Latest Posts
Take 8: The Criminal Justice System and the Mentally Ill – Advocacy and Collaboration
By: Dr. Gaby Cora
Last week, a man from New Mexico was awarded twenty-two million dollars after he was found to have spent an extreme amount of time, and most of it in solitary confinement, after a DUI (Drinking Under the Influence). The man had a history of depression and mental illness, so the law enforcement officials at the jail feared he would hurt himself.
The lack of understanding of mental illness and particularly as people with mental illness commit a crime and are forced into the justice system, continues to pose a challenge for us all.
In my previous life as an ER doctor at DC General Hospital, I had the privilege to work with the under-served and several systems including St. Elizabeths’ Hospital, DC Jail, and the Forensic Hospital at John Howard Pavillion. During this time, it was everyday practice to evaluate people for voluntary or involuntary hospitalization, if they were a danger to themselves or others. Doctors would evaluate people after they committed a crime and would decide whether an underlying mental illness was the culprit behind the crime. We would determine whether or not someone who had travelled thousands of miles to visit the president of the United States posed a risk to the president’s safety and well-being. To do this, we would interact with a wide range of professionals, including: police officers, US marshalls, Secret Service agents, and more.
Watch the interview with Judge Steve Leifman, an Associated Administrative Judge of the Miami-Dade County Courts, and see the man behind the judge who has done so much to help those in need of mental health services as well as ensure that those who have committed a crime are judged within the proper channel.
Watch the full show with never-shown clips on Friday at http://www.DrGabyCora.tv
Take 7: Empathy and Open-mindedness
By: Dr. Gaby Cora
In a recent study with 46 adults with at least one gay parent, 28 out of the 46 spontaneously reported being more empathic and open-minded than other adults with straight parents.
Gay parents talk about teaching their adoptive children tolerance and understanding, and go out of their way to become foster parents or adopt children as they navigate complicated systems and adoption agencies.
Jesse Walters and David Traupman share the story of how Faith came to their lives and their challenges within government agencies when they tried to adopt a foster son years earlier.
Watch our daily clips on YouTube and leave your comments.
The full episode will be available on Friday at DrGabyCora.tv
Ready to Leave the Recession Behind for a Fresh Start in 2012?
By: Dr. Gaby Cora
We’re walking into 2012 and most Americans still taste recession. Perhaps they are dealing with:
- Loss of their job
- Loss of investments
- Loss of health
- Working more jobs and making less money
- Financial strains affecting their relationships
Continue reading ‘Ready to Leave the Recession Behind for a Fresh Start in 2012?’
Do You Know Who’s Steering Your Ship?
By: Dr. Gaby Cora
The Italian cruise tragedy raises several concerns starting from “who was in charge,” to “what was the contingency plan,” to “what was the multi-layered plan in case of an emergency.”
This is a terrible and shocking situation of great magnitude that forces all of us to take a serious look into our organization’s leadership structure, systems, and contingency plans.
There are captains and then there are leaders.
Continue reading ‘Do You Know Who’s Steering Your Ship?’
Take 6: On Life, Death, and Healthcare
By: Dr. Gaby Cora
Different Lives, Different Cultures, Different Experiences
Catherine and John Graves’s story describes the challenges of being the sole-caregiver to a spouse with a life-threatening disease: a glioblastoma, or brain tumor. This article describes how she struggled with his personality changes as the frontal lobe location of the tumor affected Graves’ affect, cognition, and judgment. Catherine describes becoming anxious, depressed, and with post-traumatic stress after his death. Caregiver burnout is not unusual in these cases. Instead of post-traumatic stress, this is a constant stress situation that tends to be under-recognized and under-treated.
Continue reading ‘Take 6: On Life, Death, and Healthcare’
Take Five: Diversity and Hispanics
By: Dr. Gaby Cora
Sixteen percent of our US population is Hispanic and yet, what does this number even mean? We are constantly asked about our race: White, African-American, Asian, and at one point, Hispanic was added to the palette of colors as if being Latino or Hispanic were purely an ethnic or cultural characteristic.
While language is a unifying factor for Hispanics, it is a matter of culture that brings them together. Thirty years ago, Hispanics were depicted as exotic characters with heavy accents and colorful attires. Today, Hispanics have become more immersed in our US culture and you may not even tell there is any accent at all.
Join me in Dr. Gaby’s Take as I discuss diversity and Hispanics: watch my interview with advertising and marketing expert, Maverick Linda Lane Gonzalez. Linda shares her story of how one of her ancestors and one of our US legends bridged the US and Hispanic cultures more than a hundred years ago.
Watch the full episode this Friday at: http://www.DrGabyCora.tv
Take Four: Transform Passion into Action
The unemployment rates for the newly graduated class of 2010 was 9.1%. Unemployment rates are even higher in young adults without a college degree. Plus, two thirds of these graduates are in debt.
Most of us go to undergraduate and graduate schools to seek knowledge and a greater opportunity at a professional career. However, experience is a must if we want to stay competitive. The more we can intuitively align our knowledge and experience with a clear vision of our future, the greater potential for success.
Watch Episode 4 of Dr. Gaby’s Take: Make Life Interesting, as I interview Jason Liebross, who went from unemployed newly grad to sports social media entrepreneur. Enjoy!
Watch the full episode–with additional, never seen clips–at http://www.DrGabyCora.tv on Friday.
Take Three: Creativity and Innovation
By: Dr. Gaby Cora
I just watched the latest Mission Impossible and was fascinated to see how easily Brad Bird, its director, created a story that engaged the audience. The unbelievable stunts and visual effects added to an amazing experience masterfully crafted for the viewer. Who would have guessed this was the director’s first action movie?
Creativity and Innovation come just like that. The beginning of the twentieth century brought airplanes, automobiles, and the radio while the end of the twentieth century brought us spaceships, satellites, computers, and amazing gadgets that hint at innovation to come. And yet, the creators’ mastery of combining the latest in technology with the ultimate experience is what truly impacts upon our lives.
Join me in our third episode of Dr. Gaby’s Take on Creativity and Innovation and the exclusive interview with Patrick Meyer, a sought after business thought leader and founder of the Villanova Innovation, Creativity & Entrepreneurship Center.
Mom and Daughter Talk Sex
By: Dr. Gaby Cora
Years ago I shared with my friends how I decided to prescribe birth control pills to my daughter, who would have otherwise needed to wait three months to see a doctor. My friends were stunned. Although their sons and daughters were in their late teens and, their parents assumed, they were sexually active, none of my friends had had an honest conversation suggesting ways to protect the kids from both sexually-transmitted diseases or pregnancy.
As committed parents who want to raise well-grounded, smart, and self-sufficient individuals, we spend more time teaching them good manners, the benefits of great education, and the wonders of competitive sports. The big question is: why are parents not talking more about sex with their kids?
My daughter and I were discussing this recently. She thought this video would help many teens as much as our conversation helped her.
It’s Showtime
By: Dr. Gaby Cora
Welcome! What a pleasure it is to share the lessons learned and exciting projects with you! Dr. Gaby’s Take: Make Life Interesting is all about the amazing people I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing and the valuable lessons I’ve learned from them.
Continue reading ‘It’s Showtime’
