I kid you not at least once or twice a week, we get someone that calls us and breaks down in tears, because they've been calling and calling and calling, and no one's answered the phone. And they finally have gotten through to someone. And there's just that relief of I finally got to talk to a person.
And welcome in to the Growing Goodyear podcast, from the city of Goodyear. I'm Jordan Byrd.
And I'm Tammy Vo.
And you know, Tammy right now, this is the most wonderful time of the year right last.
Yeah,
I mean, the holidays are in full tilt, and you know, you have family, you have friends. And it's a really joyous time. But it can also be a stressful time, it can be an anxiety filled time, when you're thinking about all of the things that you might have to do between now and the end of the year, or even pushing into the new year. It can be a blessing this time of year, but it also can be very stressful for people.
You know Jordan, I'm having a flashback now to I was sitting on Thanksgiving Day at the table. And I remember I told some of my family that was around. I don't know, there's something about today that just feels like so busy. There was such a hustle and bustle the grocery store with everyone grabbing their, you know, the cranberries and all that Turkey and all that stuff. That it felt to me a little bit like, people were just so busy with the idea and concept of thanksgiving. That I don't know, it just felt like people weren't really stopping and thinking including myself, about just appreciating the moment maybe or just just telling yourself to pause a bit and take a breath that it just all felt so hectic to me. And there was a moment there where I felt a little bit sad, I will say.
Well, no, and I'm completely there with you. Because I have to have the turkey in the oven by this time. And I have so and so coming over at this time. And oh no, the kids got to do this and that. And that's Thanksgiving, then you carry it into Christmas as that's coming up. And to me at least in our house, that's even more anxiety field, but with two small little children. It's It feels very regimented already where it's like, Okay, on this day, we're doing this and it's not that free flowing holiday season that they show on commercials on TV shows that you're walking through a snowy Christmas tree, Boris, you know, it really can be daunting at times for people. And I think one of the things that a lot of people may not realize is that everyone else is going through that as well. And it's okay to feel that way at times during this holiday season.
And sometimes it's hard because you feel like you can't fail either. Because a lot of people are counting on you. You know, when you're having people over your parents, that's very, very challenging. But on the other side of the coin, you might be someone who really doesn't have anyone during the holidays, it could be the complete opposite, where you might yearn for some chaos and busyness. Maybe you've lost someone in your life. And that absence feels so great in a time like this.
Absolutley, so today on the growing good year podcast, we're going to talk to Jordanna Saunders, who is the CEO of Trauma Recovery Services of Arizona here in Goodyear, who is going to speak a little bit about getting through the holidays and being proactive and looking after your mental health during the holiday season. And she's also going to explain a little bit about a very new, a very unique program between the city of Goodyear and her business where they're really helping our residents of Goodyear.
We're gonna provide resources at the end of this podcast for all of our listeners. And if you think oh, gosh, I'm not sure if I qualify, how much does it cost? It costs nothing. This is for our residents to make sure anyone out there, it doesn't matter, your income level, your gender, your demographics, anyone out there, can get some help and just someone to talk to during these hard times.
But before we get to all of that it's time now for our Fast Five with Jordanna Saunders. You're looking to relax. Are you reaching for a book or a remote?
A book.
What's the one thing you can't leave your house without?
Phone.
I was gonna say that too.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
A doctor.
What piece of advice would you give to your teenage self?
Keep running.
What made you want to get into mental health work?
Oh, gosh, that's a complicated long story. I'll just say an interest in people and healthy communities.
We're talking today with Jordanna Saunders of the CEO of Trauma Recovery Services of Arizona who is now part of a pilot program with the city of Goodyear and we'll get into a little bit of that but first We wanted to start with you Jordanna about the holiday season because right now the holiday season is upon us. And for a lot of people, it is this happy, joyous occasion where you're seeing friends and family. But for many of those same people, it might present some mental health challenges as well during this time of the season. So let's just first start off there, what kind of challenges what kind of issues do you see as a mental health professional with the holiday season?
