Episode 4
Episode 4: Supporting Mental Health with a Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP)
Susan O’Nell, Aja Owens, and Stan Schmidt talk about mental health and the benefits of having a wellness recovery action plan. Below are links to some helpful resources and sources cited during this podcast. Thank you for listening. Please share on your social media pages.
Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery: The Way WRAP Works
Copeland Center for Wellness and Recover: The History of WRAP
Advocating for Human Potential, Inc.: Wellness Recovery Action Plan
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Learn more about the Institute on Community Integration at the University of Minnesota
Transcript
- Hello and welcome to
the podcast Wellness
Speaker:Matters for Direct Support.
Speaker:This is a podcast
developed by the University
Speaker:of Minnesota's Institute
on community integration,
Speaker:and it's focused on the
importance of health, wellness,
Speaker:and self care for direct support workers.
Speaker:My name is Chut Cheddar
Speaker:and I'm a national workforce consultant,
Speaker:and I'm also a direct support worker.
Speaker:I'm here with my colleague Mark Olson.
Speaker:- My name is Mark Olson,
and I also am someone that's
Speaker:provided direct support for many years.
Speaker:I am the cohost of the podcast and,
Speaker:and I'm very glad to welcome
my colleague Susan Oell,
Speaker:to the podcast today.
Speaker:And she will introduce
the rest of our guests
Speaker:who are gonna be talking
about wrap and what WRAP is.
Speaker:So, Susan, if you'd be so
kind is introduce yourself
Speaker:and then move forward
and introduce our guests.
Speaker:- Sure. Well, as she
said, my name's Susan Oll.
Speaker:I'm super happy to be here
Speaker:and I know that you guys invited me
Speaker:because, you know, I have a long history
Speaker:of being a direct support
professional that I did that work
Speaker:for many years and even to this day,
Speaker:maintain a really close relationship
Speaker:with a fellow I met years
ago who used to live with me
Speaker:and, you know, kind of keep
my eye on how things are going
Speaker:for him and stay connected
to him in a, in a,
Speaker:a real close way to make
sure his life is going well.
Speaker:I now write curriculum for
direct support professionals
Speaker:and make and direct that
here at the institute.
Speaker:So that's my, that's my role Now that,
Speaker:but I think you guys invited me here
Speaker:'cause you wanted to hear
about how I use wrap,
Speaker:which is wellness Recovery
action planning to kind
Speaker:of help me stay well
Speaker:and stay healthy as I go
about my caregiving roles
Speaker:and how maybe DSPs could use that
Speaker:as well in their caregiving to
help themselves stay healthy
Speaker:and well as they manage the
many things they have to manage.
Speaker:When you guys invited me to do that,
Speaker:and we'll talk more in a little bit about
Speaker:what does wrap actually mean,
Speaker:but when you invited me to
do that, I really wanted
Speaker:to invite two friends of mine
Speaker:and I'll just give you a brief overview of
Speaker:how I met these folks
Speaker:and then they'll get a chance
to each introduce themselves.
Speaker:But Asia and I, Asia Owens
Speaker:and I, we met at a mental
health conference years ago.
Speaker:And to be honest, most
of our relationship is
Speaker:through Facebook and letters
and things like that.
Speaker:But we keep in touch with each other since
Speaker:that day we clicked,
I was really impressed
Speaker:with the work I was seeing her do
Speaker:through an organization called
Poetry for Personal Power.
Speaker:We've just stayed in touch
Speaker:and I've been, I've been intrigued
Speaker:and excited by all the things
I see Asia doing in her
Speaker:community to, to keep things going.
Speaker:And I know self-care is hard
Speaker:to do when you're a busy person like that.
Speaker:So, I'm, I I'm gonna, so
I, I just thought she,
Speaker:and she has a wrap and she's a wrap
Speaker:facilitator, isn't that right?
Speaker:A Asia? Yes, yes.
Speaker:Yeah, so, so that's why I invited Asia
Speaker:'cause I know she's gonna,
she's gonna give us a,
Speaker:a really good perspective on wrap in terms
Speaker:of those kinds of things.
Speaker:And then I, I invited Stan because Stan
Speaker:and I went through wrap
facilitator training together.
Speaker:He came all the way to Minnesota,
Speaker:even though he's based
in California, Stan,
Speaker:after the facilitator training,
Speaker:when you do wrap the
proper way, you really have
Speaker:to have at least two facilitators,
Speaker:if not more, to make it work.
Speaker:And Stan was looking for
some, a co-facilitator
Speaker:and he reached out to me
Speaker:because he wanted to do a, a wrap seminar
Speaker:that was focused, that
actually had direct support
Speaker:professionals and people
receiving services together in a
Speaker:group building their wraps together.
Speaker:And I thought, what an awesome
idea, let's, let's try this.
Speaker:And this was before covid
and we did it hybrid
Speaker:and Stan had to manage all that technology
Speaker:and keep the classroom going.
Speaker:And I just got to pop in on video,
Speaker:but, so I was, I thought
Stan would be a great person
Speaker:to talk about this today with us.
Speaker:So with that, maybe Asia,
Speaker:you wanna give yourself
a little introduction?
Speaker:- Hello everybody, my name is Asia Owens.
Speaker:I am a native of St. Louis, Missouri.
Speaker:And as Susan mentioned,
we met through a poetry
Speaker:for personal power program
that I'm a part of.
Speaker:And you know, I just wanted to start
Speaker:by saying I'm an artist, I'm a poet
Speaker:and I've, I joined this program
Speaker:because it, it was a program
that intertwined, you know,
Speaker:arts and wellness
Speaker:and we talk about how everyone
goes through adversities,
Speaker:but when we share what we
go through, it helps others
Speaker:to know that they can
overcome those challenges.
Speaker:And we always talk about
like how important it is
Speaker:to find your personal power.
Speaker:You know, like what is that
thing that helps you to get
Speaker:through tough times?
Speaker:For me it's riding,
Speaker:but for someone else, you know,
Speaker:it could be just gardening
or something like that.
Speaker:So this program has really
evolved over the years
Speaker:to now we talk about peer
support, we actually work
Speaker:with others who are in recovery
Speaker:and just kind of help people
to come up with a plan to,
Speaker:you know, just accomplish a
lot of their life's goals.
Speaker:And so that's where we
started to use wrap, wrap plan
Speaker:and wellness recovery
action plan to help others
Speaker:to just again, you know,
come up with ways to
Speaker:do the daily things that they
do and achieve those goals.
Speaker:So I've worked in the community
Speaker:for over 20 years just doing advocacy
Speaker:and, you know, working,
you know, primarily
Speaker:with the youth population
and the unhoused community.
Speaker:And so these wellness plans
have really, really helped
Speaker:so many that we've been able to work with.
Speaker:- Thank you Asia. And now let's
hear a little bit from Stan.
Speaker:I'd like to hear your introduction.
Speaker:- Alright, well thank you
Susan for inviting me.
Speaker:As Susan was saying,
Speaker:we met at a session in
outside of Minneapolis
Speaker:and WRAP was something that
Speaker:I always wanted to bring to the program,
Speaker:but frankly it just seemed
like an impossible feat.
Speaker:And anyway, we got that done.
Speaker:But I work for a company
community integrated work program,
Speaker:and we specialize in working with people
Speaker:who have behavioral excesses.
Speaker:These are folks who literally
couldn't be in the community
Speaker:unless they're in a program.
Speaker:We even take folks who are in
forensic homes, so they come
Speaker:with a variety of issues.
Speaker:But CIWP is known for working with people
Speaker:who have these challenging behaviors.
Speaker:As a matter of fact, we offer
services to almost a quarter
Speaker:of the regional centers in California
Speaker:for 24 hour crisis response.
