with your family.
We do ultimate Frisbee. We grill out and we have hot dogs together, and we just spend time as a family, and really the most enjoyable part of it, and even in our data from youth and parents alike, is spending time together no matter what the activity is. Just being together and bonding.
That is the most fun thing that we get to do at every camp.
KRISTEN JOWERS: It does sound like a lot of fun. [00:12:00] Tyrone, are the camps only in Kentucky or are they happening in other states as well?
KERRI ASHURST: We have done camps in six states through the years using this parent teen model. So we’ve been in several different places. And one great thing about that, Kristen, is that we’ve been able to use it as a tool while the families are having fun, to also be able to teach a little bit about where we are. So if we’re in a national forest area or if we’re at a retreat center area, on a specific lake or in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, for example, we can use that as a little bit of an educational piece at the same time. The Red River Gorge and the amazing geology there, you know, and be able to work that into some of the fun things that they’re doing as they’re out there canoeing and doing lake activities and various things.

JESSICA BECKENDORF: From what you’re describing, I can imagine that not only is being outdoors and doing these adventures a lot of fun, but there’s lots of other benefits. And I think, Tyrone, you started to talk a little bit about some of those benefits, but could you maybe share more about the benefits that are [00:13:00] beyond having fun and spending time together?
KERRI ASHURST: Sure. Certainly one of those things is just that parent-child relationship, that when you look at the adolescent development literature, it’s just a really pivotal time with changes that are happening with youth and with negotiation that need to happen with our parenting. I have one myself at home. I have a teenager at home at the moment.
And, you know, being able to make some of those changes and shift. Some of it takes time. Some of it takes the ability to be able to sit down and spend some time together. And I think one thing that really happens at our camps very naturally is when you get there, you’re in a place that may be in the middle of nowhere and phones don’t necessarily work or don’t work well.
So it forces a lot of us to unplug, and just be more present. And it’s really kind of amazing those of us who have staffed these camps through the years to get to watch what can unfold in just four days. With me being trained as a therapist, I was often trained in the idea that things kind of take time.
But [00:14:00] I’ve realized through these camps that four days can really be magical. And watching the youth and their parents put these phones down and doing things together, communicating, trying to problem solve together and meet other youth and other parents that are in similar experiences with them, can really, really open up a lot of doors for renegotiating that parenting relationship.
And then along with that, there’s a lot of mental health pieces too that seem to come along with it. First of all, just simply being outdoors. I don’t know about any of you, but I know I just kind of feel a little bit different. I feel a little bit more engaged in the present when I’m outside and I am noticing things. Maybe it’s heightened senses, I don’t know. But I’m noticing things that I might not otherwise notice, and I don’t feel like I have on blinders as much with a lot of the things I’m doing in my everyday life. And so there’s some mental health pieces involved in that. And we’ve been able to actually, now that we’ve been doing this a lot of years, been able [00:15:00] to look at some things that even have to do with depression and anxiety, and self-efficacy.
And just, being able to talk with friends, understand people, trust, some of those kinds of things that we’ve been able to really sit down and talk. Sometimes it’s non-formal evaluations. Sometimes it’s been more formal surveys and things, but being able to look at what the youths, they get out of this, and then likewise the adults.
And even looking at six months past the camps and what the parents have said to us, they feel like it’s done to help change some of their relationship.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Wow, that’s, that sounds really powerful. I can imagine that it’s coming from not just spending time together, it’s coming from, you know, you described earlier the kids who really wanted to do zip lining, they were so excited about it, and then they got overwhelmed and scared, right? So facing a bit of a fear and like getting out of the norm and, and doing things like that. It’s like this whole holistic thing you’ve got going on.
KRISTEN JOWERS: I love hearing too, [00:16:00] Kerri, how you talk about that parent-teen relationship after camp. Are you talking to them about their experience and getting feedback from both the parent and the teen? Or is it one family survey? Or how does that kind of look, and what are they saying?
KERRI ASHURST: We’ve done it both ways through the years, but it’s predominantly been in the form of just unsolicited testimonials. Tyrone gets a lot of emails from people and we send messages out. We actually create list-serves for the youth to be able to stay in contact with one another. And then we have a lot of things that come from the parents along the way, that are not always the parent that attended.
Sometimes it’s the parent that didn’t come, or a guardian that didn’t come, that writes us and says, “You guys, this has changed the relationship,” or, “This has changed something in my adolescent.” We even just got one the other day from a youth who had participated in a camp last summer, that was talking about how her daughter is now going into AmeriCorps because of some of what she [00:17:00] learned at the camp last year and that she wants to be able to work with military youth herself down the road.
So really amazing, unsolicited testimonials, I think is really the primary route where we’re picking a lot of that information up afterward.
TYRONE ATKINSON: I would also add to that too. Let’s be honest, right. Teens are teens, whether they’re military, teens or not. We’re not hearing from them unless we have to hear from them. Right Kristen? So, uh, that’s just – and of course I’m just being funny, but that’s the thing. We’re working with a demographic that they’ll communicate when they have to.
But the way we find out what they really loved about it is when we get the next year, when we have camp, and they wanna sign up to be youth volunteers or young adult volunteers, and “I wanna become on staff.” And that’s a lot of feedback that we have. The parents will always email us and say, “We’re excited.” ‘Cause if they have multiple kids, of course they can come back in the next year.
But what we’ve learned is as some of the teens get older, or they age out, some of them want to come back and they wanna work, they [00:18:00] wanna be a volunteer or they want to try to get on staff. And that’s how we know that we’ve done something right.
Or we hear multiple stories of, you know, they signed up to be in the military. This encouraged them. They went on to go to other camps, other M-TACS, we’re not the only – and of course we can talk about that later, but we’re not the only state that does M-TACS.
So, there’s just a host of things that we call rewards, as Kerri mentioned, that may not be on paper, but we see that from feedback that their parents and families are always wanting to be engaged and they continue to tell other people about it.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, speaking of being rewarding, let’s dig into that a little bit. Are there any memorable stories or experiences from the camps that have been inspiring to you? I see a big smile on both of your faces right now!
KERRI ASHURST: There are probably too many that we could ever share in this time we have together. But, one that has always stuck with me is, we had a male on the younger side of adolescents that was with us one time in a camp who wanted a zip line. [00:19:00] Again, I come back to that story so often. He wanted to do this more than anything in the world.
But at the particular camp we were at that time, you had to climb a rock wall first. Some zip lines are not set up that way. Some it’s just a ladder, or some you’re starting from a certain spot or what have you. And it’s pretty easy to do the zip line, right. But in this particular facility we were at, you had to climb this rock wall successfully first. And rock walls, if you’ve ever done one before, are not real easy. Some of these kids, though, make them look like they’re a breeze. But, he tried the first day. A lot of our camps, we break people up into smaller subgroups that are, you know, doing different activities at the same time. He tried that first day and couldn’t make it up the rock wall, and so he asked us his staff if he could go back and repeat that instead of doing a different activity that his subgroup was assigned to.
He tried it a second time and he couldn’t get up the rock wall, and he was getting very frustrated, because he just wanted to hit that zip line so [00:20:00] badly and do it one time in his life. And finally after just feeling like he wasn’t gonna be able to do it and us encouraging him and everything, he got on there a third time on the last day of the camp, I believe it was, the last morning, and a whole group of people who had been parts of subgroups from other things came over and joined him and we all cheered him on and he made it up that rock wall and he got to zipline.
So it was great. Yeah.
KRISTEN JOWERS: Yay.
KERRI ASHURST: Stories like that, they’re just, yeah, they will get you and they will pull you in and they make all the hard work and planning for these camps worth every minute of it.
KRISTEN JOWERS: Third time’s a charm. That’s awesome. I’m glad that he made it up the rock wall and kind of conquered, slayed the dragon, if you will. Tyrone, did you have a story that you wanted to share also?
TYRONE ATKINSON: There are so many; Kerri’s really great at recalling exactly what happened. Mine would be jumbled and probably pieced together from two or multiple stories. But [00:21:00] I will share a common thought that I have every year that I go back. What is so interesting, and, and Kerri alluded to this earlier, we do believe that there is Camp Magic, and I see it every summer, every time that we have camps, and it happens in the form of you have families coming from all over. And we may have not gotten too much into this, we know we do have camps at multiple places, but all of our families aren’t coming from Kentucky. We have families come from all over the country and not all these families know each other.
So to have a group of 50 to 65 people, teens and parents, that have never met, come together in this, Kerri said, in four days. By the first night we usually do team building.
We’ll have dinner. We check in on the first night, and we just kind of take it easy. We don’t do any high, volume activities, but we’ll just do some team building with them, old school, like I said: group games, and just getting back to just communicating and [00:22:00] talking. But by the end of that first night, every camp, it never fails.
Those families are already bonding with other families. Those teens, they’ve already found some community and it’s just a beautiful sight to see. It’s really, really magical in the sense of at this point, it’s not even that we’re trying or it’s not forced, and it’s just amazing to see that by the end of those three or four days, that those families have created a network and they have bonded in a way that some of those memories can lead to lifetime experiences and friendships and bonds, and that is what happened. We believe that magic is what keeps them coming back, and that is why families end up communicating. And we don’t have to email every family. Most of them are already emailing us, you know, later that year, and we can’t even apply for the grant until the end of the year.
But some of them already want to know, as soon as it’s over, “Hey, what are we doing next year?” And it’s just amazing to see how families come together.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Do they keep in touch, that you know of? Do the families sometimes keep in [00:23:00] touch and become friends long term?
TYRONE ATKINSON: Absolutely.
KERRI ASHURST: Yes. And we’ve had some really cool stories with that. We had two girls that met at a camp one time who ended up, the next several years in a row, one family flew a girl to the other family’s house in another state for Christmas, so they could spend Christmas break together. Yeah, so we’ve had some really amazing stories.
We’ve had a lot of families follow up with us through the years about their youth going on into degrees for college or into the military or something to be able to do some work that focuses on paying it forward in many ways and being able to give of themselves in service to other military families.
KRISTEN JOWERS: I love how you said it, Tyrone, “Camp Magic.” It sounds like the magic, it’s there for the parents. It’s there for the teens. Like collectively, it’s there for parents, it’s there for spouses at home or guardians at home that hear about and experience the transformation months and years following [00:24:00] camp. But it also sounds like it’s transformational for you, like for you as a Camp counselor as the lead, and getting to go to camp, Tyrone through the military teen adventure camp. So it sounds like extremely rewarding work.
TYRONE ATKINSON: Kristen, that is amazing. And you kind of are reading my thoughts. Transformational is a word that I would say has been a big part of my career, which I know we may talk about a little later, which is why I believe extension is so important. The work that we do in extension. I believe we are here to be, change agents and transformation agents.
If I could use that, for families, the work that we’ve been able to do through these military grants, and through M-TAC, it’s so rewarding and it has a lot of therapeutic aspects to what we do. I learned years ago that, it’s kind of hard to put it into words, but the more you serve clientele and the [00:25:00] more you you do for others, you realize that not only is it you giving a service to other people, but sometimes those people are serving you.
And I’ve realized somewhere along the way that all the things that I think I give and all of my passion and all of my heart that I want to give out, and I love working with youth and families, but I also realized that there’s also needs there that have been met for me.
Like I wasn’t, like I said in the beginning, I wasn’t a very outdoor person, and Kerri knows this, ’cause we’ve worked together the majority of my whole career. And it is just amazing to see the transformation that I went from wanting to stay in a cabin with no air, rather than to stay in a tent and be around bugs and snakes and spiders.
And now if I don’t go outside and go camp in a tent at some point in any given year, then I feel like my life is dull. You know? And it’s just crazy how much that’s changed. But again, that is the magic too, that it changes you. More than you [00:26:00] think. As well as you changing. And I think that’s what passion and having a heart to serve people does.
Eventually you realize that you are a beneficiary of the serving that you’re giving.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Wow. I feel like we should just end the episode on that line! So, extension, you mentioned extension as being a change maker, and I kind of wanna move us a little bit into talking about extension kind of as a whole, because all of us on this call are extension educators, extension employees.
And one part of our purpose with this podcast is to highlight examples of the military Family Readiness System in action. A program like the Military Teen Adventure Camps. That is the military family readiness system in action, right? It is a program that supports military families, and you all are professionals that are part of this network of networks, that is what the military Family Readiness system is.
It’s a network of networks, and so a big part of what we try to do in the podcast is highlight [00:27:00] examples, but also talk a little bit about the military family readiness system and what it means to be a professional that’s connected within that system. And extension in general is an organization. There are many extensions across the US, we are all kind of connected as part of this system. There are some of them who do direct programming like you guys do, and there are some who don’t, or maybe don’t do as much of it. And so my question is, you know, from your perspective, what’s the value of extension in doing outreach and programming to support military families?
KERRI ASHURST: You know, when a lot of the programming first began to occur through extension, with military partnerships through DOD and USDA and other entities as well, a lot of it was 4-H focused. It was focused on youth and 4-H clubs and, bringing 4-H Club programming to bases and that kind of thing.
Really looking at Extension as a great conduit, if you will, for being able to do youth development programming. And that’s sort of where it began. But then through [00:28:00] the years it’s really expanded and moved into all areas. And of course, Tyrone and I are in Family Consumer Sciences here at the University of Kentucky.
And, looking at it from a really holistic perspective and a lifespan perspective, even with the work that extension does and can offer to any audience, including the military and being a part of the family readiness system with everything from nutrition programs, to family finance, to parenting, to outdoor recreational programs like M-TAC and many, many other things as well along the way.
And so, you know, we work within extension with the most rural to the most urban, and everything in between there too. And I think that’s a big part of why extension can be such a fantastic resource for families at any stage in the lifespan.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, and I’ll just throw in there a little bit just because I come from the community development side of extension. I’m even thinking there are ways to support military families through our [00:29:00] entrepreneurship programming and through looking at solving for certain issues in a community, like housing, whatever the community issues are, right? Military families are one of the groups of people that may have a stake in that particular issue. I see this all the time. I also see though a lot of extension educators being like, “Well, I don’t serve military families. I just have my programming and I put my programming out there on all my different channels, and people come to the programming. I do my evaluation on the programming, and I don’t have any military families.” Well, we don’t ask, we don’t ask in our evaluations. I think a lot of us don’t ask about that status.
KERRI ASHURST: That’s a very good point. When we first started doing, what I’m gonna call more intentional work with military, many years ago, you know, we are in a state where we actually have 120 counties in Kentucky, and we have 120 extension offices. And a lot of people don’t know that about our state. It’s pretty incredible.
But, because we had people doing programming in every county, they were reaching military and didn’t even necessarily [00:30:00] know it through some of the different things that they were doing.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yes.
KERRI ASHURST: Then when we really started looking at this from a more intentional way, we realized, yeah, we already have people who are involved, but let’s try to help them understand what extension is, to be able to get them even more involved and, really be able to do some targeted programming.
Then that focuses on working with our armories and our bases and various different things.
TYRONE ATKINSON: I know that one of the things that we did early on, as Kerri said, especially with military, OneSource became really big. Kerri and I connected with them and they used to have demographic data that would showcase how many families our military families were in that specific county. They did breakdowns of military service members, and what we did with the extension agents is that we went in communities and helped them to see the numbers of how many military personnel or family members and youth would be in their counties, just to give them an idea.
And I think sometimes having that information is even eye-opening, ’cause it’s like, you know, [00:31:00] you probably have served some of these families, you just don’t know it. And I think, going back to the question is, one of the benefits of having extension is that we are that branch, we are that arm to the community from the university.
And we have so many programs and resources at times that families just never know about. So I would definitely be remiss if I didn’t highlight the 4-H military partnerships. Kerri and I have both been a part of that agency at times and just the work that they’re doing all over.
One of the things that is very important is military families do move from time to time, especially if they’re on active duty, so they’re not always staying in the same community. So the importance of having extension across the board and having some fluidity to our programming is, “What if I enjoyed something really well when I was in one community, but then I had to move across the country. If I can connect to another extension, maybe they’re not doing the same programming, but maybe it’s the same heart and essence, if I [00:32:00] can connect to a 4-H club, or if I can connect to A-A-F-C-S program or an agriculture program, and if I can still stay involved in my community,” I think Extension has a responsibility to still serve families no matter where they go.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Thank you so much. That is the conversation that I would like to have more often with extension educators.
So, we love to end each of our episodes with, asking our guests to share a personal practice that helps with your own mental health, wellbeing, readiness, and resilience.
So, did you guys have something to share with us?
KRISTEN JOWERS: I’ll go first, Jessica. Kerri was talking about this earlier about like, something about being outdoors just really makes you feel like you’re more present. I feel like I appreciate the sunrises more, the sunsets more, I feel like I breathe in deeper in the outdoors. But, I think the key to fully enjoying any adventure or activity for me is prioritizing rest and [00:33:00] giving myself permission to do nothing. I really see rest as kind of the prerequisite to hard work, and not necessarily like the reward to hard work. And I find that when I prioritize rest, I’m really setting myself up for sustainable effort, and adventure.
My husband and I, we love to make travel plans and going to national parks. Folks listening on the podcast can’t see that I have all these national park posters behind me in my video. But, we know that to fully enjoy the experience and the adventure that we have to have downtime and rest as well.

KERRI ASHURST: I’ll jump in with that, with saying that I am an experience person. I don’t do well when I’m in the same place for too terribly long. And I like to get out and I like to do. And so when I first started developing this idea many, many years ago, in my head of bringing a parent and a teenager together from a military family to a camp, a lot of it came [00:34:00] out of, like I said, my own joys from childhood being outdoors and experiencing. And I was a little bit terrified, if I’m being honest. I thought, “Oh my gosh, what if we do this and we get the funding for this, and then, you know, two people sign up or nobody signs up!”
I was really scared those first couple of years. But what I came to realize very quickly is how many people were looking for those experiences too, and being able to do those things and create those memories with their children. It ended up becoming very simple within a couple of years of us moving from nobody knowing what we were doing to word of mouth, traveling very fast, and Tyrone and I getting phone calls or emails from people who were in another country, stationed somewhere in another country or maybe out on a carrier, somewhere out in the ocean or something, asking us when our camp registrations were going to begin. And it was the coolest thing in the whole world.
It was so rewarding for me to get to see something that started truly in many ways as an idea from some of the things we were hearing from families become [00:35:00] real and become powerful, and become very meaningful to the families that we’re attending. And now, in more recent years, I know you’re gonna have some information about our upcoming registration, we’ll be starting that soon. In more recent years, we’ve actually filled up camps and had pretty long wait lists, so it’s been incredible to get to watch all of that growth through the years for me.
TYRONE ATKINSON: I would say two things for me. Since we’re talking about being outdoors, and camping, I’ll use things that are therapeutic for me. At camp, one of the things is just realizing that I try to help a lot of youth understand, and then people who, because I’ve come from such a traumatic background of not loving outdoors, to loving outdoors. It’s kinda like you go in a room, I try to help people to think, like, when you go in a room, it’s dark, but when you flip on the flashlight or you click on the light switch, the light immediately comes on right?
And to embrace that light. It’s one thing to go from being an inside person and never wanting to [00:36:00] come outside, and then when you fully get to a place where you’re in the open country the only noise is, animals or insects. And that is the noise of the evening. It’s, in myself, teaching myself to fully embrace that moment and flip the light switch.
Like, “Hey, I’m outdoors now. This is where I am. So I gotta be comfortable with everything that’s gonna happen out here because I’m no longer inside.” So that’s one of the things. And I know, but then the other part is practicing reflecting with gratitude.
My favorite place to be at camp, even though I said whitewater raft, and I love to be in the water ’cause I’m a water person, but the campfire is my safe space. Anytime that there’s a fire, I can just sit down and stare into the fire for hours. And that is a place where I feel safe. That’s a place where I just feel like I can collect my thoughts and I just reflect with gratitude.
That’s what I long for. So anytime that I can get out and go, be around a fire and just gaze, have an ultimate [00:37:00] smore too, those are with Reese’s – if you’ve never had an ultimate s’more. So that’s what we do at camp. If you can tolerate peanut butter, of course, but just to be around a fire. That’s my safe space.
KRISTEN JOWERS: I love that Tyrone. I actually just tried a s’more with a Reese Cup this past year and it’s awesome. I don’t know about the ultimate s’more, is that Hershey’s Chocolate?
TYRONE ATKINSON: No, it’s just with the Reese. So you’ve already done it!
KRISTEN JOWERS: It’s the Camp Magic! Yes.
TYRONE ATKINSON: We gotta get you there so you can experience it, Kristen.
KRISTEN JOWERS: That sounds so good. And thank you so much, Kerri and Tyrone, for joining us today. There are a couple of websites that we will link in our show notes so that you can learn more about the camps. There is also a Facebook profile that you can follow for more information. The Facebook profile is Kentucky Military Teen Adventure Camps.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: That’s it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining us, and a special thanks to our guests, Dr. Kerri [00:38:00] Ashurst and Tyrone Atkinson, and guest co-host Kristen Jowers. If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend. We’d also love to hear what you’ve been thinking about and what’s inspiring you. You can share that with us by clicking the “Send us a text message” at the top of the description of this episode. If you’re listening on a computer, you can email us at practicing connection@oneop.org. We can’t wait to hear from you.
– break –
KRISTEN JOWERS: In today’s episode, we had a great conversation with Kerri Ashurst and Tyrone Atkinson about military teen adventure camps. These camps offer incredible opportunities for military youth to connect, grow, and experience the great outdoors. We wanted to take a moment to share a bit more about them. So if you’re part of a military family or you know, someone who is, here are the details you’ll wanna pass along:
Attention military families. Are you ready for an unforgettable adventure [00:39:00] this summer? The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service is offering two incredible Military Teen Adventure Camps in 2025, completely free of charge!
The first camp, Ocoee Whitewater Rafting and Outdoor Quest, will take place from July 11-14, 2025, and will accommodate 80 participants, divided into 40 parent/teen teams. This camp will feature exciting activities such as whitewater rafting, tubing, rock climbing, and lake activities.
The second camp, ACE Whitewater Rafting, Climbing, Rappelling and Outdoor Adventure, is scheduled for July 25-28, 2025, with 54 spots available for 27 parent/teen teams. This camp will offer thrilling experiences including whitewater paddling, mountain biking, ziplining, and canopy tours.
These four-day camps are open to military families from all states and branches, including active duty, reserve, guard, and retirees. Parents or guardians can join their teens (ages 13-19) for thrilling outdoor experiences, team-building activities, and quality bonding time.
Since 2012, these camps have brought together families from multiple states and countries, offering exciting challenges and unforgettable memories. Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your family bonds while conquering rapids, scaling cliffs, and soaring through treetops!
Mark your calendars: Registration opens April 17, 2025. Visit the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service website for more information and to secure your spot in these high [00:41:00] adrenaline adventures!
We’d like to thank our announcer Kaylin, Gobel Mathis, Maggie Lucas, and Joyce Vaughn for their help with marketing and Nathan Grim, who composed and performed all the music you hear on the podcast. We hope you’ll listen again soon. Until then, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

Military Spouse Employment: Empowering and Inspiring Self-Advocacy
2025-04-15 11:00 - 12:00
This webinar highlights the challenges faced by military spouses in the workforce. Currently, military spouses are unemployed at a rate more than five times higher than the national average (21% Active Duty Spouse Survey, compared to 4% Bureau of Labor Statistics). Additionally, those who are employed earn approximately 38% less than their civilian counterparts (Defense Personnel Analytics Center). Efforts at both local and national levels are actively addressing this issue, aiming to connect employers with skilled and reliable military spouses.
Military spouses play a vital role in this process by advocating for themselves and others, becoming informed and passionate champions for their presence in the workforce. This session will leverage the latest research and expert insights from human resources professionals, empowering military service providers to equip military spouses with practical strategies and the confidence needed to successfully navigate the workforce.
Learning Objectives:

Gain a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape of military spouse employment.
Explore the human resources function and acquire tips for successfully navigating it as both an applicant and an employee.
Utilize practical tools to effectively communicate with and educate employers about the challenges and opportunities related to military spouse employment.
Find inspiration to continue advocating for the personal and societal importance of expanding career opportunities for military spouses across all branches of service.