Yeah, that's a really great question. A lot of the things that we see and reasons that people start therapy around this time of year is grief and loss. Holidays can, like you mentioned be a really great time for people who are celebrating things are going well. But the holidays also have an underside, which brings out grief, maybe you lost a loved one this year, maybe you lost a loved one, during the holidays last year, or maybe you know you're struggling with finances, we know the cost of living is going up, I mean, eggs, all of these necessary things are a challenge for some people, and the holiday can add more stress. So a lot of it is adapting to changes in life, you know, some of them are natural, and some of them, we have no control.
So it almost sounds like the holidays are in a way a trigger for people who have loss or just underlying issues. What are you hearing a lot from some of your patients today? What are they saying right now?
A lot of them are struggling financially, everything is changing, rents increasing, when you think about the things that people normally purchase during the holidays, it's a challenge for some families to be able to provide the things that they have in the past. And for other people, it's dealing with transitions, you know, maybe you have elderly parents, and you're trying to figure out what you're gonna do with them long term. We hear situations like that a lot. And holidays can be very stressful, as well as just dealing with family holidays, for some people are wonderful and great. But we also hear from a lot of people, you know, it's like, oh, gosh, I gotta be around my, it's like the dreaded mother in law, right? Or I'm going to see these people I haven't seen in a long time, or you know, how much time off am I going to be able to take parents juggling time off with their children, you know, because a lot of people are working, some people are working multiple jobs, I have friends that are working on the holiday. So what celebration looks like varies from person to person. But I think everybody has an idea of what they want to achieve. And for some people, that can be a challenge.
Well, and I can only speak for myself, but you kind of touched on it with the family aspect of it. You know, it's amazing, it's great to see those family members that you may only see around this time of the year. But it also creates for me personally, some anxiety and that stress level of you know, there may be certain members of the family or not so keen on scene and the anticipation of the holiday season, sometimes you can build it up into this thing that turns you into knots, at least for me with the anxiety of potentially seeing people before it even happens.
Sure, yeah. And anxiety is known for kind of telling us stories, right? When we have anxiety, we tend to think about things a little bit differently than we would if we didn't have anxiety. So we tend to lean more into things called thought disorders. A lot of cognitive behavioral therapists specialize in that where we talk about black or white thinking, like, Oh, I know, this holiday is going to be terrible. Because my siblings gonna be there. And the last time we were together, we argued or they asked me a bunch of questions, and I didn't want to talk about this, that or the other. And so a lot of times what we do as mental health professionals is when we identify what is the trigger? So what is happening right now that's leading you to feel distressed? And then to how do we identify ways to cope with with that challenges? Preparation is important, but also looking historically. So for you saying you have anxiety with your family, to me that sends out questions, right, like, what happened? How did we get here? And where do we go from here?
And Jordanna I think the pressure of the holidays for a lot of people, especially parents can be very challenging. And I promise I'm not going to turn this into our own personal therapy session for me right now. But I will say that I am a person who is probably representative of especially a lot of moms out there right now. You know, I've got three kids got a full time job. And then there's the holidays on top of that, and then there's all kinds of you know, oh my goodness, I haven't even started this, that and the other for my kids, the shopping, the activities, remembering to Oh, my kids are off school, I got to spend time with them and make it meaningful time is just so much and in honestly is very stressful. And I think that some parents and especially moms might be trying to Balance, sort of the guilt and the obligations with sort of, hey, I do have boundaries and sort of personal space. And there's only so much I can do. So like, what do you advise people like me or parents who are trying to make it all work, but truly, in the end probably can't do it successfully?
I definitely understand where you're coming from. I'm also a parent. And I definitely relate to that being pulled in multiple directions, right? I want to acknowledge that there is a lot of pressure and there's a lot of pressure that gets put on moms to kind of have it together all the time. And like you said, you're working full time, you have three children. And that's like four schedules to keep track of in a normal day to day situation, but then you add the holidays on top of it. And I don't know about you, but my team is really good about telling me one hour before he needs that Santa hat, or whatever the way that will and there's the scramble. And so there's a lot of adjustment, I would say, giving yourself some grace, understanding that the goal is not perfection, and really looking at I think you hit on something really important. You said how to make that time with your children meaningful. Those are the things to lean into, and helping yourself through this stressful time, like reminding yourself that it is temporary, relating to other people I know I reach out a lot to my friends that also have children be like, how are we doing this? You know, and there's all these memes and jokes about different generations and how we're coping, and our generation really has a lot of pressure. And with social media, there's a lot of pressure to do it. Right, get it well, and have it be perfect. And that's really not realistic.
