Issue 3

August 2023

Welcome To The
MPH Monthly!

MPH@Simmons alum, students, faculty and friends:

We're happy to greet you as the northern hemisphere summer is still a few weeks away from being over. We hope that you've been able to find time to enjoy the (usually) slower pace of this time of year. And we send our truly heartfelt regards to the many who are facing extreme heat, fires, and other inclement conditions.

The MPH program has undergone many changes over the past few months. Founding program director Shelley White has stepped down and is following a new opportunity. We also say goodbye to Felipe Agudelo, who developed the MPH capstone course, the Health Equity Change Project, which will continue to prepare students to be leaders in public health who advance health equity. In the meantime, Leigh Haynes has stepped in as interim program director.

August 30 is National Grief Awareness Day. In this time of increased social isolation, change, and loss it's important that we take a moment to consider grief, its manifestations, and how to embark on a healing journey–individually and collectively. We also must not forget that many experiences of grief result from structural oppression(s) many of us live under. Those of us working to advance health equity should seek solutions to address underlying conditions that contribute to inequities in experiences of grief and increase access to support and services people need for healing and prevention.

We hope the resources shared in this issue are useful to those of you who may be dealing with grief or trauma or to aid you in supporting friends, family and colleagues experiencing the same.

Thanks for reading,

Leigh Haynes (Interim Program Director) & Nat Thomson (Graduate Student Assistant)

In The News

August 30th: National Grief Awareness Day

The end of August brings us to National Grief Awareness Day. While plentiful and sometimes irreverent, these national days can still certainly help raise awareness and thoughtfulness regarding very real and under-discussed topics in our culture. Grief along with loneliness and isolation are newly established priorities of the US Surgeon General, with much contemporary evidence now pointing to the significant detrimental effect these mental and emotional states can have on the health of the nation. Pandemic-related research, including the inequitable impacts of the pandemic on people of color and poor people, has brought this topic to the top for national health leaders. However, the issue is something public health professionals should attend to even as the pandemic seemingly fades into the background. Visit our What We're Listening To section below to hear US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy discuss grief and healing in more detail.

For those of use feeling like our connections need to be rebuilt given the last few years, Dr. Allison E McWiliams offers up a few small and easy to take steps.
The Surgeon General has also put forth adjacent advisories regarding Youth Mental Health and Health Worker Burnout as part of an ongoing effort to increase awareness and education on mental health issues people are facing.

National Grief Day was founded by Angie Cartwright in 2014. Listen to her speak at the 2015 National Grief & Hope Convention.

Tara Parker-Pope of the Washington Post took a look at post-pandemic life three year later exploring the mental and emotional scarring we all are dealing with.

What We're Listening To & Watching

US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy and Krista Tippet talk about the loneliness and grief we’ve all experienced since 2020 and how we can be on a healing path of listening, learning, and loving in this episode of On Being.
The mental and emotional toll of grief is often where discussion of grief center, however, it's important to recognize the ways grief may manifest itself psychically as well; here's a quick video primer from Emma McAdam.
On this episode of Vibe Check with Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford the hosts reflect on the recent loss of Sam’s mother and the pressure US culture puts on us to just “be ok”.
Writer and podcaster Noar McInerny explains how we don't move on from grief, we move forward with it in this 2019 TED Talk .

Feature Interview
Dr. Crystallee Crain, PhD

This month we wanted to catch up with Dr. Crystallee Crain, who has been with the @Simmons MPH program for one year this fall! Dr. Crain is our course lead for Global Health & Political Economy.

Dr. Crain, could you tell us about your role here at Simmons please, for those who may not be aware.

I have the honor to be the course lead for the Global Health & Political Economy course in the MPH Health Equity program at Simmons. I joined in the Fall of 2022 and enjoy working with our graduate students.

What sparked your interest in public health topics?

As an academic and activist, I’m passionate about people’s rights. A big piece of advocating for these rights, means understanding how systems work and working to place humanistic values in how we receive care, compassion, and protection. I found resonance with public health issues because the most effective solutions are interdisciplinary by nature.

Are there any particular areas in public health that you feel like we are seeing or could see important advancement in?

I appreciate the amount of interest in uncovering the ways in which social determinants of health impact a person’s life. I hope to see a greater emphasis on localized and regional applications for addressing issues of environmental justice, the prevention of violence, and substance abuse.