Speaker:So we have a lot of expertise in how
Speaker:to handle challenging behaviors.
Speaker:The one thing that I
always felt was lacking,
Speaker:however, was to be able to teach clients
Speaker:skills that would put them in charge.
Speaker:We still, to some degree go by
an old model where, you know,
Speaker:the professional is correct
Speaker:and we're the one that is administering
Speaker:and telling people what
they need to work on,
Speaker:even though we do person-centered
Speaker:planning and all of those things.
Speaker:I, I think the area of behavior
change is the one place
Speaker:where we haven't done enough
in making sure clients are in
Speaker:charge, it's their life.
Speaker:They know themselves better than anyone.
Speaker:And when I was able to work
with Susan, we really brought
Speaker:that home to the clients
Speaker:and staff all in the same
room, which I felt was
Speaker:also a, oh, what would you say?
Speaker:It, it, it was exactly the
way I wanted this to happen
Speaker:because if you believe in rap,
you know, we're all equal.
Speaker:We all face similar
issues in many respects.
Speaker:And I wanted clients to see that.
Speaker:So we took off our other
hats while we're in the room.
Speaker:We, we did an eight
session course with them.
Speaker:I don't know if you want more
than that right now or, that's
Speaker:- Awesome, Stan.
Speaker:And then that's exactly
one of the things that's
Speaker:so intrigued me about the program
Speaker:and why you wanted to bring rap
Speaker:because it was the ultimate in
Speaker:shaking up the, you know, the boundaries.
Speaker:We have a lot of times that are, you know,
Speaker:we need healthy boundaries
obviously, and we need boundaries
Speaker:and roles and things like that,
Speaker:but to be able to work
equally next to people
Speaker:who are receiving the services
we're delivering is a really
Speaker:powerful is it just a powerful frame?
Speaker:- Yes, I thought so too.
Speaker:And as, as I was somewhat
preparing for today,
Speaker:I was looking over the roster
Speaker:and to be honest with you,
I forgot the exact date
Speaker:that we started, but it's,
it's been some four years ago,
Speaker:something like that.
Speaker:And all of our clients that were in
Speaker:that class are still here
with us except for one.
Speaker:And I thought that the wrap
had something to, to do with
Speaker:that, that we really built
a community with these guys.
Speaker:We did a couple wrap
pal sessions afterwards,
Speaker:which I think kind of
kept this stuff fresh,
Speaker:but it, it was exactly
what I wanted it to be.
Speaker:- Awesome, thank you.
- Thank you Stan and Susan and Asia.
Speaker:And we're gonna get into
some questions here shortly
Speaker:that kind of go into you
talking a little more in depth
Speaker:about how what WRAP is and how
Speaker:and how it's used and how it works.
Speaker:And the first question I'm
gonna ask is for Susan,
Speaker:and maybe she will use the
two of you, I don't know,
Speaker:but it's really just simply
explain what is wrap.
Speaker:- And I really think it's
important that we give credit
Speaker:where credit is due.
Speaker:So the, I'm gonna just
spend like two minutes kind
Speaker:of making sure some of the key
Speaker:and most important things
about WRAP are happening,
Speaker:including making sure
Speaker:that folks know there
are some reputable places
Speaker:to check in on wrap.
Speaker:And I know you guys will
have links near this podcast
Speaker:to help people get there,
Speaker:but you always wanna go to the source.
Speaker:So there's two places that
you should think about.
Speaker:One is the Copeland Center
Speaker:and the other is the
advocates for Human Potential.
Speaker:They carry all the books
that are sanctioned by rap.
Speaker:I do wanna make sure that
people realize rap has a huge
Speaker:and rich history.
Speaker:It comes out of the mental health area
Speaker:and it really is about
empowerment, self-direction.
Speaker:It was developed by folks,
led by Mary Ellen Copeland,
Speaker:but developed by a number of folks who
Speaker:had been basically told that
they were lucky to, you know,
Speaker:take their meds and
stay in their homes and,
Speaker:and receive the help that
they were gonna have.
Speaker:They wanted more for their
lives and they got together
Speaker:and started to figure
out how that could be.
Speaker:And so the rap history is a rich one.
Speaker:It has a real powerful,
powerful base to it.
Speaker:And it it comes from that peer model.
Speaker:And we heard Stan talk
about like that peer
Speaker:and Asia talk about peers.
Speaker:It's about people helping people
Speaker:with unconditional positive regard.
Speaker:And it is, it's, it's
incredibly powerful the process
Speaker:of a rep, developing a rep
Speaker:and being in that kind of
co community with people.
Speaker:Then working your rep can be
quite, quite powerful too.
Speaker:So it's been used out outside
Speaker:of the mental health community,
it's moved into a lot
Speaker:of different communities now.
Speaker:And caregivers is a, is a major place
Speaker:because caregiver
wellness is always at risk
Speaker:'cause you're doing a lot.
Speaker:And so a wrap can be a
great way to organize how,
Speaker:how you are gonna come together
Speaker:and keep yourself healthy in the world.
Speaker:Person centered, person directed,
Speaker:self-determined, peer supported.
Speaker:It can't be a wrap if it's not
a hundred percent voluntary
Speaker:and if it's not owned by the person.
Speaker:So it's not like a, it's
not like a support plan,
Speaker:a typical support plan.
Speaker:This is really the person's plan
Speaker:and they only share
what they want with you.
Speaker:And it's built on these five recovery
Speaker:principles that are important.
Speaker:Hope, personal responsibility, education,
Speaker:self-advocacy and support.
Speaker:And they turn out to be
very powerful when you start
Speaker:to apply them to your wrap.
Speaker:And I think that's the big
picture on things I wanted
Speaker:to make sure folks knew about wrap.
Speaker:And I want you to make sure
you get to those links if you
Speaker:wanna learn more and get to those good
Speaker:sources we talked about earlier.
Speaker:- And we will have those links available
Speaker:on the podcast site when we put this up.
Speaker:So you'll be able to find the
Copeland Center right from
Speaker:our resources. So
Speaker:- Stan or Asia, do you have
anything you would like to add
Speaker:to what Susan just told us about a wrap?
Speaker:- Yeah, I just wanted to add,
Speaker:because I definitely think that one
Speaker:of the things I just kinda
want to emphasize first is,
Speaker:you know how Susan mentioned
that it's self-directed.
Speaker:So definitely emphasizing
that your wrap plan is,
Speaker:is specific to you, you know,
no wrap plan will be the same.
Speaker:Also, you know, that
you can do a wrap plan
Speaker:for just about anything.
Speaker:You know, some people may do
it because they're in recovery,
Speaker:but some people may wanna do a wrap plan,
Speaker:you know, to plan their wedding.
Speaker:You know, hey, if I'm planning my wedding,
Speaker:these are the people that
I would like to be by me
Speaker:'cause they can help calm me down,
Speaker:but these are the people that
you might wanna keep away from
Speaker:me because they're gonna stress me out.
Speaker:You know, so, you know, being,
Speaker:being very specific about
the things that you need
Speaker:and also the things that you don't need.
Speaker:And one of the things I
really like about, you know,
Speaker:developing the stress, the,
the wrap plan is that again,
Speaker:you know, you don't have to
feel bad about the things
Speaker:that you know, you feel
are important to you
Speaker:because when you are in crisis
Speaker:or when you are in need, you know, this is
Speaker:what is going to help you.
Speaker:- Yeah, very good point.
Speaker:And everything is very unique
Speaker:and we actually, family
wraps are a great thing too.
Speaker:There's just all sorts of
ways you can do a wrap.
Speaker:It, it can and, and just the
tools are very, very powerful.
Speaker:- There's always that one
person that, you know,
Speaker:during the wedding planning
Speaker:- Yeah, no, I, I was, you
guys got onto weddings.
