The Scoop with Tanya Flanagan

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This is a k u NBC Studios original program. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 Jazz and more the University of Nevada, Las Vegas or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

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Good morning and thank you for joining me for the scoop with Tanya Flanagan. I'm so happy you decided to wake up and start your day with me.

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Here on the scoop, where we talk about life, joy, funny moments, trending topics, and so much more. We promise to keep you in the know and find out what you know. So let's get started.

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Good morning, Las Vegas and welcome to the first Sunday in June. Thank you once again for getting up bright and early on a Sunday morning to spend some time with me here on the scoop on K u and v 91.5. Jazz and more I am grateful for your listenership. I am delighted today to have a wonderful guest with me May was mental health awareness month and I wanted to take some time and focus on mental health. But surprisingly enough, although it was a long month, time still got away. But every day, and every month is the month that we need to be focused on our health and our well being and our mental well being is a huge part of that. And so I'm delighted to welcome to the show today a very accomplished and esteemed young woman from our community who is doing amazing and exceptional things. I love adjectives as you know, especially when they're well deserved. So I'd like to welcome Tanisha Mingo on founder of Mingo health solutions, which she established in 2016. To the show today, Denise should Good morning.

Unknown Speaker 1:45
Good morning, Tanya and Las Vegas, thank you so much for having me. Thank you. I know right now you're in California, because you're working on your PhD in Clinical Psychology, you hold two degrees, one in educational psychology and a second in psychology itself to Masters as a matter of fact. So you really have like three degrees already, but you're working on a PhD in Clinical Psychology, you know, where are you? Congratulations to you, first of all for that, and where are you studying out in California?

Unknown Speaker 2:13
Thank you. I'm at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. So by the time I'm done, I also have another Master's in divinity. And then the PhD in Clinical Psychology woman, a woman of many talents like you, I just bow down because people say to me, I do too much. And I have too much energy, but you're about to have five degrees, including a PhD. And you do have after you I remember meeting you at the

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urban, sorry, Las Vegas, originally young professionals years ago and just being definitely inspired by you and the work that you've done. So yeah, I mean, honestly, it's so interesting, because as much as it seems like I'm doing and I and God has shown me how much I have been doing. And as every time I pull back, it's like, Oh, I get this breath and I realized how much I was doing. But I will say in this season, I'm really I'm no longer in a space of surviving and try to make something happen. But more so allowing life to flow with E so while it is a lot

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I don't know I just feel at ease in it is I'm thankful for that. That is a beautiful thing to hear you say,

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just this week, I felt overwhelmed. And I'm really happy we are having a conversation about mental health and just behavior health and general well being. But I felt overwhelmed. And the doctor's office called and said we need to do some more toast what. And I realized that it was stress related. I said that's stress related. That is you getting off center

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and allowing life to take you in all these different and it's nothing wrong with the terms. It's just, I always say it's not what you're going through, but how you respond to what you're going through. And I say that because that has to do for me with my faith base focus on my focus on God, my time to meditate and find peace and not lose sight of the center I was important so that you say I am in a season of ease even though I'm in a season of busyness. And then as a mental health provider. I love that you said that because the season of ease comes from having a sense of meditative centeredness that for me comes from my walk my relationship that faith based space that happens in my life that keeps me being reminded of how strong I am. How resilient he is made me the strength he's given me in my life so that you say that I just think this time this conversation with you so right on time.

Unknown Speaker 4:48
Thank you. I've always watched you from afar and people keep your name on their lips. Whenever mental health comes up as a conversation. You

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You are one of the Go twos that that you're the only go to but you are one of the Revere go twos in the community, to invite to participate in a conversation about mental health, people of communities of color, avarice, communities, disadvantaged, marginalized populations, when it comes to mental health,

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what you're so good at it so respected in this field in this space, what brought you into this?

