Giving Voice

BeWellPBC added podcasts to its mini-grant awards in 2022 to give community members a platform to connect their lived experiences with others in a highly accessible way. To offer grantees—all first-time podcasters—the best opportunity for success, we funded Rosler Oriol, CEO/Founder of Thinking Out Loud, to provide technical expertise and training that quickly became so much more.

“Podcasts allow people who might not necessarily have the chance to be heard the power to tell their stories.”

“Rosler is an awesome listener, giving you advice and critiquing you and helping you to progress as you need to,” said awardee Tracey Graham, host of the “She Is Me I am Her” podcast focused on nurturing the strengths of girls. “He has been absolutely phenomenal and patient in encouraging me.”

With degrees in IT and psychology, and podcast experience dating back to 2006, Rosler is highly skilled in production logistics and the coaching it takes to inspire hosts and their listeners. For BeWellPBC mini-grant podcasters, he took a three-pronged approach: “First, to give them the confidence and the knowledge to be able to continue with their podcasts and tell their stories. Second, for the community to find something relatable in the podcasts that they need to hear. And third, to highlight BeWellPBC, allowing regular residents to find them through podcasts about issues that need to be discussed.”

Rosler credits BeWellPBC for cultivating a supportive environment for creating the podcasts during the pandemic. “The approach is always, ‘take care of yourself, take care of your family, and once you are in the space to create, then we’ll do that,’” he said. “I communicate that same message to podcast recipients. I feel like I’m echoing the energy that has been put out by BeWellPBC and the rest of the team.”

For Rosler, the greatest reward is post-production. “Podcasts allow people who might not necessarily have the chance to be heard the power to tell their stories,” he said. “To express that they are experts in their fields and to see that people are listening and interacting with their podcasts has been really fulfilling. Hopefully the podcasts inspire people to start their own podcasts, and to spark change by getting in front of system leaders. "

Deon Jefferson, BeWellPBC’s grants navigator, sees the long-term effect. “This is a skill that mini-grantees will have forever.”

Tune In

BeWellPBC’s new podcast channel, Well Said PBC, hosts and houses the behavioral health mini-grant podcast shows and “Couch Conversations.” Listen in at wellsaidpbc.org.

“SPARC Up”* by Angel Wilson educates the public about autism awareness/ acceptance.

“She Is Me, I am Her” by Tracey Graham nurtures the strengths of girls.

“Unity in Shades” by Katrina Blackmon shares conversations relevant to the African American community.

“The Brie Hive” by Brieana Salter provides mental health resources, financial, and emotional support to individuals and families that are affected by Lupus and other chronic illnesses.

“Helping the Helpers: Self-Care for the Health Professional”* by the T. Leroy Jefferson Medical Society offers behavioral health and wellness resources for healthcare professionals.

*Airing now. Other podcasts will be added during 2023.

The Well Of Pbc Runs Deep

The Well of PBC, BeWellPBC’s on-line, bimonthly behavioral health and wellness magazine grew significantly during 2022, attracting funding and national and international recognition. Julie Khanna and Surej “Sunman” Kalathil are the talented creatives behind the publication, inviting guest writers and artists to contribute to what has become a highly regarded and recognized community-driven space for behavioral health in Palm Beach County.

The Well Of Pbc 2022 Highlights

APRIL 2022

The BJ and Paula Harris Fund, our first sponsor, underwrites the mental health awareness and trauma-informed care issue.

MAY 2022

Lauren Zuchman, executive director, serves on an international panel for ISSUU entitled “How to Market Your Nonprofit” to share about The Well of PBC and other efforts.

“We set out to be the behavioral health safe space for all of Palm Beach County. We want to sound like home, feel their journeys, and share their stories with our readers. Through The Well of PBC, we want every neighbor to feel connected, represented, and have access to the primary behavioral health resource powerful enough to create change for generations to come.”

- Julie Khanna, Editor-in-Chief

October 2022

The first printed issue appears, underwritten by Palm Health Foundation and focused on the NeuroArts. Eleven hundred issues are distributed with the help of partners like the foundation, FAU Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. Another 2,000 people read it online.

December 2022

During an international NeuroArts webinar, Palm Health Foundation CEO Patrick McNamara cites the October issue and it is shared and linked from the NeuroArts Blueprint website.