Full Transcript for BrainAbouts

neuroscience based high risk behavior prevention program. 36 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:09.319 So we teach kids about various high risk behaviors as 37 00:02:09.360 --> 00:02:13.840 well as we focus on increasing executive functioning skills and 38 00:02:14.039 --> 00:02:19.840 so executive yeah, so okay, So the program is based 39 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:23.319 on the we use the brain to prevent high risk behaviors. 40 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:26.800 And so the idea behind that is that we have 41 00:02:28.000 --> 00:02:31.159 it's based on how our brain develops, and so from 42 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:34.199 zero to twelve years old, our limbic system is the 43 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:37.919 part of the brain that emerges as fully functioned, fully 44 00:02:37.960 --> 00:02:40.919 functioning and fully developed. And so the limbic system is 45 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:44.240 responsible for our fight flight or freeze response. 46 00:02:44.719 --> 00:02:45.080 It is. 47 00:02:46.199 --> 00:02:50.120 It's what keeps us safe in emergencies. It's also there. 48 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:53.840 It's also the emotional part of our Brain's responsible for love, 49 00:02:53.960 --> 00:02:57.439 for hate, for you know, lots all of the emotions 50 00:02:57.439 --> 00:03:01.639 that we feel. It's socially stimulus. It is kind of 51 00:03:01.680 --> 00:03:06.280 the impulsive kind of fun like, let's try something new, yeah, 52 00:03:06.360 --> 00:03:08.680 type of brain. And so that part of the brain 53 00:03:08.759 --> 00:03:12.439 is fully developed by twelve years old. Really, the part 54 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:14.800 of the brain that kind of keeps the limpics system 55 00:03:14.919 --> 00:03:18.479 in check is not fully formed until twenty four or 56 00:03:18.520 --> 00:03:21.639 twenty five years old. And that's the frontal lobe of 57 00:03:21.680 --> 00:03:22.159 the brain. 58 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:25.919 Can we ask mother nature how that works? It's say 59 00:03:25.680 --> 00:03:31.520 you developed the safety system after putting the engine online. 60 00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:34.159 So it's kind of like saying, we're gonna send this 61 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:37.400 car down the hill and once it crashes at the 62 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:40.479 bottom of the hill, will install the airbags. It's like, no, 63 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:41.680 do the other way around. 64 00:03:41.840 --> 00:03:45.560 My mom my thought is that that's why we have teachers, 65 00:03:45.560 --> 00:03:47.919 we have parents, we have adults in the life of 66 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:51.919 kids to help, you know, to provide that stability to 67 00:03:52.120 --> 00:03:56.439 provide that structure to help them during that stage of development. 68 00:03:57.479 --> 00:04:00.840 Oh wow, so I didn't. That's really that's an interesting perspective, 69 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:04.000 isn't it. The fact that we are capable of all 70 00:04:04.039 --> 00:04:09.360 sorts of dangerous behaviors twice as fast as we become 71 00:04:09.479 --> 00:04:13.960 capable to measure which behaviors will kill us, right, right. 72 00:04:14.280 --> 00:04:19.040 And that's why adolescence is such a prime time for 73 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:21.879 higherrisk behaviors all the way into college. 74 00:04:21.959 --> 00:04:22.160 Right. 75 00:04:22.199 --> 00:04:24.519 And so you think about you know, people's decisions in 76 00:04:24.560 --> 00:04:29.639 college and how that happens because the problem solving, decision making, 77 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:33.519 long term planning part of our brain, the frontal lobe, 78 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:36.160 is not fully developed until twenty four or twenty five, 79 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:40.079 and so executive functioning skills are those skills of the 80 00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:44.079 frontal lobe. And so part of the program is helping 81 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:47.120 kids to strengthen those skills and to use those skills. 82 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:48.839 And so from a young age we tell them the 83 00:04:48.839 --> 00:04:51.439 more you use it, the more you're developing, you know, 84 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:53.560 the neurons and that part of the brain so that 85 00:04:53.600 --> 00:04:55.120 it can get stronger earlier. 86 00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:58.199 So what kind of risky behavior are we talking about though? 87 00:04:58.720 --> 00:04:59.160 Anything? 88 00:04:59.160 --> 00:05:01.399 You can think about it, And part of our commitment 89 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:04.839 to schools is that we are ever evolving as the 90 00:05:04.920 --> 00:05:10.600 risky behaviors evolve. So have we provide educational videos, handouts, 91 00:05:10.600 --> 00:05:16.360 activity guides on marijuana, on other types of vaping, on 92 00:05:17.399 --> 00:05:24.279 hierseexual behavior on all types of illicit drugs, alcohol, and so. 93 00:05:24.399 --> 00:05:29.639 Our goal is to teach kids about these things scientifically, 94 00:05:30.079 --> 00:05:33.519 about how they affect their brain, their body, their development. 95 00:05:34.040 --> 00:05:41.279 We also include practical strategies for coping, let's say, with depression, 96 00:05:41.399 --> 00:05:45.040 and so our videos are short, informative to the point 97 00:05:45.319 --> 00:05:47.439 middle school and high school videos are about five to 98 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:51.160 seven minutes long. But our goal is that whenever a 99 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:54.720 kid is tempted with alcohol at a party, or with 100 00:05:55.279 --> 00:05:59.160 marijuana or whatever may come into their life, that they 101 00:05:59.160 --> 00:06:02.839 will have all already a knowledge base of if I 102 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:05.839 do this, then this will happen, so that when they're 103 00:06:05.839 --> 00:06:08.439 faced with it, they can make educated decisions or. 104 00:06:08.439 --> 00:06:11.279 At least have a chance to do so, right, I. 105 00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:13.360 Mean, and not just do something not

