5. Can Human Equity Ever Be Achieved?

Dr. Marielle Reataza and I sit down and talk about some pretty serious stuff in this episode. SENSITIVE TOPIC WARNING: We talk about suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, and depression. Please listen with care to this episode.

This episode is also a little longer than normal because there’s a lot of good information, reflective thought that goes into some of these issues, and there are just some big issues discussed that we decide to bite off and I hope you decide to join us in chewing on some of these issues.

Dr. Marielle Reataza joins from Los Angeles, CA. She is the Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Families Against Substance Abuse (NAPAFASA) which is a nonprofit organization founded in 1988 and this nonprofit organization is dedicated to mental health advocacy through their research, public health, policy reform, and community outreach. As Executive Director, Marielle leads an organization that is committed to spreading awareness of substance use to prevent and reduce substance use disorder for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Dr. Reataza is a strong advocate for health and health care system reform in the United States. She believes that mental health is an important piece of wellness and should be prioritized in public health policy and advocacy. Her experience as an immigrant from the Philippines and her background in education, medicine, research, and health policy inform her interdisciplinary approach to advocacy, health and wellness, and she is passionate about dismantling the stigma communities face in addressing mental health.

Marielle's Book Recommendation:

All About Love by Bell Hooks

https://bellhooksbooks.com/product/all-about-love/