00:00 – 00:06
Timothy A. Zercher: Well, thank you so much for joining us, Dr. Duckworth. We really appreciate you taking time out of your day and sharing some of your insights today.

00:06 – 00:08
Dr. Duckworth: Thank you for having me, Timothy.

00:08 – 00:19
Timothy A. Zercher: Absolutely, absolutely. So I find that those of you who work in the behavioral health space almost always have an interesting story of how you got into the field. So would you mind sharing yours?

00:19 – 02:42
Dr. Duckworth shares her personal story of struggling with untreated depression, alcohol use, and discovering yoga as a coping mechanism. She describes how these experiences inspired her to work with adolescents in underserved communities and turn personal pain into advocacy.

02:42 – 02:54
Timothy A. Zercher: That's awesome. That is awesome. And it is really cool to hear that the story of personal struggle transitioned into professional focus, right? And kind of your purpose, which is awesome.

02:54 – 03:23
Dr. Duckworth: Yes, and I love it. You know, I love sharing my story because adolescents these days feel like they're alone. They need to understand and express feelings like depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

03:23 – 03:32
Timothy A. Zercher: Absolutely, absolutely. So how has your background in public health kind of shaped your approach to mental health care advocacy?

03:32 – 04:30
Dr. Duckworth: Describes how her public health and health behavior background allows her to translate complex topics into understandable language for communities with limited resources, helping them engage in mental health care.

04:30 – 04:38
Timothy A. Zercher: Awesome. So then what strategies do you find most effective in reducing stigma specifically around behavioral health?

04:38 – 06:54
Dr. Duckworth: Focuses on health education and debunking myths about mental health, particularly in the Black community, and emphasizes normalizing conversations about depression and suicide.

06:54 – 06:56
Timothy A. Zercher: Yeah, it is a different world now that DNA is living through. Absolutely. So since this is your specialty, what roles does community partnerships play in improving behavioral health outcomes specifically in your opinion? What's the best role that they can play?

06:56 – 09:21
Dr. Duckworth: Explains the importance of collaborating with community leaders for trust, sustainability, and effectiveness of programs in underserved communities.

09:21 – 09:37
Timothy A. Zercher: That's awesome. What inspired you? Because you were a non-profit leadership, right? And now you are running Empowered Solutions. What inspired that transition?

09:37 – 10:50
Dr. Duckworth: Discusses her transition to founding Empowered Solutions to focus on projects she is passionate about, balancing public health advocacy with other professional pursuits.

10:50 – 11:02
Timothy A. Zercher: Yeah, and I think that's an important lesson that a lot of professionals in this space don't learn, is that they don't have to be all in.

11:02 – 11:12
Dr. Duckworth: No, it does not. For me, something had to change once it started affecting my personal life.

11:12 – 11:19
Timothy A. Zercher: Absolutely. So we are a marketing agency specializing in behavioral health. How does your team go about gaining new clients and partnerships? What worked when you were trying to gain new clients?

11:19 – 12:24
Dr. Duckworth: Talks about promoting services as a minority-owned firm, highlighting expertise in nonprofit management, and relying on community partnerships to implement sustainable programs.

12:24 – 12:36
Timothy A. Zercher: That's awesome. Well, thank you so much, Dr. Duckworth. We appreciate you taking time. We appreciate the work you're doing.

12:36 – 12:40
Dr. Duckworth: Thank you so much, Timothy, I appreciate it.