Alice is an employment attorney, human resources professional, and former litigator based in Spokane, Washington. She works with employers to provide training, consulting, and compliance assistance. With experience in both employment litigation and management-side labor matters, Alice has also held leadership roles in human resources, focusing on regulatory compliance and corporate training. She is licensed to practice in Washington and New Mexico and has been a dedicated Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) volunteer leader.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close April 15, 2027.
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close April 15, 2026.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close April 15, 2028.
Human Resource Professionals: This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close July 31, 2026.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close April 15, 2027.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Slides
Resources Whether you are a new or seasoned service provider, the Powerful Provider collection will enhance your awareness and knowledge of programs and services designed to promote military family well-being. Photo Credit: SOMKid | Adobe Stock 440524098

Decoding Challenges: Understanding Adversity, Trauma, and Developmental Delay
2025-04-10 11:00 - 12:30
In this session, professionals will learn how to distinguish between neurodiversity or potential disability and the impacts of trauma or mental health concerns in children and students ages from birth to age 22. Participants will understand how to discern whether challenges are due to a disability or delay versus environmental or circumstantial factors like deployment, caregiver illness, or grief. Attendees will gain insights on when to pursue a special education evaluation and when to monitor while providing necessary supports. This session will provide knowledge needed to make informed decisions, ensuring the best outcomes for students will also be discussed.
Learning Objectives:

Define and differentiate between adversity and trauma
Understand the developmental sequelae of childhood adversity and trauma
Understand age-related learning processes and outcomes in the context of adversity and trauma
Identify variability in developmental trajectories of children and youth exposed to adversity and trauma
Identify trauma-informed educational strategies to help promote learning and development through appropriate support services (e.g., early intervention, infant mental health, special education)

Dr. Carlo Panlilio is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology and a faculty member with the Social Science Research Institute’s Child Maltreatment Solutions Network at the Pennsylvania State University. His research foci include a) adversity, self-regulation, and learning; b) application of novel methodologies to prevention and intervention; and c) trauma-informed systems. Dr. Panlilio previously worked as a family therapist in private practice, community agencies, treatment foster care, and a residential treatment facility for adolescents.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 4/10/2027.
Early Interventionists and Early Childhood Educators: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the Early Intervention Training Program (EITP) at the University of Illinois.
Illinois Early Care & Education Providers: This webinar is a Gateways to Opportunity Registry-approved Training for early care and education professionals in Illinois through 6/30/2026.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 4/10/2030.
Michigan Certified Teachers: This webinar is approved for 1.5 SCECH from the Michigan Education Association’s Center for Leadership and Learning.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 4/10/2027.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar Slides
Additional Resources Photo Credit: IStock – 544968812 This series highlights the broad spectrum of neurodiversity, emphasizing a range of cognitive variations, such as ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, and more. Discover the Uniquely Wired series today.

A Compass For Building Compassion Resilience
2025-04-10
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjkyNzUwNiUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTY5Mjc1MDYtYS1jb21wYXNzLWZvci1idWlsZGluZy1jb21wYXNzaW9uLXJlc2lsaWVuY2UuanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjkyNzUwNiUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF (Season 6, Episode 15)
Feeling overwhelmed or fatigued? Join us as we explore the Compass Model for Wellness, a simple yet powerful tool to assess and strengthen resilience across four key areas: heart, mind, spirit, and strength. Learn how this model can help you navigate challenges and build compassion resilience in your personal and professional life.
In this episode of Practicing Connection, hosts Coral and Jessica wrap up their three-part series on Compassion Resilience by introducing the Compass Model for Wellness. Jessica shares practical insights from the Rogers Behavioral Health Compassion Resilience Toolkit, highlighting how the model’s four sectors—heart, mind, spirit, and strength—can guide reflection on fatigue and resilience. Through a simple yet impactful practice, listeners can identify areas for growth and action while celebrating their strengths. Tune in to discover how this framework can support your journey toward greater ease and balance.
Links

Compassion Resilience Toolkit: https://eliminatestigma.org/compassion-resilience-toolkit/
Reflection Worksheet:
https://eliminatestigma.org/wp-content/uploads/Schools_Section2_Reflection.pdf
Practicing Connection LinkedIn community:
https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/practicingconnection

CORAL OWEN: Hey there. Thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Coral, my co-host Jessica is here today as well. We’re going to be wrapping up our three part series on compassion resilience by introducing you today to the Compassion Model for Wellness. And Jessica’s gonna be sharing a practice with us.
Hey Jess, how are you?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hi, Coral. I’m doing pretty good. I’m so happy to be here with you today after that brief hiatus. I’ve had some personal shakeups since you were last here that have really forced me to ask myself every day, whether it’s related to, you know, the production of even this podcast – forced me to ask myself every day what is essential.
I remember attending these incredible sessions during the pandemic with people from all over the world, where the facilitators would open each session with a story. Usually it was a story from their life from even that day. And a big open question and the one that stuck with me the most was, [00:01:00] “What is essential?” And I’ve used it since, during times of crisis and in my group process and strategic planning work.
It’s a question that simultaneously kind of cuts through all the noise, and is open enough to invite possibility. So it kept coming to mind during the last couple of months. So I just trusted my instinct and started to lean on it a little bit. And I really have found that it’s actually a pretty good productivity tool. And I know you and I love to talk productivity. It’s really kind of my version of just keep swimming, just find the one thing, what’s essential right now. Keep going, keep going. But the primary benefit has been that just focusing on what’s essential right now, has increased a sense of ease when I’ve really needed it the most.
CORAL OWEN: I love that so much, Jessica, and I, similarly to you probably, I do a, a reflection each morning just as I’m, you know, I’m a bit old school setting my, [00:02:00] paper to-do list and, outlining my schedule. And one of the spaces in the journal that I use, a planning journal is, just a guiding thought or a mantra for the day.
And oftentimes I have a bucket in my brain and the one that I need most that day will hit me. And very frequently it is, “Only the essential,” is the guiding mantra. And that’s been coming up a lot lately. Just, but I love totally what you’re getting out of just distilling, what are the absolute need todos for the day.
And it can really just kind of ease the mental clutter and chaos that sometimes comes with just being a human and living life. So thanks so much for sharing that. We would also love to hear what’s inspiring all of you, our listeners. So please share with us by clicking the “send us a text message” link at the top of the description of this episode.
When you click the link, your text messaging app will open and you’ll see a seven digit number in the words. Do not remove. Type your message after that and click send. Don’t remove the number or we won’t see your message. To [00:03:00] protect your privacy. We won’t see your phone number and we can’t text you back, but we’ll share your feedback on a future episode.
If you’re listening on the computer, you can simply email us at practicing connection@oneop.org. So please let us know what’s inspiring you now.
– break –
All right. Let’s learn more about using the Compass Model for Wellness, for building compassion resilience. Jessica, can you tell us a little bit more about the practice you’ll be sharing today and also why you chose it?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. Again, this is from the Rogers Behavioral Health Compassion Resilience Toolkit that you can find at compassionresiliencetoolkit.org. They have three different toolkits in one. One is for schools and school staff. One is for professionals in the health and human services sector, and one is for parents and caregivers.
I participated in a multi-week training on this a few years ago to facilitate support circles. [00:04:00] I chose this particular practice as a way to introduce the Compass Model of Wellness, which is based on the work of Dr. Scott and Holly Stoner of Samaritan Family Wellness Center, which happens to be near my hometown.
So you know, wanted to give them some credit. I’ve spoken about other models like the eight Dimensions of Wellness from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and Total Force Fitness. These are all excellent models for building our resilience as professionals and leaders, and frankly, for using with our clients as well and the people that we work with.
But what I specifically like about the Compass model of wellness is the ease of remembering the different sectors, because there are only four. And they are heart, mind, spirit, and strength. And each sector is broken down into two additional areas. But I still like the ease of remembering heart, mind, spirit, and strength.
Mind includes the areas of work and organization. [00:05:00]
Strength includes the areas of stress, resilience, and care for body.
Spirit includes the areas of core values and rest in play.
And heart includes the areas of relationships and emotions.
The other reason I wanted to choose this practice is that it builds on what we’ve already talked about on compassion resilience by using the sectors of the compass model for wellness as a guide to assess our fatigue and our resilience within each sector. It’s such a simple reflection, but also really powerful and eye-opening when you notice those areas you’re feeling fatigue, and you identify what you can do about it.
CORAL OWEN: I am so intrigued. So let’s get started. Jessica, can you walk us through how to use this?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: To start with, if possible, it’s not necessary, but if possible, I recommend using the worksheet that we provided a link to in the show notes. For the moment though, as you’re listening, you can just [00:06:00] consider the four, I’m gonna call it the four “directions” of the Compass Model of Wellness.
And as I go over each one, consider whether you would rank your resilience in each as low, medium, or high, right? So think about are you feeling like your resilience here is really good? So then you would rank it as high or, do you feel like your resilience in that area is not doing so good, so you’d rank it as low. And of course you can always go with medium as well.
Okay, so heart, which refers to resilience in relationships and emotions.
Spirit refers to our resilience around living our core values and our engagement and recreational activities that we love, which is also called rest in play in the Compass Model.
Strength, refers to our stress, resilience, and how we care for our bodies.
And mind [00:07:00] is about doing meaningful work and even organization. It includes organization such as managing our time, money, and priorities.
So next, now that you have a little bit of a sense of how you feel about your resilience in each of those areas, reflect on which section of the wellness compass you feel most fatigued in. Is it heart, spirit, strength or mind? You would’ve rated your resilience as low. What resources do you reach out to when you’re feeling fatigued in this area? And maybe for some of us, more importantly, what resources can you reach out to that maybe you haven’t done so yet?
And then finally reflect on which section of the wellness compass you feel the most resilient. Was it heart, spirit, strength or mind that you rated high? How do you maintain your resilience in this area? And almost more [00:08:00] importantly, how might you teach others about maintaining their resilience in this area? Think about some of your colleagues. How might you help share what you know and what has worked for you.
So use this information to determine your next action. You might reach out and use a resource in an area of the compass where you’re feeling fatigued, or you might listen for opportunities to share with others how you may maintain resilience in one of these areas.
You can do that right now, in fact, by joining the Practicing Connection community on LinkedIn and creating a post that shares how you maintain resiliency in one of the areas of the compass.
CORAL OWEN: I would love to hear from our listeners about their takeaways and their areas of high resilience and how they, you know, maintain and nurture those areas. It might also be a great opportunity to reach out and see what other tools folks might be using in the areas where we might all need a little bit of a boost.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah.
CORAL OWEN: Yeah. Jessica, thank you so much. And I find [00:09:00] myself just reflecting, as you know, you’re talking through, on some areas of opportunity in my own life. So I’m excited to dig into this practice myself after this episode is wrapped. So thank you so much for sharing that.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, you’re welcome. I love the opportunity to use some of these tools that I learned about, and got trained on using, so this is great for me too.
CORAL OWEN: Well, that is it for this episode. Thank you all so much for joining us. If you enjoyed today’s episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend. We will be back next week with an exciting new episode, and until then, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

Policy, Practice, and Compassion in Mental Health with Dr. Keita Franklin
2025-04-03
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjg5NzkyMCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTY4OTc5MjAtcG9saWN5LXByYWN0aWNlLWFuZC1jb21wYXNzaW9uLWluLW1lbnRhbC1oZWFsdGgtd2l0aC1kci1rZWl0YS1mcmFua2xpbi5qcyUzRmNvbnRhaW5lcl9pZCUzRGJ1enpzcHJvdXQtcGxheWVyLTE2ODk3OTIwJTI2cGxheWVyJTNEc21hbGwlMjIlMjB0eXBlJTNEJTIydGV4dCUyRmphdmFzY3JpcHQlMjIlMjBjaGFyc2V0JTNEJTIydXRmLTglMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0U= (Season 6, Episode 14)
How can policymakers and frontline providers collaborate to transform mental health care for service members and veterans?
Dr. Keita Franklin is here to share 25 years of insights – from data-driven policy to personal resilience practices.

National policy leader Dr. Keita Franklin joins host Jessica Beckendorf and special guest co-host Kalin Goble Mathis to discuss the evolving landscape of mental health for service members and veterans.
This important conversation explores the intersection of research, community partnerships, and self-care for service providers. Dr. Franklin reveals how listening to lived experiences, leveraging data, and fostering collaboration can drive meaningful change – plus, her personal practices for sustaining resilience in demanding work.
Links