I wanted to touch on the social media aspect of it, because not just for the holidays. But just generally with social media. How have you seen that over the years as people become more engaged on social media impact their mental health well being, because there really seems to be this Keeping Up with the Joneses type thing where, you know, oh, man, so and so was on vacation and look where I'm at or so and so just bought this house and look where I'm at. But a lot of times people don't share the negative things about their lives on social media. It's it's a highlight reel. And so how have you seen social media over the years impact mental health for folks?
That's a great question. There is actually a lot of research that suggests the more that people engage with different platforms, the more likely they are to experience depression and anxiety. It especially hits adolescence, but I believe it also probably translates to adults too. Because like you said, it's really the highlight reel, people are not sharing the true struggles that they're experiencing. And also, if they do share, I think we have a tendency to ostracize those people. It's like, if someone's saying, I'm having a hard time, people are like, what's wrong with you? I think it creates an artificial environment. And also, people say things and do things on social media that they wouldn't necessarily do in person realizing that and managing that. I mean, there are therapists that I know that suggest taking breaks from social media for those reasons, especially if you're overwhelmed, and curating what you're looking at, you know, social media can be used for good. I used to suggest this for my clients during the holiday season is there's different zoos and aquariums, and there's one that has penguins, I think it's like the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and they have a live stream of penguins. And so I would encourage them to use their social media as a way to relax. Like, every time I open my Facebook feed, it's like all of these perfect trees, the perfect presents the women with their hair done immaculately. And I'm like, Oh, my gosh, like, has she been up for four hours?
Right? That is not real. That is not.
Exactly. But you know, social media would have asleep that that's real. So I think, kind of doing some reality checking and stepping back a little bit. Because I think there's better ways to connect to people. I mean, social media is great for some things. But when you're not feeling the best, or when you're feeling stressed, using it in a way that I think is is more meaningful is going to give you a better experience. And if you're spiraling, it's going to make it worse.
And so maybe surrounding yourself with the things that are going to promote you at your best right. And maybe that is in certain types of selective social media, but maybe also people surrounding yourself with people in your life and especially around the holidays that contribute to maybe how we feel our best and or maybe encouraging us in these hard times.
Yeah, absolutely. There are a lot of social media content creators that do daily meditations. There's a lot of ways to use social media to Like you said, put yourself in a position to do your best, and sort of restricting how much time you spend on there. So being very careful about that, I think is one thing I would suggest. Looking at how you feel when you get off of it, I think is really important.
Earlier, you use the word about triggers, and how there are certain triggers for each individual person that can positively or negatively affect their mental health. Social media, we just talked about it, that's a trigger around the holiday season, substance abuse in terms of alcohol, you know, you're going to Christmas parties, you're in the social gatherings. How does substance abuse How does those type of things act as a trigger, especially during the holiday season?
I think it really is individualized for some people substance use as a way to cope with challenges. And in the holiday season, there are a lot more opportunities, we actually just on our social media had posted something recently about measuring what an actual drink is, a lot of people don't actually know how much alcohol is in what they're consuming. They'll say, Oh, I had one drink. But it depends on what the drink is. But it was in a 40 ounce glass. It was in a 40 ounce glass, right, which is actually a lot more than a drink. So I think looking at that, how much am I actually drinking? Why am I drinking? Who am I drinking with? And what is my plan to get home? So a lot of it's about decision making? How do we make these decisions that are going to support the life that we're wanting to live? And I think that can be a challenge for certain populations, you know, certainly with adolescents and young adults, as well as people who are stressed, I think when we're stressed, we're more vulnerable, when we're more likely to say yes to a second or third drink, when maybe we shouldn't. So kind of taking stock, you know, and saying okay, where am I? And what risks might I be more susceptible to? I think that's really important when you're thinking about celebrating and what that looks like.
