Supporting mental health in Black autistic & disabled communities – with Janelle Johnson
Beyond 6 Seconds: Neurodiversity stories from neurodivergent people
04/17/23
•44m
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Janelle Johnson, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), is a wife, mother, and Founder of Bridges Family Life Center, a Systemic Therapy and Consulting group practice near Raleigh, North Carolina. An award-winning educator and innovative mental health leader, she is often sought out for her social justice advocacy regarding intersectionality of ableism, sexism, and racism. She currently serves as President of the NC Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. A graduate of NC State University and Chapman University, she has returned to her first alma mater as a doctoral student in the Educational Equity program.
During this episode, you will hear Janelle talk about:
- How she discovered she was autistic during an interaction with one of her clients
- Her experience in school as an undiagnosed autistic child
- How the struggles of a family friend sparked her lifelong interest in psychology
- The importance of having Black and brown therapists who can support Black and brown clients
- How she became a doctoral student in the Educational Equity program, researching the intersectionality of disability and race
- Her personal experience with unmasking as a Black autistic woman and code-switching
- How she teaches leadership teams how to have conversations about race, disability, and other challenging topics in ways that build organizational culture and connection
Find out more about Janelle and her work at the website for Bridges Family Life Center (her therapy and consulting group practice), on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Learn more about FACES for Autism, the advocacy and empowerment program for Black families raising autistic children that Janelle partners with as part of her doctoral research.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
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Support this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds and get a shout-out on a future episode!
This episode features a promo for The Other Autism, a podcast hosted by Kristen Hovet that explores late-diagnosed autism, with a focus on autistic women. Listen to The Other Autism at other-autism.buzzsprout.com or on your favorite podcast app.
*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.*
Previous Episode
Ben VanHook is an autistic master's degree student studying public policy at George Mason University, with the hopes of reforming employment and education policy to make them more inclusive for neurodivergent individuals. Ben's passion for creating a more inclusive world stems from his own experiences as an autistic Jewish Asian American adoptee and has led to him speaking and presenting to employers, professors, researchers and self-advocates in the United States and abroad.
During this episode, you will hear Ben talk about:
- How he learned he was autistic while he was in high school
- The challenges he faced coming from China to the United States as an adoptee
- His insights about the intersections of his identities as an autistic, Jewish, Asian American adoptee
- How posting on LinkedIn led him to become a neurodiversity advocate and public speaker on the intersections of autism, race and religion
- His role in a TV documentary about intersectionality between race and autism
- His thoughts on supporting neurodivergent employees in the workplace and in their careers
- What are the main goals for his advocacy
To learn more about Ben and his advocacy:
- Follow him on LinkedIn
- Watch the PBS documentary episode that featured him: "A World of Difference: Embracing Neurodiversity - Neurodivergence and People of Color"
- See his United Nations presentation about Autistic perspectives on Policy and Advocacy for 2023 World Autism Awareness Day
Listener shout-outs! A big THANK YOU to Elaine A. and Dan G. for supporting this podcast on BuyMeACoffee.com!
Support this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds and get a shout-out on a future episode!
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes!
*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.*
Next Episode
Autism, community and the DataFam – with Adam Mico
April 24, 2023
•39m
Adam Mico is the Principal of Data Visualization and Enablement at Moderna. He is a Tableau Visionary, 3x Tableau Ambassador, an Advisory Board Member of the Data Leadership Collaborative, and a member of the Tableau Speaker Bureau. In his spare time, he blogs, produces data visualizations, travels, and networks with the larger data community. He is autistic and supports diversity and inclusion efforts, which includes neurodiversity.
During this episode, you will hear Adam talk about:
- His multi-year journey to recognizing and accepting his autism
- How he discovered Tableau and data visualization as a career interest
- His transformative decision to "bet on himself" and leave his public sector job after 22+ years to switch careers and industries
- Finding the Tableau community where, for the first time in his life, he felt supported and safe enough to start "unmasking" his autism as an autistic professional
- The surprise and honor of being recognized for his contributions to the Tableau data community
- The "happy accident" that led him to the opportunity to write a published book
- How he mentors neurodivergent data professionals
- His advice on how to connect to the Tableau community online and join the #DataFam
Follow Adam on LinkedIn and Twitter and get his book "Tableau Desktop Specialist Certification: A prep guide with multiple learning styles to help you gain Tableau Desktop Specialist certification" on Amazon.
Are you an autistic person who works in the corporate world? Join the new LinkedIn Group for Autistic Corporate Professionals, a place to share advice and experiences with navigating corporate jobs, careers and workplaces.
Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!
Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes!
Support this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds and get a shout-out on a future episode!
*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.*
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