Dr. Franklin at Leidos
Dr. Franklin on LinkedIn

JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hello, and welcome to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica Beckendorf, and I’m so excited today to be welcoming our special guest and a special guest, co-host, and awesome person all around my coworker and friend, Kaylin Gobel Mathis, whose voice you hear on every one of our episodes in the intro and outro.
Welcome to Practicing Connection, Kalin. Would you mind introducing yourself a bit?
KALIN GOBLE MATHIS: Thanks so much, Jessica. I’m very excited to be here today. Yes, I’m Kaylin Gobel Mathis. I am a program development specialist with OneOp and a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences extension faculty at Virginia Tech. I am joining you all today from Monticello, Florida, which is about 40 minutes outside of Tallahassee, Florida.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I bet a lot warmer than where I am in Wisconsin.
KALIN GOBLE MATHIS: Yes!
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Our guest today is Dr. Keita Franklin, a national [00:01:00] federal policy leader with over 25 years of experience leading public health and mental health programming for veterans, military service members and their families. Her background includes leading large change management efforts, driving lasting and meaningful outcomes for veteran and military communities.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: Good morning. Happy to be on with all of you today.
KALIN GOBLE MATHIS: Thanks so much Dr. Franklin. And in addition to providing subject matter expertise on suicide prevention, Keita is a social scientist who consults organizations and institutions on research implementation science and data-driven leadership. So yes, hello Keita, and thank you so much for joining us on Practicing Connection.
So to begin the conversation, to kick us off, can you share a bit about what started your journey into public health and mental health programming? We’d love to hear what inspired you to pursue this path, especially to support our military service and veteran populations.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: Yes, I’m [00:02:00] happy to. Thank you so much for the good question starting us off. You know, I tell everybody, you know, my father was in the Navy. He was an enlisted sailor and so we did, we lived on military bases my entire life, all the way up through going into undergrad. Our last base was Westover Air Force Base in western Massachusetts, but my sister also had cerebral palsy with a seizure disorder, my only sibling.
So I probably learned early on, probably before there was really an official exceptional family member program or whatever. I learned quite a bit about caregiving and about military families. Just my own lived experience and then, you know, couple that probably with a little bit of some luck, I bet. I entered the field initially as a child welfare worker and stumbled upon somebody in my path.
At this point, my husband was also on active duty and, and I stumbled upon another provider who said, you know, if you’re gonna be moving around with the military, you might look at social work and public health because they’re good portable careers where you can really make a difference. And so I was off to the races at that point.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. [00:03:00] Thank you so much for sharing that. And this will probably date me, but I just wanna say Go Navy! I know that’s not the current slogan, that tells you that I’m older. Yes. My father, same thing. Enlisted career. Navy.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: Ah okay. That’s beautiful. I love that.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. Yeah. We probably, we maybe lived in a few similar places.
So what are some of the most significant changes you’ve seen in public health and mental health services for veterans over the past 25 years?
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: One of the things I’ve seen that’s gotten better has been focused on stigma. You know, early on in the military and even as a veteran, we see service members that were afraid to come forward and ask for help if they’re struggling with a mental health issue.
And there was just lots of old school myth legends that said, you know, if you come forward. It’s a sign of weakness or it will impact your career. And it has taken a long time to move the needle, I think, in the field on stigma. But we’ve gotten there. It’s probably not all the way where it needs [00:04:00] to be.
There’s still some of this old school thinking, but at least it’s gotten better. So stigma I think is a big one, like out of the gate. And then also I’ve appreciated in the field the shift from very much reactive programming. That sort of people waited too long, I think, to come into care. They waited until their symptoms were super chronic or they were in crisis, and then they often showed up like in hospital settings.
I think part of the wartime effort pushed the military to really start thinking about prevention focused programming in a scientific way, whereby you started to see a focus on like getting help early. And we know from the literature that like. Getting help early does in fact work. Your symptoms are less chronic.
You’re able to get back quicker. You, you know, it’s, it’s all manner of effective way to get care. But in years past it didn’t happen. And then there’s been a decade long shift where prevention is honored and respected and people realize, like, go in before you have a full diagnosis. That [00:05:00] works. Getting help early.
I think there’s other things that, that, that coincide with that, whereby you see a focus on mental health being just as important as physical health. Versus in the past it was like physical health was the main effort, and if you had a broken elbow or even a common cold, you were quick to talk about it and quick to go in for care and less quick if it were feeling, um, some symptoms of depression or struggling a little bit with anxiety.
But now we’re seeing those, I think, you know, we’re, it’s not perfect, but we’re getting better in that regard too.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Do we have a sense for why that is? And I’m not asking you to have all the answers, but does the field have a sense for why that is?
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: Well, I think part of it is generationally speaking, right?
You see where young people are just more accepting to talk about it. To say, just as they would say, like, I’m struggling with my allergies today. They might be willing to say, you know, I’m feeling out of sorts today and I don’t feel okay. And so they, I think it’s the younger generation that’s propelling us to become more [00:06:00] accepting of these things and to talk about it more.
Social media’s talking about it, it’s online. People are able to do a lot of their own self-help research. And then I think really the role of technology has changed it, right? We’re, we’re starting to have technology tools where your wearable will say, you know, maybe if you’re not sleeping well, and so there’s a focus on like people knowing that sleep drives emotion regulation and coping skills. If you don’t sleep well, you probably aren’t gonna cope well that day. And so there’s just been a variety of reasons, I think, but I appreciate that it’s come full circle and, and has this focus on prevention.
KALIN GOBLE MATHIS: And I think that’s an important piece of it, is that more holistic approach that we’re hoping to move towards in terms of that mental and physical, how both impact each other, right. It’s very circular.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah.
KALIN GOBLE MATHIS: So to those points, Keita, what do you feel are some key elements to successfully driving lasting and meaningful outcomes for public health initiatives? And I think maybe digging a little deeper into that de-stigmatization, like how can providers really. [00:07:00] Work to get that message across to hopefully the community that they are serving as well in those key elements.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: Yeah, I totally appreciate this question because people don’t always know like, what is a public health approach? Like we talk a lot about it in the field and we say this is a public health issue, or Covid is a public health issue. Or, you know, suicide prevention, which is near and dear to my work, is a public health issue.
But, what does that really mean when we’re trying to prevent it? And it really is like a bundled set of practices that you have to do all at once. And if only it were so simple that we could just do one thing, even one scientific thing. Like let’s just drive out training and let’s educate everybody.
It’s an important part of the public health model, but like training alone will not prevent something. It will not prevent, you know, suicide or covid for example. So I appreciate your question ’cause it’s focused on public health, but also on policy and the important need for policy being a key and essential element to that bundled set of practices.
I have a colleague at SAMHSA over the years, Richard McEwen, and he always says that it is [00:08:00] a bundled approach over time that will create the differences that we need. And we wanna see fast results in our field. Like we wanna see reductions in the data that show X, Y, Z, but sometimes you have to implement like.
All of the factors, like you have to build a coalition, you have to study your data, you have to use your data to write good policy, you have to have a research agenda. You have to train people. Believe it or not, you even have to work with the media, and we saw that play out during Covid where. The media would report on the data, like there’s higher rates of covid in this state, or it’s getting better in that state.
Like you have to have a data and surveillance cell that’s like studying the issues and reporting out on it and DESI, and using it to design the interventions. And you even have to push other treatment modalities or care modalities like peer support or case manager or care coordinators alongside, no kidding, clinicians in hospital and community settings.
So a long way to say though, that there’s a lot of [00:09:00] elements. And we need the policy that wraps all those elements together. Because what the policy does is it sustains the work over time because it’s codified. Super important for government, right, to document our processes and have policies. Certainly open to be changed like it needs to be iterative and redone and you know, probably every year and a half or so you’re like updating the policy. And in government it takes about a year and a half at a fast pace to push out a policy. But we know that the policy sustained the people. So like if you or I leave these positions. And we were to implement a policy that said, you know, all of the veterans will get screened for suicide risk in the ER.
That would sustain our time until new evidence, new data, new research came that maybe said we didn’t need to do that. But the policies are really, I think, so important to the public health approach. So that’s why I’m like loving that question because I want people to not be scared of policy, to know that it’s part of their practice, and that it’s a way to impact a process for a large [00:10:00] population of people.
And I’ve seen it firsthand in my own career, and I, it’s incredible when you see it in action.
KALIN GOBLE MATHIS: I was just going to reflect on that just a little bit, Keita, in terms of just also, you know, in our work, we work very closely with the Family advocacy program and the Child and Youth advocacy program, which are a lot of those professionals helping shape those policies that the Department of Defense practitioners are utilizing in their work.
And really, you know, I know driving their work is standardizing that as well, especially for Yeah, these families that are moving so often that maybe there’s a lot more inconsistencies than, you know, the normal civilian family. So really working to standardize that care, but also with the caveat of knowing each community has unique needs.
Each community has unique experiences that maybe they like if they’re a younger population, they may be seeing some trends in there if they’re older populations, stuff like that. But also I appreciate that in terms of trying to deliver that standardized care so that when families show up, they’re getting some kind of [00:11:00] consistency there.
So I just wanted to reflect that a bit. I appreciated that.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: We do owe it to them. The standardization piece is so important, and I would get that question a lot from our own practitioners in the field. Like how do we standardize a policy, for example, at a large military base like Camp Pendleton that also works at like Henderson Hall, which is like a super small base and there are ways to do it.
And so I just say that it’s hard work and it is our lifelong work, but putting that standard, standardized process in place is, it’s a good, good solid point. That also goes hand in hand with policy development.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: So I feel like my next question kind of gets into the nuts and bolts of what you were just talking about.
So you talked about all these different elements and that policy kind of wraps around it and, and kind of supports those other elements. So thinking then about policy and practice development, how do you approach those two to ensure that the policy effectively addresses the needs of [00:12:00] military family service members and their families?
And to ensure that the practices effectively address the needs. All of the elements.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: I see, I see. I know part of the approach to like starting the work on making sure that policy and practice maps involves just like a whole lot of listening to the people that you’re serving. And on the one hand, that’s such an easy concept, but believe it or not, it’s not always done.
And so like when people hold listening sessions when they. Listen to what’s going well and what’s not going well. And you know, I saw this firsthand in my work in suicide. I would get calls from survivors of suicide loss from moms and dads that lost, you know, God forbid that tragically lost one of their own family members, their sons or daughters to suicide.
They have a story to tell. And like we have to listen to their stories, like listening to the voices of live survivors. And you can listen for trends and you can listen for things that are not going well. If, if a mom calls the department and, and shares that you know, her son was on all [00:13:00] sorts of different types of psychotropic meds.
That’s a data point that you need to hear and you need to dig into the policy around that. And was it, was it enacted properly? And so definitely there’s an element to listening. And then I think there’s also an element to like staying on top of the science, knowing what the data, like data always drives policy.
So what does the data tell us? What are the new trends coming from the research? And that’s like whether it’s listservs and you know, what journals do you stay on top of? Like how do you like consume your information to make sure that you’re using data and science to like. Keep your policies cutting edge and up to date.
And then I also, I share this, this doesn’t always have to be super complicated. I have this example whereby in the midst of the war effort, I was working for the Marine Corps and we were seeing struggles with the Marines after deployment. And I was thinking through my work as a behavioral health leader and like what new policies and trends are, are we facing?
And I was in a conversation with a very senior leader at the time in the Marine Corps. General Dunford, and he [00:14:00] shared, you know, that if we were seeing these struggles with Marines after deployment, one of the things that was going on was that the Marines were automatically PCSing to their next duty station.
They were coming back from deployment and the system was set up for them to immediately move. And so they were not near their peer group that they deployed with, who would see that they were not Well. Those who knew them best, they’re at a different duty station and those who knew them best may not see that they’re not well.
And so he implemented a policy change at the time that had the Marines staying in place for 90 days after a deployment. It was just a short period of time, but like changed a massive manpower model. It wasn’t a policy from my own area, like manpower Modeling was not my area. Behavioral health was my area, but this policy change in manpower that kept them in place for 90 days and had them supporting each other for 90 days after deployment where they could recognize if one of their own weren’t.
Well, I had spillover effects for the behavioral health area. And so you start to see how like a data point [00:15:00] on DUIs and child abuse and domestic violence and, and um, you know, post-traumatic stress. These data points after deployment drive a manpower policy change that keeps Marines in place so they can support one another.
And then you start to track the outcomes over time to see that that small change in the system can create such positive outcomes. It requires a policy that’s like outside our immediate area, if that makes sense.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: It always amazes me at how, whenever I hear about these really small tweaks, what a big impact, like small things like during intake, asking whether somebody’s a veteran or asking whether someone yes, you know, is a military service member, which a lot of folks don’t do because, you know, maybe this is not the main part of their job.
They don’t work with a lot of military families, but just asking that takes seconds. It can actually really make the biggest difference for that family. So anyway, yes, I, I love hearing stories like that with these tiny little tweaks.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: Yep. And this idea of [00:16:00] asking, “Are you a veteran, or have you served?” has such broader impacts because it basically tells the person asking it, do you have an increased likelihood to have been through trauma?
That’s the question behind the question for me. And granted, there’s lifetime prevalence, rates of trauma and people that haven’t served have certainly been through trauma. They’ve had car accidents, they’ve had, you know, their parents have divorced, they’ve had all manner of traumatic things happen to them, and I would not downplay that, but our military and veteran population.
We know if we ask that question, have you worn the uniform? There is probably a good likelihood that you’ve deployed, that you’ve been exposed to combat, and that you’ve had extended periods of family separation. So that then allows me, if I ask it to respond to you in a certain way, like a trauma-informed way.
And so I, I love your example. That’s a beautiful one.
KALIN GOBLE MATHIS: Thank you for sharing that Keita. That really leads well into kind of what we were hoping to talk about next is, you know, sharing that in terms of the past and where we are at the present. But [00:17:00] as you look to the future and, you know, you have been in this work for so long.
I know you’ve seen quite an evolution in terms of care, but where do you see the future of public health and mental health programming for military families specifically? And are there any like, emerging trends or practices or innovations that particularly excite you or that you’re looking forward to continuing on and growing?
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: I have loved over the years the push for support for caregivers. We know people go to their significant other first, right? They, I wish as a social worker that when people were struggling, they just like came to me first ’cause boy, like I could help them and, you know, have I have, I got some evidence-based practices for you and you know, let’s get some going on policy and all things, but they go to their significant others and they go to their family members and they go to their caregivers.
So the more in the last, you know, five, six years, recognizing who is a caregiver, what are the roles of caregivers? How do we support caregivers so they can better support the service member or the veteran? And then how do we support them so they can also better support themselves? I. [00:18:00] Because when they’re doing better, they’re like a barometer of the family, the service member and the veteran does better.
And so this like holistic, the push for that over the last few years by key organizations in the nonprofit sector, I’ve greatly appreciated that. And I think if we were looking into the future, we would also be thinking more about special populations. Whether it’s those living in rural areas or you know, those with three kids under the age of three, you know, or just unique subpopulations that we could focus on in the context of the whole family approach, particularly with today’s military. And I think the latest data, like over 70% live off base. So how do we do that and honor it in an off base kind of way? Not in a way that says come to the base between 8 and 5, or 7:30 to 4:30, right? Like, how do we do that in a way that says it’s okay if you wanna get your respite care at the local YMCA because we have an MOU with them and we realize that you might need some respite and we realize they’re open [00:19:00] on Saturday mornings and you know, like how do we further extend some of that work?
Also subsequent to that, despite the fact of the incredible turmoil, tragedies and struggles that happened during covid, one of the good things, and I know both of you know this, Kalin, is just the, the focus on tele, tele and virtual platforms that came out of Covid for our field at a rate and pace, like faster than it ever would’ve come.
I was a part of the care delivery system for years where people said, you know, we can’t treat people struggling with suicide risk on a virtual environment because they’re at home. What does that mean? If they’re at home and they, um, they have a suicide risk and I’m treating them and it’s sort of like, well, it means they’re at home.
It means you might have to assess their environment for safety. It means you might have to see do they have a caregiver nearby? Like it means a lot of things, but we have to still do it. And so the ability to like use Telemental health platforms to use a word in field, meet people where they are, that’s gonna be part of the future.
And then adding on like AI tools to that. [00:20:00] I’m definitely a big believer in how do we advance technology into our field because, you know, we don’t have enough providers to meet the need. And if we just bank on, like pumping out new providers as fast as we can through every university in the nation and we bank on, like training them on evidence-based practices as fast as we can and quality checking their work as best as we like, we’re still not gonna get there at one point.
I might have thought earlier in my career that that would happen. I would read, they’re graduating 1500 therapists out of X, Y, Z program. I’m like, okay, that’s gonna put a dent. It’s not like we have to like bring in technology to make it so that people can do a certain amount of help maybe on their own or they can like advance use of self-help tools, advanced use of chat bots, advanced use of technology that is like an adjunct to care, not the main care, but like in between sessions you could access these platforms and do these things to help.
15 minutes alone we know is like by in a hot – if you’ve ever been in therapy, [00:21:00] like it goes by so fast. So like when you have these tools that you can use outside that are technology driven and science based, like, I think that’s gonna be part of the future. And although the adoption of it will take time, you see it happening.
I personally wish it was happening faster than it is, but these things take time and they have to be well studied and they have to be pilot tested and all that. We know that goes with that. Right.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. And I’m curious, I know we’re talking mostly mental health, so I’m just curious about the connection to like county-based departments of health and human services and like where they also plug in off base in this off base manner.
I see so much potential and opportunity for maybe a little bit more, and that would be with maybe starting with those intakes of like, are you a veteran or a military service member or reserve guard. But I’m curious about whether if you see anything in, in that area, um, a connection between, I guess, more people accessing care and help [00:22:00] through those kinds of offices.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: You know, I know for a fact that the military has long had an approach towards doing that, particularly in the programs that you spoke about, Caitlyn Family Advocacy has always had a push towards collaborating with local Department of Health and Human Services through MOAs and MOUs. I always think that’s good.
They should be codified with formal agreements. They should also regularly meet to build trust. Like agencies have to know each other. You shouldn’t be like meeting them in the hot minute that you’re trying to do a referral. Yeah. ’cause it’ll be clumsy and bumpy. Like you need to like have the relationship in place.
Well before you have to make the referral. They should almost like test the process. Like do a drill of it. Like, all right, I have to make a referral. Like, let’s see how this works. Do they really, does it, does the warm handoff work? Like evaluate effectiveness of the. Their participation in the system, so to speak.
But I think above and beyond child protective, like you’re right, like I gave this example of the YMCA, but it’s like how do we help bring the whole community, [00:23:00] you know? Together in a way to build the capacity for all of them to do their part.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yes.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: To serve military. So we have to like train them. We have to bring them on base and make sure they know our plight, they know our mission.
We have to do something for them too. Right. It can’t just be a. Like a one way relationship too. Like how can we help you? Can we offer you something on, you know, trauma informed or can we include you in on something that we’re doing, like the partnership work. I say there’s a science to that too, and it does take time and energy and um, a lot of follow through and trust building.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. Absolutely. And I think also a lot of education too.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: Yes.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: In some areas, right? Where maybe they’re hundreds of miles from the nearest installation, and so don’t think of themselves as serving military families when they very well could be or, and probably are. Yes. That’s a question that I’m always kind of pondering, like how can we educate but also partner at the same time?
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: I mean, if we say 200,000 or so, people [00:24:00] leave the military every year. I know that figure ebbs and flows, but like think about that figure and then where they go. There probably is every community in America, right? Like probably just some veteran population and or recently transitioned military member.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: Yeah. And I think it speaks also to the importance of peer support because one of the things we know is that with military populations and veterans in particular, like they’re very good at helping their own. And so like if we can have these community-based resources that embed peer support, we’re like battle buddies.
Yes.
KALIN GOBLE MATHIS: Just to reflect on also what I’m hearing you all say. I think too, like looking to the future, there’s a lot of opportunity for creativity to come into play, especially like with AI and the possibilities there and working together to kind of identify what those deeds may be and how we can maybe use the resources that we now have that we maybe didn’t have before, especially post.
Covid, right? Where there’s been a growth in virtual [00:25:00] resources and availability of services. So I just wanted to reflect on that a little bit and, that just gets me excited for the creative part of it and really working together to think, think of alternative routes that maybe as a practitioner you haven’t thought of before, but the opportunities are there in a new way and growing as you know, that AI and integrating that into systems is evolving right now.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: I think you’re right. And how exciting of a time that like, as a practitioner in the field, that you get to be creative, that you can innovate and you can get help for your service delivery.
Like you’re not in it alone. You can have a tool that double checks, what do I do? I wanna deliver CBT and I’m stuck. What would be some tips? And like you can get that info fast versus like in the day having to like really rely on your own knowledge. That took a long time to build and a long time to cultivate.
Use tools like this is also, I think you bring up a good point that you remind me about related to just burnout for [00:26:00] the field. When you’re able to use these tools, it likely helps you with burnout, prevention. We’re not trying to lose people in the field. We want to keep them and we need to equip them and support them and, and AI can be part of the toolbox for that.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I was just working on an episode on compassion resilience. For that reason, we want to avoid burnout. Right. We don’t wanna lose
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: our good
JESSICA BECKENDORF: people.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: You’re right.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Right. Well, and speaking of not losing our good people, like what words do you have for professionals hoping to make a difference in the field of public health and mental health for military members and their families?
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: You know, one of the things I share with people is just I try to make sure they know. The work is complex. This is not easy work in any way. Like, some of the stuff we’ve talked about today, like staying on top of the literature, knowing how to analyze data, knowing how to use that for like, even the direct care work.
I say even like that’s the most important part of the equation, right? It’s complex work, but it’s so worth it. [00:27:00] It is so, so worth it, like when you’re doing it and you see a change in people when you see a small thing that you did get them on a trajectory that changes the rest of their life because of an intervention.
You know, there’s been a push towards, and I’ve been researching quite a bit lately on single session therapy, single session interventions, right. We say short term solution focus, four to six sessions, whatever. But to the extent that there’s this new and emerging evidence on single session work, it just speaks to the power of a small point in time, getting people on track for changing their life, which then has spillover effects for the next stage of their life and the next stage and the, the way they raise their children and how they participate in their family.
I just think that it’s worth it. It’s like hard, complex work. That’s also super rewarding and definitely worth the work that you put into it.
KALIN GOBLE MATHIS: Thank you. And on that note, that works out seamlessly in terms of, we were really wanting to know, you know, [00:28:00] with your, all of your both personal and professional experience, and it may be, this may be a hard question, but can you like, identify the most rewarding part of your work and, and all that you’ve done, Dr. Franklin, where do you find that reward at really at the end of the day and to avoid burnout for you and you know, just what really anchors you in that?
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: I mean, I feel like for one thing, I’ve never felt like work is work. I have never felt like work is work like and, and I feel so fortunate and even now I have a 22 and a 26-year-old and I’m advising them, right?
“Pursue a career where work does not feel like work.” I’ve not woken up on a single day and felt like, oh my gosh, I’ve gotta go to work. Never had that feeling. And I do think it is, it drives me and is rewarding to see a system that is maybe not working so well reach its full potential on behalf of the clients it’s serving.
Like, incredibly rewarding, like hard to put words around the level of reward. And so like whether that’s like trying to [00:29:00] do the buildup of mental health programming in the middle of the war effort to try to pull down the dollars, to stand up the programs, to get it working in a cohesive way so that people aren’t falling through the cracks is energy.
Like none other. Like I truly like, I believe that. And at the same time I do know, like it is, like I said, complex and hard work. I’ve tried over the years to like be very good about having a good support system. My own self, both professionally and personally, where I, I like sometimes almost feel like I have to pinch myself.
I’m just like, I’ve been so lucky, even as a military spouse and traveling around from base to base, being able to. At least have one or two of those relationships that stay with me and have been like, like just incredible supports for like days when the system is just get, trying to get the best of me and it does happen.
So the support system is one I’ve used. And then I think I’ve also just like a absolutely love being like around the water. And so that’s been, you know, like outdoor [00:30:00] nature, water has been a big one. And I, I like to write and so like I took on a pet project. Probably the last year I wrote this children’s book about belongingness and it’s for little kids like four to seven, but I like it was self-published, so it was like totally not a big deal in the larger world of things.
But it was a fun pet project of mine about thinking through concepts like kindness and belongingness through the eyes of a child and how do we teach that to our youngest and start ’em early on, just being good to each other.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: That is an excellent topic. I did a little bit of study on bullying, on workplace bullying a while back, and like, I think the, the number at the time, I don’t know what it is now, but it was something like 30% of kids who were bullies become a bullies as adult in the office.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: So just repeat those patterns and if we can like teach ’em early, just like the power of kindness, of, you know, smiling and being a good person. It’s [00:31:00] a concept. Why am I saying something so simple but so important?
JESSICA BECKENDORF: So I feel like you may have already done this, but I want to give you a chance if you had something specific with you, you just shared a whole bunch of great practices and things that you do that help support you.
Do you have a very specific personal practice that helps with your own mental health and wellbeing, readiness and resilience? Now, you shared a bunch, but do you have like one that you brought with you to share besides writing a children’s book, which is a great idea.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: Yes. And again, this is such a basic thing that I, I do.
And anyone who knows me well knows I do it. For one, I definitely go to sleep early. I’m just an early to sleep person and I wake up early. I wake up before anybody else because I want a little quiet time with a cup of tea.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hmm.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: And that then I feel grounded. And it’s not because of the caffeine ’cause I’ll grab like a mint medley, decaf.
It’s not that I’m. Searching for the caffeine, although I certainly have my share of, you know, black tea and Diet Coke and all manner of caffeine, [00:32:00] but I appreciate like having the quiet time with a cup of tea and gather my thoughts before I start the day and the days when I don’t do that, I notice I have rocky days, like they’re bumpy and clumsy and I’m playing ketchup and I feel off kilter.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, thank you so much for that. That’s a, I mean, go to bed early. I have to say, as I get older, I am realizing that I tend to go to bed earlier than I used to. So, I think and I feel great when I do, and so like I can confirm. That is a great practice. Thank you so much. It’s simple though, right?
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: It’s so simple that we probably like feel silly even talking about it on this podcast, right?
KALIN GOBLE MATHIS: And no, I, I appreciate you noting that too ’cause I just, I think I would be remiss not to also kind of tie that back into your suicide prevention work, Keita. ’cause I know that one of the emerging, you know, topics that we’re talking about around suicide prevention is the importance of sleep, right?
In terms of setting those routines for folks. Yeah. And if their sleep is disruptive, that could possibly be a vulnerability factor that [00:33:00] indicates larger issues. So I think that’s true. A really great example of like small things, but really that have those huge impacts and especially in prevention and, yes, just things to keep a watch out for in terms of destruction of patterns and really prioritizing sleep and rest in a way that is so important to the overall holistic approach that we’ve been talking about.
So I appreciate that.
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: Yeah, and particularly for providers, they should not feel for practitioners that you all work with. Like, don’t feel bad if you go to bed early, that’s okay. If you’re getting your sleep, like there’s no guilt in like deciding that 7 or 8 is your time. That’s okay.
KALIN GOBLE MATHIS: Thank you so much for joining us.
This has been a fabulous conversation and it’s always lovely to connect with you, Keita. And the last question I’ll ask you is, can you share where folks can connect with you or maybe follow you? I don’t know if LinkedIn or maybe Leitos, anywhere like that. Could you just share where folks can maybe follow your work or connect with you?
DR. KEITA FRANKLIN: For sure, on LinkedIn is a great spot. I’m also [00:34:00] at keita.franklin@leidos.com and that is a good way to reach me. And you know, we’re doing some incredibly mission-focused work with the Department of Defense and with military and veterans, trying to create good outcomes for behavioral health too. So I’m always open to collaborating and chatting with other people that have similar goals and similar ideas and wanna pursue some conversations like that.
Thanks for asking.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, that’s it for this episode. Thanks for joining us. If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend or a colleague. We’d love to hear what you’ve been thinking about and what’s inspiring you. You can share that with us by clicking the Send us a text message at the top of the description of this episode.
If you’re listening on a computer, you can email us at practicingconnection@oneop.org. We can’t wait to hear from you.
KALIN GOBLE MATHIS: We’d like to thank our co-producer, Coral Owen, Maggie Lucas, and Joyce Vaughn for their help with marketing and Nathan Grim who composed and performed all of the music you hear on the podcast.
We hope you’ll listen again [00:35:00] soon. Thank you for joining us, and until then, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

TRICARE ECHO Demystified: Eligibility, Enrollment, and Effective Support Strategies
2025-04-02 11:00 - 12:00
This professional development webinar is designed to provide military support professionals with an understanding of the TRICARE Extended Care Health Option (ECHO). The program supports individuals diagnosed with moderate or severe intellectual disabilities, serious physical disabilities, or extraordinary physical or psychological conditions. It provides an integrated range of resources to enhance care and improve the quality of life for military families managing exceptional healthcare challenges.
Attendees will gain insights into the eligibility requirements, covered services, and the enrollment process, equipping them to effectively guide families in accessing and utilizing these benefits. Additionally, the session will explore best practices for collaboration with TRICARE case managers to ensure a seamless support experience for military families.
Learning Objectives:

Explain the purpose and scope of the TRICARE ECHO program, including eligibility criteria and covered services.
Identify steps for enrollment and common challenges faced by families when accessing ECHO benefits.
Describe strategies for effectively supporting families in navigating the program and coordinating with TRICARE case managers.
Recognize the role of healthcare providers and community support professionals in enhancing the care experience for families with exceptional needs.

Director, Case Management/Special Needs Programs
Defense Health Agency
Carmen DeLeon works for the Defense Health Agency (DHA) – TRICARE Health Plan / Clinical Oversight & Integration Section. Ms. DeLeon’s role functions as the DHA nurse consultant/subject matter expert for case management and special needs programs. She is the clinical program lead for the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) and Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) for beneficiaries in the CONUS and OCONUS areas. Ms. DeLeon also serves as the liaison between the Military Treatment Facilities (MTF), Intermediate Service Commands, Uniformed Services Headquarters Commands, Veteran Administration, TRICARE eligible beneficiaries, the Managed Care Support Contractors and Uniformed Services Family Health Plan.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/2/27
Certified Personal and Family Finance Educator (CPFFE): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/2/27
Accredited Financial Counselors (AFC): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit by the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/2/28
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) contact hour by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/2/27
Board Certified Disability Management Specialists: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) clock hour from The Commission for Case Manager Certification. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/2/26
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) clock hour from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/2/26
Certified Personal Finance Counselors (CPFC): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from The Center for Financial Certifications (FinCert.org). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/2/28
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/2/28
SCECH: Michigan Certified Teachers: This webinar has been approved for 1.0 SCECH from the Michigan Education Association’s Center for Leadership and Learning. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/2/28
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 4/2/27
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Presentation Slides (PDF)

Photo Credit: iStockphoto 1469483153; Yana Tikhonova

Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition Readiness in the Force
2025-03-27 11:00 - 12:30
The Defense Department (DOD) published the Food Security Strategy and Roadmap in July 2022 which outlined six lines of effort to strengthen food security for service members and their families. Since that time, the DOD has taken many actions to increase food affordability and improve nutrition security for service members and their families. This roundtable will highlight specific strategies implemented at Fort Campbell, Fort Drum and Fort Bragg. Attend this webinar to hear directly from registered dietitians, researchers and other health professionals working on these installations and learn how they fostered relationship building and leveraged partnerships to implement their programs. This webinar roundtable format will allow additional time for audience questions and interaction so that attendees can learn how to implement similar programs on their installation or in their workplace.
Learning Objectives:

Describe three key features of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Community Innovation and Outreach (CIAO) project at Fort Campbell, including its novel use of administrative data.
Evaluate the outcomes and lessons learned from opening the Fort Bragg WIC Office, a joint effort between Fort Bragg and Cumberland County Department of Public Health.
Following a process similar to one being implemented at Fort Campbell, use a new WIC eligibility screening tool to identify Service members and military families who may be eligible for WIC.
Describe how military practitioners successfully engaged community partners when developing a robust resource, the Fort Drum Food Resource Guide, to disseminate food security information.