Speaker:I have a couple ne neighbors
who are wedding planners
Speaker:and they always look so relaxed
Speaker:and I think maybe they have
a, that I'm not aware of.
Speaker:But what is compelling
to me is the, the story
Speaker:as Susan was alluding to,
there is a rich history
Speaker:and when people understand the
story of Mary Ellen Copeland
Speaker:and in particular her mother
Speaker:and then that whole community
that eventually was shaped
Speaker:through shared experiences.
Speaker:And what they understood
was they all had some
Speaker:ways of coping,
Speaker:but they never had a place
to really put it in print
Speaker:or make sure that they remember.
Speaker:And that's the whole idea of
the wrap is you can remember
Speaker:what triggers you, you can remember
Speaker:what makes you feel better.
Speaker:And of course this idea of your
your best self is important
Speaker:because if you don't know
what that looks like,
Speaker:you're gonna have a hard
time maintaining it.
Speaker:So I, I just, there's just nothing
Speaker:that I don't love about it.
Speaker:I love the folks who are involved
with the Copeland Center,
Speaker:such warm and caring people,
Speaker:and these are people who
really are the forgotten folks,
Speaker:the, the folks that without
some of these, these,
Speaker:these wellness recovery
plans would probably not be
Speaker:able to do what they do.
Speaker:So it's, it's so refreshing to, to be
Speaker:among people who have found some answers,
Speaker:at least for themselves.
Speaker:- Yeah. And you know, Stan,
you really reminded me
Speaker:of something that would, would hit
Speaker:with I think our direct support
off audience pretty well,
Speaker:which is, you know,
Speaker:direct support work is a
pretty lonely job at this point
Speaker:because you're, you're
often helping people,
Speaker:one-on-one in their community,
Speaker:but you might not have peers
of your own to check in with.
Speaker:And often I find when I talk to providers
Speaker:of services about wrap
Speaker:or you hear them talking
about it, they're so eager
Speaker:to get it to the people
receiving services.
Speaker:But I think if they got it
Speaker:to the direct support professionals
and the management teams
Speaker:and the organization as a whole
Speaker:and made that organization
healthy and well
Speaker:and gave people the tools
there, that would be the place
Speaker:to start a lot of times I think.
Speaker:- Right? Absolutely.
Speaker:There's a place here in
Sacramento called Crestwood,
Speaker:residential Behavioral Health, I believe.
Speaker:And they go from the top to the bottom.
Speaker:Everybody has a wrap plan there.
Speaker:And I think that is the way to go
Speaker:because who can do this
work without knowing
Speaker:what is gonna potentially trigger you
Speaker:or how to keep yourself healthy
Speaker:- And the power of community and peers.
Speaker:- Absolutely.
- I was just gonna,
Speaker:I was gonna ask a question about that.
Speaker:I've heard all three of you, Stan, Susan,
Speaker:and Asia, talk about community.
Speaker:So tell us like why that's
so important to have
Speaker:that connection of community.
Speaker:- Well, for me, I tell everybody that
Speaker:e everybody is struggles.
Speaker:Everybody struggles with something.
Speaker:It's just that until you talk about it
Speaker:and find a way to talk about it,
Speaker:you feel like you're the only one or,
Speaker:or you, you're, you're embarrassed
Speaker:to divulge it or whatever.
Speaker:And this is what we found in
our group is when we started
Speaker:off and, and as a
facilitator, facilitators know
Speaker:that you've gotta reveal a
bit about your own struggles.
Speaker:Not every detail, but you've
gotta reveal something
Speaker:because ultimately people need
to all, you know, see that,
Speaker:you know, you've, you've had this issue
Speaker:and you've found a way
to maintain some sort
Speaker:of mental health e even with that.
Speaker:And then of course you bring in rap and,
Speaker:and explain, well, you
know, if this happens,
Speaker:this is what I do.
Speaker:What is in the toolbox?
Speaker:What, what are we gonna do if,
if something should come up?
Speaker:But the community is, is is very important
Speaker:because you share a bond after this.
Speaker:For instance, the, the training
that we had in Minneapolis
Speaker:was, was exactly that.
Speaker:We were there for five days,
we got a lot of information,
Speaker:and then at the end
people told their stories
Speaker:and then it was like, oh wow, okay.
Speaker:I, you know, wow, you,
you, you experienced all
Speaker:of those things, but here
you are at your best self.
Speaker:So the community's completely critical.
Speaker:- Thanks. I really wanna hear
from Asia on that one too.
Speaker:I, I, I love what Sam said,
Speaker:- Susan's always a facilitator.
Speaker:I love it.
Speaker:- Yeah, I mean community,
the, the importance
Speaker:of community in this work, again, I think
Speaker:that the more people know
Speaker:and realize that they're
not the only ones going
Speaker:through tough times,
you know, again, it kind
Speaker:of helps give them that
hope that, that it,
Speaker:that it's possible to
overcome those things.
Speaker:And so being able to have that connection,
Speaker:because it really just comes
down to support, you know,
Speaker:when people feel heard,
when people feel supported
Speaker:and they feel valued,
it helps, first of all,
Speaker:it helps an individual,
Speaker:but collectively it helps us
as a community move forward.
Speaker:So I think when we, when we
think about community, you know,
Speaker:what really just comes to mind
is just that ability for us
Speaker:to, you know, to connect and to connect
Speaker:and support each other.
Speaker:- Yeah, I would agree. And,
Speaker:and I wanna say one thing
about community is an
Speaker:interesting word.
Speaker:And one of the powerful
things about WRAP is that it,
Speaker:you have to be in community
with people you do see
Speaker:as peers for it to work.
Speaker:And so, so DSPs,
Speaker:direct support professionals,
you know, being
Speaker:with other direct support professionals,
Speaker:there's common experiences
they're gonna have,
Speaker:there's common things,
Speaker:and that's a really
flexible and fluid thing.
Speaker:Like right now, Asia, Stan
Speaker:and I are all in community together,
Speaker:but there might be places
where we'd need to be
Speaker:with a different community
Speaker:to really get the peer
support we really need for
Speaker:that particular issue.
Speaker:So what's really cool about
wrap is that community kind
Speaker:of ebbs and flows and
has different aspects,
Speaker:but it is all about shared
uplifting of your fellow humans.
Speaker:And, and, and RAP has a real strong values
Speaker:and ethics approach.
Speaker:And, and so you, you know,
Speaker:you just unconditional positive regard.
Speaker:You just keep coming back to that
Speaker:and it just opens your mind
Speaker:to the human experience
in a different way.
Speaker:- Oh, thanks Susan. And
all three of you, I, I am
Speaker:so grateful for your taking the time
Speaker:to answer that question.
Speaker:- I would like to know from
each of you, Stan, you,
Speaker:you just hit on it right away, is
Speaker:that it should go from top to bottom.
Speaker:So I'd like to ask each guest, each of you
Speaker:to share a little bit
about your own wrap story
Speaker:and what brought you to wrap
Speaker:and let's start this time with Asia.
Speaker:- My wrap plan and,
Speaker:and why wrap is so important
to me is, Susan kind
Speaker:of mentioned earlier,
you know, me personally,
Speaker:I do a lot of community work.
Speaker:And so when you are that
person who is, is always kind
Speaker:of front and center, really
helping others to, you know,
Speaker:come up with their wellness
plan and their self-care plan.
Speaker:You know, sometimes you tend
Speaker:to put yourself in the backseat.
Speaker:And so for me, you know,
when I was introduced to rap,
Speaker:it was kind of very refreshing
Speaker:because it was like, okay, wow, you know,
Speaker:it's me actually taking out the time
Speaker:to think about those things
that one triggers me,
Speaker:that stresses me out.
