LINDSAY CRANCE, JJN MULTIMEDIA
Welcome to CouncilCast, a podcast from Coalfield Development, where we highlight moments from our monthly gathering, Coalfield Council Day. It's a time for reflection, team building, and celebrating the personal and professional developments of our Crew Members.

This is Episode Seven, highlighting our Council Day on Friday, November 18, 2022. November’s Council Day began with morning announcements and a roundup of each crews’ personal and professional celebrations. This month’s highlights included a crew member’s acceptance to Mount West Community & Technical College for the upcoming semester, a passing driver’s test, and one crew member’s successful fundraising effort for a local homeless shelter. 

This month’s Council Day was a little different from our standard itinerary. For the majority of the event, our learning and training revolved around a single, but always important, topic: mental health.

Recently, the Coalfield crew enrolled in the Mental Health First Aid course, a program dedicated to helping participants identify, understand, and offer appropriate support to individuals experiencing mental illness and substance use disorders in their community. Prior to attending the Council Day training sessions, crew members had completed portions of the curriculum online. 

Dreama Buck, Professional and Academic Development Coordinator, introduced Sarah Brown, Prestera Adult Mental Health Trainer, and Dianna Bailey-Miller, Mental Health First Aid Coordinator for The West VIrginia Autism Training Center’s Project AWARE Program, as the day’s featured speakers. Sarah and Dianna’s training revolved around the A-L-G-E-E or ALGEE acronym. 

SARAH BROWN
Mental Health First Aid is the support you give to someone who is experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge. That's the broad stroke, the best comparison is to compare it to like physical first aid, in which you don't teach people how to do open heart surgery, or diagnose cancer, you teach them how to recognize some of the signs and symptoms, how to stabilize somebody and link them to support. It's literally the same thing for mental health. 

LINDSAY CRANCE
Sarah hosts sessions weekly for a variety of audiences across eight counties in the state. She said it’s important to make this information accessible to everyone so they can make educated, supportive decisions when assisting others experiencing mental illness or challenges. According to the Mental Health First Aid’s curriculum, people are more likely to seek help if it’s suggested by a trusted individual. 

SARAH BROWN
The importance of everybody having this basic knowledge is, for me personally, my answer is so that you don't make it worse. Mental health issues are incredibly common, as we talked about earlier, one in five people have a mental health challenge. Those are the people that get counted, who showed up where someone they knew they had a mental health challenge. That is not the full reality. There are a lot of other people that are suffering in silence, and they're dying alone sometimes. And so we need people scattered everywhere, so that wherever the challenge occurs, someone is there to see it and say it.

LINDSAY CRANCE
In many rural areas, she said it can be difficult to have an open dialogue about mental health due to stigmas surrounding mental illness and seeking help. Other obstacles can include geographic isolation, a lack of internet or cell service, or limited transportation to providers. When working in Lincoln County for example, Sarah said she does not often have cell service or a reliable internet connection, which makes it difficult to access training materials online. 

SARAH BROWN
Appalachians, we’re independent. It has a strength, but it also has a weakness that goes with that. And so, me being able to relate to someone and their language in their culture, because I'm also that language in the culture, huge difference. Huge difference in their ability to see themselves moving forward, as opposed to someone else coming in. We don't need anyone to save us. I honestly believe we can save ourselves. But we do have to have some knowledge. And we have to have something that says it's okay to talk about this. That's what the training does for most people. It makes them a little more comfortable actually talking about it. And then they take it from there.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Sarah said one of the most beneficial aspects of the Mental Health First Aid program is its dynamic applicability and comprehensible approach.

SARAH BROWN
What I loved about it most, it's simple. You can drop it into any context, and it works. Because they pull from the participants, they pull from lived experience 100% for everything. And then they're constantly tweaking it. Like they've come up and taking adult mental health first aid, and they now actually have worked out a Participant Guide that's specific to law enforcement, that's specific to older adults. They rolled it out in full Spanish. That's all really fresh from the field saying we need this, the teen Mental Health First Aid that's fresh off the press from people saying our youth need to know how to do it themselves, not just have someone do it for them. So they're constantly innovating like that, and pushing out whatever is needed. And that's you can't beat that because you know, it's going to be effective.

LINDSAY CRANCE
WRAPS Trainee Jennifer Pudder said the first ALGEE training section, Approaching and Assessing for Risk of Suicide, resonated with her. Jennifer said suicidal thoughts aren’t always taken seriously in today’s society. But they should be.