Associate Professor
Division of Military Child and Family Research
Department of Pediatrics
Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences Community Health Worker
Department of Pediatrics
Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences Chief of Nutrition
Guthrie Ambulatory Health Clinic
Fort Drum Compliance Consultant
Fort Bragg Department of Public Health
Womack Army Medical Center Deputy Director
Department of Public Health
Womack Army Medical Center
Fort Bragg

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/27
Certified Nutrition and Wellness Educator (CNWE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/27
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RD/RDN) and Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTR): This CPE activity awards 1.5 CPEUs in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s CPEU Prior Approval Program. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/28
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education credit from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/27
Domestic Abuse Victim Advocates: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Advocate Credentialing Program (NACP). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/27
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/27
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/26
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/27
Accredited Financial Counselors (AFC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits by the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/28
Certified Personal Finance Counselors (CPFC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from The Center for Financial Certifications (FinCert.org). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/28
Early Interventionists and Early Childhood Educators: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the Early Intervention Training Program (EITP) at the University of Illinois. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/26
Illinois Early Care & Education Providers: This webinar is a Gateways to Opportunity Registry-approved Training for early care and education professionals in Illinois. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/26
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/28
Human Resource Professionals: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credit from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 3/27/26
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar Slides
Webinar Resources Photo Credit: MoyoStudio/iStock.com This series will cover programs that address nutrition and food security as it affects service members and their families. Discover the Nutrition and Food Security series today.

Say Yes to Yourself: Build Compassion Resilience with Healthy Boundaries
2025-03-27
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjg2MTMwMCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTY4NjEzMDAtc2F5LXllcy10by15b3Vyc2VsZi1idWlsZC1jb21wYXNzaW9uLXJlc2lsaWVuY2Utd2l0aC1oZWFsdGh5LWJvdW5kYXJpZXMuanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjg2MTMwMCUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF (Season 6, Episode 13)
Struggling to balance caring for others with caring for yourself? In this second installment of our three part series on building compassion resilience, we explore how setting compassionate boundaries can help you maintain your well-being while supporting military families effectively.
In the second installment of our compassion resilience series, Jessica delves into the art of setting compassionate boundaries.
Learn about different types of boundaries, understand their connection to empathy, and discover practical tips for establishing and maintaining healthy limits in your professional and personal life.
Links

Rogers Behavioral Health Compassion Resilience Toolkit

JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hi, thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica, and today we’re continuing our series on compassion resilience by diving into a crucial skill: setting compassionate boundaries.
As a service provider, nonprofit, or community leader, you’re often in the position of giving your all to support others, but without clear boundaries, this dedication can lead to burnout.
Today we’ll explore how setting compassionate boundaries can help you maintain your wellbeing while still providing excellent support to families and those we serve.
Let’s start by understanding what we mean by boundaries. Boundaries are basically the limits and rules that we set for ourselves in relationships, both personal relationships and professional relationships.
They help us protect our time, energy, and emotional wellbeing. The Compassion Resilience toolkit by Rogers in health outlines three main types of boundaries. The first is permeable boundaries. These are boundaries that are set but not well enforced. They’re kind of like a fence with too many gaps.
Then there are rigid boundaries. Rigid boundaries might protect us, but they can also leave us closed off to new ideas and new perspectives, and make us seem a little bit unapproachable.
Then we have flexible boundaries. These are the sweet spot. They’re clear and enforced, yet they leave us open to new perspectives and effectively protect us from harm.
Now, you might be wondering, because we’ve been talking about compassion, isn’t setting boundaries a little bit at odds with being compassionate? Well actually, boundaries and empathy go hand in hand. Both are crucial in our work supporting others. By setting clear boundaries, we ensure we have the emotional energy to truly empathize with those we serve.
So how do we identify our boundaries? Well, an activity in the Compassion Resilience toolkit that I really love is a set of three questions. You can start by completing them, but I would recommend that you complete these three statements several times for each statement. Think of five or six or seven different ideas, or more if you’d like, to start to identify what your boundaries are.
So the three statements are: I have the right to ask for… The second one is, To protect my time and energy, it’s okay to… And then the third one is, People may not…, and fill in that blank. What do you not want people to do?
And going back to the other two questions, what do you need that you feel like you should have the right to ask for? And, what is it okay for you to do, in order to protect your time and energy. Is it that it’s okay for you to end your day every day at 4:30 PM or 5:00 PM? Whatever that means to you. Set up several statements, and fill these statements out several times. “I have the right to ask for, to protect my time and energy, it’s okay to,” and, “people may not…”
Okay, so take a moment to think about how you’d fill in those blanks. These answers will give you insight into the boundaries that are important to you.
So now let’s talk about setting compassionate boundaries. It’s not different than setting boundaries in general. To me, it’s just a really great way to think about setting boundaries in ways that help you communicate to others.
Here are some tips. Know your yes. What are your yeses? So this is about understanding your values and priorities. What do you want to say yes to in your life? What behaviors do you want to exhibit? What are your priorities? If you don’t know, then explore these questions and continue to come back to them and refine, change or modify them.
Another tip is to be proactive. Schedule time to reflect on and discuss your boundaries, both with yourself and with others. With others, you can schedule meetings to discuss boundaries, and this also offers them a chance to voice their boundaries. And then for yourself, you can schedule a meeting with yourself for reflection or journaling on your boundaries.
I recommend to revisit them and review them often.
Another tip is to just go ahead and say it. Don’t make people guess. Communicate clearly and directly about your needs. So when I teach about trust and how to communicate about it, I always like to remind people that when we don’t voice what we need from others to build that trust, we are unintentionally playing games with them.
I mean, I normally love games, but in this case, I recommend not playing them. So communicate clearly, don’t make people guess.
Another tip is to address violations of your boundaries promptly, right? Point out boundary crossings as they happen. You can have some phrases ready for common situations. Maybe there are some boundaries that commonly get violated, so if you have some phrases in your back pocket that you can kind of take out and start using in the middle of these situations, you’ll become more and more practiced at it.
Another tip is to frame your boundaries in ways that matter to others, and then offer some shared solutions. And then finally, back yourself up. Follow through with actions that support your stated boundaries. Otherwise, it invites people to continue to ignore your needs.
Okay, now let’s try a practice to help you set a compassionate boundary. This activity is called very simply, the “Boundary setting practice.” I wasn’t feeling very creative in this I guess! The first step is to identify one area in your work or personal life where you feel your boundaries are unclear or often crossed.
Then step two, write down a clear, compassionate boundary for this situation. Use one of the sentence starters we discussed. “I have the right to… to protect my time and energy.” “It’s okay to,” or, “People may not…”, right. Fill in the blanks.
Step three, plan how you’ll communicate this boundary to the relevant people that you need to communicate it with. Remember to be clear, kind, and explain why it matters.
And then step four, commit to enforcing this boundary for one week. Notice how it affects your wellbeing and your ability to support others.
I’d love to hear how this practice goes for you. Share your experience or any insights you gain on our LinkedIn community.
That’s it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining us. If you found this episode helpful, please leave us a review and share it with a colleague or friend. For more resources and tools, visit us at oneop.org. Until next time, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

Building Your Compassion Resilience
2025-03-20
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjgyNDQxNyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTY4MjQ0MTctYnVpbGRpbmcteW91ci1jb21wYXNzaW9uLXJlc2lsaWVuY2UuanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjgyNDQxNyUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF (Season 6, Episode 12)
Service providers often face emotionally demanding work, which can lead to compassion fatigue or burnout. In this episode, Jessica introduces the concept of compassion resilience—the ability to maintain empathy and strength while supporting others. You’ll learn key strategies to build resilience and a practical reflection exercise to help you process your day, celebrate small wins, and prioritize self-care.
Links

Rogers Behavioral Health Compassion Resilience Toolkit
Compassion Fatigue Cycle

JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hello and thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection podcast. I’m Jessica, and today we’re kicking off a three-part series on compassion resilience. If you are a service provider, or if you work in any field that serves families, communities, or the public, you know how rewarding and how emotionally demanding this work can be.
Compassion resilience is the ability to maintain your empathy and strength, even in the face of others suffering. It’s not just about surviving the challenges of your role, it’s about thriving in it.
So today I’ll share what compassion resilience is, why it matters, and a simple practice you can start using today to build it.
First, let’s spend a moment just defining compassion resilience. It’s the ability to consistently care deeply for others while also protecting your own wellbeing. It’s not about becoming numb or detached. It’s about finding ways [00:01:00] to stay connected to your empathy without letting it drain you.
For service providers, compassion, resilience is especially important. You’re often working with families navigating complex challenges. It’s easy to absorb their stress and their emotions, which can lead to compassion fatigue. And recognizing compassion fatigue can sometimes be difficult until you’re right in the thick of it.
I attended a training on compassion resilience a few years ago from Roger’s Behavioral Health that used a chart of cats with, cats of all things, with different looks on their faces to represent the compassion fatigue cycle.
I’ll include a link to that resource in the show notes, and also link to the full Compassion Resilience toolkit. They have toolkits for educators, health and human services, and parents and caregivers.
So understanding the stages of compassion fatigue can help you understand what you need to do to minimize the impact on yourself. I’ll just quickly go through those now and, and [00:02:00] summarize them a little bit, but I recommend going to the show notes and grabbing the full resource.
So the first stage is the zealot or idealist. This is where you are committed, you’re excited about the work you’re doing. You’re ready to problem solve and put in extra hours. You volunteer and someone says, “Hey, I, I need something.” You’re like, “I’ll do it!” You’re excited about the work, right?
The next stage is irritability, right? You start to notice the imperfections of the systems you’re working with and the imperfections of the people that you’re working with.

The next one is withdrawal. This is where you’re now unable to kind of navigate and embrace the complexity of the issues that you are dealing with, through your clients, through your work. You might start to lose your ability to see clients as individuals, as individual human beings, right? They kind of become inconveniences or [00:03:00] irritants.
The next stage is zombie. This is where that kind of irritation might turn to rage, right? You start to maybe even hate people. It’s very strong language, these are very strong feelings. You might even hate your coworkers, and people just start to look incompetent or ignorant, and you might not be engaging in things that you used to find fun or humorous. Those things are just starting to not be as present in your life, and it might feel like you can never do enough.
Then the last stage is renewal versus pathology. So you might come to a fork in the road where you either continue deeper into your compassion fatigue, and maybe come to the point where it feels like you want to leave your profession. Or you may have changed positions and repeated the same cycle. The other fork in the road is, taking a turn toward renewal, resiliency, and [00:04:00] transformation.
So one of the wonderful things about this is that at any stage in this cycle, the zealot, irritability, withdrawal, zombie, and renewal versus pathology; in any stage you can learn skills and mindsets that kind of change your trajectory toward compassion resilience.
So, how do we build compassion, resilience? You know, there’s a lot of different ways. I’m just going to focus on a few right now. First, set realistic expectations. Recognize that you can’t solve every problem or fix every situation. Focus on what’s within your control and celebrate small wins.
Next is practice self-compassion. Treat yourself with the same kindness and understanding you offer others, and when you’re feeling overwhelmed, remind yourself that it’s okay to take a step back and care for yourself.
You know, with this self-compassion, one of the things that has helped me the [00:05:00] most is when I’m starting to have negative self-talk, I really like to think about, I’ve got a few friends who are my biggest cheerleaders. And I really like to have their voice in my head. And I like to ask myself, you know, “What would they say to me right now?” And then that always, I would say that almost always anyway, has an immediate effect on me. A positive effect.

Okay, and then reflect and recharge. Regularly take time to reflect on your experiences and recharge your emotional energy. Now, let’s try a practice to put this into action. Let’s just call it the compassion, resilience, reflection. Here’s how it works. At the end of your workday, take five minutes, just five minutes to reflect on three questions.

First, what went, well today. I’d like to call this my good job list. Instead of a task list, I write down a good job list, but however you wanna answer this is fine with you. So the first is what [00:06:00] went well today? Number two, what challenged me and how did I handle it? And I would add to that, What did I learn about how I handled it? You know, what did I learn from how I can handle this again in the future?
And then three, what’s one thing I can do to care for myself tonight? This simple exercise can help you process your day, celebrate small wins, and prioritize self-care. It’s a practical way to start building compassion resilience in your daily life.
So compassion resilience isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s essential for anyone in a caregiving or support role. By setting realistic expectations, practicing self compassion and reflecting on your experiences, you can continue to make a difference without burning out.
This week, I encourage you to try the compassion resilience reflection at the end of each workday. Let me know how it goes. I’d love to hear your experiences.
That’s it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining us. [00:07:00] If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a colleague or friend. For more resources and tools, visit us@oneop.org.
We’ll be back next week with a new episode, exploring compassion resilience. Until then, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

Building Recovery Capital with Military Families
2025-03-18 11:00 - 12:30
While military families experience lower rates of illicit substance use compared to the general population, substance use disorders (SUDs) remain a significant concern for many service members and their families. Those deployed to combat zones, under the age of 25, or coping with co-occurring PTSD are particularly vulnerable.
This webinar examines how substance use disorders can affect all five domains of military family well-being — financial, career, health, social, and community engagement (DOD Instruction 1342.22). The webinar begins with an overview of the science of addiction, followed by an exploration of the complex relationship between financial stress (and relatedly, employment) and substance use. The webinar will also introduce Promoting Recovery Online through Financial Instruction and Addiction Training (PROFIT), a USDA-NIFA funded Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension program designed to empower professionals working with individuals in recovery.
Learning Objectives:

Understand the science of addiction and the impact of SUD on military family well-being.
Describe financial recovery capital and the relationship between financial stress and addiction.
Identify Extension tools designed to bolster financial management capability for individuals in SUD recovery.

Dr. Alex Elswick is an Assistant Extension Professor for Substance Use Prevention and Recovery in the School of Human Environmental Sciences at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Elswick’s research examines long-term recovery from substance use disorder. In particular, much of his research examines recovery capital, an assets-based approach to understanding addiction recovery. As co-founder of a Lexington-based non-profit organization called Voices of Hope, Dr. Elswick is a tireless advocate for people with substance use disorder. He works to promote long-term recovery by providing education in the community, reducing stigma, and studying the effectiveness of recovery support services. Dr. Nichole Huff is an Assistant Extension Professor of Family Finance and Resource Management in the School of Human Environmental Sciences at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Huff’s work focuses on improving the financial and mental well-being of individuals and families in and beyond the Commonwealth. Dr. Huff is a Certified Family Life Educator through the National Council on Family Relations who has devoted much of her career to family life education, crisis intervention, and community outreach. Dr. Huff develops initiatives designed to help people build financial, social, and human capital vital to improving resilience.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close March 18, 2027.
Certified Personal and Family Finance Educator (CPFFE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close March 18, 2027.
Accredited Financial Counselors (AFC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits by the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close March 18, 2028.
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close March 18, 2027.
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close March 18, 2026.
Certified Personal Finance Counselors (CPFC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from The Center for Financial Certifications (FinCert.org). **Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close March 18, 2028.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close March 18, 2030.
Human Resource Professionals: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credit from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close July 31, 2026.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close March 18, 2027.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Resources
Webinar Slides This webinar is a part of the Substance Use, Stigma, and Recovery: Trends in Military Contexts series. Photo Credit: Mikael Damkier / Adobe Stock

More than a Meal: Building Community and Resilience with Chef Mary Long
2025-03-13
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjc2NjIwOSUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTY3NjYyMDktbW9yZS10aGFuLWEtbWVhbC1idWlsZGluZy1jb21tdW5pdHktYW5kLXJlc2lsaWVuY2Utd2l0aC1jaGVmLW1hcnktbG9uZy5qcyUzRmNvbnRhaW5lcl9pZCUzRGJ1enpzcHJvdXQtcGxheWVyLTE2NzY2MjA5JTI2cGxheWVyJTNEc21hbGwlMjIlMjB0eXBlJTNEJTIydGV4dCUyRmphdmFzY3JpcHQlMjIlMjBjaGFyc2V0JTNEJTIydXRmLTglMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0U= (Season 6, Episode 11)
How can a kitchen become a hub for resilience and connection?
In this episode of Practicing Connection, hosts Jessica Beckendorf and Bethany Daugherty welcome Chef Mary Long, a culinary health and resiliency instructor at the U.S. Army North Vogel Resiliency Center. Mary’s work focuses on using cooking classes to connect service members and their families with mindfulness and nutrition-focused outcomes. From heart-healthy meals to anti-inflammatory cooking, Mary’s classes are more than just recipes—they’re a pathway to resilience and community. Tune in as Mary shares her journey, the magic behind her teaching kitchen, and a popular recipe that’s a hit with her participants. Plus, she offers practical advice for starting similar programs, even without a teaching kitchen. Don’t miss this inspiring conversation that blends food, connection, and resilience!
Links

