28. Having Grit and Constructing the New System (ft. Kaimi Mattila, LCSW)

This week Karen learned about poverty. Karen shares details about her experience participating in a poverty simulation - which we learned about from Kaimi - including the emotions triggered and insights gained. We encourage everyone to find a poverty simulation near you to participate in because there’s a difference between intellectually getting it and experientially getting it.

In our interview, we talked to Kaimi Hideyo Mattila who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Supervisor in Texas. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Family Services from the University of Northern Iowa and a Masters in Social Work from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.

Kaimi currently runs her own clinical supervision practice called Empowered Clinical Supervision where she provides supervision for social workers, even though that’s not what we focus on in this conversation. We highlight instead the real systemic change that Kaimi is a part of in her role as the Mental Health Court Administrator for the Hays County Mental Health Court. With Kaimi we discuss what a mental health court is and does, as well as what it is like to work with people with mental health issues who intersect with the justice system. Kami is so passionate about her work and the work of mental health specialty courts all over. 

Disclaimer: All views included herein are solely Kaimi, Karen, and Jazmin’s personal views and do not represent the views of the Hays County Mental Health Court or Hays County. 

Resources mentioned: 

• John Maxwell leadership books: https://store.maxwellleadership.com/collections/all-books 
• Salary Negotiation with Deb Ellis podcast episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBqkjYorxIk 
• Hays County Mental Health Court: https://www.hayscountytx.gov/mental-health-court
• Kaimi’s website for supervising: https://www.empoweredclinicalsupervision.com/ 
• Just Mercy (2019 film)
• Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
• Reality Check Texas: https://texasrealitycheck.com/ 
• What is a Poverty Simulation?: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6001599/ 

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Disclaimer: This podcast is not therapy and does not establish a professional, therapeutic counseling relationship. All statements made on this podcast by hosts and guests are their individual personal perspectives only and are not necessarily shared by anyone else. The hosts and guests on this podcast are not speaking on behalf of all mental health professionals or the profession as a whole.