knowing how it 106 00:06:13.399 --> 00:06:16.160 affects it'll affect them, you know, they will have at 107 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:20.319 least the knowledge to know what those potential consequences could be. 108 00:06:21.079 --> 00:06:23.480 Yeah, I guess that makes it an interesting point is 109 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:26.720 that most of most young people when they choose to 110 00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:30.279 try a drug, they find out what the drug does 111 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:34.160 by trying the drug, which is ridiculous. 112 00:06:33.639 --> 00:06:35.319 And then the consequences can already be. 113 00:06:35.480 --> 00:06:37.480 Yes, right, so how long is it going to last? 114 00:06:37.639 --> 00:06:39.839 So you should have asked yourself that question before you 115 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:46.480 did that. Yeah, So you're essentially opening the door to 116 00:06:46.600 --> 00:06:49.519 having discussions that a lot of students can't have with 117 00:06:49.560 --> 00:06:52.879 their parents because like that's the maybe something that you 118 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:55.079 don't want to say out loud because it sounds rude. 119 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:58.920 But the fact is, we do have a parental crisis 120 00:06:58.920 --> 00:06:59.800 of this country. 121 00:07:00.920 --> 00:07:01.959 And part of. 122 00:07:02.199 --> 00:07:06.639 Our mission is to when a school becomes a brain 123 00:07:06.680 --> 00:07:11.040 about school, they get access to our website that is full, 124 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:14.199 like you said, almost the university of information about these 125 00:07:14.279 --> 00:07:19.560 various topics, and that school gets a log in for faculty, 126 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:23.600 for students, and for parents, because we want the entire 127 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:27.600 school community to have access to the same knowledge to 128 00:07:27.759 --> 00:07:33.759 possibly facilitate the education and conversations between parents and children, 129 00:07:34.199 --> 00:07:36.519 so that the parents are seeing what their students are 130 00:07:36.600 --> 00:07:39.360 learning and that they can all be on the same page. 131 00:07:39.519 --> 00:07:42.160 You measure, you measure somehow your success. 132 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:46.000 We do. So we have a pre and post survey that. 133 00:07:46.000 --> 00:07:51.680 We do with schools, and it's really the CDC. They 134 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:54.160 have a High Risk Behavior survey, and so we modify 135 00:07:54.199 --> 00:07:56.879 it a little bit and it's designed to be given 136 00:07:57.160 --> 00:08:00.120 at the beginning of the school year to assess students 137 00:08:00.319 --> 00:08:02.920 well for middle school and high school, to assess their 138 00:08:02.959 --> 00:08:05.279 engagement in certain behaviors, and then at the end of 139 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:08.120 the school yeard to see how that has shifted. For 140 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:12.040 our elementary our assessment looks

like just how much does 141 00:08:12.040 --> 00:08:14.439 does the student know about their brain, about their body, 142 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:18.040 about managing coping skills and managing different things, And so 143 00:08:18.360 --> 00:08:20.680 we do a pre and post with them to see 144 00:08:20.680 --> 00:08:22.360 how much they know at the beginning, how much they 145 00:08:22.439 --> 00:08:25.600 know at the end, and we see their knowledge base 146 00:08:26.279 --> 00:08:31.839 increase tremendously, which has been a wonderful, wonderful feedback for us. 147 00:08:31.879 --> 00:08:36.679 And so they're learning the information, they're learning the different tools, 148 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:41.960 they're learning how to cope because our curriculum also addresses 149 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:45.440 various mental health challenges like depression, anxiety, that kind of thing, 150 00:08:45.480 --> 00:08:50.960 and so they're learning the vocabulary associated with these different things, 151 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:53.200 because a lot of times kids experience stuff but they 152 00:08:53.240 --> 00:08:57.120 don't have the words for what they're experiencing and so 153 00:08:57.240 --> 00:09:04.000 we're seeing just an increase in conversations regarding mental health 154 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:09.879 substance of vis HIGHRIS behaviors. And we're still a fairly 155 00:09:09.919 --> 00:09:14.120 young organization, so we're looking for more schools to do, 156 00:09:14.279 --> 00:09:16.240 especially at the middle school and high school level, to 157 00:09:16.360 --> 00:09:20.519 do that pre and post regarding how it's affecting student behavior. 