Joint Base San Antonio, Vogel Resiliency Center

JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hello, welcome to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica Beckendorf, and I’m so excited today to be working with a guest, co-host and incredible OneOp colleague, Bethany Daugherty. Welcome to Practicing Connection Bethany, would you mind introducing yourself? Because this is your first time on the show, period!
BETHANY DAUGHERTY: Hey Jessica. Thank you. Yes, it is my first time on the show. I’m so happy to be here. My name’s Bethany Daugherty and I’m a program coordinator for OneOp. I work with the nutrition and wellness collaboration team, and we work on providing professional development opportunities for military connected registered dieticians, health educators, public health professionals, and extension educators.
So I’m happy to be here.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well welcome again here and we have you all the way as a co-host. We didn’t even have you on as a guest first, but that’s coming soon, I hope. [00:01:00] Our guest today is Chef Mary Long. Mary is a chef and instructor of Culinary Health and Resiliency at the US Army North Vogel Resiliency Center at Fort Sam Houston.
She’s a classically trained chef and graduate of the Culinary Institute of San Antonio, where she received her BS in Culinary Management. How many times can I mess up the word culinary? (laughs) Mary is also the liaison and coordinator for the Food Insecurity Project at Joint Base San Antonio with the San Antonio Food Bank.
BETHANY DAUGHERTY: And for those listeners who maybe don’t know, OneOp has a large food and nutrition security content library that we’ve been curating over the last few years, and I was introduced to Chef Mary through a webinar she recently presented for OneOp on her food security work at Joint Base San Antonio. Mary teaches a variety of cooking classes at the Vogel Resiliency Center to service members and their [00:02:00] families on the topics of heart healthy cooking, instant pot classes, anti-inflammatory cooking, and mindful meals, and many more that Mary will tell us about today.
And the goal of the Teaching Kitchen is to make connections through organized classes with mindfulness and nutrition focused outcomes. Hi Mary. Thanks for joining us for Practicing Connection Today.
CHEF MARY LONG: Thank you so much Bethany. I am so excited to join you both here today, and thank you for inviting me to the discussion.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: And before we begin, can you clear up, is it culinary, culinary, culinary? (tries different pronunciations)
CHEF MARY LONG: You know, I have heard all three. Traditionally just in school and all, we said “cue-linary.”
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yes, “cue-linary.” Okay.
CHEF MARY LONG: I accept all.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, I think I said it all three of those ways actually.
BETHANY DAUGHERTY: That’s really good to know, yeah. I have so enjoyed getting to know you over the last few [00:03:00] months as we prepared for the webinar and just am in awe of the work that you’re doing. It’s so interesting and so impactful, so the audience can get to know you better. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background and how that’s prepared you for the work that you do?
CHEF MARY LONG: Sure. I did grow up here in San Antonio, Texas, and as I grew up, I lived near three of the five military bases that were part of the local military community before Joint Base was formed. And my love for cooking and sharing with others about how to make a meal stretch. And how to cook, just basic cooking skills was embraced and sought after by the young military families with children that I was serving when I was also a daycare worker and then daycare director outside of Lackland Air Force Base in the 1990s.
So as I continued to raise my own family and then volunteer with organizations, such as [00:04:00] Meals on Wheels with the San Antonio Food Bank and also Angel Food Ministries, this was a ministry that had food boxes that people could buy for about half the cost of what they would receive in the grocery store.
And I would make healthy recipes to help them along because sometimes some of the items enclosed in those boxes were a little different and they weren’t too sure of what to do with them. And so just organically the experience occurred where we would have cooking sessions there at the preschool, and not only were they able to learn some new ideas on what to do with that, but there was a connection that was made even then with some of the spouses whose.
You know, their military member was deployed at the time, and so we just had that time of family and connection over a meal. Even then, those experiences along with my culinary background as a chef and trainer for both Kroger and Colorado, and then the HEB corporation in Texas [00:05:00] both allowed me. To share with the customers and the students ways to make healthy meal choices, as well as understanding that the food cost and the ability to cook may be barriers for some of them.
BETHANY DAUGHERTY: Can you tell us a little bit about Joint Base San Antonio and the Vogel Resiliency Center?
CHEF MARY LONG: Definitely. The Vogel opened as the Vogel Resiliency Center in 2018, and it was created to provide a health and wellness program for Joint Base San Antonio and the community. We empower individuals, families, and organizations by exploring both mind, body and spirit lifestyle changes through our partners, and we do have several partners that are in-house. We serve active duty dependents, retirees, and all department of defense civilians as well, and there’s also guard and reserve members of course, as well. All of our services are provided without [00:06:00] a fee.
And the resiliency kitchen, which is where I get to have the opportunity to offer the hands-on culinary classes and team building experiences that we offer that really enhance also life skills. As Jessica mentioned, I’m also the coordinator and liaison with the San Antonio Food Bank for the Food Insecurity Project at JBSA, Fort Sam Houston.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I am curious about some of the things you mentioned that in those boxes that people would get that were a little bit different and you had to show them what they could do with those items. Do you have an example of an item that is often maybe donated in boxes like that and people are like, “What? What do I do with this?”
CHEF MARY LONG: Sure. I mean, it was something even as simple as maybe a protein they weren’t used to, but one example that comes to mind was chickpeas, or garbanzo beans. There were a lot of folks that, when we had that come in, sometimes in the canned goods, things like that, that they didn’t [00:07:00] know what to do with that.
They weren’t familiar with it in the culture and time that they experienced cooking, maybe from, you know, their time growing up. And so it wasn’t a part of what they considered a food that would be open for their family to try. So that’s where creating that meal, creating a snack with the items in hand, right there on hand, allowed them to try it so that it, they wouldn’t go home and basically either not do anything with it at all or just give it away. And we wanted to create a time for them where they were receiving these items because there wasn’t a choice. It was like, here’s the box where they felt successful in, in going home and having food to serve their family. And a lot of it was just education on those things like that. But it, some things it was, they might be familiar with the item, but they just didn’t know how to cook with it. They didn’t know how to prepare it. So it was a balance of those things. [00:08:00]
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Or like maybe beyond like the box instructions, if there, if it’s in a box or whatever, but where you could do so much more with it. I imagine.
CHEF MARY LONG: Right. Some of those items because the way they were packaged, they were pulled apart from the packaging that they originally came in. So there might not even be cooking instructions on the box or the items ’cause they were separated into smaller packaging.
So it could even be just an education piece of, “Okay, they’ve given me this piece of meat or this thing, what do I do with it? You know, I don’t know how to debone and cut up a whole chicken.” Even something as simple as that. “I’m used to buying the chicken in pieces at the grocery store. How do I cut up this chicken, and prepare it correctly.” So yeah.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I’ll be honest, I don’t know how to cut up a whole chicken. Luckily my spouse does, so this is a good, great segue into learning more about the cooking classes that you teach at the Resiliency Center. So could you tell us a little bit more about those and why it’s so valuable to teach these classes?
You’ve already kind of given a couple of examples of why it’s valuable, but [00:09:00] love to hear a little bit more about those classes.
CHEF MARY LONG: Sure. Well, we do offer a variety of hands-on cooking cleanses. As you mentioned, there’s an opportunity for those that are interested in learning basic culinary skills as well as for those who are seeking to learn more about new culinary skill sets, whether it’s baking or healthy eating options.
And these are all classes that are open to the general public so they can. Take a class like Instapot Cooking or Heart Healthy Recipes 101. We do have a plant-based cooking class that was actually grown out of interest from students that I had that were attending maybe the heart healthy classes, and they wanted to really expand their knowledge on what whole food cooking could look like.
And so this is not a vegan class because we might still use eggs or cheese, and other things like that. But it does give an opportunity for them [00:10:00] to have that cooking. We also offer classes like Baking 101 and Anti-Inflammatory Cooking for Life. The meal prep class that I offer is very popular, as well as cooking on a budget, which gives folks not only quick and easy recipe ideas, but also ways to really look at how to change it up a little bit.
Whether we are looking at buying that cheese now in bulk rather than shredded cheese, and we actually shred cheese on hand because some folks have never shredded cheese. So it’s another way to introduce the skill set along with the idea kids get to join in. We have kids and parents cooking classes that I offer as well as specialized classes for single soldiers.
Who may live in the barracks and I’m currently working on a class to offer things like knife skills 101 as well as an intermediate kids class that older children and teens that are interested in culinary can attend as well.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:11:00] That is such a great variety. I’d love to hear about your participants. What surprises them? What stories do you have that illustrate the power of this work?
Because we’ve talked a little bit offline and I know that there’s some powerful stories that you have. I think, you know, when you have such a variety, there’s a reason for that variety of classes and so yeah, let’s hear a little bit about that.
CHEF MARY LONG: Sure. A part of what I offer as well are collaborations that I have with some of our entities that really came about from the beginning, and one of them was with. Our outpatient rehabilitation class. That’s through the cardiology team at Brick Army Medical Center, and they have an eight week class where students come together and they’ve had some type of heart injury.
So they’re, they’ve either had heart surgery, a heart attack, and now they’re coming to this outpatient class to learn some new skills. And one of the things they get to do is come to the plant-based cooking 101 class at the Vogel. [00:12:00] And occasionally we’ve had some folks that have come, and sometimes they bring a spouse along and they’re not quite sure about all these changes they’ve cooked for a long time, or they’ve just lived for a long time, and maybe they’re looking at all the nos that they’ve heard.
And so one particular time I had a couple that came in and we were offering a plant-based chili recipe. And this was like Texas style chili, but without the beef or even turkey or any of that, not an animal protein. So we had lots of different beans, lots of spices. Lots of peppers and onions and all the good stuff.
But the husband kept giving his spouse the side eye when she chose the chili recipe to begin with. And then as they were creating it, and I’m saying things like, “Don’t forget, you’ve got tasting spoons. You’ve gotta taste this, so we gotta make sure it tastes right.” He just kept looking around and not happy at all to be creating Texas Chili without Texas beef in it. So we finally sat down for our meal and we’re all, you [00:13:00] know, I give him a few minutes, we’re tasting everything, we’re enjoying, and I hear him say, “I can’t believe this. We’re gonna have to make this for the kids. And we can’t tell them what it is that there’s no meat in it ’cause they’re never gonna believe this, but wow.”
And it was one of those moments where he realized, and he said at the end, “I didn’t think this was gonna be any good, but we can do this.” And so they’re cooking with the dash, no sodium, spices they’re creating with all these extra fresh vegetables and herbs and, and really getting to try out some new things because that’s kind of my motto in here, is, “What can we add to make it delicious and eye appealing and fun?”
Not all those things you might’ve heard from your health professional of what you can’t have because those are important. But what can we do to make this to where you’re gonna go home and embrace these changes and really go with it? And that was one fun story of that. I’ve also [00:14:00] just after the four years I’ve had working with, uh, building this culinary program is just sitting together and having a meal.
There’s something that they’ve created and the students have that sense of accomplishment, so they have that connection that they’ve made maybe with another spouse. Maybe they just got here to JBSA and they’ve made a couple of friends in the class. They find out something, maybe about a teammate.
When we’ve had a team building where I’ve heard conversations like, “I didn’t know you had kids, and you know, we’ve worked together.” But just something organically happens around the dinner table. This universal connection through food is what I’ve had the pleasure of guiding the military community through by offering these classes, because we give that space for community, but also for learning something new, whether it’s technique or just maybe finding out a new way to do something with that broccoli that they’ve steamed the heck out of for years and now they’ve learned how to roast it and this, the opportunities that we [00:15:00] have here is a way for people to just.
Meet them where they’re at, and then offer the opportunity and the space. It really is powerful. It’s really exciting.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, and I feel like trying a new food or something that you’re skeptical of is a great way of kind of opening your mind a little. I know it seems like a small, simple thing, but it’s really a great way to kind of almost take on a new perspective.
I grew up when I was a kid, it was not the fault of my parents, but I was an incredibly picky eater. And I only wanted, you know, macaroni and cheese pizza. I don’t, and there was like a third thing on there that’s very typical, like I didn’t want very much. And I ended up marrying into a family where my husband’s family, like they had their entire backyard, was a garden.
And they, like, they grew all kinds of new and different things just for the joy of growing new and different things. And I’ve found that through experimentation, I think that’s a another kind of fun thing that, like you described in that [00:16:00] story with, you know, the spouse who came and was very skeptical and then he’s like, “Oh, whoa, meatless chili not only can be good, but we have to make this all the time.”
Like there’s something that just unlocks a little bit, I think when someone is open to that. I’m glad he tried it.
CHEF MARY LONG: I was kind of worried ’cause he certainly was not happy to be making that dish. Yeah, he was not happy. She chose that. I do allow everyone to, when they pair up or when they’re there, because each of the stations, we have five stations, so each one is making a different recipe.
So during a class. The students actually get to try at least four or five recipes because each of the stations is making something different. And then we played up on the education side where we have our tables and we sit down and have the meal together. So we’re getting to try all these different things together that were created by different groups.
And then after we’ve eaten for a little bit, I’ll say, “Okay. Did anyone add a little extra garlic? What did we do? You [00:17:00] know, maybe jazz it up a little differently, chefs. How did you guys handle that?” And then we talk through any of those changes that way. So if you have those recipes at home, no one says, “Well, mine doesn’t taste like that.”
And that gives them an opportunity to also shine when everybody’s giving back the feedback of how great. That dish is, and they really love how they did, you know, whatever they did to, to jazz it up. And sometimes they’ll have some extra peppers out or some extra things that they’ll say, “Chef, can I add a little extra this in?”
Or, “I see those that you have here those roasted bell peppers, can we throw that on top of the hummus?” And so we will, I’ll give them that, that leeway to make some changes and make it even better. That’s always fun too.
BETHANY DAUGHERTY: And I also love how you talked about people are often hearing the things they need to take away from their normal eating pattern, especially in the instance of someone who’s had a heart event and they’re being told a lot, you know, “Don’t eat this, don’t eat this. Reduce your sodium.” And to kind [00:18:00] of reverse that messaging of “Here’s all these wonderful things that you can have and here are ways that you can prepare them.”
It’s really empowering. People often feel really tied to a recipe. If they’re not an experienced cook, they think I have to follow this to a tea and be perfect with it, right? And to give that freedom of, you could make this how you want it to taste for you and, and it can still fit within the health goals that you have.
I think that’s really empowering.
CHEF MARY LONG: I had, one of my first students came in directly from a dietician class here in the, in our center, and she walked in and said, “Chef, I was told you cook and that you’re going to teach me how to cook because I just found out I have diabetes and I don’t know how to cook and I go out to eat.
But now I don’t trust these people to give me what I need to have and I don’t know what they put in a lot of my dishes. So we’re gonna work together on this.” And I was just, “All right. [00:19:00] Yes ma’am. Let’s do this.” So she’s jumped in and the last two years has come to pretty much every class I’ve held, and now calls herself my sous chef, which I’m like, yep, you are.
And she’s just the biggest advocate of standing up and sharing for yourself. What you need to do to make these things happen. And that helps a lot in the class because I don’t have to say, you know, okay, well remember, we still need to listen to your physician, because she is always very vocal about, “I come here and I learn, but I still, I took what my doctor had to say and then what chef showed me and put those things together. And now I’m able to cook at home and make sure I’m getting what I’m supposed to because I know what I’m putting in it when I cook it at home.”
And that’s been really great to see how she came in from one side of saying, I really don’t know what I’m doing, to now feeling very confident and even assisting others in the classroom.
BETHANY DAUGHERTY: Such a great healthcare community partnership where [00:20:00] someone can leave their physician’s office or their dietician’s office and be given some advice that’s really helpful and really important to their health. Not knowing how to put it into action. And so this, taking it a step further and getting the education and the experience to put it into action makes really impactful and meaningful health outcomes.
So I, I think a lot of dieticians will be interested in hearing this podcast and, and really appreciative of what you do. And I know from the webinar that you presented for one op that. We will link that webinar in the OneOp notes for those who might wanna go back and listen to that, that people are interested in recreating what you’re doing at Joint Base San Antonio, at their own installation or their own workplace, but maybe don’t have the facility or the funding to start that.
Can you recommend for those people in that situation, maybe one small way that they could start [00:21:00] bridging that gap between providing advice and then helping folks, putting it into action?
CHEF MARY LONG: Sure. So I think really, if you’re interested in starting some type of program to promote culinary health at your installation or workplace, one of the things I would suggest is really starting by sharing your desire with leadership and establishing specific goals that you want to accomplish for your clients so that you have that basic outline of what do we want to do? to start with.
And then from there, collaborating with others from myself, because I’m not a dietician or a nutritionist, I, from the beginning, collaborated with folks like Army Public Health nurses, in house dieticians that are here either at the Vogel or nearby. And then also being open to collaborate with other entities.
Maybe that may not seem so obvious, but that might have the same goals for their client’s health. So I work with the Soldier Recovery Unit. I also have some [00:22:00] collaboration with the Center for Intrepid. They have a group of Special Forces soldiers that come through once during their career and their very first day there together, they get to come in with me into the kitchen.
And it’s more of a time of getting to know one another and meal prep and connect than it is really techniques and learning any of that. But it’s a real important time for them and they really take a lot away from that because it’s their first opportunity to spend with one another. So just some of those things.
And whether you’re using a space such as a barracks or a USO kitchen to video or share live, you don’t need a full teaching kitchen like I have to demonstrate from, but I have taken my show on the road with a pressure cooker and an induction top to the barracks or to the Center for Intrepid, and I’m very happy also to answer any questions on how our program progressed.
If anyone wants to reach out to me further as well. But I really do recommend just starting from the beginning with some [00:23:00] specific basic goals on how you wanna get started and really collaborating and looking at ways to see if there are other health professionals that have the same sort of goals.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I’m curious, Chef Mary, do you have partnerships with some local nonprofits or like County Department of Health and Human Service offices or anything like that?
CHEF MARY LONG: I do have a partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank through their Culinary Health for families. They offer this program to any individual that wants to be trained though, they work directly with us because we do have the San Antonio Food Distribution each month, and so that is one entity I have.
The folks from HEB Corporation have worked with us to offer not only funding because we don’t receive government funding for our food, but also ways that they can come assist for things like spouses events. Things that we might offer to our military members and our veterans that are here [00:24:00] on JBSA Fort Sam Houston.
But most of the collaborations I have are with entities that are here internal on JBSA, Fort Sam Houston that I work with for the most part. Well, and those are super important.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah. You should always be looking at that. I was just curious if you had some of those other relationships as well.
CHEF MARY LONG: So I am a part of the Food Policy Council for San Antonio, and that’s one of the things that I do kind of on my outside for myself, but also to represent our military members and our military community.
And it just happened that it was a part of something that I wanted to do, but as I was the only person that involved that worked with the military community, I kind of get to be the liaison and and representative for that as well. And that is a council that meets to discuss not only what’s happening in just the regular different economy of San Antonio with food, but also in food insecurity [00:25:00] and ways that we have projects such as gardening, projects that are happening throughout the city and different organizations that work closely with ensuring that our community is receiving food that’s healthy.
Children are able to have resources as well, whether it’s weekend food distributions for them. So it’s something that I do outside of my position. But that I also enjoy being a part of.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Wonderful. I’m curious as to that involvement. I know it’s outside of your role. Do you feel like you’ve been able to help the other people on that council understand the need around military families and if you see like sort of a, there’s been a mutual benefit.
CHEF MARY LONG: It really has because we’ve had a lot of discussion and actual. Interesting collaboration to where we’re looking at some things where from the outside civilian organizations don’t necessarily understand that food [00:26:00] insecurity is something that is a possibility with our service members, because that isn’t something that has been highly discussed until very recently.
And so the work that’s happening there is we’re actually looking at ways to have some. Food distributions through organizations that we have. We have a group that they work closely with the American Heart Association in providing even senior citizens and senior citizen centers where they can come in and have food distribution and a food popup and they can pick out their own fresh produce.
And after listening to some information on heart health, they get a good portion of that. Produce free. And so that’s a collaboration that we’re working on right now. So that’s something that we might be able to give to our military families as well and have access to write off a post. And that would be another resource in a way to get some fresh, [00:27:00] healthy produce to our military members for free or for a lower price as well.
So that’s, those are collaborations that are happening too.
BETHANY DAUGHERTY: Food insecurity is such a multifaceted issue that those relationship building skills and the ability to develop those collaborations with not only the clients that you serve, but the people on post and the organizations off posts are just so important to addressing it from a multifaceted way.
Mary, I’m just curious, have you learned any lessons or have any tidbits that you wanna share with the audience about developing those relationships and really fostering those collaborations to make your program so impactful?
CHEF MARY LONG: Well, I know that one of the things right from the beginning that I learned was that those collaborations were not only impactful to the clients and the students that I have that join me in the classroom, but also just [00:28:00] to be an helpful to open a wider lens of what these folks bring to the table with the resources that they have. From the beginning, I had the Army public health nurse team that would come in and share community resources such as River City Produce that we have in San Antonio that is a produce depot, and they offer the ability for you to come in and get a nice commodity of produce at a nice price for groups to get together.
And so I’ll see on the spouse’s page now that we’ve shared these resources where spouses are getting together and saying, “Come by my house. I have all these strawberries that I got, you know, a pallet, you know, or a case of for this much money, and I’m willing to share.”
Or going across the street to the other resource of Cheecha Boys, which has double SNAP benefits. So if you go and buy the produce there, you get double your bucks for fresh fruits and vegetables. And really offering those collaborative efforts from the beginning [00:29:00] opened up the ability to have the class, not just be on the culinary skill set, but offering those other parts of the collaboration.
Those other folks that are joining in, such as the dieticians from the pediatric team that come to my kids’ class and they bring in the resources for picky eaters. And I have parents that said, “I just never thought of, you know, looking at it from this side, whether it’s the kids saying, ‘you know what? I have a little bit of control about what I can eat, and so I’m gonna hold my stance here.’”
But giving them some ideas on how to bring ’em around and having them at the table with their parents has been fun to see where they’re cutting up with their little knife, you know, their little plastic knife, their veggies, and throwing it in the pot, and how that helps them come to try those recipes. So it’s been definitely a great learning experience for myself in building this program and seeing how.
Each of these collaborations has just opened up [00:30:00] the door for even something else, whether it’s the collaboration with cardiology, moving into the opportunity for the pain clinic to jump on board, because now they’ve heard that, wait, my clients can come and create a plant-based meal and learn. How that is going to be successful at their house.
And so I think both sides of the coin we both have, uh, benefited because they’re really going beyond just handing off the information to having clients that are able to come in and really create and be successful too. And also for myself to have those professionals come into the kitchen with their knowledge base and share has been definitely a benefit as well.
In these last four years, it’s been a lot of growth, a lot of change, and it’s been very good.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Oh, that’s awesome. Well, I’m gonna kind of switch gears a little bit because we are talking about food and I am getting hungry. I would love it if [00:31:00] you would be willing to walk us through a popular recipe in the classes you teach and share a little bit about why it’s popular.
CHEF MARY LONG: Sure. Well, I know I mentioned at the beginning about the chickpeas and the hummus from back in the day, and that’s still a really fun and easy recipe that kind of moves its way through a variety of classes because hummus is something that is actually created. Many different culture cuisines in different ways.
So one that we make quite often, and it’s really popular because number one, it’s very inexpensive to make and it’s very tasty. And if you go into the grocery store and see the 60 varieties of hummus, you can look along that and go, “Wow, I don’t know where to begin.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: The prices.
CHEF MARY LONG: Yeah. And sometimes they’re a little bit pricey and folks just really don’t know how quick and easy it is to make.
So we just have a small little food processor, or you can have a personal blender, like one of those bullets [00:32:00] we use that in the classroom and it’s just a simple recipe. We just take a can of garbanzo beans, which in other parts of the world are known as chickpeas. They’re the exact same thing, and those are just a power source on their own.
So they make it into the plant-based class. They go into our flatbreads and hummus from around the world class as well as the heart healthy class. And I’ve even had ’em tossed into the kids’ class. So those chickpeas or garbanzo beans, they’ve got a great amount of protein and fiber, which makes you feel like you are full longer.
They also have a complex source of carbs. Lower impact on your glucose. So when you’re looking at all those fun things too, then tahini, which is sesame seeds, and they just take those sesame seeds and roast ’em down into a paste. It’s what’s creamy and very high in antioxidants and vitamins. [00:33:00] And it also has a great amount of protein and fiber.
So you can find tahini in most grocery stores. They’re actually on the peanut butter aisle or on what some stores will have the international aisle. That’s another ingredient in there.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I was just gonna say it’s like peanut butter, but instead of being made with peanuts, it’s made with sesame seeds.
CHEF MARY LONG: It looks like, if you’ve ever seen natural peanut butter where it looks like it has a little bit of the oil on top separated, that’s what it’ll look like too. You can find it in a lot of dressings like salad dressings as well. It’s going to be that savory, creamy ingredient in a lot of those as well. To that, we add a little bit of lemon juice.
Sometimes we add fresh lemon juice. Sometimes I’ll have the bottled on hand, so it’s either that or a couple of cloves of garlic to taste. If you’re not a big garlic fan, you can just put in one or just a little dash of garlic powder, and then we add in our classes. Most of the time we add. One of the dash products, which is the no sodium, but you can also toss [00:34:00] in salt if you like it.
Just a little taste of salt. And then we like to use a pinch of smoked paprika that gives it kind of that nice savory in there as well. A drizzle of olive oil. And you’re set. Now, the fun thing is when I have our chefs, our students in the kitchen preparing this, at the end of the day, if they really wanna get creative, I’ll have them split the recipe in half.
So they’re getting to taste it as it’s made. And then those that really want to can do some things with the others. So I’ll usually have some olives on hand or some roasted peppers or some seeds like either roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds on hand so they can kind of drizzle and play with it and, and make it their own.
And not only does that give us some other flavor choices at the end of the day, but it also gave them some autonomy to, to really make something their own. Hummus is probably one of the favorites in the classes and it’s something I’ll pull out too if we ever have something where we have some visitors come by [00:35:00] that takes maybe a couple of minutes to make and all things that are shelf stable.
So it’s something you can keep in the pantry and just pull out if you have unexpected guests just to put together. And I’ll be glad to share the quick and easy hummus recipe with you guys as well.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, we’ll make sure to have that as part of the show notes, and thank you so much for sharing that with us.
I’m curious if anyone looks at chickpeas or garbanzo beans and says, I don’t know about this.
CHEF MARY LONG: Yeah. Yeah. All the time. I’ve had folks that have never tried it, and they’re still not sure they’re going to. But usually in the class setting, and I kind of open it up and just say, “Did anybody who had, you know, at the beginning of class that said they had never tried it, did you go ahead and try it?”
I’m not trying to make anybody try something that they really don’t want to. And usually folks say either one or two things. “I never liked it before and I really like this one,” or, “I haven’t tried it ’cause I wasn’t sure about this and now [00:36:00] I like it.” So there’s still some folks that are like, “I’m still not sure about texture,” and things like that.
But for the most part it’s a thumbs up. And the thing I forgot to mention that’s even best about this is how inexpensive it is to make, it really is a little, you know, even with today’s prices in the grocery store, just maybe a dollar and a half to put this whole thing together. So very economical, really flavorful, and you can definitely go many different ways to make it delicious and create it your way.
That’s the fun thing about creating at home. You get to jazz it up in your own style.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, and my local grocery store, a small container of hummus, will be easily $5.99.
CHEF MARY LONG: Oh yeah.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: I would also imagine tahini is a new ingredient to a lot of people, but it’s also easy to purchase ’cause it’s in a jar next to the peanut butter, and once you’ve tried it, you’re like, “Oh, cool.”
CHEF MARY LONG: Yeah. And at the end of the day, I’ve had folks that said, “I didn’t have tahini on hand. I added a nut butter. Is that okay, chef?” And I’m like, [00:37:00] did it taste good? Let’s go. So it’s really, you know, there’s all different ways to make it and. If it’s not something, you know, there’s sometimes there’s folks that are more of a food desert and they don’t have the variety in their grocery store, definitely go with it.
You can definitely throw in something else. There’s also recipes out there that do not even call for tahini, so keep that in mind. That’s not an end all. Or garbanzo beans. I’ve made hummus with edamame.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Black beans!
CHEF MARY LONG: Or black beans! We were talking about that the other day. Black beans. There’s lots of different ways to put together a delicious hummus.
It doesn’t have to be garbanzo beans. Definitely.
BETHANY DAUGHERTY: Awesome. Thanks Chef Mary. These are such great ideas and such a great recipe that people can really make their own. And I’ll add, I’ve made hummus with my kids several times and it’s just a great, easy, inexpensive recipe that you can get the kids involved.
And then you can also get ’em to eat some more veggies ’cause they can dip their veggies in the hummus. And then [00:38:00] it’s a win for, for mom and dad too.
CHEF MARY LONG: Definitely.
BETHANY DAUGHERTY: So Mary, we’d like to end the Practicing Connection Podcast with the guest, sharing a personal practice that helps with readiness and resilience.
So would you mind sharing a personal practice that helps you with your own readiness and resilience?
CHEF MARY LONG: Sure. One of the first practices that I established and was really as I began working here at the Vogel Resiliency Center with one of my coworkers, and she introduced me to this, and it’s been wonderful to now share with different classes in our program, including that mindfulness class that we do for meal prep is what we call a breath anchoring exercise for mindfulness.
So something as simple as a warm cup of tea in my hands. I sit with my hands wrapped around the mug, focused on a mindful experience. It is really being present, focused and in the [00:39:00] moment without judgment. And that’s sometimes difficult to not have judgment.
‘Cause you know, our minds will be wandering, but that’s where that cup of tea really is that anchor. Because as I focus on my breathing and I sip the tea, I can use that warm cup in my hands as the anchor to bring any strain thoughts that might come back. In my head, back to my breath, and that quiet moment I’m giving myself, and I found that having that anchor or object helps me refocus and stay present.
But it could be something as simple as washing your hands and focusing on the warm water, flowing over your hands as you rub together and wash them. Or even if you’re sitting in the parked car in your driveway. Taking intentional breaths before you head into your next event or maybe at the end of your day.
And so that’s been something that has been a very helpful and easy way for me to kind of stay [00:40:00] anchored and focused and in the moment when I’m trying to establish that type of a mindfulness moment that day.
BETHANY DAUGHERTY: Thank you for sharing that. That’s such a wise practice that will be helpful to many of the listeners.
Mary, thanks so much for joining us today. We really appreciate everything you’ve shared with us. I’ve really just enjoyed talking with you and getting to know you over the last few months. I. That’s it for this episode. Thanks for joining us. If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend.
We’d love to hear what you’ve been thinking about and what’s inspiring you. You can share that with us by clicking the Send us a text message at the top of the description of this episode. If you are listening on a computer, you can email us at practicing connection@oneop.org. We can’t wait to hear from you.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Thanks again to Chef Mary Long and Bethany Daugherty for joining us today. We’d also like to thank our co-producer, Coral Owen, our announcer Kaylyn Gobel, [00:41:00] Maggie Lucas, for their help with marketing and Nathan Grim who composed and performed all the music you hear on the podcast. We hope you’ll listen again soon.
Until then. Keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