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I'm so thankful if I could just say why I'm thankful for that is because, I mean, there's no secret, like, I'm a very faith based person. Spirituality is a part of my livelihood and well being. And I remember, some years ago, one of my pastors at the time was pushing me to do more preaching. And she said, Do you want to be known for mental health, or you wanna be known for ministry, and I was like, This is my calling, this is a purpose for me. And I don't see one without the other. So to look now, and to hear that from you and others, I had no idea. I just was really trying to just do the work because I care so much. So I'm extremely humbled, but I'm thankful. Because if they're talking about me and mental health, and that means that the work that I was doing, and that I cared about what's happening,

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and it's coming into fruition, that we're having this dialogue, and it's really honored to be mentioned, for the authenticity and the passion and the work. And so, you know, if you would have asked me this a few years ago, I would have said, Oh, and I'll send it to law school. And then I just ended up to behavioral health because of the job. And you know, I started and never left. But in my own recent years of reflection, it really just reflected on my life and my journey. It definitely it was I was surrounded by mental health challenges growing up for my family, you talk about addictions, you talk about serious mental illness, schizophrenia, domestic violence, you know, there was so much that was around me that I didn't even know

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to how to put a finger on it. And so I can look back now and say, it really was a calling and purpose. And more on the professional side, when I got into this field, like I said, I needed a job. At the time, I was actually pretty steady, just focused on going to law school, and kind of fell into this work. And I just had never felt more fulfilled at that time, being a part of direct change during the psychosocial rehab, basically, teaching coping skills and life skills to people in their homes, to families and youth,

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working with adults being creative in the work and to just see the change and to see the hope, really, that's really the core of me, wanting to instill hope in a variety of ways and give people tools to now action.

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actualize that hope. I fell in love with that. And then I found myself in more leadership positions within the organizations that I work for. And I fell in love with leadership and building these other people who are going out and touching others and ensuring that they were properly changed, but that they were also cared for, from a leadership perspective. And so 2011 was when I kind of got into it. And yeah, here we are today. And I think my purpose just continues to evolve.

Unknown Speaker 8:17
That's so neat. I mean, it is.

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First thank you just because

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any type of career space that is health related, the extension of oneself to help another person is very demanding. And it's demanding on your psychological state, your emotional state, and to be able to extend yourself the way you are doing to the families that need your services, but to cultivate people around you, so that your reach is exponential, and to be effective in their cultivation. So thank you for doing the interview. You know, when I was younger, I'm a big dreamer. And I'm like, I want to change the world.

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And at some point, God was like, because I never imagined having a business. I never imagined having a team of people. I think going back to my childhood upbringing, I had a lot of responsibility.

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And I was just I don't want that and you never know. Right? Well, God is looming before and so I definitely shied away I wouldn't say shied away I avoided leadership because I just didn't want to be responsible for anything and anybody and then my adulthood, and then I found myself in a position where I found myself being effective and loving being a part of that. And so you know, saying yes to the purpose, but that's why me being in this state of ease right now has been so critical because we do pour we pour sometimes you you learn to be a caregiver and you might find

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even joy in it and there's nothing wrong with that. But when I talk about like, pour from that empty cup, you know, we hear that we hear those phrases so much and I think

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I know God graced me with the capacity to be able to just pour and have enough. But in this season is also like, how do you stay still so that you can keep pouring. And so I used to say, like, oh, I want to change the world, and I realize you're only one person. And I can still do that daily through interactions, it's a conversation with you or somebody I needed to store. But I realized that if you want to have the impact, you need time, you need money. And because that is where we can, you know, make that more exponential to be able to, you know, whatever it is pour into those others. And so it really has, I'm grateful.

Unknown Speaker 10:36
I am speaking from a place of pure, just gratitude right now. I'm so overwhelmed with the goodness of the Lord is so yeah, thank you. And it's funny, because you say you're trying to avoid finding yourself in the space. And I think it's funny how sometimes in life, we are trying to the one thing you're trying not to do, is the thing that he's like, Oh, no, no, no, no, you're gonna do this thing, right? And it's funny, because there's a space in my life that people have asked me, you know, will I do certain things that are related to being in a political space at times, and I've looked at them, and I'm announced to them, I'm like, Oh, dear God, that's gonna come like you just like, oh, that's gonna come to pass. Okay. Hmm. like certain things are

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trying certain aspects out in life, and you're sitting there thinking, I would have never thought about this, that the plan that is happening for your life is going to happen. I guess it's like the saying what is for you is for you, for you. So no matter what, what is for you, is for you, and it's going to happen, because it's going to happen. So I just think that that piece of your story

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is funny and entertaining at the same time that something that you didn't think you want it to do is the very thing that you're doing anyway.