JENNIFER PUDDER
A good friend of mine years and years ago committed suicide, and I was always told, ‘If somebody talks about suicide, that doesn't mean that they're going to do it,’ — that they're just crying out for help. That's bogus. It needs to be considered seriously. A lot of people, when my friend was talking about suicide, did not take him seriously, and approximately a week later, he was dead. So, I mean, people need to be more aware. It is a thing. Not just mental health, but substance abuse.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Jennifer said it’s critical to know the warning signs of suicidal ideation and substance use disorder and stay connected with our loved ones. Reaching out can make a difference.

JENNIFER PUDDER
There are resources to help people, but there's not enough resources. People need to be more aware of what to look for, more aware of how to help people. I mean, drug addiction, substance abuse, addiction, it's a real thing, and even people that you wouldn't think would be addicted to drugs, are addicted to drugs. I was a housewife with six kids. Nobody knew that I was addicted until everything happened.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Overall, Jennifer said the training helped start conversations on uncomfortable topics and redefined the way she sees self-care.

JENNIFER PUDDER
I was under the impression that self care was just like, you know, going and get your nails done or going and getting your hair done. I didn't realize that there was a bigger scope to it. There is spiritual self help. I'm developing an interest in crystals. I just bought an amethyst pendant. There's a variety of ways meditation, praying, whatever works, you know. Not everybody's path is going to be the same.

LINDSAY CRANCE
The second section focused on “Listening Non-judgmentally.” Kavon Treleven, crew member on the Highwall team, emphasized the importance of listening to friends and colleagues objectively, especially when they’re sharing something in confidence.

KAVON TRELEVEN
Talking to people sometimes and expecting them to listen, and then it not being received like you thought it would, does kind of shut me off and it can shut off other people from really getting to the root of what you're trying to say to them. And it kin d of shuts you down, so then, you kind of feel like no one's really listening to you. That doesn't feel nice, and having interactions like that ends up kind of shutting you off to talking to anybody else.

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Kavon said these interactions have changed the way he listens to others.

KAVON TRELEVEN
In instances where I'm not being heard, it does open up my mind to be able to listen to other people how I would like them to listen to me. So, it's really easy for me to listen to somebody open mindedly and just hear what they got to say, even if I have no idea what to even respond with. But a lot of people when you begin to just sit down and listen, you find that all they're looking for is someone to hear them.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Ethan Chandler said he found the training enlightening. Many of his key takeaways came from the last two sections on Encouraging Appropriate Professional Help and Encouraging Self-Help and Other Support Strategies.

ETHAN CHANDLER
I used to be in sober living, I was — actually am — a recovering addict. Two years plus. And so I, personally, I have a lot of connections with as far as like, mental health or like substance abuse treatment, and so I mean, I could use a lot of those to kind of refer people. Like, ‘Hey, maybe you can, you know, call this number. I talked to this person, and they'll get you where you need to go.’”

LINDSAY CRANCE
Ethan said it was enlightening to participate and learn from the exercises regarding supportive language because, even though your words may be well-intentioned, it can still come across as hurtful.

ETHAN CHANDLER
A lot of people probably say, you know, to people that they're, they're trying to help, and maybe they don't mean it in a bad way. But whenever they say it, you know, it kind of makes a negative impact or feeling on that person, you know, and they might, they might not, you know, they might not understand exactly, you know, what damage that they're doing to that person, you know, when their intent is all good. But I believe in this training, that that really helps us differentiate, you know, between what we should and shouldn't, you know, say to people and how we should and shouldn't act.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Ethan said one of Dianna and Sarah’s statements particularly stood out to him.

ETHAN CHANDLER
She says something like, ‘Don't lose yourself when you're trying to help somebody else,’ However she said it, that really stood out to me, and I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget it.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Ethan said his lived experiences could help him support and offer compassion to others who may be facing similar challenges.

ETHAN CHANDLER
If somebody was confiding in me or you know, I've seen a problem. First off, like, just personally, and I've had a lot of these experiences, you know, like, where I used to live that lifestyle and recovering and also I worked in an area before I came to this job, I worked in an area that was really, really heavy, you know, with that sort of situation. And I would probably, you know, first just, you know, ask them what's going on. And if they decide to talk to me, then I'll just be, you know, completely open and try to be understanding and like they said, in the training, non judgmental, which, you know, is always, I think, the best thing, but I'm really taking the time out and showing them you know, that I can be there for them if they're ready to open up.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Dianna Bailey-Miller, the Mental Health First Aid Coordinator, said she hoped folks were able to take away from the training the tools they need to see, hear, and support others in their communities.