Speaker:Things that, you know, you
probably kind of overlook
Speaker:and just kind of keep moving
Speaker:because you feel like
you have to help others.
Speaker:So rap for me gave me an
opportunity to really just,
Speaker:you know, tap into my
own, you know, wellness
Speaker:and ways that I can, you
know, not just be better
Speaker:for myself, but actually
be more of an asset
Speaker:to the community that I serve.
Speaker:So, you know, it's funny
Speaker:'cause again, being a poet,
you know, I have a poem
Speaker:that's called Alone in a
Crowded Room, where it just kind
Speaker:of talks about when you're
that person that's, that
Speaker:that always shows up
for everyone else, like
Speaker:who shows up for you.
Speaker:And so for me personally,
you know, I've dealt with,
Speaker:you know, depression and
anxiety and things like that.
Speaker:So once I was introduced to rap, you know,
Speaker:it really was instrumental
in me, you know, just kind
Speaker:of dealing with some of those
deeper inner parts of me
Speaker:that I don't typically deal
with because I'm really focused
Speaker:and concerned with everyone else.
Speaker:And so I like something
that Susan said earlier too,
Speaker:because it's not just about, you know,
Speaker:developing a wrap plan, but
you gotta work your plan too.
Speaker:Because if you come up with a plan
Speaker:but you don't execute
it, you know, then it's,
Speaker:you can't really understand the,
Speaker:the impact that it can have.
Speaker:But being able to, you
know, write my, my wrap plan
Speaker:and actually work my, my
wrap plan, I've seen a lot
Speaker:of change in myself personally
as well as the people
Speaker:that I interact with in the community.
Speaker:So, you know, rap for me has
been very, very rewarding.
Speaker:- Stan, just share, please.
Speaker:- Yes. So I think
Speaker:for, for many people, certainly the people
Speaker:that I met in the training class,
Speaker:it seemed like there
was maybe one incident
Speaker:or a defining moment for
them that made them realize
Speaker:that they could use a little more support.
Speaker:And I think for me it was similar
Speaker:and I, I felt that,
Speaker:you know, the, the work that
I do is, is challenging.
Speaker:Most recently, I went back to part-time,
Speaker:or I should say I went to part-time
Speaker:for the first time in my
life I was gonna retire.
Speaker:I just, my boss didn't want me to retire,
Speaker:so she just asked me
what I wanted and needed
Speaker:and I let her know.
Speaker:But that was something that I
probably would not have been
Speaker:able to do in the past.
Speaker:So what I,
Speaker:what I was experiencing
was a challenging work life
Speaker:just before, well, actually I think just
Speaker:before I, I did this, or
Speaker:after I should say I became
the regional director.
Speaker:So I was in charge of all
Speaker:of our programs throughout the state,
Speaker:including our transportation,
our fleet services,
Speaker:and it was, it was, it was too much.
Speaker:But what I needed to learn
was what is the trigger
Speaker:and how can I get on top of that
Speaker:before I am completely anxious
Speaker:or whatever it is that I'm dealing with.
Speaker:And I, I think for me, you
know, I had a good store
Speaker:of anger too, and I needed
someplace for that to go.
Speaker:But ultimately I also wanted to learn wrap
Speaker:so I could teach it.
Speaker:And that propelled me to, to do this.
Speaker:I didn't get a lot of
support from the agency.
Speaker:Certainly I was paid while I went,
Speaker:but you know, everything I paid for myself
Speaker:because I found personal value in it.
Speaker:But also I wanted to be able
Speaker:to teach it no matter what happened.
Speaker:I was gonna teach this
stuff to clients and staff.
Speaker:And like you say, you're absolutely right.
Speaker:If we don't take care of
our DSPs, it's really hard
Speaker:to take care of our clients.
Speaker:They are in a hot stew, if
Speaker:that's the correct metaphor, every day,
Speaker:whether it be from parents or
our funder or of course us.
Speaker:They, they get it in, in all places.
Speaker:And often these are folks
who don't all come with a lot
Speaker:of self-reflection or
education or, or tools.
Speaker:And that, in my opinion is our
job. Let's give that to them.
Speaker:I mean, we, we teach 'em
how to prompt a client,
Speaker:why can't we teach 'em how to
Speaker:take care of their mental health?
Speaker:- Right. Susan, same question for you.
Speaker:- Okay. Well, you know, me,
I've, I've had a long history,
Speaker:my family, myself, a long history
Speaker:of mental health conditions
that have been challenging
Speaker:and that can really can really bring us
Speaker:to places that are hard.
Speaker:And so I,
Speaker:early on in my life became a
mental health advocate just on
Speaker:my own time, you know, outside
of work and everything.
Speaker:And actually working with folks
with autism was so, so fun
Speaker:for me because it made me
realize like a lot of the, like,
Speaker:I, I started to understand
that idea, like, oh,
Speaker:the world can be really complicated.
Speaker:It really is hard to figure things out.
Speaker:And it gave me some, you know,
freedom to be like, yeah,
Speaker:I'm, I'm different, I'm
different from folks, you know,
Speaker:and I've gotta, I've
gotta figure that out.
Speaker:But fast forward many years later,
Speaker:you know, life had happened.
Speaker:I'm in the, I'm in the
middle of my middle ages
Speaker:and I had been talking to people
Speaker:and family members who loved people
Speaker:who had serious mental
illness about rap as an option
Speaker:of something to think about, to help them
Speaker:reclaim their wellness,
reclaim their ownership
Speaker:of their life, you know, and,
Speaker:and figure out how they
would like to live.
Speaker:And in the middle of doing
that, I realized like,
Speaker:I'm really measuring
the quality of my life
Speaker:by whether I wanna live another day.
Speaker:Now, I wasn't suicidal,
Speaker:but I wasn't living, you know, I had just,
Speaker:I was just doing.
Speaker:And so I thought, well,
Speaker:I can't tell everybody else about rap.
Speaker:I guess I should maybe try it for myself.
Speaker:And so I started to get involved
in it, taking the seminars,
Speaker:decided I wanted to become a facilitator,
Speaker:and it,
Speaker:it just was more powerful
than I thought it would be.
Speaker:And, you know, I was ready for it.
Speaker:So, you know, maybe
somebody might attend a wrap
Speaker:seminar and not be as moved.
Speaker:But for me it was really
powerful and I met great people
Speaker:and I continue to meet great
people through this process.
Speaker:And I learned so much about myself.
Speaker:Something that Stan said
really stuck out with me about,
Speaker:you know, like, you know, he
wouldn't be able to ask for
Speaker:what he wants if it wasn't for rep.
Speaker:And I think that is really, you know,
Speaker:when we talk about the, the
value of education is you, it's,
Speaker:it's education about yourself.
Speaker:It's learning about who
you are and what you want,
Speaker:and then learning to get that support and,
Speaker:and make those self-advocacy
moves that you need to make.
Speaker:And for a lot of us caregivers,
Speaker:that is just not the natural way to be.
Speaker:And there's just a lot of
pressure in the world to do
Speaker:what you're, you need
to do for other people.
Speaker:And it breaks my heart to
think of Asia ever thinking
Speaker:that she's just in a room and
no one's even noticing her.
Speaker:'cause she's a beautiful person
Speaker:and she's doing so much for everybody.
Speaker:So rap like, lets you take
ownership of that and,
Speaker:and get out there and say,
you know, yeah, maybe I,
Speaker:I I should have a little time too.
Speaker:And it does make us better
at taking care of others
Speaker:'cause we're valuing ourselves.
Speaker:- Right? I think one of the
things you said was, you know,
Speaker:being open to it.
Speaker:And that's really
probably one of the first,
Speaker:first things you need to do.