158 00:09:20.840 --> 00:09:25.000 Yeah, I guess you're pointing out something that's pretty obvious 159 00:09:25.039 --> 00:09:26.879 if you think about two seconds, and that is that 160 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:29.320 if you don't have the tools to talk about something, 161 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:31.879 it's difficult to explain to anyone what you're going through. 162 00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:35.120 But on the other hand, we just call that teenager. 163 00:09:35.720 --> 00:09:38.720 That you being a teenager anyway. So the point being 164 00:09:38.720 --> 00:09:41.320 that the program is available to anyone. You don't actually 165 00:09:41.360 --> 00:09:43.080 have to be a teacher or a school. You can 166 00:09:43.080 --> 00:09:44.519 take a look at it right well. 167 00:09:44.360 --> 00:09:49.360 So we welcome everybody to our website. We plan to 168 00:09:49.559 --> 00:09:53.600 initially make it to where parents can access it directly, 169 00:09:53.639 --> 00:09:56.960 but right now are we're targeting schools in school systems, 170 00:09:56.960 --> 00:09:59.480 and so we're looking for different schools to become brain 171 00:09:59.480 --> 00:10:02.840 about school. And when that school becomes a brain about school, 172 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:06.000 then the parents, the faculty, the students, everybody within that 173 00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:07.679 school community have access to it. 174 00:10:07.799 --> 00:10:10.240 So you're really trying to recruit teachers to get into 175 00:10:10.360 --> 00:10:14.919 the school administrators counselors. Yes, so you can go to 176 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:18.960 brain about dot org brain about dot org to find 177 00:10:18.960 --> 00:10:22.799 out how the program works. The website includes an application 178 00:10:22.919 --> 00:10:23.840 processor you know. 179 00:10:23.960 --> 00:10:28.519 Yes it does, and within that we also provide amazing 180 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:31.600 assemblies like our brain about schools. They'll come to us 181 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:33.759 and say, hey, we've been having a challenge with bullying 182 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:37.919 or alcohol and we do amazing assemblies for our schools. 183 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:39.279 So we really and we. 184 00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:44.399 Maintained consistent communication. Our goal is to walk alongside them, 185 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:49.799 to work with them, to partner with them, to help 186 00:10:49.879 --> 00:10:54.480 their students have the best opportunity to make good decisions 187 00:10:54.519 --> 00:10:55.600 and reach their potential. 188 00:10:56.360 --> 00:10:59.720 You are listening to Houston, PA, Houston's Public Affairs Show. 189 00:10:59.799 --> 00:11:02.639 My name is Laurent and my guest today is doctor 190 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:06.799 Tandre Gordon. She is the senior program director for brain Abouts. 191 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:11.639 As I said, they're online at brainabouts or orgy. There's 192 00:11:11.679 --> 00:11:14.559 a bunch of organizations that track the mental health of 193 00:11:14.600 --> 00:11:19.000 students and the number of students who report having depressive 194 00:11:19.120 --> 00:11:24.399 feelings and dealing with depression or bullying, which will engender 195 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:28.600 depression is higher than you can imagine. I don't know 196 00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:31.679 how you can trust anyone's numbers, but when you keep 197 00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:34.720 seeing numbers that are in you know, twenty thirty, forty 198 00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:36.840 fifty percent, you know that the range is going to 199 00:11:36.879 --> 00:11:40.480 be somewhere between there. Realistically speaking, So even if we 200 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:43.000 only count that twenty percent of the students that have 201 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:47.200 these these problems, they're triggered by bad behavior of other students, 202 00:11:47.799 --> 00:11:50.360 that seems catastrophic to me. Because on top of that, 203 00:11:50.399 --> 00:11:54.519 there's the natural tendency for teenagers, especially teenage girls, have 204 00:11:55.240 --> 00:11:59.799 to have problems. It's difficult being a teenager, especially for girls. 205 00:11:59.799 --> 00:12:04.600 They transform very visibly, and they transform at a

different 206 00:12:04.679 --> 00:12:09.159 rate than their friends. It's it becomes really thorny. 207 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:10.320 Yeah, I feel like. 208 00:12:10.240 --> 00:12:14.759 Being a teenager is different difficult for guys. 209 00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:16.600 But I think it's more it's harder for girls. 210 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:19.200 I think, and and you know, there's different pressures. 