Exploring Different Brains www.DifferentBrains.com

Katherine Murphy, CEO of NAMI Palm Beach County, share how the alliance is helping people with mental health challenges in South Florida and throughout the nation.

NAMI Palm Beach County is an affiliate of NAMI - THE national Alliance on Mental Illness. From their website: “NAMI PBC is an organization dedicated to providing support, education and advocacy with the goal to empower persons with mental illness and their families. Support groups, information on community resources, advocacy, educational programs (such as Peer-to-Peer and Family-to-Family) and one-on-one peer mentoring are just some of the many services provided by NAMI PBC to Palm Beach County residents. As a nonprofit organization that relies on the generous donations of our members and others, our fundraising events, and that receives grant funds to support programs, all services and programs offered by NAMI PBC are free to those who use them…

“…NAMI PBC strives to be the recognized leading organization for improving the quality of life and protecting the rights and interests of those affected by mental illness in Palm Beach County. Elimination of the stigma attached to mental illness is essential to achieve the goals of empowerment, social inclusion and recovery.”

For more about NAMI PBC: https://namipbc.org/

Or for information about the national website: https://nami.org/


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Fusion Academy’s Tainah Georges explains how they use a one-student-to-one-teacher model that allows students to achieve academically.

Fusion describes itself as: “the world's most personalized middle and high school, with 1-to-1 classes that match your student's pace and preferences, so they can learn better, dive deeper, and never get left behind.” Their Mission statement: “Guided by a fundamental belief in the immense potential within every person, our mission is to help each student flourish – emotionally, socially, and academically – through positive, mentoring relationships and a personalized education experience.” Michelle Rose Gilman founded Fusion Academy out of frustration with the status quo, and a need for personalized education in her community. What began with one campus in Solana Beach, California in 1989 expanded to add a Los Angeles campus in 2010 through the help of what is now Fusion Education Group. Since then, Fusion has expanded to over 80 campuses across the country and changes the lives of thousands of families each year.

For more about Fusion Academy: https://www.fusionacademy.com/


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Canine Assisted Therapy’s Courtney Trzcinski, Laura Rogers, and Gracie share what therapy animals do, and how they positively impact those with social and health challenges.

Canine Assisted Therapy, Inc. is a pet therapy organization located in Broward County, Florida. Their mission is to improve the health and well-being of people in need through the healing power of the human-animal bond. From their website: “Utilizing our certified handlers and their therapy dogs, we are dedicated to providing pet therapy to children and adults who have developmental, emotional, or physical challenges, as well as those in need of comfort and companionship.”

Courtney Trzcinski is the director of outreach and development at Canine Assisted Therapy. Laura Rogers is a volunteer dog handler there, where she shares her dog Gracie with the community.

For more about Canine Assisted Therapy: https://catdogs.org/

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University of Miami’s Shelly Baer & Jairo Arana discuss their Self-Advocate Leadership Training (SALT) program.

Shelly Baer is a licensed clinical social worker, disability self-advocate, and the director of leadership training initiatives at the University of Miami School of Medicine’s Mailman Center for Child Development. Jairo Arana is a clinical program coordinator at the University of Miami School of Medicine’s Mailman Center for Child Development. Shelly is coordinator and Jairo a graduate of and trainer in the Center’s Self-Advocate Leadership Training program (SALT).

Project SALT aims to teach a leadership skills curriculum to individuals with disabilities so that they can learn strategies to advocate for themselves and others and to effect larger systems-level change. The vision of the project: to produce an ever-growing cadre of individuals with the capacity for self-determination and independence and the ability to participate in their communities in meaningful ways.

For more about the SALT program: https://med.miami.edu/centers-and-institutes/mailman-center/education/leadership-training-opportunities/salt


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Zachary Tovin shares his perspective on being an autism self-advocate.

Zach is on the Autism Spectrum and grew up in South Florida. After high school, he attended the Horizons School in Birmingham, Alabama, where he studied and honed the skills he would need to live and work independently. In 2019, Zach graduated from ARC Broward Culinary Arts program, receiving his Culinary Arts certification in knife and cooking skills. He is a board member of Casa Familia, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating sustainable, enriched and affordable housing communities, with features, amenities and services designed to benefit adults with intellectual, developmental, and other related disabilities.

When he is not working, Zach enjoys photography, listening to music, playing video games and hanging out with friends. Zach is a member of the Camera Club at Flamingo Gardens, and has displayed his photography at various events in South Florida.

For more about Zach: https://zachtovinphotography.wordpress.com/

For more about Casa Familia: https://casafamiliainc.org/


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Anthony Pacilio of CAI shares of they are helping organizations realize the benefits of neurodiversity.

Anthony Pacilio, is recognized domestically and internationally, as an expert in neurodiverse employment and currently serves as Vice President of CAI Neurodiverse Solutions. Pacilio specializes in advancing neurodiversity programs and leads the global expansion efforts of CAI Neurodiverse Solutions.

CAI Neurodiverse Solutions is an end-to-end neurodiversity employment program that helps organizations realize the benefits of neurodiversity. Our successful employment model is designed to bring the untapped talent pool of neurodivergent individuals into the workforce and creates more career opportunities for the neurodiverse community. Our mission is to build innovative business solutions that deliver results while developing rewarding, long-lasting careers for the neurodiverse community and leading the way to an inclusive workforce environment.

For more about CAI Neurodiverse Solutions: https://www.cai.io/neurodiverse-solutions/
Or visit their homepage at: https://www.cai.io/

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