Speaker:I mean, you might learn
about it intellectually,
Speaker:but then to go, oh, this,
Speaker:I can really benefit from doing this
Speaker:and opening up that door
that it's all right for me
Speaker:to take some time to focus on myself and,
Speaker:and get some help with, of
what things might be triggering
Speaker:or how I might be feeling.
Speaker:- Yeah, it really, it really
sends you in a different way.
Speaker:- Absolutely. It, it's a, it's
a mind shift at that point.
Speaker:Stan, you kind of started this,
Speaker:so maybe I'll have you
answer this question first.
Speaker:Are there ways that you have
Speaker:- Wait, wait, wait, Chuck.
Speaker:Yeah, I had one more follow
up from that stuff Okay.
Speaker:From the last question that
I'd like to hit on. Sure.
Speaker:And you know, we talked
about that, you talked about
Speaker:how important it is to
talk about the positives.
Speaker:And I would love to have
each of you quickly share,
Speaker:are there things that you can
do now that you couldn't do
Speaker:before you started doing rap?
Speaker:Are there, you know, attributes
that you've developed
Speaker:because of your own rap?
Speaker:- I would just say that one of
the benefits I've experienced
Speaker:working my rap is putting myself first.
Speaker:Because again, as much as I love serving
Speaker:and doing for everyone else, you know,
Speaker:I definitely have learned
the importance of, you know,
Speaker:taking care of myself
and my mental wellbeing
Speaker:and my physical wellbeing so
Speaker:that I could be a better asset to others.
Speaker:- Okay.
- Yeah,
Speaker:and I think mine is, it's,
it's kind of similar to Asia.
Speaker:The way it played out for me was I,
Speaker:I actually learned some
self-management skills.
Speaker:And I know that sounds really
funny to people who know me
Speaker:because I seem like I'm on the ball
Speaker:and I got everything
going on right as far as,
Speaker:as far as work or whatever.
Speaker:But when it, when it came to
taking care of myself and,
Speaker:and kind of running through my
own day, there was never, I,
Speaker:I didn't, I didn't assert
the needs for, you know,
Speaker:some basic routines
Speaker:or shifts in routines that,
you know, what are the things
Speaker:that are gonna feed me,
keep me going, keep me well,
Speaker:and I'm still working on that,
Speaker:but I have, I have such
a better mastery of that.
Speaker:And then that helps me understand
Speaker:what's the next thing for me.
Speaker:It's helping me grow even more.
Speaker:Even though I'm in the, you
know, middle, middle ages here.
Speaker:You know, I'm, I'm still growing
Speaker:because I learned a lot
about managing myself.
Speaker:And, and if you have
a trigger, guess what?
Speaker:It's your responsibility to figure out
Speaker:what you're gonna do about that.
Speaker:And there is something you
can do about it, you know,
Speaker:and I, I don't think I
always thought that way.
Speaker:- Right. And Stan, did you
have anything that you wanted
Speaker:to add on that question
where it's about, you know,
Speaker:are there things you can do now
that you couldn't do before?
Speaker:- I think for me, it wasn't so much
Speaker:that I'm doing something
completely different,
Speaker:but I do feel that what I do,
Speaker:I understand why I do it.
Speaker:And I, I value it more, for instance,
Speaker:it's important for me to be mindful.
Speaker:I mean, to be present, to be in the room
Speaker:versus some other way of being.
Speaker:For instance, I don't own a cell phone
Speaker:and I think people find that ridiculous.
Speaker:You know, I know myself, I'll
become addicted to that thing.
Speaker:I'll be on it all the time.
Speaker:And the other part is like Susan
Speaker:and Asia have said, taking
care of yourself and,
Speaker:and feeling good about that.
Speaker:And, and that's, that is a
problem with most caregivers.
Speaker:They want to apologize for
taking care of their own needs.
Speaker:And I just have to say, I
just got back from Tunisia
Speaker:and it was not easy to
go away for three weeks.
Speaker:I do this every year. It is in my plan.
Speaker:Vacations hugely important.
Speaker:And I was able to do that
Speaker:and keep my partner fairly
happy while I was away.
Speaker:So I, I feel pretty good about that.
Speaker:- And I love what Stan calls vacation.
Speaker:I would call like, the
biggest adventure of my life.
Speaker:The guy goes everywhere.
Speaker:- Stan, good on you for being
able to make that happen.
Speaker:- It's not easy.
- I mean, I just quickly, I sat through a,
Speaker:or I, I signed up for, and, and,
Speaker:and took kind of a real basic wrap primer
Speaker:probably about a month ago.
Speaker:And let's, let's just say
I walked away as a member
Speaker:because, you know,
before it was even done,
Speaker:I had already signed up and paid dues
Speaker:because there was so much there
Speaker:that made me just think,
this is really cool.
Speaker:And I wanted the access that that gave me.
Speaker:- So, and that was through
Copeland Center? That was
Speaker:- Through Copeland Center. Right. So
Speaker:- Stan, you opened this door
up a little bit ago when you
Speaker:talked about you wanted to be able
Speaker:to do a wrap for others, facilitate that.
Speaker:So the question is for all of you,
Speaker:and we'll have you kind of
start, Stan, is what are ways
Speaker:that you have used
Speaker:or facilitated wrap other than
Speaker:for your own personal wrap?
Speaker:- Well, of course I've promoted it.
Speaker:I, I promote it all over the place.
Speaker:I've bought many of
the books that come out
Speaker:of the Copeland Center.
Speaker:I dis distribute them widely.
Speaker:I tell people constantly
that wrap is available.
Speaker:I tell them how they can use it.
Speaker:And I, I mean, even
last night I was talking
Speaker:with my brother who was lamenting
that he can't find a way
Speaker:to go on vacation.
Speaker:And I tell him, I, you know,
I didn't go into it with him,
Speaker:but I've certainly done
this with my staff.
Speaker:I say, there is, you can write
a plan to go on vacation,
Speaker:don't wait till the
last minute, but start.
Speaker:And I've stepped them through it
Speaker:because of course what I tell them is,
Speaker:you can live your vacation all year long.
Speaker:And that's what I do.
Speaker:I not only, you know, go on vacation,
Speaker:but then I write, I do photography
Speaker:and all these kinds of things,
Speaker:but it's about
Speaker:what you need in the long run as well.
Speaker:A rap isn't something that you write
Speaker:for every little a grievance
Speaker:that you have while driving down the road.
Speaker:It's about stuff that is
consistently troubling for you.
Speaker:These consistent triggers, I should say.
Speaker:And when you write a plan,
you need to put in the plan
Speaker:what keeps you at your best.
Speaker:And for me, I have to
look forward to something.
Speaker:And if I don't have a
vacation to look forward to
Speaker:or getting out of town, I
am not gonna be my best.
Speaker:But I, I use it at work, I
use it, I use it everywhere.
Speaker:And being mindful is,
is top of mind for me.
Speaker:I don't allow myself to
get dragged into things
Speaker:or be overly concerned with stuff
Speaker:that I don't have any control over.
Speaker:And most of the time it's
just being in the room.
Speaker:Even last night I had a
friend over for dinner,
Speaker:my partner's on the phone.
Speaker:I was sitting there by
myself with my guest
Speaker:and I'm like, who's, who's, what's
Speaker:so important about being on the phone
Speaker:that people get into those habits?
Speaker:- Thank you. Asia,
Speaker:- We've facilitated these wrap plans in
Speaker:so many different types of groups.
Speaker:And the, the group that
I'm particularly, you know,
Speaker:passionate about is, is the youth
Speaker:specifically unhoused youth.
Speaker:So, and at juvenile detention centers.