211 00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:24.720 I think that girls, I think, I think guys struggle too, 212 00:12:24.799 --> 00:12:27.480 and but I think girls, for sure, girls are more 213 00:12:27.759 --> 00:12:32.200 probably more likely to express it and to reach out 214 00:12:32.240 --> 00:12:37.039 for help. I think that guys often struggle, you know, internally, 215 00:12:37.320 --> 00:12:42.559 and and and those behaviors you know, they may express 216 00:12:42.600 --> 00:12:45.360 it in their behaviors as opposed to you know, in 217 00:12:45.440 --> 00:12:48.559 conversation and talking about it. And part of it is 218 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:50.879 how the brain develops, right, and so because when you're 219 00:12:50.919 --> 00:12:54.840 in that adolescent stage, you have big emotions, and so 220 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:58.919 you know, when you break up with that boyfriend or girlfriend, 221 00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:01.759 then it just seems like end of the world because 222 00:13:01.799 --> 00:13:05.200 you don't have the life experience or even the frontal 223 00:13:05.200 --> 00:13:08.440 lobe development to know this too show pass like things 224 00:13:08.440 --> 00:13:10.879 can get better, and so if it can be a 225 00:13:10.919 --> 00:13:15.759 really challenging stage in development being a teenager, and depression 226 00:13:15.960 --> 00:13:21.200 is a big part of what a lot of teens experiences. Unfortunately. 227 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:23.799 I think there's a lot of pressures, and I think 228 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:26.840 that social media and the Internet kind of adds to that. 229 00:13:26.879 --> 00:13:30.480 There's this expectation of being this certain kind of way 230 00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:34.960 and there's or living this certain kind of life. And 231 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:39.320 I think that teenagers really feel that because I think 232 00:13:39.360 --> 00:13:42.679 as you grow, when you get life experiences, you realize, Okay, 233 00:13:42.679 --> 00:13:45.360 everybody might not really be who they perceive to be, 234 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:48.559 you know on the internet. But I think as an adolescent, 235 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:51.879 like you're trying to figure out who you are, and 236 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:55.399 there's all of these different images of who you should be, 237 00:13:55.639 --> 00:13:58.279 and it can be a really difficult time. 238 00:13:58.360 --> 00:13:58.519 You know. 239 00:13:58.720 --> 00:14:03.559 In sech hology we call that stage of development identity 240 00:14:03.679 --> 00:14:08.360 versus identity confusion. And so an adolescents job is to 241 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:11.279 figure out who they are apart from who their parents 242 00:14:11.320 --> 00:14:14.200 told them to be. And so in that process of 243 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:20.720 discovering who they are, it can be a very confusing process, 244 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:26.840 a very difficult process, but that's a part of growing up. 245 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:27.879 And so our. 246 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:32.039 Goal is to aid in that. 247 00:14:31.879 --> 00:14:38.639 Time in development, to aid in education for faculty, for parents, 248 00:14:38.759 --> 00:14:43.519 for students about that time of development, to give students 249 00:14:43.559 --> 00:14:47.159 tools to cope during that time of development, to give 250 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:52.000 them information that as they're faced with various temptations, that 251 00:14:52.039 --> 00:14:55.440 they would be able to make educated decisions during that 252 00:14:55.559 --> 00:14:56.559 time of development. 253 00:14:57.559 --> 00:15:00.480 How do you approach teaching some of the basics of 254 00:15:00.519 --> 00:15:02.799 the kids. You briefly mentioned that you have a new 255 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:07.240 program for pre K through second grade. So we're talking 256 00:15:07.240 --> 00:15:10.240 about tiny little kids, right, and that seems to be 257 00:15:10.279 --> 00:15:13.519 a completely different subject to me. I see how it's related. 258 00:15:13.519 --> 00:15:17.000 Obviously, in pre K through second grade, we have taken 259 00:15:17.039 --> 00:15:21.200 the character education curriculum from various states and use that 260 00:15:21.399 --> 00:15:24.720 to create our pre K through second curriculum, So the 261 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:29.519 students in that curriculum we'll learn about honesty and responsibility, 262 00:15:29.559 --> 00:15:33.000 and so it's kind of setting this self control, it's 263 00:15:33.080 --> 00:15:35.919 kind of setting this foundation, and that's kind of the 264 00:15:35.960 --> 00:15:40.120 beginning of our program. In elementary school, we build upon that. 265 00:15:40.559 --> 00:15:47.879 We teach them about various mental health strategies for coping. 266 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:53.240 We teach them about self control again, about self esteem, 267 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:58.039 about managing their emotions, about being a good friend, and 268 00:15:58.080 --> 00:16:00.879 so it builds upon that. And then as the kids 269 00:16:00.879 --> 00:16:03.679 get older in middle school in high school, they learn, 270 00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:06.879 you know, about the various highrisk behaviors that they are 271 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:10.120 going to be faced with at some point in their development, 272 00:16:10.679 --> 00:16:13.440 and so our goal is to provide education about that 273 00:16:13.559 --> 00:16:15.639 so that they can make informed decisions. 274 00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:18.120 It sounds like

