SpectrumHealth Journey

This month we focus on two agencies with events that celebrate accomplishments and spread awareness!Melinda DuBois, Executive Director, Mental Health Advocates of WNY talks about the agency and its annual recognition event.Jeanmarie Cieslica, Volunteer, Greater Buffalo Food Allergy Alliance and Dr. Amanda Whitehouse, licensed school and counseling psychologist and host of the "Don't Feed the Fear" podcast share valuable information about the connection between food allergies and wellness.

Don't let stress rain down on your April days! April is Stress Awareness Month Will Christopher, a Community Wellness Specialist from Spectrum Health's Buffalo Hope COMPS team shares tips and techniques for reigning in stress. spectrumHealth & Human Services Buffalo Hoper Andrea Pierce, LMHC, Founder of HCOC Mental Health Corporation, talks about self-care in the helping professions because April is also Counselor Awareness Month.

We talk music and radio with Chuck Stevens from the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service. Dan Lukasik and Mark Anthony Dellas preview a new documentary called Travels With George about the power of friendship. In the Hope segment, Christina Jakubowski from Spectrum Health reminds us that Mental Health Matters every day!

This month we open our hearts to our community's more vulnerable individuals. Join Malene and Bob for some insightful conversations.Randy Hoak, Commissioner of Senior Services for Erie County shares resources for older Western New Yorkers who are looking for ways to be active and engaged.Tanya Drake is Spectrum Health's Re-Entry Coordinator. She tells us about her team's work in helping individuals acclimate to the community after incarceration.

Ellen Cool, music therapist at Sound Transformations Music Therapy, talks about the power of music to transform and heal us...and bring us joy, too. Tom Tharp, Clinician at Spectrum Health's Wyoming County Counseling Center, gives us some ideas on how to embrace 2026 in good health.

JoAnn Falletta, Music Director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra talks about her book of original poetry, and the power of music. Mr James Peterson from Spectrum Health's Buffalo Hope COMPS team shares tips for Find it on shswny.org/podcasts/ Spotify, Apple Podcast and iHeartRadio coping with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during these short winter days.Finally the podcast team remembers the guests and conversations over the past year.Best wishes for happy and joyful holidays, filled with love and hope!

Caregivers are loving, stressed, and anxious and The Prevention Council of Erie County is here to help. Janice Burns and Anne-Marie Huurre share advice. Rural Health Day is November 20 and Amanda Burkett and Tom Tharp from Spectrum Health's Springville and Wyoming County counseling centers respectively share the challenges and rewards of serving our rural communities.

Dawn Marie Domke shares the exciting news about Spectrum Health's Riverside Counseling Center and its services for youth.Brie Kishel, Program and Operations Manager for the Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention at the University at Buffalo, talks about the upcoming annual conference.

Celia Spacone, Ph.D. from the Erie County Suicide Prevention Coalition talks about ways to help people in crisis. Jodie Altman, Executive Director of Kids Escaping Drugs introduces us to the life-changing work on this campus.

Zachary Kay from the Erie County Department of Health talks about substance use in the region and a community event on August 28.Jack Freedenberg from The Kensingtons talks about Spectrum Health's Fifth Annual Not One More: Stand Together to End Overdose event on August 26.

DawnMarie Sainsbury, School Based Clinician from Spectrum Health, talks about preventing "summer slide" when kids are home from school.Meichle Latham, Career & Life Coach, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, and Business Consultant, takes her business outside to trails and parks for nature-inspired counseling and coaching.Dawn Stone, Peer Support Specialist from Spectrum Health, catches us up on summer activities in Wyoming County.

Terry Seay from the Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network talks about the Fatherhood Initiative and programs for men. My Brother Lost in Time is a Buffalo-made film about Dan and Paul Lukasik and their depression diagnoses. Spectrum Health is hosting a screening on June 24.

Our guests share unique stories of family, resilience, and brotherhood. Listen to Tara Burgess, Executive Director of Every Person Influences Children, and Navy Veteran Chad Miller a peer support specialist from Veterans One Stop talk with co-hosts Malene, Bob, and Cherie.

Spectrum Health's C.A.R.E.S. team provides 24/7 crisis response for young ones under 17 and their families. Buffalo H.O.P.E. COMPS shares techniques for coping and emotional support.April is National Counseling Awareness month, too. Learn more in this episode of Spectrum Health Journey!

Sara Andrew, Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator, Suicide Prevention VA Western New York Healthcare System talks about the Lock and Talk initiative.Victoria Tiebor, CEO, Wyoming County Community Action, Inc., shares info on services in Wyoming County.

Spectrum Health's Chris Weber talks about student athletes and their mental wellness. Randy Kramer invites us to Next to Normal on stage at MusicalFare Theatre, a powerful story about a family in crisis.

JoAnn Falletta, music director for Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and Patti Parks, founder of Nursin' Blues, talk about the power of music to heal.

Holidays can be joyful or lonely for some people. Spectrum Health’s Debbie LaBounty shares insights on how to cope with and enjoy this season. Spectrum Health’s Bob Cannata talks about his retirement, too.

Amanda Burkett and Catrina Dworzack, Clinical Director of Spectrum Health's Springville Counseling Center and Wyoming County Counseling Center respectively, talk about behavioral health in their rural settings. Cindy Voelker, President and CEO of Spectrum Health, in her first appearance on Spectrum Health Journey, updates us on the status of 1280 Main Street since it was ravaged by the Christmas Eve 2022 winter storm. Finally, co-hosts Bob and Marlene with executive producer Cherie Messore talk about the power of gratitude.

October is all about Community. Alyssa Hebeler talks about the Spectrum Health team that helps clients find comfortable and secure housing. Then Ann Marie Bosch and Jackie Cotton explain the challenging and gratifying work of case management to commemorate National Case Management Week, October 13-19. Please join us!

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. We welcome Cameron Burns of Crisis Services who talks about resources in our community and beyond. Spectrum Health's Christine Ziemba reminds us that communication and the words we use can help someone with suicidal ideations reach out for support. Kate Hull, owner of Share Joy talks about her journey and how spreading joy with flowers is uplifting.Please join us!