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Yep. You know, I wholeheartedly agree in it, the more you think journey in life, and then you finally just

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Just say yes, yield. And then that's when you're able to be more in that flow. And not that you don't have tough seasons, but you just kind of go with it. Even with me coming to school and then leaving. It was like

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you're leaving you have these two organizations, like what are we gonna do? And I'm like, and then when I was younger, I definitely was like, oh, yeah, I want to be doctor so that I didn't care why it was more about the accolades, you know, but I got to a place where I was like, oh, yeah, I don't, you know, that's not, you know, I got into purpose and stop being so focused on these external themes. And then that's when God was like, Go, and I was like, wait, you know, and I was obedient. It wasn't a big fight. It was just a tough journey. But it seems crazy. But when you just allow it to happen is going to come to pass and you the best thing you can do is, quit fighting it. And I think what I love the most, and why not coming back to school was was not on my purview was because like I mentioned, I was gonna go to law school. So even like the work that you do in the political, like, it's about advocacy, I care about people I want, I care about justice, I care about people, I care about people getting the things that they deserve, I care about people believing that they deserve it, I care about them, overcoming mental barriers, or even socio economic barriers, that keep them down, because that's where I come from, you know, poverty, and all these things. And that's really, like I said, at the heart of it, but I realized that in this mental health space, I was able to be a form of an advocate. And I found my role in doing that, where I didn't need to be inside the therapy room. And so it worked so beautifully. Because all these wonderful clinicians who are in our city, they're inside the room doing the work. But if people don't know that this exists, or that it's okay to go, or you know, to talk to somebody who genuinely cares, or can explain things to them in a way that they can understand, then they won't ever make it into the room. And that's kind of what my experience was on this site. I mean, I have people that for years, they've been Facebook friends, I've had teachers from high school that, you know, we're Facebook friends, we don't call and then all of a sudden, the moment that they're going through a crisis, they they reach out, and it's always confirmation of like, why this work is so important. And so, yeah, that's what has been a major fulfillment for me, is just knowing that people are becoming aware, it may take them many, many times to hear it and see it. But the moment they're in crisis, like they'll call and I'm just thankful that we got two organizations that can be in a space to respond. I think it's because you love what you do so much, it makes it it doesn't feel like work, when we really really aren't enjoying what you do puts a smile on your face. It is that much easier to give yourself in, in that space. But mental health is so crucial. I was looking at just some data, you know, and just not even looking at data looking at the state of society and the conversations and all of the stories that are surrounding us every day. It is so apparent how crucial

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Show mental health is it's like part of every situation and scenario practically. And even if the situation and scenario that's being discussed isn't a crisis, yes, some ways in when I say crisis, it isn't a, you know, public shooting where a mass number of people have been injured, wounded or killed. And then it gets tied back to mental health. But even if it is just the day to day life, if we talk about the impact on people post COVID. And when isolation did for people,

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you know, quarantining and staying home and not going to the office and not having the human interaction,

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there was a report on the news just yesterday talking about how corporate offices have gotten away from internet people are lonely was the was the way they worked it out. People are lonely, and the people who are lonely are the people who've actually returned to work in the office. But they're still qualifying as lonely. Because a lot of the activities that used to be corporate based, like baseball teams, or whatever the, you know, group activities were because you have these corporate challenges or whatever, which allow people to get together and to human interaction heals, whether it's direct or indirect. Right? So because a lot of that has been discontinued and cut off, people are going to work everyday and people around them, but yet, they're still lonely.

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Yeah. And that ties to mental health.

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I think one of the reasons why I love this field is because there's nothing like you said that doesn't relate to it. This is the health of our mind, whether it's seriously mentally ill or we just need some direction and guidance, based on a you know, confusion about a decision is so intricately interwoven into our being, there is no space where this conversation doesn't belong. It's applicable everywhere. And so I want to respond to a couple of things you said, and I'll do that try to do as succinctly. So the first thing was, there's an event that we have coming up in July called Healing to help bring in the dialogue of mental health to the faith based community. I started that in 2017. And it was a ministry and it is turned into a conference, but we're looking at all parts of our health, physical, mental, and spiritual health, because we're, we're, we're spiritual beings, you know, whether you profess a religion or not. And I remember at the time, I was like, you think you're gonna get folks talk about mental health, black people?

