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In this episode Carrie and Dave meet with Gayle Morrissey, who is the Education Coordinator for the adult mental health unit at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center. Gayle's job focuses on topics such as educating people about their diagnosis, self-regulation, self-care, coping skills, and becoming more self-aware. Gayle's job changes from person to person and day to day as she provides person-centered, individualized care as she helps provide people with tools to be successful in their lives. In today's episode Gayle explores one of the recent topics that she has been people learn more about - how nutrition can help improve your mental health. Gayle discusses foods that can help, foods to stay away from, tips to stay on track, and moderation.

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We are excited to finally announce our collaboration with the three BOCES locations in St. Lawrence County. Together we are constructing tiny homes built by the students at BOCES that will be transported to S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc.'s garden and greenhouse property, which will begin the development of our social farming community. Each house is a duplex and will provide homes for six separate individuals that are in need of housing in our county, with more on the way next year.

This collaboration has been in progress for the last year, and as the houses finally near completion Dave and Carrie sit down with Nicki O'Donnell, the principal at BOCES Seaway Career and Technical Center located in Norwood, New York. Join us as we discuss how the project originated, the social farming model, the obstacles to get it up and running, the benefits that are provided to both S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. and the BOCES programs, and some of the incredible experiences along the way.

Join Dave and Carrie as they visit with Nicki at BOCES to discuss the project.

Visit our website to check out photos!

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"He loves to grow things, and he is very proud of what he does. Brian worked at the greenhouse and he loved it. He had a purpose, he felt good about himself and like he was contributing. He was so proud to be a part of something, accepted, and to be praised for the work that he did."
~ Barbara Briggs Ward

Dave and Carrie talk with Barb Ward, a local author and self-taught illustrator. Barb also has a long history with Dave and S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. She not only sits on our Board of Directors, but has collaborated with Dave as an advocate for mental health for many years. She has been a long-time advocate on a systems level, but Barb also relates to the topic on a very personal level - as a mother. Barb shares her son Brian’s journey with Schizophrenia and discusses how the Garden and Greenhouse Project improved her son's quality of life. Dave and Barb also discuss their history and how their collaboration led to the Garden and Greenhouse Project at S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. and the many years of advocating that it took to get there.

If you would like to check out some of Barb’s work you can find her at barbarabriggsward.com . Barb and her son, Brian, also recently visited our greenhouse as we are getting it up and running this year. If you’d like to check out some of her photos you can visit our blog us at stepbystepinc.org .

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