Jordanna I am so excited that there are now resources in good year for people who need some help, that maybe aren't exactly sure who to talk to, or they've never done it before or maybe don't have the resources. Tell us about the partnership between Trauma Recovery Services, and the city of Goodyear.
So we have partnered with the city of Goodyear, where a telehealth base mental health clinic, we serve ages 13 And up in the state of Arizona, we really specialize in trauma informed care. Our partnership with the City of Goodyear essentially means that good year residents are able to very quickly get access to telehealth services. So the city of Goodyear will cover for sessions, they'll cover the cost for that particular person, regardless of whether they have insurance, or they're not insured, or if say our particular clinic doesn't take your insurance. So all residents can receive up to four sessions, regardless of income, as long as they're a resident of the city of Goodyear. And then for folks who qualify financially, they can receive up to 10 sessions. So it's really a way for them to get into services. And to kind of see if that's something that one is this particular modality good for them to are they willing to engage or they move to connect with that provider by four sessions, generally, we should see whether things have begun to change.
Well and I think that's an amazing program that the city and yourselves are involved with, because I have to imagine that some of the barriers that people may have when it comes to seeking out help for their mental health is due to not knowing who to contact or they may be concerned about the cost or the not having the finances to facilitate something like that. So by having those big two things right there, the accessibility and the finances of it. That has to be a huge breakthrough for a lot of folks who are seeking help, but just may not know where to begin or may not have the money.
Yeah, definitely. We have full time staff who answer phones from nine to five, Monday through Friday. And I kid you not at least once or twice a week we get someone that calls us and breaks down in tears because they've been calling and calling and calling and no one's answered the phone. And they finally have gotten through to someone and there's just that relief of I finally got to talk to a person because for us that's really important. Accessibility is really important. We need people to respond quickly because you know, when someone's distressed, they don't have all day to call eight 910 12 places they want to be able to call, speak to somebody or get a return Call pretty quickly and schedule an appointment and sort of find that right fit.
Are you seeing in the mental health field Giordana any trends in terms of challenges with either more people needing mental health assistance these days, either for kids or adults? And then is the accessibility there like it used to be?
Absolutely, we've seen an increase, I'm sure you guys have seen in the news, the Attorney General even declared like a mental health crisis. They're recommending that all primary care professionals screen everybody that's coming in. Because there's a lot more depression, a lot more anxiety, especially post COVID. Like, we're still very much in recovery from all of that. That was a really, really big experience for all of us. And I think it's going to take a long time for us to really get back to where we were even before that, there still is a shortage of mental health providers. Accessibility is a challenge, which is why like I said, people will often call multiple places not receive a return call, which I really don't like that, like that's, that's a personal pet peeve for me, which is why in our practice, we made the decision to make sure that we have people answering the phones, that if somebody calls, you know, they get a return call, even if say they're not a good year resident, and we run a low cost, no cost clinic as well, maybe our clinics, will, we really try to help place them somewhere, if we aren't able to get them in for services with us. But the majority of the time we are able to get them in. Yeah, accessibility has definitely been a challenge. And it allows us to hire clinicians throughout the state of Arizona. So we're not limited by location.
With the pilot program that is taking place here between the city of Goodyear and yourselves, how normal is this? How often do you see a partnership between a city and a place like Trauma Recovery Services, that are really trying to do good by their own residents?
I think it's rare. I think it's really rare. But I know that there are some cities that internally have social services or healthcare services. So maybe they have a free standing clinic. But usually, it's quite limited. I think in this case, this was a really bold move by the city. Because the city basically stepped up in said, we will cover the out of pocket costs for our residents for those four sessions and up to 10. So that means even if someone has insurance, or they have another payer, the city will pay their co-pay or their deductible. And that's really unheard of, I don't know of any other city that's doing this. And so it's definitely a new way of meeting the residents where they are, and making sure that that accessibility is there, and that the financial barriers are really reduced or eliminated.
