Jessica Maitland Mayo and Micki Burns on Programs and Research at Judi's House

I had such a great discussion with Jessica Maitland Mayo and Micki Burns of Judi’s House for this episode. Judi’s House is in Denver, Colorado, and Jessica is the CEO and Micki is the chief clinical officer. One reason I love the work Judi’s House is doing is that they put equal emphasis on both direct client services and real, critical research to advance our collective understanding of childhood bereavement and best practices. Plus, Jessica is a widowed parent and past client of Judi’s House, so it was wonderful to talk with her about her journey and reflections. Some topics we cover on this episode include: Jessica’s journey as a widowed parent after her husband died by suicide when her kids were 7 and 11; Juggling a demanding job along with her grief and her kids’ grief; Her number one desire to protect her kids; The importance of telling her kids the truth about their dad’s death; Her family’s experiencing as clients of Judi’s House; The founding of Judi’s House by Brian Griese and Brook Griese; The Judi’s House Pathfinders program for youth ages 3-25 and their families, and the measurable positive outcomes; Stats on childhood bereavement from the Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model that Judi’s House has developed and partnered with New York Life Foundation on; Why childhood bereavement is a critical public health issue; How emphasis on preventative care in the mental & behavioral health field is lagging emphasis on preventative care in the physical health field; and The relative lack of research into the needs and challenges of bereaved families. I hope you enjoy my discussion with Jessica Maitland Mayo and Micki Burns of Judi’s House.