you're kind of taking the place. No, 275 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:20.519 that's the wrong taking the place, and that you're you're 276 00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:24.639 adding to the parenting. But in some kids, we know 277 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:27.440 that some of their behavioral problems are because their parents 278 00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:29.360 are just completely absent for their lives. 279 00:16:29.559 --> 00:16:31.200 Yeah, well, I wouldn't say. 280 00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:37.919 We're We're walking alongside administrators, teachers, and parents providing information 281 00:16:38.039 --> 00:16:40.600 and our and our information is research based, like we 282 00:16:41.080 --> 00:16:42.759 you know, I might be saying it in a certain way, 283 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:43.480 but we do not. 284 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:47.320 Say do this, do that, do this, do that. 285 00:16:47.399 --> 00:16:50.200 What we teach kids is what the research says about 286 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:54.000 how various alcohol and drugs affect the brain and body. 287 00:16:54.240 --> 00:16:56.600 And we don't say don't do drugs. We just say, Okay, 288 00:16:56.679 --> 00:17:01.120 when you smoke marijuana, this happens, this happens, this happens, 289 00:17:01.240 --> 00:17:03.960 this happens. This is how it affects your brain. This 290 00:17:04.000 --> 00:17:05.559 is how it affects your body, This is how it 291 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:08.680 affects your your This is what research is about how 292 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:11.240 it affects your future. And then at the end of 293 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:13.480 every video, it's like, so, what decision will you make? 294 00:17:13.559 --> 00:17:16.720 So we just we're not like, just say no to 295 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:17.799 drugs or just say no. 296 00:17:17.799 --> 00:17:19.000 To this or that didn't work. 297 00:17:19.079 --> 00:17:23.480 It's not morally you know, We're providing information so that 298 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:25.599 they can make educated decisions. 299 00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:30.200 So do you do the kids react to For instance, 300 00:17:30.200 --> 00:17:33.160 we know that if they start smoking marijuana at a 301 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:36.400 young age, before they're in their early twenties, basically before 302 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:40.079 the brain is completely developed, right, that marijuana is literally 303 00:17:40.119 --> 00:17:42.839 going to stunt the development of their brain. It's like 304 00:17:42.920 --> 00:17:46.039 putting the brakes on it. It can and the more. 305 00:17:46.119 --> 00:17:48.039 And if you smoke a lot of it, then your 306 00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:51.480 brain just doesn't develop in some areas and then it's 307 00:17:51.519 --> 00:17:53.960 too you know that, right, that's I think you're right. 308 00:17:54.119 --> 00:17:55.200 So that's what we do, is. 309 00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:58.240 We give them information that when you're smoking marijuana, your 310 00:17:58.240 --> 00:18:02.680 frontal lobe turns off. It's off during that time of 311 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:05.240 being high, right, And so if you're getting high three 312 00:18:05.279 --> 00:18:09.279 to four times a week and then it stops because 313 00:18:09.319 --> 00:18:12.839 adolescence that's the time of frontal lobe development, you know, 314 00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:15.480 from twelve to twenty four and twenty five years old. 315 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:19.680 And so if you spend your adolescence drunk or high, 316 00:18:19.799 --> 00:18:24.200 then is that part of your brain is not developing. 317 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:26.680 And that's the part of your brain that helps you 318 00:18:26.759 --> 00:18:29.640 to be successful in adulthood, that helps you to leave 319 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:32.039 your parents home and be able to manage a life 320 00:18:32.039 --> 00:18:35.799 on your own, problem solving, decision making. And so our 321 00:18:35.799 --> 00:18:38.720 goal is to educate kids about how these different things 322 00:18:38.720 --> 00:18:41.680 affects them so that they know that because a lot 323 00:18:41.720 --> 00:18:42.400 of people. 324 00:18:42.119 --> 00:18:42.720 Don't know that. 325 00:18:43.559 --> 00:18:45.920 And then you know, they're grown ups and they don't 326 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:51.759 have the psychological training, the life experience to deal with 327 00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:55.519 all kinds of things, but also their ability to understand 328 00:18:55.559 --> 00:18:58.839 how things work, and not just how things work, but 329 00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:02.480 also how relationship with other people work. That's gone forever. 330 00:19:03.720 --> 00:19:07.720 It becomes really difficult to modify that kind of behavior 331 00:19:08.240 --> 00:19:11.000 if it hasn't been properly washed out. 332 00:19:11.319 --> 00:19:14.680 And research shows that ninety percent of adults that are 333 00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:18.079 addicted to some kind of a substance started using when 334 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:20.400 they were teens. And so if we can at least 335 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:25.839 delay that use of those substances, you're right, there's a 336 00:19:25.960 --> 00:19:29.119 higher likelihood that it won't develop into addiction. 337 00:19:29.359 --> 00:19:32.759 You're listening to Houston PA, Houston's Public Affairs show. My 338 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:36.519 name is Laurent. My guest is doctor Tandra Gordon. She 339 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:39.720 is a senior program director for brain Abouts. By the way, 340 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:42.559 she is a licensed marriage and family therapist, and she 341 00:19:42.680 --> 00:19:46.000 was also a kindergarten teacher, so don't mess with her. 342 00:19:47.480 --> 00:19:51.119 The people who developed the authority to control little people 343 00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:54.359 are the most dangerous disciplinarians out there. 344 00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:58.160 So funny, it really is cool how