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Face, later community face, and I was like, you know, I've never really had an issue with people talking about mental health to me, what I realized now that was because I was talking about it. So when you're talking about it, you're not afraid of it now that permits others to talk about it. So that was one thing. The second thing was that first summit, it was a small four hour seminar, it was entitled stress out, how can we get stressed out of our lives, and this people weren't talking about mental health as much then. But they can relate to stress going back to what you just said. And so I just started naming issues at the summit, who can relate to this. Children problems, you know, family problems, financial problems, health problems, who can relate to stress, and everybody raise their hand, because we all can relate to stress. And then I said, talk about how chronic stress leads to mental health issues. And now they were already in the room, right? Like, oh, yeah, that's me. And so then that opened up their mind, you know, to talk about it. And so when the pandemic came in, it was so it was I didn't realize how much I was doing during the pandemic until like, 2022. And I started getting all these Facebook memories. And then it was like so much more that was never posted. But during that time, the one thing like you said, human connectivity, that we need to heal, we were meant to be in community. babies die from not being heard,

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cannot be nurtured and held, right. Like this is real research. That's how important human connectivity is. It's so the one thing that helps people being in community and having a support system is always at the top of the list for protective factor. And the one thing that could have helped people get through this difficult, scary, uncertain time was the one thing we were restricted from doing and that was being connected with others and you need physical like, technology is great. That is great that we have different avenues to connect but you there is something you get from being in physical presence with other or at least being tapped into an enemy in that space, say the physical

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is can't happen. Tapping into because I remember doing COVID When you couldn't see people you couldn't be able to maybe you weren't really seeing them be very careful with what you know you were being told.

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But sometimes, even if a person sent you a text message or made a phone call because a lot of times

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It got so bad, people really started leaning Extra Heavy on technology, so that our interactions were to just text, you know, to text someone or to say something to them on Facebook to post something in a text someone, etc, etc. But there were moments when getting that special text message from someone that's just for you. Not from a group, not for group, or that phone call that was just for you, or the card or letter in the mail. I think that was therapeutic for people. And it was something that people needed, because you would see on the news where I would say, just make sure you're calling and checking on that loved one who you now can't go see.

Unknown Speaker 20:43
Because yeah, but it's keeping you from getting to those people. And I mean, mental health has become a key part of the conversation that is every day, increasingly more routine, whether we're talking about anxiety attacks, or anxiety, being anxious and anxiety, PTSD,

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abuse, pressures at work, fear of trauma and underperforming overperforming, or whatever the whatever the causes of the anxiety, belonging, peer pressure, it is just so necessary. And

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the work that you do, there aren't enough people in the profession doing what you do, there's a shortage so people can't even get

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what they need.

Unknown Speaker 21:30
Yeah, so and I do just want to say that, yes, we see all forms of connectivity in the card in the mail matters, getting a text message, knowing your thought about, what I'm saying is we need all of it to we need the physical. And that's why the pandemic in spite of the great thing about it was it taught us how to pivot and connect in different ways. But we still saw increased rates of depression and anxiety and grief for so many different reasons. Because you still need that human connection, that person a person connection. And, and even today, we hear so many of our use in a lot of adults to say, Oh, I don't care about what people think. And it's like, let's not say that that's not true. We we should care about what other people say we do care the differences. My entire being is not based off what other people think but trusted people. That's why that Texas I was thinking about you matter didn't matter to me that you thought about me. So I think sometimes we just say things blanketly that's because they're trendy, but we don't think about the implications and what that really means. But we thrive we flourish in communities. Sometimes it's just because somebody notices you that you're a little off your energy's a little off, right you there are things you can feel physically and also feel them distance through technology. But there are things committed communications 80% nonverbal, so there's so much you can get from being in someone's physical presence. So yes, technology and all these other forms, letter writing, tagging somebody in a post, all we need all that too. And we also need physical connection for being your church on Sunday, when you send your talk about physical connection and a pastor say turn to someone and give them a hug. And this is of course, pre pandemic, but and now we're getting back to that increasingly, but he said, turn to the person next to you, and give them a hug. And this always stayed with me. He said, You have no idea. But the hug they get from you in this moment, maybe the only human contact they have for the entire week, because you don't always know what someone is going through. And it was so sobering. And it was so powerful. I was like, Oh my gosh, to think that someone comes to church? Oh, yeah. Someone comes to church on Sunday. So the physical touch impacts your brain differently. One of the things I teach people is something called compassionate hold. Because your body doesn't even know if it's you or somebody else. So if you don't have somebody to physically touch you, that's always better. But even if you just holding yourself that does something to your breath, and mentally.

Unknown Speaker 23:54
That's something so I mean, you're telling me So are there other things that people say a person is I live, I'm single, I'm not married. So saying someone is a person, a single unit. In addition to hugging themselves, what are some things that a person could do if someone's at home right now and they are not happy and they just need like something that's quick that they can grab a hold of, besides hiking themselves, what are some other things they can do?