DIANNA BAILEY-MILLER
There are a lot of people who don't know how to deal with an uncomfortable situation or uncomfortable conversation. You ask somebody how they are, and most of the time they say, ‘Okay,’ or they brush it off and ‘I'm fine.’ If they do tell you what's going on, people don't know how to handle that, and it becomes an uncomfortable situation most times. Mental Health First Aid kind of plays a big role in that, in helping people to listen to be comfortable with that, to know how to respond. Oftentimes, if we don't know, we fear we either make fun of, we walk away from, or we just kind of stay; fight or flight kind of kicks in. But by knowing how to respond, what to do, it gives us the comfort to be good listeners and to support folks.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Though more people are open to talking about mental health, Dianna said we still have a long way to go when it comes to dismantling stigmas around mental illnesses, seeking help and treatment, and using diagnoses out of context or as insults.

DIANNA BAILEY-MILLER
I think mental health is being talked about more, I think you can find more information on TV and online and flyers and billboards, which is good. And on the flip side, I think we still have people who are self diagnosing or who are diagnosing others, like their children or family members. And I think people are using labels too much and words are thrown around, you know, ‘They're so bipolar,’ or ‘They're so manic.’ Yes, those may be diagnoses, but we shouldn't be using those — it really stigmatizes things and it makes it hard for people to get help and treatment.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Members of the Coalfield team also paid a moving tribute to Mountain Mindful Operations Manager Jim Caldwell, who recently accepted a new job. Over the last five years, Jim has been an integral part of the Coalfield team and leadership.

Alongside colleagues Gina Milum, Brad Stapleton, and Luke Carpenter, Jim helped relocate Sustain U’s screenprinting business from Morgantown to Coalfield’s headquarters in West Edge Factory and strengthen the operations. Last year, he oversaw the merging of Saw’s Edge and SustainU social enterprises to form Mountain Mindful.

Though it’s a bittersweet departure, CEO Brandon Dennison said he’s excited for Jim and looks forward to supporting him in his new endeavors.

BRANDON DENNISON
One of Jim's first jobs was getting all the equipment and inventory in Morgantown down here to our factory in Huntington, and it was a big job. He really showed a lot of logistics, abilities and hard work and sheer grit. So from there, he really became a key leader of the whole enterprise. And he's a very caring man, very committed to the mission. It's gonna be a hard transition. But also it's a time to celebrate all the success that mountain life has had under Jim's leadership.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Gina Milum, West Edge Outreach and Operations Coordinator, and Jim started working for Coalfield on the same day. Over time, she said Jim has become like family to her.

GINA MILUM
We immediately clicked, we had the same kind of a work ethic. We were able to almost read each other's minds and anticipate what the other one was going to need. It was just a relationship from the very beginning, had the utmost respect, and we got so much done. He's my work brother. He's such a renaissance man to which most people don't realize that. He is very, very well read. He's an artist himself, a very amazing artist. He loves poetry. He can quote poetry and like classical poetry at the drop of a hat, but he's quiet and reserved, and unless you do get to know him, you don't understand just what a renaissance man he is.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Over the last five years, Gina said Jim’s professionalism and strategic talent have played a major role in growing Coalfield’s youngest enterprise.

GINA MILUM
There's no way that Mountain Mindful would be what it is today if it weren't for Jim Caldwell, and I just know that we were very, very, very lucky to have him for as long as we did.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Jim attributed much of his technical experience to years spent working in a warehouse, where he learned from the esteemed individuals in transportation and distribution industries. Despite having a wealth of management knowledge, Jim said there were a few things he needed to adjust when he came to Coalfield.

JIM CALDWELL
I come from industry. I'm going back to industry. I'm used to working with a lot of hardcore individuals, and when I came here, I had to almost relearn a management style. A lot of people here face barriers to employment. We've all had our problems and issues through life, but being able to make that slow gradual change and become a mentor on a different level, if that makes sense. And a lot of them call me Ol’ Dad, and I feel like they're my children. That's why it's extremely difficult for me to make this move.

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Jim said he’s confident that Mountain Mindful’s two Crew Chiefs, Brad Stapleton and Amanda Jones, and Sales Manager Leslie Norris will continue to propel the enterprise forward.

JIM CALDWELL
I don't feel like I left anything unfinished here. I think there's nothing but growth from here. It took us a while to get here because we kept changing directions. We got on that one solid path. We crushed our sales goal, earnings goal for this year, and they're set up to crush it again next year. So I'm pretty excited for the future for Mountain Mindful and Coalfield. They're in good hands.

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Mountain Mindful Crew Chief Amanda Jones said working alongside Jim the last three years has reshaped her understanding of impactful leadership and inspired her to embrace her own leadership potential.