life happens. Because 345 00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:00.920 I started my careers in the elementary school team. Yeah, 346 00:20:00.960 --> 00:20:03.480 and then I work for the Council and Recovery where 347 00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:08.720 I work with substance abuse, and then I combined education 348 00:20:09.119 --> 00:20:12.640 and therapy. In my work, I became vice president of 349 00:20:12.680 --> 00:20:16.200 school based Health and oversalid school based health Clinics and 350 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:18.160 now get to combine all of that in the work 351 00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:19.160 that I do at brain Abouts. 352 00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:19.839 It's really cool. 353 00:20:19.960 --> 00:20:23.079 You also worked with our friends at the Legacy Health 354 00:20:23.079 --> 00:20:24.119 Clinics I did. 355 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:25.440 Yeah, my friends. 356 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:28.720 They used to be called the Montrose Clinic. For those 357 00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:31.119 of us who have been around since the mid nineties, 358 00:20:31.160 --> 00:20:33.880 that's how I found out about them. They used to 359 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:38.400 provide a free and anonymous age testing back in the 360 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:42.319 mid nineties. Such a rich history, rich history of doing 361 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:45.039 the right thing by people to keep them safe but 362 00:20:45.160 --> 00:20:48.279 also out of trouble, because back then that kind of 363 00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:50.799 testing could be the kind of news that might destroy 364 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:54.559 your family relationship. I think we're mostly long past that 365 00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:57.000 from most of us, but they were one of the 366 00:20:57.000 --> 00:21:00.599 great organizations that helped to move that forward by just 367 00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:03.759 doing the right thing and then facilitized and then they 368 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:06.359 didn't try to indoctrinate eight people, just say we're making 369 00:21:06.359 --> 00:21:08.759 this available, it's the right thing to do, it's safe, 370 00:21:09.400 --> 00:21:11.680 you can get tested, and then you know, and then 371 00:21:11.720 --> 00:21:14.519 you can stop the spread. And now we live in 372 00:21:14.559 --> 00:21:19.359 a world where being diagnosed with HIV most likely will 373 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:22.640 not lead to AIDS. And it's not a it's not 374 00:21:22.759 --> 00:21:26.599 at all. It's well, it's a great inconvenience, and it's 375 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:30.079 an inconvenience you've got to be really watchful about. But so, 376 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:34.400 good job, a nice career, I would say thus far. 377 00:21:34.680 --> 00:21:38.480 Yeah, when I started with the school based health program 378 00:21:38.480 --> 00:21:41.319 at Legacy, there were seven clinics and one school system, 379 00:21:41.400 --> 00:21:44.599 and I was oversaw the program. So it's growth to 380 00:21:44.759 --> 00:21:47.799 thirty three

clinics about across three school system thirty and 381 00:21:47.880 --> 00:21:50.400 so I'm really proud of that work and I'm proud 382 00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:53.720 that it continues, and I'm grateful for it. And that's 383 00:21:53.759 --> 00:21:56.480 been my career, is just really being a part of 384 00:21:56.599 --> 00:22:00.240 mission minded organizations that just want to help, and so 385 00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:03.200 I'm grateful to be continuing that with Brainabouts. 386 00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:06.079 We should give out their website if you're interested in 387 00:22:06.119 --> 00:22:09.160 getting more information about the Legacy Health Clinic. They're online 388 00:22:09.200 --> 00:22:17.519 at Legacy Communityhealth dot org. Legacy Communityhealth dot org. I 389 00:22:17.519 --> 00:22:20.119 would like to mention that you're being funded by the 390 00:22:20.200 --> 00:22:25.400 John Fontaine Junior Charity, which was started by John Fontaine's 391 00:22:25.559 --> 00:22:29.720 parents after John was killed in a car accident. You 392 00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:33.759 explained to me that he was not the one driving. 393 00:22:34.319 --> 00:22:36.640 He happens to be the victim of an accident which 394 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:41.119 was at least partially caused by a driver who was 395 00:22:41.240 --> 00:22:42.240 highly inebriated. 396 00:22:42.519 --> 00:22:49.559 Yeah, so mission minor organizations. Brainabouts comes from a family 397 00:22:49.640 --> 00:22:56.519 a tragedy. Jack Fontaine had been sober for many years, and. 398 00:22:56.920 --> 00:22:58.759 That's the dad, the dad, and. 399 00:22:58.680 --> 00:23:02.200 Then his son John, you know, was at a party. 400 00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:05.880 He didn't know drinking, was Jack and Nancy didn't know drinking. 