Speaker:So one of the things that
I've, you know, kind of found
Speaker:to be very, very like
rewarding is, you know, kids
Speaker:who are in transition
Speaker:or kids who are, you know,
in, you know, situations
Speaker:that they've, you know,
found themselves in a bit
Speaker:of trouble, you know,
Speaker:but being able to develop
these wrap plans, I've saw,
Speaker:I've seen how, you know, it's
given them hope, you know,
Speaker:and it's, it's made them feel supported
Speaker:to actually get out
here and make a change.
Speaker:And, you know, because I feel
like it's a different approach
Speaker:to what they're used to and,
and they can actually see it.
Speaker:And I actually have seen
them not only come up
Speaker:with these wrap plans,
but actually use them. So
Speaker:- That's cool.
Speaker:Very cool. Thank you, Susan.
Speaker:- Yeah, that was, that
was really awesome. Asia.
Speaker:That's exactly what I was
hoping to hear about when,
Speaker:and this is why I love, you
Speaker:know, getting together with folks.
Speaker:'cause you hear about all sorts
of exciting things going on
Speaker:for me, like when I facilitate, you know,
Speaker:I had this experience
with Stan, I don't get
Speaker:to facilitate as much as I'd like.
Speaker:I would love to be facilitating more,
Speaker:but I've, I've had trouble finding the,
Speaker:the right partner niche here
in Minneapolis sometimes.
Speaker:But, but I, I have facilitated
groups of caregivers
Speaker:and I think caregivers are
my niche in a lot of ways.
Speaker:It's probably where I most intuitively go.
Speaker:Being a lifelong caregiver
Speaker:and a professional caregiver over my life.
Speaker:One of the things you do
in a wrap is you define
Speaker:for yourself what you look
like when you're, well, it's,
Speaker:and, and it's kind of a powerful thing.
Speaker:The first time I did it, I wanted to cry
Speaker:'cause I had no idea
Speaker:what I looked like when
I was well at that point.
Speaker:And so it was really helpful.
Speaker:But it's really that, you
know, so you can do that
Speaker:with an organization, you can
do that with an individual.
Speaker:It, it, it applies in so many ways.
Speaker:What does our organization
look like when it's, well,
Speaker:you know, what would be happening?
Speaker:It's really tangible.
Speaker:And I, I, I find talking
to people sometimes
Speaker:and helping them use that as a way
Speaker:to frame up what they're going for.
Speaker:'cause a lot of times we don't
Speaker:even know what we're going for.
Speaker:We just know we're dissatisfied
with something we have.
Speaker:And then the other thing is,
Speaker:the wellness toolkit is something you
Speaker:learn really early on too.
Speaker:And you start to look at, well, what,
Speaker:what tools do you already
have that help you
Speaker:be well, right now?
Speaker:And they can be very simple,
Speaker:but we did a little training where we had
Speaker:to use just objects that
they gave us to and, and,
Speaker:and figure out how we would
use them as a wellness tool.
Speaker:And we had like a water bottle.
Speaker:And I was like, well, you
know, when I'm really agitated
Speaker:and feeling worked up, drinking
an ice cold glass of water,
Speaker:like gets me back into my
body and kind of brings me
Speaker:and, you know, and so
we were just laughing,
Speaker:like our tagline was like, wellness can be
Speaker:as simple as a glass of water.
Speaker:You know? So it's like,
what tools do you have
Speaker:and how do you keep expanding those tools?
Speaker:What tools might you be missing?
Speaker:And how can you start to fill that toolkit
Speaker:so you have more options
Speaker:to pull from when you are
feeling like things are getting a
Speaker:little out of control for you?
Speaker:- Thank you so much, Susan.
Speaker:I, I, and I love that it can be as easy
Speaker:as a cold glass of water.
Speaker:- And for me, right in
my arms, I've got my cat.
Speaker:That's one of those things, for me,
Speaker:that's a wellness thing, so.
Speaker:- Absolutely.
- Okay. All right.
Speaker:So I'm gonna, the next question is,
Speaker:what's important about rap for you?
Speaker:What, what appeals to it,
to you about it personally?
Speaker:Well, anyone can go.
Speaker:I'm gonna just, you guys
pick who goes first.
Speaker:- Well, you know, mine
is actually kind of silly
Speaker:because, you know, again, I'm
a poet and I'm also a rapper.
Speaker:And so when I think of
rap, you know, yeah,
Speaker:it automatically, as I my mind
associates it with like rap,
Speaker:but I think on a, on a whole
nother level is the fact
Speaker:of just how, how simple it is.
Speaker:You know, it, it seems like it's a lot,
Speaker:but really, you know, once you kind
Speaker:of get into it, it's real.
Speaker:It it's about you, you know? Yeah.
Speaker:So when you think about just how, again,
Speaker:how individualized it is
Speaker:and how it's your plan, I just,
Speaker:I just like the simpl simplicity of it.
Speaker:- And
- I definitely agree with that.
Speaker:I have kind of the same triggers
generally over and over.
Speaker:So I've learned how to deal with those.
Speaker:And for me, it just keeps,
it keeps pushing me.
Speaker:Whenever I doubt that I
need to do something, I say
Speaker:to myself, well, that's in my
plan, you know, that, that's
Speaker:what I need to do now
Speaker:because I know this is, this is important.
Speaker:This is what's gonna help me.
Speaker:And I think, for instance, this vacation,
Speaker:my partner was not particularly happy.
Speaker:I was going, and this
is basically a trigger
Speaker:for him, you know, he's
gotta stay home, take care
Speaker:of the dogs, la la la and I
don't go for just a day or two.
Speaker:I'm gone for pretty much a month.
Speaker:So it's challenging for him.
Speaker:And I had to work through
Speaker:that, not giving up.
Speaker:But ultimately he, he was okay with it.
Speaker:I mean, this is something I do every year.
Speaker:So it's not new, but it's
always a stressor for him.
Speaker:But if, if I were not involved
with rap, I might just say,
Speaker:okay, well forget it.
Speaker:I won't go. But no, I mean,
I, I know I need that.
Speaker:And I think that's what
wrap does for people.
Speaker:If they believe in it and work it,
Speaker:they know what works for them.
Speaker:They, they know what they have to do
Speaker:to keep themselves at their best.
Speaker:It's just that constant reminder.
Speaker:- Yeah. And I mean, I think
for me, one of the things
Speaker:that I, I find really now people
do wrap really differently.
Speaker:So like, some people are really dedicated.
Speaker:Like, I look at my wrap every day.
Speaker:I think about my wrap regularly.
I update it regularly.
Speaker:I'm gonna admit I am a sporadic wrap.
Speaker:And I, I, I tend to like,
go deep on it for like,
Speaker:maybe take a, a Saturday or something
Speaker:and really be thinking about it
Speaker:and is it in tune with where I am now
Speaker:and what, what needs to change now.
Speaker:And there's, you know, we
haven't talked about all the
Speaker:pieces of it, but there's a
lot of different pieces of it
Speaker:that can help keep you in,
even though it's simple.
Speaker:There's things to think about.
Speaker:And so what I love is just
the intentionality about it.
Speaker:Like, I have to assertively
take care of myself,
Speaker:and rap helps me do that
in a way that just feels
Speaker:so much more organized and gives
Speaker:and yields the best
results for that effort.
Speaker:Because if you just periodically
assert your wellness here
Speaker:and there, it, it's never
gonna be quite as effective
Speaker:as having this whole vision and,
Speaker:and all of the pieces
Speaker:that help you get there and stay there.
Speaker:- Could you help Susan
write a wrap about being a
Speaker:sporadic rapper?
Speaker:- Yes. We'll touch base. I think
Speaker:- That could be a really fun piece.
Speaker:- You might not have much luck with that.