Drug Trends and Impacts on Military Adults: Practical Suggestions for Mental Health Professionals
2025-03-12 11:00 - 12:30
This session creates a deeper conversation into the challenges faced by military service members and their families related to current drug trends. The cumulative effects of deployments on mental health and the potential relationship between substance use are discussed.
Conversation includes how stigma associated with drug use in military culture can influence experience, and how this affects treatment seeking. Focus is on military service members, their families, and the impact on their community. The webinar ends with a discussion on mobilizing best practices in supporting the military community.
Learning Objectives:

Identify the impact of current drug trends on military families and communities
Examine how military-related factors may influence substance use patterns (i.e., data on what we’re seeing in our military services on drug trends)
Discover strategies for clinically engaging military service members and their family members impacted by or experiencing Substance Use Disorder (SUD)
Describe at least one change communities can make to support people with SUDs

John Haenes holds a master’s of science in social work and is an internationally certified prevention specialist with 32 years of experience in the field of substance use disorders, juvenile delinquency, trauma, and child welfare. Mr. Haenes is a recognized expert in addiction and adolescent brain development and served as the Deputy Assistant Director for Specialized Programs at Tarrant County Juvenile Services. Mr. Haenes has been a trainer for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) the Texas Center for the Judiciary, the Texas Justice Court Training Center, the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission, the Department of Family and Protective Services, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and numerous local independent school districts and police departments.
Mr. Haenes currently serves as the Chief Operations Officer of Challenge of Tarrant County, a nonprofit agency whose mission is to confront substance abuse by identifying needs, educating the community, mobilizing resources, promoting collaborations, and advocating for sound public policy.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on March 13, 2027.
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on March 13, 2027.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on March 13, 2030.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close on March 13, 2027.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar Additional Resources

This is the second webinar with presenter John Haenes around drug trends. We recommend watching the first webinar, Drug Trends in Military Adults: Essential Insights for Mental Health Professionals. This webinar is a part of the Substance Use, Stigma, and Recovery: Trends in Military Contexts series. Photo Credit: Vitaly Gariev, Pexels

How A Neurodiversity Mindset Helps Children Thrive
2025-03-06 11:00 - 12:30
This webinar explores essential aspects of neurodivergent conditions (e.g., autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more) with an emphasis on these as natural variations in human cognition rather than deficits. The concept of neurodiversity is changing the way educators and other practitioners help children who learn differently. Participants will gain foundational knowledge on history and neuroscience behind neurodiversity alongside an understanding that autism is just one type of neurodivergent condition. Participants will learn how neurodivergence is defined, the conditions it encompasses, and its prevalence among approximately 15% to 20% of the global population. This session will provide the latest evidence and information to better support children who learn differently.
Learning Objectives:

Identify the history of neurodiversity
Recognize the neuroscience behind neurodiversity
Apply a neurodiversity mindset
Integrate neurodiversity affirming practices into everyday life

Dr. Celest Austin has dedicated her life to autism because of her autistic sister, Amanda. After earning a MD/PhD from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Dr. Austin knew she wanted to help more autistic children and founded GoManda, named after her sister Amanda. Inspired by the unique learning style of Amanda and other autistic individuals, GoManda is a company dedicated to celebrating the unique mind of autism. Dr. Austin is also a professor at University of Texas in Austin.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 3/6/2027.
Early Interventionists and Early Childhood Educators: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the Early Intervention Training Program (EITP) at the University of Illinois.
Illinois Early Care & Education Providers: This webinar is a Gateways to Opportunity Registry-approved Training for early care and education professionals in Illinois through 6/30/2026.
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 3/6/2030.
Michigan Certified Teachers: This webinar has been approved for 1.5 SCECH from the Michigan Education Association’s Center for Leadership and Learning.
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Note: Eligibility for CE credit will close 3/6/2027.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar slides and resources will be added the day prior to the live session.
Webinar Slides
Additional Resources Photo Credit: IStock – 1916612882 This series highlights the broad spectrum of neurodiversity, emphasizing a range of cognitive variations, such as ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism, and more. Discover the Uniquely Wired series today.

Achieve Your Goals with WOOP
2025-03-06
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjczNjUxNSUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTY3MzY1MTUtYWNoaWV2ZS15b3VyLWdvYWxzLXdpdGgtd29vcC5qcyUzRmNvbnRhaW5lcl9pZCUzRGJ1enpzcHJvdXQtcGxheWVyLTE2NzM2NTE1JTI2cGxheWVyJTNEc21hbGwlMjIlMjB0eXBlJTNEJTIydGV4dCUyRmphdmFzY3JpcHQlMjIlMjBjaGFyc2V0JTNEJTIydXRmLTglMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0U= (Season 6, Episode 10)
Do you ever struggle to stick to your goals? Discover the WOOP method, a powerful tool that uses obstacles as stepping stones to success.
Discover WOOP, a science-backed goal-setting practice that helps you overcome obstacles and achieve your goals.
Learn how to apply this simple yet powerful tool to transform your habits and improve your well-being.
We’d love to hear what’s inspiring you! Share your thoughts using the “Send us a text message” feature or email us at practicingconnection@oneop.org.
Links

https://woopmylife.org/
https://woopmylife.org/en/practice

JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hello. Thanks so much for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica, and I’m flying solo today for the first time ever! I will be rejoined by my co-hosts soon, but today it’s just me. And I’ll be sharing a practice for goal setting that I have used successfully in the past. It’s called WOOP.
That’s WOOP, and it stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan. This practice has been instrumental in helping me overcome obstacles and change habits. I come back to it whenever I need to rethink my thinking about an issue. Let me give you an example. I used to forget to pack my lunch. Almost every day, I would rush out the door without a lunch, and very likely without having eaten breakfast [00:01:00] as well, but that’s another issue for another practice on another day!
The problem was that this didn’t align with my financial goals. I wanted to save money, not spend it every day. And the other problem was that this didn’t align with my health goals either. I used it as an excuse to eat fast food or to eat poorly in general,right?
That food tastes good, right? I really needed to make a change though. So one day I was listening to a podcast episode that highlighted this practice. I remember thinking that the funny name would probably help me remember it, and when I mess up, I could just say, “Whoops,” and try again. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I chuckled to myself about that very unfunny thought.
I don’t recall who was being interviewed on the podcast, this was quite a while ago. But what I learned was that this tool was [00:02:00] backed by research, and that it really helped people with things like changing their behavior and realizing their goals, becoming more physically active, adopting a healthier lifestyle and diet. Taking better care of their own wellbeing.
Exhibiting more pro-social behavior, and improving their performance. It sounded really impressive, so I went to their website to learn more. The website is https://woopmylife.org/, and I’ll make sure to have a link for you in the show notes because they’ve got some really great resources: videos, and even an entire kit for you to use to implement this tool in your work and life.
So WOOP is based in the science of human motivation. It uses the very obstacles that get in our way as the catalyst for achieving our goals. It does that by helping us to imagine what those inner obstacles are. So these are the things that may be [00:03:00] the thoughts and the behaviors that we currently have, that we can change, that are internal to ourselves.
So these are not external obstacles. These are all internal obstacles. So it helps us imagine those, and then create a plan for when those obstacles are happening. What can we do to move through that or to get around it and achieve our goals anyway?
So let’s learn more by getting into the practice and sharing an example.
– break –
Again, WOOP stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle and Plan, and you can practice this in a few ways. I like to use WOOP in its shortest version. So on their website they have a kit and there’s a worksheet called “WOOP In One Glance” in that kit. That’s how I started [00:04:00] using this tool, mostly because I’ve primarily used this tool to forge new habits, versus making longer term goals.
But it can be used both ways and you can find out more at their website@woopmylife.org. So let’s get started. Start with your wish. In three to six words, choose your wish. Choose something that is challenging, but feasible. I’ve heard things like, “I want to run a marathon,” as being a wish. But my first time practicing whoop, I said, “I wanted to stop eating fast food for lunch.”
I thought that would be challenging, but also feasible. So now the next step is, in three to six words, again, identify what would be the best outcome of fulfilling your wish. My answer was that, “I would feel healthier and more energized,” right?
So the next step we’ll move on to is, what’s the obstacle? [00:05:00] Identify your main inner obstacle that holds you back from fulfilling your wish. So again, you’re trying to do this in three to six words, and in my case, it was forgetting to pack my lunch or forgetting to take my lunch with me before I left. That’s more than six words, but the word limit is really a guide to help keep you focused.
And then finally, in again, three to six words, note what action you can take to overcome your obstacle. So in this example, I thought it would be a better idea to drive past the fast food restaurants and instead pull into the grocery store parking lot to make up a salad or get some other healthier foods.
Then you’ll wanna put it all together like this: So, you’re gonna kind of create a little bit of an “If – then” statement. So “if”: state your obstacle, “then I will”: state your action or thought to overcome your [00:06:00] obstacle. So “if,” obstacle, “then I will,” action. Here’s what it sounds like with my example. “If I forget my lunch, then I will go to the grocery store.”
That’s it. I am telling you, this practice has been such a helpful tool in my toolbox to help me change behaviors and improve my resilience and relationship with myself.
That’s it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining us, or for joining me today! If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend.
Do you have a favorite practice you’d like to share with us? Click, “Send us a text message” at the top of the description of this episode. When you click the link, your text messaging app will open and you’ll see a seven digit number with the words “do not remove.” Type your message after that and click send.
We’ll share your feedback on a future episode. If you’re listening on a computer, you can email us at practicing connection@oneop.org instead. We’ll be back next [00:07:00] week with a brand new episode. Until then, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

How to be Present for Others in their Grief (replay)
2025-02-27
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjY5ODk3NCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTY2OTg5NzQtaG93LXRvLWJlLXByZXNlbnQtZm9yLW90aGVycy1pbi10aGVpci1ncmllZi5qcyUzRmNvbnRhaW5lcl9pZCUzRGJ1enpzcHJvdXQtcGxheWVyLTE2Njk4OTc0JTI2cGxheWVyJTNEc21hbGwlMjIlMjB0eXBlJTNEJTIydGV4dCUyRmphdmFzY3JpcHQlMjIlMjBjaGFyc2V0JTNEJTIydXRmLTglMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0U= (Season 6, Episode 9)
This episode was the second in a series of three practicasts from 2024 centered around “holding space,” a concept we learned from Heather Plett, author of “The Art of Holding Space.”
Our co-creator for this series was our OneOp colleague, Kristen Jowers.
In this episode, Kristen shares two practices to help us prepare to hold space for someone experiencing grief.
Some of the practices we recommend on this show are more quick and simple, and some take a bit more time, intention, focus and determination.
“Holding Space” falls into the latter category. You can start working on it immediately, but it will take building the habit and muscle memory to really start seeing the impacts.
Which is why we decided to republish this episode from a year ago, to check in with you on how you are doing with this practice, and give us all a chance to revisit it.
We’ll be back again next week with a brand new episode and fresh practice. Until then, keep practicing!
We’d love to hear what’s inspiring you! Share your thoughts using the “Send us a text message” feature or email us at practicingconnection@oneop.org. JESSICA BECKENDORF: [00:00:00] Hi everyone. This is Jessica. This episode was the second in a series of three Practic casts centered around “Holding Space,” a concept we learned from Heather Plett, author of The Art of Holding Space. Our co-creator for this series was our OneOp colleague, Kristen Jowers. In this episode, Kristen shares two practices to help us prepare and hold space for someone experiencing grief.
Some of the practices we recommend on this show are more quick and simple, and some take a bit more time, intention, focus, and determination. Holding space falls into the latter category. You can start working on it immediately, but it will take building the habit and muscle memory to really start seeing the impacts. Which is why we decided to republish this episode from a year ago, to check in with you on how you’re doing with the practice and give us all a chance to [00:01:00] revisit it.
We’ll be back again next week with a brand new episode and fresh practice. Until then, keep practicing.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: All of us experience grief and loss. Having someone hold space for us during a difficult time can be just the balm we need. Being able to hold space for someone else is a skill we can all develop. Hi everyone, this is Jessica Beckendorf and welcome to this week’s Practicing Connection PractiCast, where we highlight a specific practice you can use in your life and work. In this month’s practicast, we’ve been talking about different ways to hold space for others. “Holding Space” refers to the act of being fully present with someone else without judgment or distraction so that the person can share their experiences and perspective.
We have a special guest today, Kristen Jowers. Kristen joined the OneOp team in 2023 as a program coordinator, with more than eight years working in higher [00:02:00] education. Kristen uses her background in psychology, child development and marriage and family therapy to enhance her work at the University of Kentucky.
Part of her personal development goals this year include getting out of her comfort zone and leaning into new experiences, like doing this PractiCast! Kristen enjoys reading, resting, and can be found taking pictures of her dog Copper, the Bassett hound, who is, I can confirm, incredibly adorable. Kristen will be guiding us through the practice in a few minutes, but first let’s learn more about it.
Hi Kristen.
KRISTEN JOWERS: Hey Jessica, thanks for having me on. I am a long time listener and first time contributor, so thanks for having me on to talk about holding space for grief. Before we jump in, I did want to provide a quick content note, as this episode discusses death, grief, and loss. We encourage listeners [00:03:00] to pause or take breaks as needed to take care of yourself.
A transcript and other resources are available on our website at oneop.org/podcast.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: All right. Thank you so much for sharing that. Kristen, let’s start with talking about what grief is. Can you share a little bit about that?
KRISTEN JOWERS: Oftentimes, grief is thought of as the loss of a loved one. Today, I want to expand that and include grief in the context of major changes like separation and divorce, natural disasters, school or job changes and illness.
Grief is one of those human experiences that comes with living and loving. All of us have experienced or will experience grief at some point in our lives. And some of us may be living with grief right now. You may have heard of the Five Stages of Grief by Elizabeth Kubler Ross. The stages are denial, [00:04:00] anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
They’re often thought of as stages, but they don’t define a linear process or timeline. The stages of grief are not consecutive, so you might feel some, all, or none of these emotions. There really isn’t a timeline for grief, and you can intersect with someone at different points in their grieving process.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Wow. I actually didn’t realize that, and maybe if I thought back to the times when I was experiencing grief, I may have realized this, but I didn’t realize that you may feel all, some or none of those emotions. So I found that to be really, really interesting. And so given that that’s the case, how can we hold space for people who are experiencing grief?
KRISTEN JOWERS: Yes, Jessica. There’s a lot of different complexities that surround grief and loss, and so the response is [00:05:00] nuanced. Heather Platt describes in her book The Art of Holding Space, a collapsible container, or silicone bowl, kind of like one of those bowls that you’ll take camping or that I take to the dog park with copper.
The bowl can be shallow, medium, or deep to fit the size space and need. So for example, we hold shallow space when someone shares about how tired they are from having a new baby. We hold medium space for when someone shares about how their community has been affected by a natural disaster, and we hold deep space when someone has lost a loved one.
Being the bowl is how you serve when you hold space for others. The container provides protection, support, and safety. We help them to see that they’re not alone. In Plett’s words, “We give them space for the waiting that they must do before their new story emerges.”
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Oh yeah. Because [00:06:00] with a lot of grief and loss comes change, right?
So what keeps us from holding space for grief?
KRISTEN JOWERS: I think there are a lot of reasons. This is hard, Jessica. There’s sort of this delicate balance we all manage as we provide care for each other, while taking care of ourselves. Heather Plett talks about emotional labor taking more energy than physical labor sometimes, and she talks about telling people when we’re at capacity as a way to communicate when our bowl is full.
Another consideration is our own experiences of grief, and how that might impact how much space we have in our bowl. And even when there is space, our own fears and discomfort can get in the way. I think sometimes we’re worried about saying or doing the wrong thing, or feeling like when everything is going wrong for someone else, it’s uncomfortable for us. And [00:07:00] our instinct is to wanna fix it for them.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Yeah, it’s definitely, I mean, especially someone we love too, right? We wanna fix, we wanna make them feel better.
– break –
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Well, let’s get started. I know you brought a practice or two with you today. Please walk us through them.
KRISTEN JOWERS: I’m gonna talk about two practices today. The first is, “Keep your ego out of it.” With grief, there can sometimes be this feeling that other people don’t understand what you’re going through, and I think it’s really natural to say, “I’ve been there, I know what you’re going through.”
And even if you have been there, no two people experience things exactly the same way. So you don’t wanna claim to know what the other person is feeling, or compare your grief to theirs. Lean into [00:08:00] your curiosity about their experience. Ask if they’d like to talk about it. Sometimes what you say is less important than just being with the person.
In the art of holding space. Heather Plett says that, “One of the hardest things about holding space is that it can feel like you’re doing nothing.” It’s going to sound crazy to say this, but there is an art to doing nothing, when there is nothing to be done. Sometimes just being is enough. Don’t be afraid of spending time together in silence.
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Hmm. That can be tough for a lot of people.
KRISTEN JOWERS: Yes. And for the next practice, I want to introduce the acronym SPACE, created by Gina Ballard, and inspired by the work of Harrison Owen, author of Open Space Technology and the Power of Spirit. SPACE is [00:09:00] something you can remind yourself of as you’re being the container, and holding space for someone’s grief.
Space stands for Safety Presence Acceptance Challenge Emptiness. S – Safety. Enhance safety through curiosity and non-judgment. Non-judgment of yourself and the one you’re holding space for. P – Presence. Use breathwork to become increasingly aware of the present moment. A – Acceptance. Acceptance looks like being with the person. Sit with what is.
C – Challenge. Remember, you’re not there to fix the problem. The challenge, or [00:10:00] opportunity rather, is to be with the person.
E – Emptiness. Allow emptiness and silence without filling the space. Grief can evoke a lot of emotions: anger, sadness, powerlessness, hopelessness, feeling that life is happening to us. As space holders, we’re saying, “We’re here. We’re here to listen, to support, to liberate, to empower. We’re here, and you’re safe with us.”
JESSICA BECKENDORF: Wow. That was beautiful. I feel like we should just end the episode on, “We are here and you’re safe with us.” So thank you so, so much, Kristen. I absolutely loved hearing your practices and your perspective today. Thanks for having me on Jessica. [00:11:00]
That is it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining us. We hope you’ll give this practice a try and share your experience in the Practicing Connection LinkedIn group, where people supporting military families practice the skills that empower us to work together so that we can positively impact our communities and help families thrive.
And certainly the SPACE practice and keeping our egos out of it are both something that will empower us to work together.
You’ll find the link to the group on our website at one op.org/practicing connection. We’ll be back next week with a practice for holding space for new opportunities. Until then, keep practicing.
CREDITS: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

The Role of the Charitable Food System in Addressing Nutrition and Food Security
2025-02-26 11:00 - 12:00
Military families are among millions of households in the U.S. rely on the charitable food system to fill gaps in their food needs. Recent efforts have sought to redesign food pantries to create a less stigmatizing experience for clients where they can access healthy food. Attend this webinar to learn about innovative organizational practices that are aimed at meeting the various health and social needs of those relying on food pantries.
Learning Objectives

Describe how the charitable food system can fill gaps in food needs for households facing food insecurity.
Illustrate examples of resources, approaches, and collaborative partnerships aimed at changing organizational practices in the charitable food system.
Consider the various health and social needs of people who rely on the charitable food system.

