Noelani Dizon - The Power of Connection

On this episode Jay chats with friend and colleague Noelani Dizon. Lani and Jay met several years ago while working at a treatment center for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, and currently she is the program director for Whole Person Wellness, a program that assists individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Lani and Jay discuss many of her recent accomplishments and some exciting things she has on the horizon, and they really dig into childhood and adolescent struggles that almost contributed to none of this being possible. Lani gets candid about two suicide attempts in her later teens, and she shares about the power of therapy, finding authentic connections, and being willing to do the hard work required to persevere and come out the other side. Lani is a true testament to what can happen when you advocate for yourself and do what is needed to take charge of your mental health. 

As an aside, there is talk about suicide in this episode. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts please contact a mental health provider or call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1800-272-8255. You can also take yourself, or have a family member take you to the hospital for emergency evaluation.