Unknown Speaker 24:22
Well, one of the best things we can always do is learn to do deep breathing. It may seem crazy, but doing those deep belly breaths they say call is breathing from your diaphragm is going to take your brain from your sympathetic nervous system which is basically your stressed nervous system to your rest nervous system. So that's always a basic thing.

Unknown Speaker 24:43
I will say play a lot of things. So you know, we've talked about you hear people diet, exercise, some of those basic things to get away from just being physically active, but play I think as adults, we don't play as much. And so if you're alone and find something that you enjoy to do, and just find time to play is it

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equally important for your brain and your mental health as rest, but then build a support system around you, you know, intimate relationships are very important for many people. But, you know, it's not always the season or it's not for everybody. But you can find established. So different social social circles, have your close friends have the friends, you can laugh, we have friends who you can do hobbies with, and try to engage with, hopefully, like some healthy positive family members, but doesn't always have to be an intimate partner, but having some genuine connections with people that those can be very fulfilling in life.

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Now, I want you to, you said it fast earlier, the name of the event is coming at me say it slower, because it's a mouthful. And you, you let it go really quickly. And I was like, what

Unknown Speaker 25:46
it is called, healing to help. It's a series of workshops where we do mental health workshops, we do intervention, I'm big on tools, right? You're gonna get some takeaways, what can I do today, if I never go to therapy, and then we have some faith workshops. That is for those who are part of the faith based community are interested, you don't have to be is Friday and Saturday, July 12. And 13th is going to be at Nehemiah ministries and

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CSN, you can go to solutions of change.org to register and learn more about it.

Unknown Speaker 26:20
And that's the nonprofit that provides free counseling and therapy services for those who don't have insurance or can't afford co pays and things like that. So that's the nonprofit that I found it. And for those of you whose may have insurance private and or state Medicaid, Mental Health Solutions offers therapy and counseling, we offer these in support groups, as well as we do services for children with autism. And that website is www.mhsbs.com, or call us at seven zero to 8481696. Thank you, I was about to have you do all of that. I want to also, if there are no that was perfect timing, because I wanted to make sure we

Unknown Speaker 27:02
listed you know reminded folks of the event that's coming up in July, how they can get there, where it's going to be the days and we're going to do it again, we have a couple more minutes before we are through today's show. So I want to make sure we share that information again. Because donation, like I said, when we first started you were just a wealth of information and just such a a jewel and a prize in this space and the Las Vegas community, we are fortunate to have your expertise, but to have your warmth, and the way that you're able to deliver and to make what has always been a very taboo conversation, one that puts people at ease. And it's comfortable to have. And I think as we grow on what you've all been, we see

Unknown Speaker 27:46
what our world is coming to and the angst and the aggression and opposition from one group to another. And resistance to change or evolution or some of the things that people are dealing with, as they even figure out who they are in different communities, ethnic groups, circles and cultural spaces. There's just so much to unpack there, that becomes heavy, and it has an impact on your mental well being. And so I think it is just so important that you're able to be here to usher us through these different conversations and these motions and feelings. Social media handles, how do people follow you? Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, in a minute or less? Yeah, so yeah, so if you just go to mine, I would like to give up the origin. If you go to mine, it's my name danisha Mingo. The i n i s h a. M as in Mary I N as in Nancy G Oh, and if you go to my Instagram profile, you'll see the social media for both solutions of change and MHS. And I want to say like you mentioned that cultural competency and cultural sensitivity is extremely important to me and both of our origins. So we have providers that can serve black and brown communities. For that reason. And even at the event healing to health, we're going to have a Youth Track and an all Spanish track. So again, everything that we do is about creating accessibility to those who otherwise would not access it. But if they find me the Nisha lingo, if you Google me, you'll you'll find both orgs and my social media. I'd like to thank you for coming on the show again. Thank you so much, Tanisha for spending some time with me this morning and to our listeners. Thank you and have a wonderful week. Hope you've gotten a lot of this conversation. I know I have. We will see you same time next week. Take care.

Unknown Speaker 29:31
I want to thank you for tuning into the scoop with me Tony Flanagan and I want to invite you to get social with me I'm on Facebook and Twitter. My name is my handle ta en YAFLA na GA N You can also find me on Instagram at Tanya almond eyes Flanagan and if you have a thought and opinion or a suggestion, don't hesitate to shoot me an email to tonya.flanagan@unlv.edu Thanks again for joining in. Stay safe and have a great week.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai