Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast

Welcome to Episode 25 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast. Today's episode was led by our host, Drew Brandom! Please join us as he interviews our guest, Cheryl Crawford-Deas, the Founder and Executive Director of the Darnell Deas, Jr., Marvelous Light Foundation.

Mrs. Crawford-Deas has a passion for bringing awareness to mental health and suicide prevention that stems from the loss of her own son, Darnel, Jr. (DJ) to suicide. Since 2018 the foundation has presented over $10,000 in scholarships to students throughout the country. You can learn more about Darnell Deas, Jr., Marvelous Light Foundation, as well...

Welcome to Episode 24 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast. Today's episode was led by our host, Drew Brandom! Please join us as he interviews our guest, Dr. Rob Thomas, the CEO of Community Health Outreach, Jacksonville’s only free integrated medical/dental clinic for low-income/uninsured residents, and which also hosts the Lord’s Food Pantry and Baby Luv Center for infant care supplies. 

Dr. Thomas has worked in various healthcare roles to combat opioid, alcohol, and tobacco-use disorders in the state of Florida. As a nationally certified wellness practitioner and board-certified tobacco treatment specialist, he ha...

Welcome to Episode 23 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast. Today's episode was led by our host, Drew Brandom! Please join us as he interviews our guest, Jennifer Ryan, the CEO of Volunteers in Medicine, a non profit clinic that provides free healthcare for  the working uninsured.  

Mrs. Ryan is a fifth generation North Floridian with a proven reputation in building and sustaining community partnerships with experience in health care at the national, county, and hospital levels. She is recognized for being innovative, collaborative, creative, outgoing, team oriented, adaptable, and professional. 

Inspire to Rise, Inc...

Welcome to Episode 22 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast. Today's episode was led by our host, Drew Brandom! Please join us as he interviews our guest, Marcus Hill, the RISE Nassau Program Coordinator.

While Mr. Hill began as a Theology major with a goal of eventually becoming a pastor, he found his calling in psychology in his second year of his undergrad program. Now a licensed therapist, he works with the Inspired to Rise team in Nassau county, providing therapy services and expanding the Nassau campuses' service offerings.

Inspire to Rise, Inc. is...

Welcome to Episode 21 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast. Today's episode was led by our host, Drew Brandom! Please join us as he interviews our guest, Malik Johnson, a teacher for INSPIRED Youth.

Mr. Johnson got his start running a basketball camp for youth in Washington D.C., where he fond his passion for working with youth. After graduating college, he began working with children with special education needs before moving to Jacksonville during the pandemic. In Jacksonville, he taught math and history to 5th-8th grade students before his middle school was ultimately shut...

Welcome to Episode 20 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast. Today's episode was led by our host, Drew Brandom! Please join us as he interviews our guests, Grace, Liam, and Saheim, three participants in the INSPIRED Youth program. 

Grace, Liam, and Saheim discuss their participation in the INSPIRED Youth program, which is an alternative to public school in Duval county for children who need additional support, such as mental health services, trauma-informed care, recovery-focused education, and more.

The three youth discuss their favorite activities - cooking and free-time - and some of the important s...

Welcome to Episode 19 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast. Today’s episode was led by our host, Drew Brandom! Please join us as he interviews our guest,  Michael Seeraj.

Mr. Seeraj is the Chief Financial Officer at Inspire to Rise and has over 21 years of accounting experience in both the private and not-for-profit sectors. In 2017, he was presented with the Business Journal - Ultimate CFO of the Year Award.

Mr. Seeraj discusses his career journey, from three days at UPS to make rent, to moving from company to company as a CFO, identifying hol...

Welcome to Episode 18 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast, led by our Community Behavioral Health Director, Anna Santiago. Please join us as she interviews our guest, Nikki Runion.

Professor Runion is an Instructor of Social Work at the University of North Florida, but before she became involved in academia, she spent years with children and families in the foster care system through the Department of Juvenile Justise, as school therapist, and as a provider of therapeutic services for individuals and families experiencing trauma and mental health needs in community-based settings.

Inspire to Rise...

Welcome to Episode 17 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast led by our Prevention & Family Preservation Director, Robin Rossmanith. Please join us as he interviews our guest, Treevonia Robinson.

Ms. Robinson began using cocaine at the age of 16 and continued to do so for the next 23 years. While she always quit using whenever she was pregnant, she went back to cocaine after she finished nursing each of her first four children. It wasn't until after the birth of her fifth child, and a diagnosis of Congestive Heart Failure that left her heart functioning at 22%, that Ms...

Welcome to Episode 16 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast. Today’s episode was led by our host, Drew Brandom! Please join us as he interviews our guest, Mrs. Enricka James. 

Mrs. James discusses her life, from being born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, to moving to Atlanta to pursue modeling, moving to Las Vegas, moving to New Orleans, and raising three children (ages 6, 3, and 13 months) with her husband, Lloyd James. After a difficult time in 2024, they decided to move back to Jacksonville, where Mrs. James’ mother still lived, after being told they could move into Mrs...

Welcome to Episode 15 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast. Today's episode was led by our guest host, Michael Seeraj! Please join us as he interviews our guest, Ms. Anna Santiago, Director of Community Behavioral Health at Inspire to Rise, Inc.

Ms. Santiago discusses her career trajectory and how she moved from a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice to a Master's of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She discusses "her why" - why she is passionate about providing mental health services to others and why she believes community services are so important. She also discusses her...

Welcome to Episode 14 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast.  Today's episode was led by our guest host, Community Behavioral Health Director Anna Santiago!  Please join us as she interviews our next guest, Ms. Betsy Dobbins, Founder & Executive Director of the Center for Children's Rights, a restorative organization dedicated to advancing the well-being of youth. 

Ms. Betsy Dobbins is an attorney, social worker, but above all a restorative justice practitioner dedicated to cultivating embodied communities and systems of care within which youth and the adults who work with them can thrive. Ms. Dobbins' work focuses on the...

Welcome to Episode 13 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast led by our host Drew Brandom!  Please join us as he interviews our guests, three youth from the INSPIRED Youth Program at Inspire to Rise, Inc.!

The INSPIRED Youth Program is a Prevention & Recovery Program for youth at risk of opioid misuse or with substance misuse disorders and/or who are struggling with mental illness.  The program provides the additional recovery services the youth and family need to build the youth’s coping techniques, positive social supports, and life skills in a holistic and healthy way, so t...

Welcome to Episode 12 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast led by our host Drew Brandom!  Please join us as he interviews our guest, Ms. Cassandra Croft, Peer Community Advocate at Inspire to Rise, Inc.

Ms. Croft shares her personal life and recovery journey and discusses “her why” ---- why she is so passionate about what she does every day to make an impact on the youth, individuals, and families she serves in this community.  She also explains her role at Inspire to Rise as a Peer Community Advocate and discusses the power of the Peer in ass...

Welcome to Episode 11 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast led by our host Drew Brandom!  Please join us as he interviews our next guest, Ms. Alyssa Cate, INSPIRED Youth Program Manager at Inspire to Rise, Inc.

Ms. Alyssa Cate has been with Inspire to Rise, Inc. for a year and has served as a Community Therapist and now as the INSPIRED Youth Program Manager.  With a strong emphasis on mental health and well-being, Ms. Cate is dedicated to advocating for and addressing youth's social and emotional needs.  Now serving as the new INSPIRED You...

Welcome to Episode 10 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast led by our host Drew Brandom!  Please join us as he interviews our next guest, Dr. Jean-Colt Belizaire, Community Behavioral Health Administrator at Inspire to Rise, Inc.

Dr. JC Belizaire has over 16+ years of academic teaching, clinical practice, and consulting experience.  Dr. Belizaire holds a Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling, and a Ph.D. in Clinical Sexology / Psychology.  He also has his State of Florida Psychotherapist Licensure and has a Board-Certified Addictions Professional Licensure.  Dr. Belizaire is a qualified supervisor for licensed mental health coun...

Welcome to Episode 9 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast led by our host Drew Brandom!  Please join us as he interviews our next guest, Ms. Sandra Shin, Founder & President of Hope 4 Freedom.  Ms. Sandra Shin is also the author of Who Am I After Human Trafficking?
 
Ms. Sandra Shin shares her personal and powerful story of survival and shares her passion, dedication, and mission of her nonprofit and book that speaks out against human trafficking and educates the community on the signs to look for to help prevent women and children from being trafficked.  During the...

Welcome to Episode 8 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast led by our host Drew Brandom!  Please join us as he interviews our next guest, Dr. Selena Webster-Bass, Founder & CEO of the Voices Institute, Inc. 

Dr. Webster-Bass is also co-author of the children’s book Rainbows, a sickle cell disease awareness book dedicated to her son, Richard Anthony, who succumbed to the disease in 1999.  Dr. Webster-Bass recently launched a non-profit arm in honor of her son, Richard Webster-Bass Health Institute, to support sickle cell families through education, research, and advocacy.  Dr. Webster-Bass shares some of her person...

Welcome to Episode 7 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast led by our host Drew Brandom!  Please join us as he interviews our next guest, Dr. Christine Cauffield, LSF Health Systems, Chief Executive Officer.

Dr. Cauffield shares some of her personal life journey and discusses “her why” ---- why she is so passionate about the work she does.  Dr. Cauffield leads LSF Health System, that is the Managing Entity for all substance abuse and mental health organizations in the Northeast Region, which is comprised of 23 counties.  She talks about community needs and some of the strategies that ma...

Welcome to Episode 6 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast led by our host Drew Brandom!  Please join us as he interviews our next guest, Robin Rossmanith, Prevention & Family Preservation Director at Inspire to Rise, Inc.

Ms. Robin shares some of her personal life journey, how she came across Inspire to Rise, and discusses “her why” ---- why she is so passionate about her work.  Ms. Robin has been working at Inspire to Rise, Inc. for over 4 years, and she shares some stories about the transformational work she and her teams does every day to make an imp...

Happy New Year!  Welcome to Episode 5 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast led by our host Drew Brandom!  Please join us as he interviews our guest, Aida Seeraj, Inspire to Rise, Inc. Founder & CEO.

Ms. Seeraj gives a 2023 Year-End Review of what Inspire to Rise, Inc. and all of the wonderful staff and partners have achieved this year!  We are very proud of all of the amazing and transformational work the team has done!

Inspire to Rise, Inc. is a nonprofit focused on holistically helping make the community a little better, happier, and hea...

Welcome to Episode 4 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast led by our host Drew Brandom!  Please join us as he interviews our guest, Kathleen Roberts, Chief Executive Officer at Community Coalition Alliance.

Ms. Roberts shares some of her personal life journey and how she uses her expertise in advocating for community needs.  She also shares "her why" she is so passionate about the work she does in partnership with the Inspire to Rise, Inc. Board of Directors.

Inspire to Rise, Inc. is a nonprofit focused on holistically helping make the community a little be...

Welcome to the Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise, Inc. Podcast.  This special interview is my interview.  My name is Aida Seeraj, and I am the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Inspire to Rise, Inc.

The reason I started this Inspiring Community Podcast was sparked by my guest interview on our host, Drew Brandom's Next Level Podcast Show.

Not only did I enjoy the conversation, the story telling, but also the Podcast platform where we can create and amplify a community conversation and awareness about mental health, substance misuse, and community needs and show th...

Welcome to Episode 2 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast led by our host Drew Brandom!  Please join us as he interviews our guest, Lola Sribryanets, Peer Community Advocate - Program Coordinator at Inspire to Rise, Inc.

Ms. Sribryanets shares some of her personal life and recovery journey and discusses “her why” ---- why she is so passionate about what she does every day to make an impact on this community.  She also explains the Inspire to Rise - Peer Community Advocate Program and discusses the power of the Peer in assisting others in their mental health...

Welcome to Episode 1 of Inspiring Community: An Inspire to Rise Podcast led by our host Drew Brandom!  Please join us as he interviews our first guest, Sandra Inman, Healthy Start Program Manager at Inspire to Rise, Inc. 

Ms. Sandra shares some of her personal life journey and discusses “her why” ---- why she is so passionate about what she does every day to make an impact on this community.  She also explains the Healthy Start Program and gives some great advice to new moms.

Inspire to Rise, Inc. is a nonprofit focused on holistically helping make th...