AMANDA JONES
It has been one of the best experiences of my life. And it's because Jim, he doesn't see you, he sees your potential. I have worked other places before, but I never, like, aspired or ever thought of myself as being like in any type of leadership role, like I was just focused on ‘I need to make money for my kids,’ and that's the end of it. And so coming here, under his leadership and his mentorship and seeing him as a role model, just day in and day out, you can’t outwork him. The way he handles any type of work situation, or a personal situation from one of our crew members, or myself or Brad or anybody, you like he handles it with such grace and poise. And so, like through like witnessing that and being under his leadership, I start developing like finding who I am. And like he saw potential in me, I have never screen printed before. When I started here, and I told him, I told him that: ‘I don't know what I'm doing.’ But like he saw something in me that no one else had ever seen before. And so now I feel like I don't want to say I'm a good leader. But I know what one looks like, and I want to be one. And I learned that through Jim.

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Through a pandemic, merging enterprises, and other shifts along the way, Amanda said Jim has handled each challenge thoughtfully, helping the crew adapt and grow closer. She feels that being in an environment that is accepting and supportive has inspired confidence among the crew.

AMANDA JONES
We're a genuine work family. We know each other's names,  we know like each other's kids, like we genuinely care. And it's not just working in making shirts or making wood products. It's we share like this culture together; that everyone gets a second chance and it's okay, if you don't know, we're going to learn together. And so he's created the culture for Mountain Mindful — that culture. It's a safe place to be who you are. It's a safe place to be not perfect at something and it's a safe place to learn and grow.

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Mountain Mindful Crew Chief Brad Stapleton agreed with his colleague Amanda. The Mountain Mindful work culture has been carefully cultivated.

BRAD STAPLETON
From a very early stage of this process, Jim set out to establish a culture. It was a culture of family, it was a culture of togetherness, of unity. And with that culture, I think laid the foundation for our strength. That's what made us be able to come together during challenging times or difficult deadlines or anything that we were standing up against. We were able to overcome those obstacles because of that culture. And this is what he this is one of the key things he brought to this it's one of the the ingredients that we wouldn't be us without it. And this is something that I don't I don't think is easy to replicate.

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About three years ago, Brad said he was working as a manager at a local convenience store when Jim approached him to talk about a unique job opportunity. It quickly caught his attention.

BRAD STAPLETON
He was telling me about this place. He said, It's Coalfield Development, it's Sustain U, started going over the mission, started touching on what we're here to do, the impacts were going to be making on people's lives, the sustainability aspect of what we're here to do with the with the manufacturing and embellishment of our garments. So that all sounded really intriguing. Now, I have to admit that I was immediately taken with the idea of doing something like that. It was totally out of my comfort zone, what I expected coming into it. In September of 2018, I started with him, and literally our first day we loaded up a truck, and we went to Morgantown, and we went to the previous sustain you location in Morgantown and the industrial park there. I just remember being just completely mesmerized by what I was seeing. I was seeing machines I'd never seen before. And it was really something special. I was extremely nervous coming in, and he did so much to alleviate my stresses and anxieties. We had a lot to do and we had not very much time to do it in, and this is where I started to see Jim's ability to zoom out, get a bird's eye of something, and analyze the situation and devise effective strategies and really execute. And I was immediately just blown away.

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Looking around the Mountain Mindful production hub at West Edge Factory, now meticulously organized and filled with specialized equipment, Brad reflected on the early days of Mountain Mindful and how they came to succeed.

BRAD STAPLETON
I often think back on those days, and I'm just like, man, it's just as impressive now as it was back then. Make no mistake about it: None of this would be here if not for Jim Caldwell, and I have just the most immense amount of respect for that man and what he's done for me as an individual, for this team, for this organization. I can't even really properly quantify it; can't really put it into words. It's been an amazing journey. It really has.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Although Brad said he will miss seeing and working with Jim on a daily basis, he is grateful for the time they’ve had together and for all the valuable knowledge Jim’s along the way. With Jim, Brad has found a lifelong mentor and friend.

BRAD STAPLETON
It was an absolute honor and privilege to work for Jim Caldwell. I don't believe that I will ever encounter a man that commands such respect, loyalty and love as that man in that office in there. Honestly, I don't see myself ever finding that mentor, like what I found in him ever again, and part of me is very sad for that. But also, I'm very thankful for what he has instilled in me and everybody on this team, and he will be missed.

LINDSAY CRANCE
Thanks for listening to CouncilCast, a monthly podcast from Coalfield  Development. This series is hosted and produced by JJN Multimedia. Subscribe to CouncilCast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you like what you’re hearing, be sure to leave us a review. To support or learn more about our work creating resilient Appalachian communities and helping people unlock their full potential, power, and purpose, find us on social media or visit www dot coalfield hyphen development dot O R G. Thanks for joining us today. We’ll see you next month.