401 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:08.240 What's going on? But you know, John got into a 402 00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:10.480 car with a friend that had been drinking, and within 403 00:23:10.559 --> 00:23:13.880 minutes he would they got into an accident and John 404 00:23:13.960 --> 00:23:18.039 was killed immediately. And within a month of mourning the 405 00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:21.119 loss of their son, Jack and Nancy made a commitment 406 00:23:21.160 --> 00:23:23.759 and a promise to John that they would do everything 407 00:23:23.799 --> 00:23:27.160 that they could to reduce tragic phone calls, to reduce 408 00:23:27.200 --> 00:23:30.279 other families from receiving a phone call like the one 409 00:23:30.279 --> 00:23:32.599 that they received that night. And so that is where 410 00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:39.000 brainabouts was birthed, is through a commitment to provide education. 411 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:42.000 Because you know, if you ever talk to Jack, he's like, 412 00:23:42.079 --> 00:23:45.559 if one person at that party had said, no, not 413 00:23:45.759 --> 00:23:47.839 get in that car, y'all. 414 00:23:47.599 --> 00:23:48.519 Have been drinking. 415 00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:52.400 And so that is what brain Abouts is is providing education, 416 00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:58.079 providing conversations that people may not have without an intervention 417 00:23:58.400 --> 00:23:58.960 like this. 418 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:03.119 You're part of your programs that you're developing is a 419 00:24:03.160 --> 00:24:06.160 new Tier three program. It's an intervention program that you're 420 00:24:06.200 --> 00:24:09.519 doing an association with a professor Stanford University. This sounds 421 00:24:09.559 --> 00:24:12.680 really cool, but that sounds like a big step forward. 422 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:15.759 In other words, your programs are developing and evolving. 423 00:24:16.039 --> 00:24:19.200 We are, I mean we are like always on the move, 424 00:24:19.319 --> 00:24:21.680 and that's one mark of our program. It's really because 425 00:24:21.880 --> 00:24:25.119 society is always on the move, and our commitment is 426 00:24:25.160 --> 00:24:28.000 to keep up with where students are and meet them 427 00:24:28.039 --> 00:24:30.319 where they are and give them what they need and. 428 00:24:30.279 --> 00:24:32.839 So and deal with the new addictions made available by 429 00:24:32.880 --> 00:24:34.160 new technology. 430 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:38.359 Right exactly exactly whatever's coming up, we're researching it and 431 00:24:38.440 --> 00:24:43.920 creating information and education so that everybody knows about it 432 00:24:43.960 --> 00:24:46.279 and it's how it's affecting them. So, yeah, we're very 433 00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:50.759 excited about our Tier three program Brainabouts. Overall, it's focused 434 00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:53.839 on prevention, but this program is going to be focused 435 00:24:53.880 --> 00:24:57.359 on intervention with students that may had may have. 436 00:24:57.279 --> 00:24:58.559 Gotten in trouble at school. 437 00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:01.759 For you know, some type of high risk behavior or 438 00:25:01.759 --> 00:25:04.720 maybe struggling with some type of high risk behavior. And 439 00:25:04.759 --> 00:25:07.079 so it's based on the work of doctor Anna Link, 440 00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:11.839 who is a Stanford professor, and she uses the acronym 441 00:25:11.960 --> 00:25:15.559 dopamine as a source of an intervention. And so our 442 00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:20.279 Tier three program is focused on that and we're really 443 00:25:20.359 --> 00:25:22.640 excited about developing that this year. 444 00:25:22.720 --> 00:25:24.799 And when you mean Tier three, those are older kids. 445 00:25:25.119 --> 00:25:27.920 No, No, so Tier three. So in terms of school 446 00:25:28.079 --> 00:25:31.839 Tier one we talk about we use that term when 447 00:25:31.880 --> 00:25:34.839 we're talking about like every student in the school, you know, 448 00:25:35.079 --> 00:25:38.640 and so prevention and then Tier three and Tier two 449 00:25:38.839 --> 00:25:41.200 is kind of maybe a smaller group that you

might 450 00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:43.880 have small some type of small group intervention with them. 451 00:25:44.319 --> 00:25:46.319 And then Tier three is kind of that one on 452 00:25:46.319 --> 00:25:48.440 one you know, maybe they've gotten in trouble, they're really 453 00:25:48.440 --> 00:25:51.359 struggling in some place, and so they need that one 454 00:25:51.400 --> 00:25:54.920 on one intervention with a counselor. And what we're providing 455 00:25:55.079 --> 00:25:58.359 is a tool for those counselors to use to intervene 456 00:25:58.359 --> 00:25:59.359 with those students. 457 00:25:59.480 --> 00:26:02.000 And when you're using the word intervention, what you mean 458 00:26:02.680 --> 00:26:06.559 is that a teacher or a counselor, as you mentioned, 459 00:26:06.599 --> 00:26:09.200 will reach out to the students and make themselves available 460 00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:09.920 to them, right. 461 00:26:09.960 --> 00:26:12.359 And so a lot of times when kids get in 462 00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:16.160 trouble at school, there's just a consequence, right, Okay, you know, 463 00:26:16.200 --> 00:26:18.519 you've got caught vaping in the restroom, so now you're 464 00:26:18.519 --> 00:26:20.039 suspended or this or that. 465 00:26:20.519 --> 00:26:21.400 What we want to. 466 00:26:21.319 --> 00:26:26.640 Provide is a source of change, a source where they 467 00:26:26.680 --> 00:26:30.680 can learn and grow from an experience and not just 468 00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:35.480 be punished, but learn and possibly make different choices next time. 469 00:26:35.559 --> 00:26:38.880 And so we want to meet kids where they are 470 00:26:39.079 --> 00:26:43.759 and provide a place that allows them to make better choices. 