Dr. Desi L. Pt. 2 - Facilitator

Alrighty. So I know that you were able to share a little bit about the work that you do with evidence based programs and maybe we could just dive into kind of how you got connected to it and some of the things that you've learned. What do you value?

As I shared with Aziz, we got connected by way of our convention and I think what came up was the fact that they were short facilitators of color, everybody. They had been doing this work, as Aziz explained, across the country and particularly here in Milwaukee, Milwaukee county, but not engaging communities of color. So they heard about our ambassador program and that's what I just finished sharing. So the ambassador program has been instrumental. After learning that our ambassadors went through a certified training module, we brought in as another module entity for the ambassadors to get certified and be able to facilitate the evidence base living well with chronic conditions program. I think the other thing that we did, we had to work with them to identify a specific set of training hours because of the amount of hours for them to be able to certify because most of the work that the ambassadors are doing is volunteer. And that's the other challenge. We want the work to be done, but we don't want to compensate for the work being done, especially when we're talking about impoverished communities.

Yeah. So from you all and your work specifically around having this class now be offered, being offered by individuals who are in the community, they're really looking to serve. What was the receptivity like? So for community members, how are people showing up and what levels of engagement have you seen?

We started by way of when you're in Rome, you do as the Romans. The faith community has a infrastructure just like any other social sector organization. You're not going to do anything without it going starting at the top and getting approval and moving downward. So we engaged our executive leaders and in our case the pastors across our convention reach and introduced the conceptual framework of what living well was about and how it would benefit the congregates. And we move forward from there with setting up. We're still finishing up our pilot phase. So once we train the ambassadors, we train six ambassadors and identified, we have to do eight sessions. Eight.

So we're just about finished with those, I believe it was. And in those eight sessions, they've been spread out across the community by the receptiveness of the pastors that say that they want to bring this and offer it. We had to look at flexibility of time for the community members because again, you have your seniors that are truly retired that want to get it done in the daytime, and then you have those who are still working that's over the age of 55 that want to participate, but you have to do it in the evening. Then you have the whole issue of daylight safety, security in whatever location that you had. And so understanding, most people felt comfortable in their church environment. And so we will rotate and meet the people where they are at their respective home churches.

Oh, lovely, lovely.

So it's not that they have to just come say here to empower. If that's where they think would be the best for those members that's going to participate, then that's where they go.

So was that like a unique approach to being able to reach different churches? Or was that like. I guess I'm curious, was that something that you guys came up with? Like, I think this is how we can reach interested individuals better? Or was that something that was like, recommended? Were you from the county? Like, how did you guys come to that?

We already were practicing it. We offered the recommendation to the county.

Got it.

Because again, communities do not appreciate people coming in and saying, we have this for you, this is what we need. And so in our networking and program development, we already had the model and Milwaukee county just partnered with us, along with Wiha to make this happen and make it come to flourish.

Nice. And then the process around, like you having a recommendation. So there was something that you all knew was laid out. This works, you know, this is a way forward. Was there receptivity to that? Was there a lot of explaining or education that you had to do between, you know, you, the organization and the county? What was that relationship like?

We had to explain what our contractual agreement was because we were sub granted with WiHA, whereas the criteria says that they want us to host x amount of workshop, having a smaller group of individuals because we are piloting. Milwaukee county had already been running workshops that I think it had up to like 16 or 18 people. And again, they were consistently in places that people, black and brown people aren't comfortable with going. And we understand and what I shared, no offense to anyone, but oftentimes when we bring programs inside of our communities, no one looks like the people that we're trying to reach. And that's really, it's a silent insult. We'll talk about it amongst ourselves, but we will not talk about it until Milwaukee county. How come y'all don't have somebody that look like me?

Yeah.