Dr. Caspi is an Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut (UConn) Department of Allied Health Sciences. At UConn, she also serves as the Director of Food Insecurity Initiatives at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health, and as the Associate Director of the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy. Her research evaluates policies and interventions related to food insecurity, diet quality, and weight outcomes. In her work, she has partnered extensively with charitable food system partners, including food banks and food pantries. She has also led several qualitative and quantitative studies aimed at understanding how social and economic policies affect food insecurity and other health outcomes among households with lower incomes.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/26/27
Certified Nutrition and Wellness Educator (CNWE): This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/26/27
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RD/RDN) and Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTR): This webinar awards 1.0 CPEU in accordance with the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s Prior Approval Program. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/26/28
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education credit from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/26/27
Accredited Financial Counselors (AFC): This webinar has been approved for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit by the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/26/28
Certified Personal Finance Counselors (CPFC): This webinar has been approved l for 1.0 continuing education (CE) credit from The Center for Financial Certifications (FinCert.org). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/26/28
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar resources
Webinar Slides Photo Credit: DelmaineDonson/iStock.com This series will cover programs that address nutrition and food security as it affects service members and their families. Discover the Nutrition and Food Security series today.

Ethics of Care in Case Management: Communication, Boundaries, & Best Practices for Providers
2025-02-20 11:00 - 12:30
The ethics of care emphasizes compassion, empathy, and respect in client interactions, crucial for building trust and clear communication. Providers must often engage not only with clients but also with caregivers and supports, especially in long-term care for individuals with disabilities. Balancing empathetic care with professional boundaries is essential, yet can be difficult, leading to potential ethical dilemmas, stress, and burnout.
Participants will learn communication techniques to enhance interactions with clients with disabilities and their caregivers and supports, strategies for boundary-setting, and ethical frameworks for decision-making. This webinar will support confidentiality, cultural sensitivity, and resilience, helping professionals manage relationships effectively while reducing burnout and fostering self-care.
Learning Objectives:

Apply at least two specific communication techniques to improve interactions with individuals with disabilities and their caregivers.
Identify and articulate two strategies for maintaining appropriate boundaries.
Describe and apply an ethical decision-making framework to reduce ethical dilemmas.

Chief Industry Relations Officer
Commission for Case Manager Certification
Dr. Vivian Campagna is the Chief Industry Relations Officer (CIRO) for The Commission for Case Manager Certification, focusing on certification-related partnerships, industry insight, and strategic alliances in case management. With over 30 years in the field across various settings like acute care and workers’ compensation, Dr. Campagna is a board-certified case manager and a prolific author, speaker, and educator in case management. Her research emphasizes effective preparation and continuing education for case managers, and she has developed workshops, written on industry trends, and advocated for client-centered workforce development.
Director of Education & Industry Relations
Commission for Case Manager Certification
Ms. Lee-Riley, a licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Case Manager, holds a BA from Mount Holyoke College and an MS in Social Work from Columbia University. She began her career in the AIDS Program at St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital and later developed Emblem Health’s first end-of-life care program, “Dignified Decision.” Transitioning to acute care, she directed social work for major New York health systems, leading initiatives like a hospice care program and the Enhanced Interdisciplinary Care Team for complex patient transitions, recognized at the 2018 Vizient Summit. In 2020, she received the NASW Emerald Leadership Award. Known for mentoring young professionals, Lorna now serves as the Director of Industry Relations and Education.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/20/27
Certified Personal and Family Finance Educator (CPFFE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/20/27
Accredited Financial Counselors (AFC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits by the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/20/28
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/20/27
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/20/26
Certified Personal Finance Counselors (CPFC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from The Center for Financial Certifications (FinCert.org). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/20/28
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/20/30
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education credit from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/20/27
Human Resource Professionals: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credit from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 7/31/26
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/20/27

New York State Social Work: (FOR LIVE PROGRAM ATTENDANCE ONLY): Commission for Case Manager Certification is recognized
the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0430. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/20/27
Certified Disability Management Specialists (CDMS): This program is approved by The Commission for Case Manager Certification to provide continuing education credit to CDMS® board-certified disability management specialists. The course is approved for 1.5 CE contact hour(s). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/20/26
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): The Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC) is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 2/20/26
Certificates of Attendance: OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Presentation Slides (PDF)

Whether you are a new or seasoned service provider, the Powerful Provider collection will enhance your awareness and knowledge of programs and services designed to promote military family well-being. Photo Credit: iStockphoto 1277133170, Dilok Klaisataporn

Reframing Mistakes as Learning Opportunities
2025-02-13
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjU5Nzc3MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTY1OTc3NzMtcmVmcmFtaW5nLW1pc3Rha2VzLWFzLWxlYXJuaW5nLW9wcG9ydHVuaXRpZXMuanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjU5Nzc3MyUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF In this episode of *Practicing Connection*, Coral Owen provides co-host Jessica Beckendorf and listeners with a practical guide to reframing your mindset when you make a mistake. Drawing inspiration from her two-year-old toddler’s ability to move past errors effortlessly, Coral contrasts this with the adult tendency to analyze mistakes deeply.
Coral introduces a simple, two-step approach that fosters grace and understanding, helping to turn mistakes into opportunities for personal growth. This method encourages building a healthy habit of self-compassion and learning over time. Don’t forget to share what’s inspiring you by using the “Send us a text message” feature or emailing practicingconnection@oneop.org. Jessica Beckendorf: [00:00:00] Hi, thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Jessica. My co host Coral is here as well. Today we’ll be talking about reframing mistakes as learning opportunities, and Coral’s going to be sharing a practice with us. Hi, Coral. What’s inspiring you lately? Let’s just rip the bandaid off and get right to the question I really want to ask you!
Coral Owen: Hey, Jessica. I’ve been inspired this week by watching my two year old Kai learning to bake. Biscuits are a very common request. I’ve also been digging into some sourdough here lately, but it’s been really fun cooking with him, of course. But also just seeing him practice a beginner’s mindset at its finest.
And this is actually something that is very heavily related to the practice we’ll be talking about today, but I love seeing how kind he is to himself. Toddlers can be, you know, a little uncoordinated, so he tends to spill things from time to time, but it’s really sweet whenever that happens. He’ll, he just, you know, he doesn’t make a big fuss about it. He just says to himself, “That’s okay. Accidents happen. We can try again!” And I just, I just love that.
Jessica Beckendorf: He says that?
Coral Owen: Yeah.
Jessica Beckendorf: Oh my gosh. Did you teach him that?
Coral Owen: I think we model that at home, you know, cause we say that to him, but he says that to it, like narrates it to himself and it’s just, it’s really sweet. But I just think we could all use a dose of that every now and again.
Jessica Beckendorf: Yeah, that’s beautiful. I mean, and like you said, what a perfect example for the topics we’ve been talking about lately. So we’d love to also hear what’s inspiring you. So please share what’s inspiring you by clicking the “Send us a text message” at the top of the description of this episode. When you click the link, your text messaging app will open and you’ll see a seven digit number and the words “Do not remove.”
Type your message after that and click send. Don’t remove that number or we won’t see your message! To protect your privacy, we won’t see your phone number and we can’t [00:02:00] text you back, but we’ll share your feedback on a future episode. If you’re listening on a computer, you can also email us at practicingconnection@1up.org
So let us know what’s inspiring you right now.
– break –
Jessica Beckendorf: Let’s learn more about reframing mistakes as learning opportunities. Coral, can you tell us a little more about the practice you’ll be sharing and why you chose it?
Coral Owen: Sure thing. So obviously based on today’s intro, you know that beginner’s mindset has been on my mind a lot lately. I was also talking with someone about cultivating a beginner’s mindset a little bit last week, and I just, I love the idea of a beginner’s mindset.
I love the practice, and it’s really just a beautiful thing to be a beginner at something, and regardless of our age or proficiency in another area, you know, we expect to make mistakes when we’re a beginner. And so, in other words, we’re “failing.” I do think that failure tends to be a little bit of a loaded word, right?
But in the context of being a beginner, making mistakes and learning from them along the way is normalized and it’s celebrated. And so, if we could carry this practice of making mistakes and treating them as learning opportunities into everyday life, in context where we’re maybe not beginners, It could be really, really powerful.
And so a key part of having or practicing a growth mindset, which I kind of feel like in some, you know, circumstances is like having a broad application, an all context application, of the innerst mindset in certain ways. It’s simply adopting this habit of expecting to make mistakes as part of a human being doing life.
And it’s simply impossible to live and not make a mistake every now and again, whether it’s professional, personal relationships, parenting, hobbies, you name it, it’s going to happen. And so today’s practice is on how we can do this to level up and level onward in our day to day.
Jessica Beckendorf: Oh, I love [00:04:00] that. You said, “It’s impossible to not make a mistake every now and again,” and I would maybe say every day and again (laughs). So let’s get to it, Coral. Could you walk us through this practice?
Coral Owen: Absolutely. So before we dig in too deeply, I would like to invite anyone who’s going to join us for the practice today to grab a bit of grace and self compassion and just wrap yourself in it like a blanket.
It does take courage and it can be uncomfortable to do a post-mortem on scenarios when we’re not at our best. So let’s like kind of lay that as the foundation for today’s practice, right? So to begin, think of a scenario where you made a mistake. It can be any space of life, even if it’s a mistake that didn’t impact anyone but you.
Next thing we’re going to do, we’re going to drop it into one of two buckets. First one is just a simple mistake. The second one is something like a personal limitation, things like that. So to just unpack those a little bit: a simple mistake is something that we’re pretty practiced at, and we would probably typically get that right.
For these, we just need to wrap that blanket of self compassion a little bit tighter and acknowledge that we’re human. And like you said, every now and again, every day and again, mistakes just happen. And so we just need to acknowledge that fact, drop any weight we’re still carrying from that mistake and just keep moving forward.
Bucket number two is where we’re going to dig in a little bit deeper. And this bucket is our collection of growth opportunities. And so if the mistake that you’re reflecting on is in bucket number two, what I’m going to invite you to do is ask you two reflective questions. One: “Was this within my control in this scenario?”
And if so, number two, “Where could I shift my approach so that if this happens again, it will yield a more positive result?” So it’s really that simple. We just take these takeaways forward with us. And this isn’t something that, you know, will make [00:06:00] mistakes, big or small, necessarily feel comfortable or familiar overnight.
But it’s one of those things that when practiced over time, each time we experience these friction points, and leverage this practice, we begin to find the value in them as learning opportunities. And I think also too, just thinking of how stagnant we would be without these areas of opportunity for growth, there’d be no feedback on how we could grow just to be more expansive, more amazing, more wonderful. Just as an individual, but also to the other people in our lives.
That’s it.
Jessica Beckendorf: That’s beautiful. And it reminds me of how seeing a mistake like this or mistakes like this as an opportunity for growth, there’s even sort of a little bit of a reset, like a, “Okay, now, like, what do I need to do next so that I can continue in my growth?” So I think there’s even maybe a slight potential celebration point that you can move on.
And it reminds me of how, I was reading about this recently, where when improvisers make a mistake, they do this huge circus bow a lot of times. And there’s a muscle memory in doing, having that little moment of celebration. And so, yeah, I think this sort of pivot point of like, “Okay, what’s next?” Is a really great way to kind of move through that and move on.
Coral Owen: I love that so much. And I do think, you know, this is something that I have practiced personally for quite some time. And I’m not saying that to, to pat myself on the shoulder, but, you know, over time, there is sort of a welcoming that I experienced when I go, “Oh, I kind of screwed that up!” And sort of celebrating or welcoming in that opportunity for creativity of, “Well, how can I do that better?”
And bringing that problem solving approach to it. It adds an element of fun or celebration or just, it’s a much more positive experience than the, “Oh, shucks. Here we go again.”
Jessica Beckendorf: Yes! Yes.
Coral Owen: Yeah, but you totally nailed it. [00:08:00] I love that.
Jessica Beckendorf: Well, that’s it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining us. If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend.
We’ll be back next week with a practice for leveraging forgiveness as a strength. Until then, keep practicing.
Credits: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

Move On From Mistakes with the 10-10-10 Rule
2025-02-06
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjU3MjYxMCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTY1NzI2MTAtbW92ZS1vbi1mcm9tLW1pc3Rha2VzLXdpdGgtdGhlLTEwLTEwLTEwLXJ1bGUuanMlM0Zjb250YWluZXJfaWQlM0RidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjU3MjYxMCUyNnBsYXllciUzRHNtYWxsJTIyJTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF Feeling overwhelmed by a recent mistake? Join us as we explore a powerful practice that can help you break free from panic and gain instant clarity.
In this episode, hosts Coral and Jessica explore the 10-10-10 Rule, a simple yet powerful technique for gaining perspective on mistakes and decision-making. Jessica explains how this tool can be used to reflect on and move through errors without spiraling into panic. Tune in to learn how asking three simple questions can help you and your team navigate challenges with a clearer mindset. Don’t forget to share what’s inspiring you by using the “Send us a text message” feature or emailing practicingconnection@oneop.org. Coral Owen: Hey there, thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Coral. My co-host Jessica is here as well. Today we’ll be talking about the 10-10-10 rule, and Jessica will be sharing a practice with us. Hey Jessica, how are you?
Jessica Beckendorf: Hey Coral, I’m doing pretty great, surprisingly, because I’ve been keeping pretty busy, probably too busy!
Somehow it seems like all meetings and all deadlines and all, like, messages from people, whether it was text or email or different requests coming from all over the place, they all seem to converge on the last two weeks. And I’ve noticed this happening from time to time at different times of the year, and some of the times of year, I think, are sort of starting to become predictable.
So maybe I can use that as a planning tool. Maybe we’ll talk about that in a future, in a future episode. But I think what’s been really on my mind lately about this is that there isn’t ever enough time to catch up, to like go all the way back to before these two weeks began, and to try to catch up on all the things. Even though I have like really good intentions to, or I even have tried. I’ve put forth some of my best effort to try to get caught up.
And I really had to accept that, and just keep doing my best. And as you know, you know, try not to apologize all the time for everything, because I think there’s a lot of people who are also in this predicament, and I don’t expect apologies from them. So, where one is necessary, I will do it. But otherwise, I’m just, I’m just doing my best, and I’m going to accept that in myself.
So that was really put to the test in the past couple of weeks. But the good news is that I’ve also been able to be active socially. So I haven’t like totally cocooned myself in, in a, in a little bubble. And I think I’ve shared with you that, you know, that’s kind of a goal of mine this year is to like notice that I actually am enjoying some social interactions and maybe savor those a little more.
So it’s been, it’s been a good month!
Coral Owen: I’m sure a lot of folks can relate to that experience, Jessica. And I also think it’s really important just to recognize, and I’m kind of coaching myself here as I reflect on this, you know, that we’re oftentimes our own biggest critics. And so, you know, working with you, I’ve not noticed anything.
So, you know, it’s just, I think it’s important to remember that our self perspective is oftentimes not how it’s viewed externally. So, but yeah, good on you for, for kind of striking that, that self grace balance. So, you know, something I’ve been embracing the last couple of weeks personally is this idea of “snacks.”
You know me well, I love actual snacks, but these are more the figurative snacks, if you will. And so, you know, something that I’ve been looking and seeking throughout my days are these small pockets of time where, you know, if we leverage those, and I’m not talking about, you know, optimizing every single minute of your day, because we need time to decompress and whatnot, but kind of these time leaks that I tend to have a tendency to, you know, maybe scroll a little bit in between meetings or whatever.
But, you know, instead of pulling out my phone or anything like that, you know, just going outside for a short walk down the block and back, you know, working remotely, being able to do something like that, taking the dog into the backyard for a few minutes and just enjoying the sunshine, a short stretch.
It’s just really been a great habit to cultivate for myself. And I’m finding that I’m resetting a little bit better, having a little bit more mental freshness, as I roll into whatever task or meeting or conversation I’m, you know, tackling next. It just feels good.
Jessica Beckendorf: I really love this idea of “time snacks.” I’m going to call them time snacks from now on. And I do them, but I think it would be helpful for me to just start setting some like alarms for like, “Hey, try to do a time snack right now, if you can, or maybe in a few minutes,” if you need to. Because during the two weeks I was just talking about that were just bonkers, my schedule was terrible.
I mean, on a Friday, I had 15 minutes of like, time to myself. This isn’t a complaint or anything. It’s just like the way things shook out. There were some deadlines, there were just some things that needed to happen. But that on a Friday, having only 15 minutes to yourself should not happen. So I think I probably could have found some little moments, some of these snacks to include.
Coral Owen: Yeah, Yeah.
Jessica Beckendorf: So in a note, for those of you who don’t live in a sunshiny state, that you can also do time snacks inside if you want to. Like, I’ve gone for a walk around my house, which sounds super boring, but when you have a really cute dog, who’s like, “Mom, what are you doing? What are you doing? Let me follow you!” It’s actually kind of fun too.
Coral Owen: That’s awesome. So we’d love to hear what’s inspiring you all, our listeners, so please share what’s inspiring you by clicking the send us a text message at the top of this description of this episode. When you click the link, your text messaging app will open and you’ll see a seven digit number and the words “do not remove.”
Type your message after that and click send. Don’t remove that number or we won’t receive your message!. To protect your privacy, we won’t see your phone number and we can’t text you back, but we’ll share your feedback on a future episode.
If you’re listening on a computer, you can also email us at practicingconnection@oneop.org.
So let us know it’s inspiring you right now.
– break –
Coral Owen: Let’s learn more about the 10 10 10 rule.
Jessica, can you give us a little bit more about the practice you’ll be sharing today and why you chose it?
Jessica Beckendorf: Absolutely. This is actually a recent find for me. So it’s called the 10-10-10 rule, and it can be used for a lot of different purposes. I’ve chosen to focus for the purpose of this Practicast on using it to move through and reflect on a mistake.
We often talk about having a growth mindset on this podcast and so this would be one really great practice to help you develop that growth mindset. So I first read about it in a book. I have read more that it’s been around for longer than this book, this book just came out last year, but I first read about it in a book I’m reading called Feel Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal.
I’ve been following Ali for a while because I appreciate his calm approach to pretty much anything. He was a doctor before deciding to step away from that, so maybe his training had something to do with that. And I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical about the book, even though I enjoy Ali’s work, because the name seems to support toxic productivity, or at least that was what I thought.
“Toxic productivity” is essentially like where we push ourselves and keep telling ourselves that we can do more, to the point where we begin to damage our physical and mental health. The title of the book made me worry that it was just a little bit of a reframing of hustle culture, but I was wrong. It turns out that the vibe is way different than that, and it’s full of really great little easy to implement nuggets like the 10-10-10 rule.
You may have noticed that I haven’t told you exactly what the rule is, and that’s because it is so simple. And we’re about to give you exactly what the practice is. It is so simple that I would just give it all away right now, but I wanted to mention before we get into the practice that it’s because of its simplicity that I’ve found it easy to implement right away.
Like I’ve had no problems implementing this because it’s easy to remember to do.
Coral Owen: That sounds great. So can you walk us through the steps?
Jessica Beckendorf: Yes, I will actually tell you what the practice is right now! So like I said, I think this might be one of the simplest practice that I’ve ever shared. Here’s what you do. When you or your team has made a mistake, or you could even right now think about a mistake that you made recently or in the last year or so.
Ask yourself the following three questions to help you reflect and move forward. First question, will this matter in 10 minutes? Second, will this matter in 10 days? And the third question is, will this matter in 10 years?
What do you do when the answer is yes to one of those? In the moment, you might be like, “Yes, this is going to matter in 10 minutes. Like, I’m still going to feel really embarrassed.” That’s really going to depend on the situation. And it’s a moment for you to think strategically about what to do next instead of panicking, right? So asking yourself these questions in the moment will provide some perspective and give you a moment to stop spiraling, or to stop your brain from spiraling.
But many times, and I would say quite often, the answer is going to be no. If you’re really thinking about this and you’re, you’re taking a moment to pause, it’s going to be no to all three of those questions. All the time, maybe not. It might be that it’s going to matter in 10 years. I mean, depending on that situation, you will need to then take that moment, “Okay. This is going to matter in 10 years. Who does it affect? Who do I need to talk to right now so that we can start pivoting and adjusting,” right?
But so many times that answer is going to be no to all three of those questions. At least that’s what I’ve noticed so far. And maybe I’m just extra hard on myself, I don’t know. But I’ve noticed that the answer is often no, and it has been a really cool practice.
Coral Owen: I love this. It sounds to me like such a great way to help us let go of things that may seem weighty at first, but really just to let go and then to hold onto the things that truly are going to impact, you know, the future, and then figuring out how do we handle those chunky problems, but letting go of the things that maybe are a little less critical.
I love that.
Jessica Beckendorf: I love that. And I can tell you about one other way I’ve used this is, I tend to be a little hard on myself when I have interactions with people. And sometimes after I’ll be like, “Why did you say that? That was so stupid.” And I have actually used this activity to help me kind of think through that.
And it’s been just a really valuable practice.
Coral Owen: That’s awesome. I would love to hear what other people find use and utility for this practice and how they’re implementing it.
So that’s it for this episode. Thanks for joining us. If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend.
We’ll be back next week with a practice for reframing failures as learning opportunities. Until then, keep practicing.
Credits: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, U. S. Department of Defense, under award number 2023-48770-41333.