471 00:26:44.200 --> 00:26:46.079 So an open door policy for all. 472 00:26:46.160 --> 00:26:51.799 Basically everybody has potential, and we want to help as 473 00:26:51.880 --> 00:26:55.200 many kids that are willing to meet that potential. 474 00:26:55.480 --> 00:26:58.559 I think that it's extremely useful to have something like 475 00:26:58.640 --> 00:27:02.440 bring Abouts in the school system because you can have 476 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:05.559 an open door policy, as I mentioned, But very often 477 00:27:05.880 --> 00:27:08.880 the teenagers or the young kids that most need help 478 00:27:09.000 --> 00:27:10.640 won't come through that door. They're not going to do 479 00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:14.440 it voluntarily. Yeah, and it's maybe part because they don't 480 00:27:14.519 --> 00:27:18.559 understand what that means. You don't know what's in their head, 481 00:27:18.640 --> 00:27:21.759 and it's not hard to imagine that they will be 482 00:27:21.839 --> 00:27:24.400 fearful of getting in trouble if they talk to anyone 483 00:27:24.440 --> 00:27:28.519 about these problems. Yeah, So you're essentially sort of in 484 00:27:28.920 --> 00:27:31.240 a blanketed kind of way, you're saying, hey, you know what, 485 00:27:31.319 -->

00:27:34.240 if you're dealing with this, yes, that's not you don't 486 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:35.119 get in trouble for that. 487 00:27:35.720 --> 00:27:35.960 Yeah. 488 00:27:36.000 --> 00:27:38.160 And if you never heard that before, it can be 489 00:27:38.200 --> 00:27:38.920 an epiphany. 490 00:27:39.160 --> 00:27:43.279 Yes, And so like a brain about So our program 491 00:27:43.359 --> 00:27:46.200 is designed so like we have videos on each one 492 00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:48.680 of our topics, and so that video might be five 493 00:27:48.680 --> 00:27:52.119 to seven minutes. Along with that is an activity guide 494 00:27:52.160 --> 00:27:55.839 that fosters communication and discussion. And this is on the 495 00:27:55.880 --> 00:28:00.319 prevention side with it between teacher and students, and and 496 00:28:00.359 --> 00:28:02.920 then activities where the student might have like a journaling 497 00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:07.440 activity or something to further think about or process or 498 00:28:07.480 --> 00:28:10.599 internalize what they've learned from the video. And at the 499 00:28:10.720 --> 00:28:13.799 end of every video is like, you know, this is 500 00:28:13.880 --> 00:28:16.599 what it is, and if you're struggling with this, this 501 00:28:16.680 --> 00:28:17.599 is what you can do. 502 00:28:17.880 --> 00:28:20.319 And so it creates. 503 00:28:21.880 --> 00:28:24.400 Education, you know, Like we talked about earlier, kids often 504 00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:26.440 go through things, but they don't have the words to 505 00:28:26.519 --> 00:28:30.079 articulate what they're going through, and then they don't know 506 00:28:30.119 --> 00:28:32.200 what to do to help themselves with what they're going 507 00:28:32.240 --> 00:28:35.599 through and so our goal is that all of these topics, 508 00:28:35.640 --> 00:28:38.680 introducing these things to them will give them words for 509 00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:43.000 what they're experiencing and an avenue to be able to 510 00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:46.759 reach out for help. And we are a mission minded organization. 511 00:28:46.920 --> 00:28:50.480 We're powered by the John Fontaine Junior Charity, and the 512 00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:54.799 charity is very much focused on cost not being a 513 00:28:54.839 --> 00:28:58.119 barrier to our program getting in schools and so. 514 00:28:58.519 --> 00:29:02.319 Well, I mean all your videos are free click whatever. 515 00:29:02.720 --> 00:29:06.880 Yeah, wherever you are, as far as you know a school, 516 00:29:06.920 --> 00:29:09.279 whether your school has a big budget or small budget, 517 00:29:09.319 --> 00:29:10.440 brain abouts istory you. 518 00:29:10.680 --> 00:29:12.839 It's awesome. It it sort of comes as a package 519 00:29:12.880 --> 00:29:15.119 that works. All you have to do is turn it on, 520 00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:18.480 so to speak. So just go to brainabouts dot org. 521 00:29:18.839 --> 00:29:22.480 Brainabouts dot org. That's how you can find out how 522 00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:24.920 the program works because you'll see and you'll get an 523 00:29:24.960 --> 00:29:27.079 idea of how it works by watching it work. And 524 00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:29.799 you can get in contact with them and start the 525 00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:33.160 process of having them in your school or make sure 526 00:29:33.160 --> 00:29:35.480 that your your your students can have access to it. 527 00:29:35.759 --> 00:29:38.640 And as usual, if you have any questions related to Houston, PA, 528 00:29:38.839 --> 00:29:42.400 you can just send me an email Texan from France 529 00:29:42.559 --> 00:29:45.519 at gmail dot com and you'll get an answer, and 530 00:29:45.559 --> 00:29:47.599 I want to thank you for caring about the issues 531 00:29:47.640 --> 00:29:49.720 I put on this show. I'll be here at the 532 00:29:49.720 --> 00:29:52.839 same time next week, and I thank you for listening. Folks. 533 00:29:52.880 --> 00:29:55.319 My name is Laurent I am the Texan from France 534 00:29:55.599 --> 00:29:59.200 and this has been Houston PA, Houston's public affairs show, 535 00:29:59.559 --> 00:30:00.480 Houston Strong