Could you tell us about your writing, editing and publishing work?

In Fall 2020 I was feeling the isolation of the pandemic and came up with two ideas CATALYST & The Beauty of Black Creation - two open access journals to highlight authors at the margins. You can learn more about them at acatalystjournal.org and thebeautyofblackcreation.org. We will be relaunching these in the fall with new call for submissions.

I have been a writer, poet, and freelance journalist since I was 16 years old. I have always found some peace in writing as it felt like a tool to help us as individuals understand ourselves, but also the world around us.

Writing poetry can be a powerful tool for translating the world around us into something tangible and meaningful. Through poetry, I can transform my thoughts and experiences into something that resonates on a deep emotional level, connecting me with the world in a way that is both personal and universal.

You've said that healing should be a focus when aiming for change, could you tell us a bit more about this idea?

Many social movements focus on bringing about change by actively fighting against societal injustices. While direct action is certainly an important part of social change, healing is equally important. Healing, in this context, refers to a process of restoring and promoting well-being at both an individual and collective level. When individuals and communities heal, it can lead to positive social change in a variety of ways.

When we prioritize healing, we co-create a sense of resilience and strength in ourselves and for those around us. Social injustices can cause immense pain and trauma, which can leave individuals and communities feeling powerless and defeated. By prioritizing healing, individuals can build resilience and increase their ability to cope with challenges. This resilience, in turn, can lead to a greater sense of strength and empowerment, which can fuel social movements and create a sense of possibility for change.

Second, healing can help to address root causes of social injustices. Many societal issues, such as systemic racism and poverty, are deeply rooted and complex, and require a multifaceted approach to address. By focusing on healing, we can address the emotional and psychological impact of these societal issues, which can help to break the cycles of trauma and stress that perpetuate these issues.

Healing helps to foster empathy and connection. Social injustices can often lead to social fragmentation and a lack of trust and connection between individuals and communities. By prioritizing healing, we can create spaces where individuals can come together and connect around shared experiences and emotions. This can help to create a sense of empathy in action and deeper understandings between individuals and communities, building bridges between them and promoting a sense of collective action towards social change.

I also believe that healing can inspire creativity and innovation. By creating spaces for healing and self-reflection, we enable individuals and communities to tap into their own creativity and problem-solving skills. This can lead to innovative ideas and new ways of approaching complex issues, leading to meaningful social change.

Our unwavering commitment to health and healing will create sustainable change. Social and culture change is often difficult and can take a long time to achieve. By prioritizing healing and well-being, we can create a foundation for long-term change. A focus on healing can help to sustain social movements by ensuring that individuals and communities have the resources and support they need to continue to fight for change over the long term.

Outside of the above, what do you do to enrich or express yourself in your own personal time?

I regularly meditate and utilize sound healing to balance my energy throughout days and weeks. I make sure I get a lot of rest - to me - rest is a part of the revolution we seek in this world. Prioritizing my rest allows me to be effective, but more importantly it keeps me grounded in the moment and I’m able to be present for my students, clients, and loved ones.

As someone who has been practicing meditation for several years now, I can attest to the incredible benefits that a personal meditation practice can bring to one's life. For me, meditation has become an essential part of my daily routine, and a valuable tool for navigating the ups and downs of life as a person and a professional.

What projects can we expect to see from you coming up in 2023 and 2024?

The Everly Collective

Donate here to support The Every Collective

Prevention at the Intersections

Email us for partnership at - preventionagenda@protonmail.com

On our radar

October 6 hybrid at Simmons – The Simmons MPH opens the doors of its Boston Immersion course for a public lecture on the impacts for health equity of colonization, migration, and racism in Boston's Cabo Verdean community. Join us on campus or online.

October 6 in Washington, DC – Dr. Thema Bryant, President of the American Psychological Association, is hosting Psychology for the People: Healing from Trauma, Grief, and Oppression. This summit is organized to uplift community healing and thriving in honor of World Mental Health Day.

October 12-15, Marrakech, Morocco – Social movements, trade unions, people's organizations and others are gathering to call for debt and financial justice in a counter-summit to the 2023 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

November 12-15 in Atlanta, GA – Registration is open for the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting . People can also register for the virtual component which begins on November 9.

We want to hear from you!

Please let us know what you'd like to see in this monthly update! Write to leigh.haynes@simmons.edu with suggestions.

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