Boost Your Productivity with Co-working
2025-01-30
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjUzMjg2MCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTY1MzI4NjAtYm9vc3QteW91ci1wcm9kdWN0aXZpdHktd2l0aC1jby13b3JraW5nLmpzJTNGY29udGFpbmVyX2lkJTNEYnV6enNwcm91dC1wbGF5ZXItMTY1MzI4NjAlMjZwbGF5ZXIlM0RzbWFsbCUyMiUyMHR5cGUlM0QlMjJ0ZXh0JTJGamF2YXNjcmlwdCUyMiUyMGNoYXJzZXQlM0QlMjJ1dGYtOCUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRnNjcmlwdCUzRQ== Boost your productivity and stay connected with others through the power of co-working! In this episode of Practicing Connection, learn how structured co-working sessions can enhance focus, provide accountability, and create a sense of community—whether in person or virtually. Jessica shares a simple, step-by-step approach to implementing this practice, including the use of timed work intervals and background ambiance to boost motivation. [music]
Coral: Hey there. Thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection Podcast. I’m Coral. My co-host, Jessica, is here as well. Today, we’ll be talking about boosting your productivity with coworking, and Jessica will be sharing a practice with us. Hi, Jessica. How are you?
Jessica: Great. Thank you. It’s finally warmed up here a little bit. As we’re recording, we just came out of a cold snap where I live. I’m very happy to be able to go outside for a little bit today. I do a lot of things at the beginning of the year related to closing out the year before and thinking ahead to this year.
One of the things that I did recently that has really, I don’t know, boosted my feelings of warmth, maybe if I can think of– if I can’t think of any other way to describe it is I created what I’m calling my social calendar. At the end of 2024, I felt like I hadn’t done enough socially with some of my friends, and I certainly hadn’t seen certain friends as much as I would have liked.
After taking a look at my calendar for 2024, I realized that I actually had engaged more socially than I thought I had. It’s just that I think maybe certain friends I maybe didn’t see as much as I normally would. I actually decided to create a calendar to track and appreciate or cultivate some gratitude for these interactions because I didn’t notice them during 2024, which means I wasn’t being mindful about them. I did appreciate every single chance I had.
I also want to know if I’m not seeing certain friends as much as I would like, well, let’s change that. I created this little calendar that I’m still working out the details on, but I’m trying to have at least a once weekly social interaction of some sort if I can. My goal is to try to make at least one of those be an evening out if I feel like doing that, because I don’t know, I’m getting older and I enjoy being home at night. It’s been fun.
Coral: That’s awesome. That’s such a great reflection. I feel like this ties into and is maybe just a delving into that one area that, but tacking off the Wheel of Life conversation we had a couple of weeks ago. This sounds like it felt like an area that you wanted to further nurture in 2025. That’s sounds like such a great way to stay intentional and really hold space for those beautiful people in your life. I love that.
Jessica: Yes, thank you. How have you been lately?
Coral: I’ve been really great. I’m feeling energized with the new year. Just this week in particular, I’m feeling a spark for embracing change in the unknown. I was talking with a really dear friend here locally, well, she’s local for now, the other day, and she was telling me that she is going to be moving from Tampa Bay, where she’s lived for over 20 years, to Tulsa, Oklahoma. For anybody that’s from Florida, it’s like, that’s way over there in the middle of the US.
Jessica: That’s a big distance.
Coral: It’s huge. It’s like a huge shift from moving from the Gulf Coast to Florida. It is out of her typical flow, an unexpected thing from this person. She’s totally leading into it. I’m really proud of her with this awesome possibilities mindset. What new hobbies can she cultivate? She’s talking about the different experiences she’ll have, different ways and opportunities of working professionally while also really holding on and caring for the things that she loves about her current life and her current lifestyle.
I was just thinking about how exciting this is for her, but how much I loved just that practice of holding onto the things. I think crossing the threshold into a new year, we can do this in any space that we’re currently in. I was just thinking about how I can do this in my own life of perhaps cultivating new experiences I’ve been thinking about tackling without necessarily like taking a big geographic jump. That’s the spark I’ve been reflecting on lately.
Jessica: I love that. One of my favorite things to do is try new things. I really love that idea. I think that’s a really great practice. Maybe that’s a future practicast doing that reflection and setting some time to actually try the things that you’ve got on your list. I love that. We’d love to hear what’s been inspiring you.
Please share what’s inspiring you by clicking the send us a text message at the top of the description of this episode. When you click the link, your text messaging app will open and you’ll see a seven digit number and the words do not remove. Type your message after that and click send. Don’t remove that number or we won’t receive your message. To protect your privacy, we won’t see your phone number and we can’t text you back, but we’ll share your feedback on a future episode. If you’re listening on a computer, you can email us at practicingconnection@oneop.org. Let us know what’s inspiring you now.
[music]
Coral: Speaking of trying new things, this week’s practice from my wonderful cohost, Jessica, this was a new practice for me. Jessica is going to be walking us through the practice of boosting your productivity with coworking. Jess, can you tell us a little bit more about the practice you’ll be sharing and also why you chose it?
Jessica: Yes, absolutely. This has become one of my favorite practices. It’s also social. Since I’m so inspired by social things lately, that might be one of the reasons, but I call this practice coworking, and I started organizing these sessions during the pandemic as a way to have some more human interaction while remaining productive. They also ended up serving as a way to be together in community during this massive global event that was occurring all around us.
It’s one of the techniques that stuck with me after we started emerging from our home offices, or in my case, I started emerging from my dining room. I might call it coworking, but I’ve found out over the past couple of years that what I started practicing over the pandemic with my colleagues is actually similar to a technique that has been beneficial to some people who have been diagnosed with ADHD, and it’s often called body doubling.
There isn’t a lot of research out there on this technique yet, but it has been written about and featured as a practice that supports productivity. I know that it was really helpful for me and for those colleagues who participated in these sessions from conversations with the colleagues and from my own experience. It provided a safe and supportive environment for accountability. Having someone there with whom you can safely share your successes and setbacks and frustrations and your overwhelm and who can encourage you to keep going or inspire you to try new ways of doing things was really– it was just especially useful when I was procrastinating on a task or when I just needed a boost to my productivity.
I would actually pair these sessions up with other techniques also like the Pomodoro method, which is about tackling tasks in 25-minute intervals followed by 5-minute breaks. I did that in order to give us some guideposts to follow. You could have a collection of people show up in a room and everyone just says, “Hey, how’s it going?” Then you could just all mute and start working or you can have a guidepost like the Pomodoro method. I chose to do the guideposts because I felt like it would be most helpful.
Since we couldn’t go to coffee shops at the time, I would often find coffee shop sounds and scenes on YouTube and I would share my screen and the sounds and we would be literally listening to cappuccino being made or there’d be a little bit of light music in the background and some muffled voices in the background.
Soon, colleagues were also bringing their own favorite background sounds. There was one colleague who really loved having Tibetan throat singing in the background. We ended up even creating a spreadsheet so that those attending a session could spend a moment at the top of the session choosing what they wanted to for sounds and scenes. It became a thing, I guess.
Coral: I love that. What an innovative way to approach that season of life that we all walked through together. If someone wanted to execute this and implement this in their own collegial workspace or with a couple of friends, could you guide us through the practice step by step and share what that might look like?
Jessica: Yes. I still do this practice from time to time with colleagues. We do it a different way each time, but I’m going to give you the way that we practice most often. You could either sit in person with somebody or get onto a video conferencing call with the person or a group of people that you’ll be co-working with.
At the top of your session together, you’d spend a few minutes with greetings and sharing what each of you plans to work on. We always did a little bit of a round robin. This is the accountability piece. Spend a few minutes sharing what each of you plans to work on during the first 25-minute session. The host should set a timer for 25 minutes then. Everyone else should mute their audio so that if you talk to yourself while you’re working, not everyone has to hear it, and then just get to it.
When the timer goes off, the host would unmute and let everyone know that it’s break time. I literally would just come on and say, “Break time,” set a timer then for five minutes and make it clear that everyone can step away from their desk for five minutes, walk around, do whatever they need to do to take care of themselves. Optionally, you can all share whether you were able to complete the task you planned, you can celebrate successes or you can share some barriers you experienced before you take a break. Just make sure that doesn’t take too long.
After the 5-minute break is up, repeat the steps, start another 25-minute session. In a 1-hour session, you can get through two 25-minute work sessions if you’re really good with the time, starting with 2 to 3 minutes at the top of the hour to share what you plan to work on, then a 25-minute work session followed by a 5-minute break and 2 to 3 minutes to share what you plan to work on again, and then at the top of the hour, there would be a 5-minute break.
I have a couple of tips that I would share as you’re doing this. I recommend scheduling these sessions based on how many work sessions you hope to have. How many of those 25-minute blocks of time you hope to have, and adding in a few minutes for the group to decide things like whether they want music that day and whether they– any talking will be allowed during the work sessions. For a 1-hour session, I might recommend scheduling 1 hour and 10 or 15 minutes, so that you can have that little bit of cushion time for community and connection. Then I would also recommend keeping the group small to maximize psychological safety and time to share.
Coral: Those are such clear steps and such a great way to get started. Thanks for guiding us through those, Jess.
Jessica: Ah, you’re so welcome. I love doing these sessions. They really are very helpful.
Coral: I’d imagine, so I can look forward to trying it myself. That’s it for this episode. Thanks for joining us. If you enjoyed this episode, click on the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend. We’ll see you next week. Until then, keep practicing.
[music]
Kalin Goble: The Practicing Connection Podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under Award Number 2023-48770-41333.
[music]
[00:12:47] [END OF AUDIO]

Feeding Minds, Fueling Futures through the Child and Adult Care Food Program
2025-01-29 11:00 - 12:30
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) combats hunger and brings healthy foods to tables across the country for children in childcare and afterschool programs as well as adults in day care. The CACFP is a federal program that provides reimbursements for nutritious meals and snacks served to eligible participants. Children learn healthy eating habits from caregivers who recognize the importance of participating in the CACFP to help children grow and develop to their fullest potential. Each day, more than 4.2 million children and 138,000 adults receive nutritious meals and snacks through the CACFP. Attend this webinar to learn about CACFP’s history and current meal patterns and hear from a Registered Dietitian administering the CACFP on a military installation.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this webinar, attendees will be able to:

Describe the components of the Child and Adult Care Food Program
Summarize the benefits of participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program for children, providers, and parents.
Reflect how Child and Youth Services operates the Child and Adult Care Food Program through the Department of Defense on Army Garrisons.
Identify three resources available for use by childcare operators to support service of healthy meals and to provide age-appropriate nutrition education to children.

Jill Ladd joined USDA in September 2022 as the CACFP nutritionist within the Community Meals Policy Division at the National Office. Prior to joining USDA, Jill served for over a decade in Child Nutrition Program administration at the Kansas State Department of Education. She first discovered her passion for child nutrition while volunteering at a summer food service site in high school. Jill is a Registered Dietitian. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Kansas State University and completed her dietetic internship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Jill also holds a Master of Public Health from Creighton University School of Medicine. Crishna Hughes joined USDA in October 2022 as a Program Analyst within the Community Meals Policy Division, CACFP Branch at the National Office. Prior to joining USDA, Crishna spent three years as a CACFP Program Specialist at the D.C. State agency. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing & Management from the University of South Carolina. Crishna holds a Master of Public Health from Liberty University. Her background includes a wide range of professional work experiences in brand management and college athletics that led to a passion and career in child nutrition and wellness. Danny Nolasco started working with Fort Bliss Child & Youth Services (CYS) in October 2009 as the first CYS Nutritionist for the installation. At Fort Bliss, he was exposed to the Child and Adult Food Program (CACFP) and the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and started his career overseeing 5 centers. The program has since grown to 10 centers. Danny earned a Bachelor of Science from New Mexico State University (NMSU) where he also served as the Vice President of the NMSU Food and Nutrition Club. He completed his dietetic internship with Be Well Solutions with an emphasis in corporate wellness and disease prevention. Outside of his work at Fort Bliss, Danny works with youth athletes helping them improve their performance through nutrition.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) through January 29, 2027.
Certified Nutrition and Wellness Educator (CNWE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) through January 29, 2027.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RD/RDN) and Nutrition and Dietetics Technicians, Registered (NDTR): This webinar is approved for 1.5 CPEUs from the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) through November 19, 2027.
Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) and Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education credits from the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) through January 29, 2026.
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar Slides Photo Credit: Sasiistock/iStock.com This series will cover programs that address nutrition and food security as it affects service members and their families. Discover the Nutrition and Food Security series today.

Leveraging PowerPay: An Extension Tool for Debt Management
2025-01-28 11:00 - 12:30
Military service providers frequently see concerns such as high credit card balances, multiple loans, and the stress associated with significant debt levels. Those in debt often feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to start. PowerPay, a free tool developed by Utah State University Extension, is available to service members, their families, and military family service providers. Our experts will guide you in using this web-based debt elimination calculator to create a personalized plan tailored to your needs or those of your clients. Without requiring personal identifying information, PowerPay allows users to save debt plans for future editing and manage multiple debt profiles. Join us for an interactive webinar to learn how to leverage this innovative tool.
Learning Objectives:

Understand the key elements of an effective debt repayment plan.
Explore various debt repayment strategies that can be tailored to individual circumstances.
Watch a live, step-by-step tutorial on how to use PowerPay.

Melanie D. Jewkes is an Extension Professor at Utah State University, serving Salt Lake County. With 17 years of experience in community education, she leads programs in family finance, nutrition, and food preservation. She directs the USU Extension PowerPay debt elimination program and homebuyer education, and co-manages the statewide Empowering Financial Education initiative. Melanie is a dark chocolate enthusiast, loves hiking with her husband and their four kids, and has a goal to hike in every national park! Vincenza Vicari-Bentley, AFC, is an accredited financial counselor and the lead coordinator for the Empowering Financial Wellness program at Utah State University Extension. Her passion for personal finance is matched only by her appreciation for excellent food! She is currently working towards a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation to deepen her knowledge and continue supporting others in making informed financial choices.

Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences (CFCS): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 1/28/27
Certified Personal and Family Finance Educator (CPFFE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 1/28/27
Accredited Financial Counselors (AFC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits by the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education (AFCPE). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 1/28/28
Board Certified Patient Advocates (BCPA): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) contact hours by The Patient Advocate Certification Board. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 1/28/27
Board Certified Case Managers: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) clock hours from the Commission for Case Manager Certification (CCMC). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 1/28/26
Certified Personal Finance Counselors (CPFC): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from The Center for Financial Certifications (FinCert.org). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 1/28/28
Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE): This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). Eligibility for CE credit will close on 1/28/30
Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists: This webinar is approved for 1.5 continuing education (CE) credits from the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Check with your state licensing agency for reciprocity and/or credit approval if licensed for other professions or in one of the following states: CO, FL, HI, IA, KS, KY, MI, NY, ND, OH, OK. Eligibility for CE credit will close on 1/28/27
OneOp Certificates of Attendance are available for those interested in additional documentation of professional development activities.

Webinar Slides
Webinar slides and resources will be added the day prior to the live session. Photo Credit: SDI Productions / iStock 1281341040

The 1-Minute Agreement
2025-01-23
Subscribe to the “Practicing Connection” monthly email to keep up to date on our latest podcasts, blog posts and workshops.
Join the “Practicing Connection Community” on LinkedIn. The community is designed for people who support military families in a variety of settings both on installations and in our communities. JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJidXp6c3Byb3V0LXBsYXllci0xNjQ4NjQ3NyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRmRpdiUzRSUzQ3NjcmlwdCUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJ1enpzcHJvdXQuY29tJTJGMjA5OTk4MyUyRmVwaXNvZGVzJTJGMTY0ODY0NzctdGhlLTEtbWludXRlLWFncmVlbWVudC5qcyUzRmNvbnRhaW5lcl9pZCUzRGJ1enpzcHJvdXQtcGxheWVyLTE2NDg2NDc3JTI2cGxheWVyJTNEc21hbGwlMjIlMjB0eXBlJTNEJTIydGV4dCUyRmphdmFzY3JpcHQlMjIlMjBjaGFyc2V0JTNEJTIydXRmLTglMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0U= In this episode of Practicing Connection, we explore the “one-minute agreement,” a simple yet powerful practice for building consistency and overcoming inertia. Coral shares how this approach can help tackle big goals by breaking them into bite-sized, manageable steps. [music]
Jessica Beckendorf: Hi, thanks for listening to the Practicing Connection podcast. I’m Jessica. My co-host Coral is here as well. Today we’ll be talking about the one-minute agreement, and Coral will be sharing a practice with us. Hi, Coral, how are you?
Coral Owen: Hey, Jessica, I’m doing well. Thanks so much. I was just thinking right before we started recording about some of the books that I’ve been reading with my little guy. My son is two, his name is Kai. There are just some things that we reflect on and that come up thematically in a lot of these really sweet little books. One of them we were reading last night, it’s about Donald Duck and his garden. It’s actually a book that my grandmother gave me many years ago. Donald Duck–
Jessica: [unintelligible 00:00:53] also a sailor.
Coral: Totally. He’s actually a gardener in this episode or in this micro story, which is really funny, but he’s trying to have success growing all these seeds and Chip and Dale keep coming and eating the seeds, and he finally figures out through many, many, many tries to have a successful method of appeasing his friends that like to eat his garden, but to grow things. I just thought it was a really sweet moral of the story of just sometimes you need to be creative to have things grow and flourish. Even if you get sidetracked along the way by some chipmunks. That’s what we’ve been reading lately.
Jessica: I love that. I love the playfulness with that. I love the lessons, the playfulness. It’s just a heartwarming thing to be noticed, to be present with. I’ve actually been in a bit of a heartwarming situation for myself. I’ve been working with a group that is just so ready to work together. A lot of them didn’t know each other at all. They’re strangers to each other before we started getting together, but not only are they ready to work together, they’re all genuinely interested in getting to know each other on a personal and professional level as well.
I’ve often on this podcast quoted Chad Littlefield’s clever phrase, connection before content, because I have witnessed how powerful taking time to connect can be to groups and teams that are trying to get some things done together, trying to address issues in a community. I rarely come across a group who 100% wholeheartedly is into it and asking me for more of it. It’s really exciting for me. I don’t know. It’s been heartwarming and I’ve been like, “Oh my gosh, you guys, you’re way ahead of me here.” Normally I have to convince people a little bit to spend some time getting to know each other more personally and they are so here for it.
Coral: That sounds like such a fun team. As you’re saying that I’m reflecting on different spaces that I’ve been in when there is that synergy and just this really good vibe and energy and it just feels good to be part of it. To be able to steward, guide a group, I’m sure that’s been a lot of fun to work with those folks.
Jessica: Yes. I want to be clear. I love all of the groups that I have worked with before, and I enjoy all of those projects. It’s exciting to see the synergy from the get-go when normally it takes much longer to develop that if ever sometimes, yes.
Coral: Absolutely.
Jessica: We would love to hear what’s inspiring our listeners. Please share what’s inspiring you by clicking the “send us a text message” at the top of the description of this episode. When you click the link, your text messaging app will open and you’ll see a seven-digit number and the words “do not remove.” Type your message after that and click send. Don’t remove that number or we won’t receive your message.
To protect your privacy, we won’t see your phone number and we can’t text you back, but we’ll share your feedback on a future episode. If you’re listening on a computer, you can email us at practicingconnection@oneop.org. Let us know what’s inspiring you right now.
[music]
Jessica: Let’s learn more about this one-minute agreement. Coral, can you tell us a little more about the practice and why you chose it?
Coral: Absolutely. The one-minute agreement is all about making big goals bite-sized to help us overcome inertia and find consistency. I first came across a version of it in my early twenties. I was racing collegiate triathlon at the University of Florida. There were many times where, whether collectively or individually, just it would feel like such a chore to get started on a training session. Our coach, Coach Will, is a great guy. He would encourage that even if we weren’t feeling it, so to speak, to just head out for 10 minutes of a training session. He would call this the 10-minute agreement. Teammates often called it the 10-minute trap and you’ll see why here in a little bit.
The whole idea really is just to get started. This one-minute agreement is all about how can we make this even more bite-sized than the 10-minute agreement.
Jessica: I love this idea. It reminds me of a supervisor I had in the past long time ago, whose solution to not feeling it was to do it anyway. I always admired that because, I don’t know, when I’m not feeling it, I’m not feeling it. I don’t want to do it. She didn’t want to do it either. She’s like, but I need to, so I’m just going to do it. I’d love to learn more. Please walk us through the one-minute agreement.
Coral: You got it. First off, figure out your goal. Let’s say for just a hypothetical example, that you want to be a published author. What habit is going to get you there? Typically a great start if you want to be an author is to start writing. How do we get started with writing consistently? I know a lot of folks may find whether you’re doing blogs or a book or any manner of things, this writer’s block can be a really real thing that we experience.
How do we make it so bite-sized to the point where it would be silly to say, “Oh, I can’t do that.” We can do anything for one minute. The one-minute agreement for becoming a published author is perhaps writing one minute a day. I joked about the 10-minute trap from my collegiate triathlon days. The sneaky thing about the consistency of overcoming activation energy with the one-minute agreement is that we so often will just find our groove, whether it be one minute, three minutes, whatever your version of this is, we’ll often just overcome that activation energy and find a groove and end up going far beyond that timeframe. That’s it. That’s the one-minute agreement.
Jessica: How beautifully simple. I remember from, there was a show called The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and she had a version of this and that was, you can do anything for 10 seconds. I think this can work at– and that was a sitcom, so it’s not all real or anything. I’m sure it wasn’t based in evidence or research, but I’m just saying this is right. If you need to get started, you can just promise yourself, you know what, I can stop after 10 seconds if I want to. You can go as low as you need to, I would imagine.
Coral: Yes, sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself because I do love this so much, but you bring up such a great point, Jessica, that I neglected to mention. It is that the commitment is only for one minute. If you don’t feel like it beyond that one minute, you’ve done your minute, you’ve met the commitment, you’ve met your parameters for success. That is the win. Then you can just move on with your day after that one minute and not feel any sense of guilt or remorse or like you didn’t hit the mark because the commitment is truly only for that minute. That is a really important piece of this for helping you define and find success consistently.
Jessica: I feel like you can also celebrate that you staved off procrastination. Even if you only worked on it for a minute, you didn’t procrastinate and you didn’t procrastinate the whole thing. You actually made yourself get started. I think that’s something to celebrate.
Coral: 1,000%.
Jessica: That’s it for this episode. Thanks so much for joining us. If you enjoyed this episode, click the share button in your podcast app to share it with a friend. We’ll be back next week with a practice for co-working. What is that? You’ll find out next week. Until then, keep practicing.
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Kalin Goble: The Practicing Connection podcast is a production of OneOp and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, US Department of Agriculture, and the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy, US Department of Defense under Award Number 2023-48770-41333.
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