Tell us Jordanna, about how can our residents can get in contact with you?
The clinic phone number is 602-661-0200. We also have a website, it's www.trsofaz.com. There's also a specific landing page for good year residents, you can send us an email at info@trsofaz.com. But the best way is to call. But if you want to learn more about our practice, or even take a look at our practitioners visiting the website, it's also a great way to kind of get some information about what services we provide and take a look at our practitioners a lot of times people can tell just looking at a picture and reading a little bit about a provider to see whether that person would be a good fit for them or not.
Okay, save that phone number for me one more time, just in case someone can jot it down.
Sure. 602-661-0200.
And so what would be the final one thought that you might say to someone who's thinking like, Oh, should I call Should I not I'm having issues but I'm not having like, you know, massive trauma that I need recovering from in my life, but I'm just not having maybe a very easy time coping with things. What would you say to those individuals who are not quite there yet to pick up the phone, but maybe do truly need some help?
I would say give it a chance. You know, you don't really have anything to lose telehealth is really accessible. It's an hour out of your day. You don't have to drive anywhere. You don't have to do anything special. And you can always try it and see if it's helpful to you. You don't really have anything to lose, especially if you're not having to pay for the service and someone's going to help meet you in the middle.
Well Jordanna thank you so much for taking the time and joining us today. We really appreciate your insights into what I think a lot of people may be experiencing this time of year right now. And then also just thank you for the work that your facility He is doing with the city and helping our residents find that mental health balance that stability for them, not just in the holiday season, but permanently, hopefully.
Yeah, thank you so much for having me, I really appreciate it.
I think that was such an insightful interview with Jordanna about ways to prevent those triggers. That was one key phrase that she mentioned in our interview with her was the triggers and being proactive and maybe identifying what your own personal triggers may be. So that when things do get a little stressful during the holiday season, when those relatives who you may not be the biggest fan of start showing up at your door, you're prepared to handle the challenges that may come with that anxiety and stress that gets elevated.
And I think it's so important to take care of yourself first. I mean, we are so busy, not only during the holidays, but year round, taking care of a lot of the needs of other people that we often forget to take care of ourselves. And if you can't take care of yourself first. What good are you going to be to anyone else around you? Who really does need you.
Yeah and I think the other thing too, that was touched on in that interview is that not everything is going to be perfect, right? I mean, it's okay to not have this picturesque holiday season where everything is perfect. And everything is shiny and glittery, just like you see on social media. That's not realistic. And so it's okay not to have that type of pressure put on yourself to achieve those types of things that really can be somewhat unrealistic and fulfilling.
So you're telling me it's okay not to wrap my kids presents, right? Absolutely, no matter the tree, they're gonna be totally fine.
If that is the thing, then sign me up as well. I'm good for that as well. Yeah, make it a game, just hide them around the house and make it like hide and go seek or something like that, kids will roll with it.
But we as adults have a harder time rolling with it. And I think it's important to remember for all of us that it's okay to fail. It's probably okay to fail every now and that the sky is not going to fall, things are going to be okay. Take care of yourself, take a moment to breathe. And for anyone who's got a hard time, you know, I'd love to hear that there are these resources available to anyone.
We hope that you took something out of this episode of the growing good year podcast, whether that may be a new resource for you to handle the challenges of the holiday season, or just a compassionate ear to commiserate a little bit with people who are going through the same type of thing that you are.
I enjoyed talking to her immensely and and I hope you take it as some inspiration to, you know, get that help that you need, you know, or maybe just talk to someone who's close to you, a friend, a family member to make the holidays just a little bit easier, because I know they can be tough.
So for Tammy Vo, I'm Jordan Byrd. And remember, it's a great time to be in Goodyear.
That concludes this episode of Growing good year. Make sure to leave us a review and subscribe on your favorite streaming or podcast player app. If you have any questions or comments, email us at communications at good year az.gov. And don't forget to follow us on the city of good years social media pages.