Type of thing. And so Jennifer, you know, she understood because she was our master trainer for the group I took end up taking the training, because it was a death in one of the ambassador's families and we had contracted for six. So it wasn't a restriction on me being trained as a facilitator, even though I could teach them everything that's in the book. But, you know, just to go through, to make the validity of the process be consistent. I sat through the training and am a certified ambassador's not based, I'm sorry, a certified facilitator, not based on my credentials, but based on sitting through the training. And so that was well received as well. And then it also afforded us an opportunity. So if, say, for, you know, you have to go for the six weeks, someone has something, because again, family issues come up.

It's life. If someone, one of the facilitators have something come up and can't make one of the sessions, then I'll sub or, you know, we work amongst ourselves to sub to so that that session of six weeks don't have to be interrupted.

Got it. Now. And I know you. Cause you're still actively in your pilot phase. Is that right?

Yes.

Okay.

Yes.

Are there any recommendations that you have? So maybe there's some pieces that you've learned about. Oh, if this would have happened, it would have made it even more interesting for people to show up and be.

Involved or people were just excited, Raven, just to be in the presence. They felt comfortable. They heard by reputation, Doctor Levy wants us to do this. And that's what I share with Aziz the community profile that I hold. I don't take it lightly. It's a humbling experience. But at the same time, they felt comfortable with knowing that our ambassadors and how they had been trained and the fact that they were going to retain their privacy because, you know, in intimate sessions like these, people are concerned. Everybody was looking over their shoulder to see who's going to show up.

And if it's show up, is it somebody that's going to tell something on me? And so therefore, one of the struggles that we've had is the surveys that they ask. And so I help them put together the surveys, our group as well. And the constant feedback that keeps coming is trying to collect demographic data.

Right.

And my personal, whether, even if it's the smallest thing as a zip code, how do you get around that? Because there are those that believe even my zip code can give away to somebody that I want to know where I am or located. Why do you think people have cell phones from California?

Right.

Right. Taxes and po boxes. And what's the purpose of us collecting that type of data. So that's what we've had to consistently hit home, so to speak.

Got it. So I'm hearing that there were a couple of really intentional pieces that you guys were able to put together. So, first, having people who look like the community that you're trying to serve be the individuals that are facilitating, having individuals who are kind of well known within their community also be a part of it, can really help to lend to individuals receptivity to what you have to say. And then I'm also hearing this piece around the value that was held on the actual training that was put together, where it brought a peace of mind, where, okay, it's not just somebody kind of raised their hand and then is in front of me as a facilitator, but there is a richest training that I know of that I can say, oh, if they went through that training, then I can tune my ears up a little bit to hear what they have to say. Cause it'll be worth my time.

Correct.

So it sounds like those pieces have come together where that alone was enough to draw people in to uplift and have them feel excited to come in.

And inclusion, again, it depends on the environment. But when we're talking about community, don't just bring me something and say, you know, pass a flyer. We're gonna do this. We're gonna do that with the young generation. You know, you can put something out on social media. We gonna have a pop up. Let's show up here, and that's fine. But when you're talking the older community, I want to be comfortable.

I want to have had a longstanding existing relationship, not just one that you and me met today. And next week, I'm coming and saying, you know what, y'all? We gonna trust Raven. She here to do this, that, and the other. It's a hard, hard sell, you know, and I think organizations externally, outside of that grapevine circle, don't pay attention to the subliminal messages that are given to them when they come in.

Yeah, yeah. So, has the length of time ever come up as a concern? So, I feel like most of the classes with the county or the evidence based programs all have, like, this window of time to say whether it be six weeks or eight weeks or whatever the case may be. Has that shown to be a hurdle for either the facilitators to be able to commit to or for the participants to be able to commit to?

In this pilot, it hasn't been. I shouldn't say it hasn't. Yes, it has. Because this one session that we had, it became. We had to cancel it, and we'll probably be rescheduling it, but we didn't want to put the burden on the pastor and or the church because they had recently experienced a series of passing, a series of deaths. So just because I got it on the calendar don't mean that it has. It's written in stone and it has to take place, or we all going to hell.

Right. Right.

