Our Community Broadcasting Network (OCBN)

Welcome to Our Community Broadcasting Network. Having been involved in public affairs broadcasting and community activism in the greater Denver area since 1999, I became aware of the many Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) issues impacting the lives of the metro Denver community. In 2019, I decided to use my broadcasting experience to create OCBN to showcase educational institutions, companies, non-profits, health care providers, and government agencies, utilizing best practices in creating and maintaining DEI initiatives. While I will always endeavor to celebrate and advance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, my focus and programming has shifted more to behavioral health issues. We cannot adequately discuss DEI without acknowledging the negative effect the absence of equity and inclusion has on a diverse community. This impact is most often manifested in the community's struggles with behavioral health disorders. As defined by the AMA, "Behavioral health generally refers to mental health and substance use disorders, life stressors and crises, and stress-related physical symptoms. Behavioral healthcare refers to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of those conditions.” The OCBN behavioral health programs discuss these issues with information on how to access appropriate services when needed. DEI programming will continue alongside the behavioral health programming initiative, and in some cases, will be posted as both DEI programs and BH programs. Producing the OCBN ProgramsThe interviews and presentations are captured utilizing the Zoom platform and then edited to broadcast quality hi-def. Once the editing is done, the hi-def video is up-loaded for hosting on Vimeo. The program is then embedded on this site and made available for embedding on the website and e-newsletter of the contributor as well as the general public. These dual formats are an effective way to showcase the DEI and/or BH work of an organization in their own words. This online virtual approach makes it possible to have interviews and presentations originate from all over the country. I have programs posted with people in New York, Memphis, San Francisco, Indianapolis, and Houston to name a few. I am intersted in discussing potential collaborations with organizations throughout the country with an interest in promoting DEI best practices and BH issues and advocacy. I believe this is a positive and effective way to educate and inform the public about DEI and BH issues with examples of the many ways the issues are addressed. I am self-funding OCBN to maintain autonomy and encourage cross-promotion of all contributors. To access the interviews and presentations, visit the DEI Programs and BH Programs pages. Below the Announcements, is a listing of all the organizations that have contributed to the programming, directly or indirectly, and support the OCBN initiative. Thank you for your interest in Our Community Broadcasting Network.
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Announcements

I am pleased to announce a collaboration between OCBN and 5280 High School to produce a documentary film featuring the school’s unique approach to educating and supporting their students. 5280 High School serves students who have struggled with substance abuse, self-harm, eating disorders, and other destructive behaviors, have gone through various treatments for their behavioral health disorders, and are now in recovery. 5280 High School was established in 2017 utilizing a project-based learning curriculum to create bold, prepared, and balanced students, all of whom are dedicated to living life in recovery. As part of the school’s Humanities curriculum, I will be teaching a senior level class in the art of non-fiction film making, utilizing best practices of broadcast journalism and digital editing techniques, with the class project being the production of a pilot docmentary featuring 5280 High School. The class will be taught each Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday through early December, with the final result being the release of the documentary film to the public. The instruction is presented on the Zoom platform, and recorded, so students can go back to a lesson at any time, to refresh their knowledge. This also will allow future classes to learn documentary film making by having access to the lessons as well. Below is an example of the style that will be used to create the documentary. Each student will deconstruct this short documentary and recreate it using their own interviews (and other video assets) to create their own documentary. They will be graded on their documentary and then will work directly with me to create the pilot discussed above. I find this unique "hands on" approach the best and quickest way to learn documentary film making. Based on the success of the initial pilot, we are planning to do 12 more episodes that will feature each of the 12 Steps of Recovery as presented by the students. At 5280 High School, each student in recovery have taken the 12 Steps program and will lend a unique perspective with their experiences.

5280 HIGH SCHOOL 1200 West Mississippi Ave Denver, CO 80223 720.919.1056 info@5280highschool.org www.5280highschool.org

Our Community Broadcasting Network has been selected for membership in the Network of the National Library of Medicine. The Network Members provide health information resources and services to health professionals, academic communities, and the general public. The health information is provided by libraries, information centers, health departments, K-12 schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, and other organizations providing information about health to the public. OCBN was invited to become a member because of the informational programs with health professionals that are available to the public (see the BH Programs page). Visit the Newsroom for more information about the mission of the National Library of Medicine.

Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council (BHPAC)

Iam pleased to announce my appointment to the Colorado Behavioral Health Planning and Advisory Council. In accordance with federal law and as directed by the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the BHPAC was established to advise the State of Colorado regarding the behavioral health federal block grant and address key statewide policy issues related to behavioral health. The BHPAC includes people in recovery, family members, state agencies, treatment providers, advocates, and other individuals who have a vested interest in Colorado's behavioral health systems. I have been placed on the Prevention and Membership Committees to develop prevention programming and recruit future BHPAC members by utilizing the capabilities of Our Community Broadcasting Network. For more about BHPAC and our plans for the Prevention Committee, visit the Newsroom.

A fascinating book about fandom pop culture and a willingness to engage in activism, advocacy, and to help each other through online communities. Dr. Cook approaches fandom issues from a sociology perspective and Dr. Joseph from a psychology approach. The book is a road map on how to engage in the various online pop culture communities. Our recent interview is posted on the BH Programs page.

Supporters of the OCBN Initiative

Click on the logos to learn more about each organization.