Speaker:- But anyway, that just, you know,
Speaker:but what I'm hearing a
lot is some of the tenets
Speaker:that you talked about earlier,
Susan, where it talks about,
Speaker:you know, the key points.
Speaker:All of you have talked about the hope,
Speaker:the personal responsibility,
the education,
Speaker:and you know, being
active in that part of it.
Speaker:The self-advocacy stand
really came out in yours
Speaker:as you're talking about,
you know, as partner.
Speaker:It's not his favorite thing,
Speaker:but it's, it's one of those
things where it's like,
Speaker:I don't know what I can do
Speaker:to make it better for you,
but I know I have to do this.
Speaker:So you're advocating
for your own own needs
Speaker:and I think that that's really powerful
Speaker:and I'm, I'm, I'm happy to hear
those things are, are a part
Speaker:of what you're getting out of it.
Speaker:So thank you for sharing that.
Speaker:- Yeah, thank you. The next question,
Speaker:and we'll start with Susan
this time and move to Asia
Speaker:and then Stan, what's,
Speaker:if anything, what surprised
you when you first, you know,
Speaker:did your first wrap
Speaker:or early on during wrap, what's
something that surprised you
Speaker:and then what's something that still kind
Speaker:of surprises you today?
Speaker:- So I think the two things
Speaker:that really surprised me when
I first did wrap one was I
Speaker:didn't know what I looked like when I was,
Speaker:well, which we just talked about.
Speaker:I like, I, I was just, it
really made me realize like,
Speaker:I really need to take care of myself
Speaker:'cause I've just lost touch with
Speaker:who I am at such a deep level.
Speaker:And, and then that was,
so that was what I did.
Speaker:My personal rep, when we did
the facilitation training,
Speaker:I mean, they were like, it is nothing
Speaker:but unconditional positive regard.
Speaker:We are not talking about
what's not working.
Speaker:We are only talking about what's working.
Speaker:We are only focusing on what's working.
Speaker:We're gonna take care of ourselves.
Speaker:And they did it so rigorously.
Speaker:And I found that to be like
really transformative to me.
Speaker:And it, and it just has changed
Speaker:how I facilitate every process I'm, I'm in
Speaker:because it just opens
the door to self-respect
Speaker:and respect for others and listening and,
Speaker:and other ways of, of being
Speaker:with people that are really human.
Speaker:So those things were
really surprising to me.
Speaker:And, and I went to that same rap
Speaker:orientation, I think that Mark did.
Speaker:It was a zoom that Copeland
center did a, a few weeks ago.
Speaker:And every time I listen
to folks who have raps,
Speaker:I learn something
Speaker:and I learn something
new that that matters.
Speaker:And I'm always just so surprised at like
Speaker:how much more I can learn
and how many wonderful
Speaker:and cool things are going on out there.
Speaker:- That's great Susan.
Speaker:And having known you for a long time
Speaker:and worked for with you
for the last five years, I,
Speaker:I see you emulating
Speaker:that positive regard throughout,
throughout your day. So
Speaker:- Yeah, it's something
that sticks with you,
Speaker:you wanna bring to everything.
Speaker:- Yep. Yeah, absolutely. Asia.
Speaker:- Yeah, I think that one of the things
Speaker:that surprises me about rap, I, I know we,
Speaker:when you facilitate wrap, we
talk about how you can use WRAP
Speaker:for pretty much any and everything.
Speaker:But I think that when you
actually develop a wrap plan
Speaker:for something that doesn't seem so typical
Speaker:and it does actually work, like
for me personally, you know,
Speaker:one of the jobs that I do,
like last year, you know,
Speaker:I came up with a wrap plan to,
you know, to deal with some
Speaker:of my coworkers, you know, you know,
Speaker:and you know, it was, it, it was funny
Speaker:because I'm like, wow,
you know, it's something
Speaker:that's at your disposal to do,
Speaker:but again, when you
actually put it together
Speaker:and you can actually work it
Speaker:and see how it is beneficial to you.
Speaker:So that surprised me
Speaker:that it really can work in
different capacities if you,
Speaker:if you choose to.
Speaker:And I think that what continues
to surprise me about rap
Speaker:is kind of something that
Susan mentioned as well as far
Speaker:as like how we all can kind
of like do it differently,
Speaker:execute it differently, but
how it still, it still works.
Speaker:You know, even though, you know,
Speaker:when you think about
facilitating, you know, Susan
Speaker:and I might facilitate it
very differently, you know,
Speaker:but it's the same information
Speaker:and whoever you're
sharing that information
Speaker:with, they're gonna take it.
Speaker:And because it is individualized,
they're going to be able
Speaker:to create their own plans and
still work it and it works.
Speaker:- Yeah. One of the things
I I heard you say is, and,
Speaker:and have, have really
learned from this is,
Speaker:I haven't done a wrap myself
Speaker:and I always envision that
it's kind of a one and done,
Speaker:but it's not a one and done.
Speaker:It's something you continue
to work as different issues
Speaker:or things come up in your life.
Speaker:- I'm glad that you mentioned that
Speaker:because that's another
important thing about wrap.
Speaker:Like let's just say for instance
that you create a wrap plan
Speaker:for, you know, something specific.
Speaker:Like again, like, you know,
dealing with someone at work,
Speaker:well every once in a while
you might wanna revisit
Speaker:that wrap plan because it might
change, things might change.
Speaker:So it's okay to do another
wrap plan, you know, revisit it
Speaker:because what worked for
you last year, you know,
Speaker:might not be the same thing
that'll work for you this year.
Speaker:So reworking that wrap as well.
Speaker:- Yeah. And, and you said it earlier,
Speaker:not only reworking wrap,
but working your wrap.
Speaker:So even though I don't
get my wrap out every day,
Speaker:everything I've set into
that wrap is affecting
Speaker:how I'm going about my day.
Speaker:And, and you just gotta
keep carrying it, you know,
Speaker:it's like, it keeps it,
but, but because it's there
Speaker:and it's clear, it's not that hard.
Speaker:- How about you Stan?
- I think for me,
Speaker:among many surprising things was sort of
Speaker:what Susan was saying about
the absence of negativity.
Speaker:I mean this unconditional positive regard.
Speaker:And I think what, what I enjoyed the most,
Speaker:and when I first wrote a rap,
it, it was an online class
Speaker:and you know, I,
Speaker:I hadn't heard people speak
about their mental health
Speaker:challenges in such a way before.
Speaker:And it was kind of just matter
of fact, this is, this is
Speaker:what happens, this is how I I deal
Speaker:with it and that kind of thing.
Speaker:And of course, at the training
Speaker:to be a facilitator, it was similar.
Speaker:Some of these folks had had
some, some pretty challenging
Speaker:episodes in their past
Speaker:and of course they, they, they work daily
Speaker:to overcome those.
Speaker:But I, I found that to
be kind of surprising
Speaker:how people spoke about their challenges.
Speaker:You know, once you're able
to, to speak about, you know,
Speaker:what you, your own triggers are
Speaker:or whatever, it becomes much less scary.
Speaker:And, and people don't often know that
Speaker:until they start talking to people.
Speaker:- Yeah. Thanks Dan. Just kinda wanna ask
Speaker:- You all to help me bring
this back to the folks that are
Speaker:providing direct support
Speaker:and our caregivers in,
in, in across the board.
Speaker:I mean we we're talking to mostly folks
Speaker:that provide supports to people with IDD
Speaker:or a related condition.
Speaker:Yet there are so many
different places where
Speaker:caregivers need to hear
how something like wrap
Speaker:or the tenets of wrap can help them
Speaker:to take care of themselves.
Speaker:So to any of you have at
least one final thought on how
Speaker:to make that connection.
Speaker:I'll let Susan start
Speaker:'cause she's worked in,
in our particular field
Speaker:and probably would have the
most knowledge base there,
Speaker:but then each of you has
probably got something
Speaker:that translates well.
Speaker:So Susan, if you'd be first
Speaker:and then well then stand in Asia.
Speaker:- I think one thing is, you
know, I was really appreciating
Speaker:what Asia brought forth with the youth
Speaker:and, you know, the, they're homeless,
Speaker:they're really facing real,
real ch challenges, you know,
Speaker:and the fact
Speaker:that rap can still work
under very extreme conditions
Speaker:and it comes out of, it's rooted in that
Speaker:and it comes out of that.
Speaker:And so I wouldn't want people to think,
Speaker:but that's just something
you do if you have the time
Speaker:to think about yourself.
Speaker:Like, it, it, it really is a powerful
Speaker:and transformative tool.
Speaker:'cause I think, you know,
when you're a d direct support
Speaker:professional, you know,
you are really busy
Speaker:and you also have probably a second job
Speaker:and you might have kids
Speaker:and you might have all sorts of stressors.
Speaker:Your car's not working, you're, you know,
Speaker:and I mean, I remember I
didn't have a car for a year
Speaker:because I couldn't afford it.
Speaker:'cause that's what the
wages were at the time.
Speaker:You know, and, and so I
think just knowing that
Speaker:it's a powerful tool regardless
Speaker:of your circumstances, but
you do need to be with peers.
Speaker:You need to be with people who
understand your challenges,
Speaker:at least at some level that
is, is enriching to you
Speaker:because it, you know, it,
it is about how do, how
Speaker:how do we work together And the
facilitators, you know, need
Speaker:to be, need to also have lived experiences
Speaker:that mean something to you.
Speaker:So I think that's really
important with wrap.
Speaker:But for DSPs there's a lot you can get out
Speaker:of it. It could really help.
Speaker:- Stan, I was gonna have you go next.
Speaker:- Okay. So yeah, what
Speaker:what I would tell folks is,
Speaker:you know, there are so many things.
Speaker:I mean everybody is gonna
be different is different
Speaker:for each person of course.
Speaker:But if you can find what works
for you to be your best self
Speaker:and try to be consistent
with that, you know, this is
Speaker:what I tell my staff all the time.
Speaker:We're not gonna change the world,
Speaker:but we can consistently do good things
Speaker:and be mindful about those things.
Speaker:For instance, the very physical
part of what we have to do
Speaker:to get through the day is critical.
Speaker:Eating well and, and, you know, hydrating
Speaker:and things of that nature go a long way
Speaker:to preserving our mental health.
Speaker:And people forget that.
Speaker:And I tell 'em, you
know, you can't, these,
Speaker:these are things you
gotta do every single day.
Speaker:They, they add up over time.
Speaker:And I think having things
to look forward to,
Speaker:whether it be something
small like going to a movie
Speaker:or something big like
going on vacation, you have
Speaker:to have something to
keep the light coming in
Speaker:and wrap is, is just one of many ways,
Speaker:but wrap can be used in so
with so many different things.
Speaker:I, I wish everybody had a wrap
Speaker:because frankly I think
everybody needs it.
Speaker:- Thank you. And
- I like that.
Speaker:I think everybody needs a wrap. Alright,
Speaker:- So give us a, a wrap now.
Speaker:Asia actually I would like to,
you know, continue, continue.
Speaker:You had more to add.
Speaker:- Well, so no, I really,
really like what he said that
Speaker:everybody needs a rap.
Speaker:I think to me, one of the things
Speaker:that just stands out the
most about, you know,
Speaker:having a wrap plan is the
self-advocacy part of it.
Speaker:You know, being able to advocate
for yourself is, you know,
Speaker:it's, it's extremely important.
Speaker:And as we grow and as we
evolve, again, you know, one
Speaker:of the things on a personal level
Speaker:that I've been experiencing
over the past year is
Speaker:a lot of loss.
Speaker:I've lost five family members
in my immediate family
Speaker:within this past year.
Speaker:And so my life is not the same.
Speaker:And so I think that having rap is,
Speaker:or even first of all, knowing
about rap first, you know,
Speaker:knowing about it but then
being able to kind of come back
Speaker:around and being in a
space to use it helps me.
Speaker:And if I didn't know about rap
Speaker:and if I didn't know about
certain things like, you know,
Speaker:a self-care plan, I'm not sure
Speaker:what I would've done dealing
with and processing grief.
Speaker:So to me I can say rap
saved my life. Yeah.
Speaker:- Paul, that's hard to follow that.
Speaker:But here's what I'm gonna do
is I'm gonna ask you Asia,
Speaker:since you are involved
with the Poetry Project
Speaker:and being an artist myself,
I love that concept.
Speaker:And how would people
access, give you a chance
Speaker:for a shameless plug here.
Speaker:How would they access
some of the poetry work
Speaker:that you are doing and that,
Speaker:that you are doing with your community?
Speaker:- Well, I am on YouTube.
Speaker:I know that Poetry for
Personal Power has a website.
Speaker:I'm not exactly sure if
they have, you know, links
Speaker:to the artists.
Speaker:'cause we call ourselves
artists advocates. Okay.
Speaker:So I'm not sure if they have links
Speaker:to everyone's website
or anything like that.
Speaker:But you know, if, I think
if you kind of go on Google
Speaker:or go on YouTube
Speaker:and type in my name Aja a, a la star.
Speaker:A lot of different things
will pop up from just over the
Speaker:years of me sharing poetry and art.
Speaker:- Wonderful. I I just, I
just wanted to give you that,
Speaker:that entree
Speaker:and to get to our audience
with, with what you're doing,
Speaker:because I think that that could inspire,
Speaker:and the fact that, that, I'm sure some
Speaker:of it has got some wrap wrapped into it.
Speaker:You, you probably are, you know, are going
Speaker:to be helping people.
Speaker:But what I'm hearing, and,
Speaker:and I'm just gonna do a little
quick sum up of, of, of,
Speaker:again, the, the main tenets of wrap
Speaker:that I think we're covered really well.
Speaker:But whether you go and you find rap folks
Speaker:and decide that you want
to em embrace rap itself
Speaker:or not, I think these tenets are things
Speaker:that you could explore even individually
Speaker:or on your own, regardless
of if it's through rap
Speaker:and that's find hope in your life.
Speaker:Take personal responsibility, education,
Speaker:seek education, seek
knowledge, seek learning, and,
Speaker:and be active about that.
Speaker:Be a self-advocate. Take care of yourself.
Speaker:As, as, as some of our
guests have talked about,
Speaker:how they've been able to,
you know, take over control
Speaker:of some things that they
in the past may have.
Speaker:Just let someone else
kind of guide them on.
Speaker:And then it finally
support your community.
Speaker:Support people that,
you know, need support
Speaker:and support others who
maybe they aren't showing
Speaker:that they need support.
Speaker:Someone like Susan, who
looks like she's got it all
Speaker:together, maybe inside is, is,
Speaker:is needing a little support now and again.
Speaker:So always make sure that you're offering
Speaker:that little bit of support.
Speaker:On that note, I'm gonna say
thank you to Asia, thank you
Speaker:to Stan, thank you to
Susan for being our guests.
Speaker:Thank you Chet, for
being an amazing co-host
Speaker:and thank you for joining us.
Speaker:Tune in for future
episodes about taking care
Speaker:of our physical and mental health.
Speaker:Episodes are available on your favorite
Speaker:podcast streaming service.
Speaker:This is a podcast
developed by the University
Speaker:of Minnesota's Institute
on community integration.
Speaker:Wellness matters for direct
support is for the health,
Speaker:wellness, and self-care
support, retina support
Speaker:- Workers.