We can reschedule it. So we will be looking at rescheduling that event, but with the intention to get finished before our agreement ends.

Got it? Got it. So, just as a final thought, is there any other pieces of kind of, like, reflection for improvement that you have or something that you would like to see that may be woven throughout all of the evidence based programs? Just wanting to know if there's something that you have that you've noticed that you would like to share and uplift.

I think it needs to be adapted culturally sensitive. It's a scripted program. So as facilitators, you read the script and you use your own words, where they say, it's okay to use your own words. But the experience in over 50% of the programs that we've had, of the required 50%, should I say 100%, people have been concerned with how the information is being asked or there's nothing. A thorough understanding. So there's an assumption, just from my lens, there's an assumption that I can read above a 12th grade level. I can read and comprehend what it's saying. And you're assuming that I have an environment that's conducive of what's in this textbook.

So, for instance, one of the tool action. Toolbox action is meditation. Most meditation, reflection requires quiet. It doesn't have to be private, but it requires quiet. If I'm a grandmother taking care of my extended family, and you want me to do this quiet time, meditation time, when am I supposed to be able to do it? When am I supposed to be able to pop in a cd or listen to waterfalls when there are sirens going on around? So my meditation to center myself turns in, really, to prayer because I hear these sirens, Lord, don't let that be one of my children. Lord, don't let that be anybody I know, et cetera, et cetera. You see what I'm saying?

I do. The other thing. I think that was a beautiful example. Cause I also think that meditation and having that as a prescription almost also requires that that someone knows how to do that beforehand and that they have a level of familiarity because there are a lot of people where sitting quietly can be very unnerving for them. So that recommendation for something that's supposed to be peaceful can also do the exact opposite. Oh, I think I'm doing it wrong because I'm still having my thoughts. It's not as quiet in my own mind as I thought it was supposed to be. And on top of that, I have an environment that's introducing a love of noise.

So that was a beautiful example. So there's a piece around language comprehension, but then also kind of like this pre existing skillset that individuals are kind of expected to have already.

And even though it's, let me see, it's probably about a half hour of one of the sessions still, I don't even get a chance to necessarily practice it. Maybe once or twice through the six week session. You know, take the book and your, the instructions say, take the book. Read it. It's this intimidating for me to. The book is. It's two times this. It's intimidating for me to take this and then you want me to read it.

So what would, what would a recommendation be in lieu of like, the book reading component? What would, what could, what could a solution look like?

Well, we've been working on. How do we. Excuse me, how do we better those models? I don't. Do I have an answer, a direct answer that could change it? Absolutely not. But I have some ideals. But you can't do it because of validity and integrity of the conceptual effort.

Got it. So, like the parameters kind of are also limiting.

Oh, yeah.

From. Very limiting to even think about being solution oriented.

Yes.

To meet the audience where they are, basically to meet people's needs where they are. Because also if I maybe I haven't gotten my prescription updated, so I can't.

You know, I can't see it could be any variable that people are concerned about, so. But I would love to see if at all, and I'd help Jennifer and those guys, whoever decides to take on the task to make it more culturally sensitive. So, you know, 1 may say words are words, and it's not our fault that they don't know how to read or how to comprehend. And it may not be, but those that are of the faith community, it is our responsibility. It is our responsibility to advocate. It is our responsibility to protect. If you come to me in confidence, I need to be able to hold your information without saying I'm required by law to report such and such because that's not how it works.

Yeah.

And so if, and if you report something that you entrusted, I entrusted you. Then I'm going to shut you out, and I'm going to tell every last.

One of my cousins. That's a rupture you can't easily mendennae. Mm.

Yeah.

Got it. Well, this has been absolutely wonderful. Thank you. For one, what you do in your day to day life for the way you show up, the way you give, the way that you choose to exist. And thanks for making some time for us today, for us to do a little bit of a deep dive to learn about you, but then also kind of how this evidence based program plays into one of the pieces that you uplift and carry forward.

Okay. Answer. And you could turn it off if you need to.