Saturday, January 17th @ 11amDauphin County Library
Minds Matter Harrisburg
In person interactive events geared towards helping local Harrisburg residents take control of their mental health and wellbeing.
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What Is Minds Matter Harrisburg?

Minds Matter Harrisburg is a partnership with BGHF and Dauphin County Library.

Join Dauphin County Library and The BGH Foundation for Minds Matter Harrisburg—a powerful and inclusive workshop series celebrating the resilience, strength, and brilliance of women and girls on their mental health and wellness journey. This 3.5-hour experience will inspire, connect, and empower participants through engaging discussions and activities centered on mental and physical well-being. Lunch will be provided.

LUNCH WILL BE SERVED.

Welcome and Introduction

11:00am
Porcha Johnson
Opening Remarks East Shore Library Laporcha Grigsby
  • Porcha Johnson
    Porcha Johnson
    Executive Director | BGH Foundation

The live event kicks off with opening remarks from several notable speakers.

Kick-Off Speaker

11:10am
Mayor Ciera Dent
Kick-Off Speaker TBD
  • Mayor Ciera Dent
    Mayor Ciera Dent
    Steelton Borough Mayor

We're thrilled to announce Mayor Ciera Dent as the kickoff speaker with Mayor Ciera Dent!

Toxic Triggers: How Your Environment Shapes Your Mood and Health

11:30am
Lisa Lickers
From the air we breathe to the products we use, our environment plays a powerful role in how we feel—physically, mentally, and emotionally. This interactive workshop explores how everyday environmental factors such as seasonal changes, indoor air quality, household toxins, and even ingredients in personal care products can influence mood, stress levels, and overall health. Participants will learn how to recognize hidden environmental stressors and discover practical strategies to reduce exposure, boost mental clarity, and create a more balanced, health-supportive living space. TBD
  • Lisa Lickers
    Lisa Lickers

Discover how financial health directly impacts your mental well-being. Learn practical strategies to improve your financial health while navigating unique challenges faced by women of color. Get ready to take charge of your financial future.

Objectives:

  1. Explore the connection between financial health and mental well-being, particularly as it relates to women of color.
  2. Learn practical financial strategies for budgeting, saving, investing, and reducing financial stress.
  3. Discuss culturally sensitive approaches to improving financial health and achieving economic security.
  4. Create a personalized action plan for financial empowerment.

Lunch/Networking/Mental Health Screenings

12:20pm
Refuel, connect, and care for your mind! Join us for lunch, meaningful networking, and complimentary mental health screenings designed to help you thrive.
  • Chelsea Jones
    School-Based Therapist

Join the Black Girl Health Foundation's Minds Matter Harrisburg Mental Health Event, a transformative gathering designed exclusively for women of color. "Soulful Healing" aims to create a safe and empowering space where we delve into the complexities of mental health, self-care, and holistic healing.

Objectives:

    1. Cultivate Awareness: Open up a dialogue surrounding mental health within the context of the unique experiences of women of color. Through storytelling and shared experiences, we will foster understanding, destigmatize mental health challenges, and build a supportive community.
    2. Empower Through Knowledge: Equip participants with practical tools and resources to navigate their mental health journey. Workshops led by experienced mental health professionals will cover topics such as stress management, coping strategies, and the importance of seeking professional support.
    3. Cultivate Resilience Through Self-Care: Explore the intersection of mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Engage in interactive sessions focused on self-care practices, including mindfulness, meditation, and creative expression, to develop personalized strategies for daily mental wellness.
  • Promote Holistic Healing: Acknowledge the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. Through workshops on nutrition, movement, and alternative healing modalities, attendees will gain insights into how holistic approaches can contribute to overall mental well-being.
    1. Inspire Collective Healing: Foster a sense of community and sisterhood. Through group discussions and collaborative activities, participants will share their stories, offer support, and build connections that extend beyond the event, creating a network for ongoing encouragement and solidarity.
  • Celebrate Joy and Self-Expression: Embrace the healing power of creativity. Engage in expressive arts and activities that encourage self-discovery, self-expression, and the celebration of individual and collective strength.

 

Happy Gut, Healthy Mind and Body

1:00 pm
Chelsea Jones
Your gut is often called your “second brain”—and for good reason. The bacteria living in your digestive system play a major role in your mood, immunity, and overall health. In this engaging session, we’ll break down how the foods you eat influence your mental wellness and explore practical ways to eat clean and balanced without overspending. Learn how to build a gut-friendly plate, shop smart, and discover the secret to feeling better from the inside out. TBD
  • Chelsea Jones
    Chelsea Jones
    School-Based Therapist

Pretty & Strong: A Pilates Session for Body & Balance

1:50pm
April Ashe
Who says strength can’t be graceful? This uplifting Pilates flow combines feminine energy with full-body power to tone, tighten, and renew. You’ll stretch, sculpt, and strengthen while focusing on breath and alignment. Walk away feeling refreshed, confident, and beautifully strong from the inside out. TBD
  • April Ashe
    April Ashe
    Owner, UnBottled Expressionz

 Immerse yourself in a calming yoga session designed to heal your mind and soul. Cultivate mindfulness, reduce stress, and find inner peace. This session is a gentle journey towards mental clarity and emotional balance.

Objectives:

  1. Experience the calming and healing benefits of yoga for mental wellness.
  2. Learn mindfulness techniques, stress reduction strategies, and practices for emotional balance.
  3. Explore yoga's cultural relevance and its role in self-care for women of color.
  4. Cultivate a personalized daily mindfulness routine to promote mental healing.
Read More

Program Recap / Announcements / Closing Remarks

2:40 pm
April Ashe
Porcha Grigsby
  • April Ashe
    April Ashe
    Owner, UnBottled Expressionz

 Immerse yourself in a calming yoga session designed to heal your mind and soul. Cultivate mindfulness, reduce stress, and find inner peace. This session is a gentle journey towards mental clarity and emotional balance.

Objectives:

  1. Experience the calming and healing benefits of yoga for mental wellness.
  2. Learn mindfulness techniques, stress reduction strategies, and practices for emotional balance.
  3. Explore yoga's cultural relevance and its role in self-care for women of color.
  4. Cultivate a personalized daily mindfulness routine to promote mental healing.
Read More

Join Us January 17, 2025 @ 11 AM

This Is An In-Person Event

Minds Matter Agenda

This is a floating event schedule section. Click the workshop to view the details about time duration, speaker, venue & more.

Opening Remarks

11:00 AM
Porcha Johnson
Opening remarks by Black Girl Health Founder Dauphin County Library Laporcha Grigsby
  • Porcha Johnson
    Porcha Johnson
    Executive Director | BGH Foundation

The live event kicks off with opening remarks from several notable speakers.

Kickoff Speaker

11:05 AM
April Downing
Join us as we kick off the Minds Matter event with an inspiring session led by our keynote speaker. Dauphin County Library April Downing
  • April Downing
    April Downing
    Executive Director NAMI Central Pa

The live event kicks off with opening remarks from several notable speakers.

Soulful Serenity: Yoga for Mental Healing

11:15 AM
Ashana Taylor
This session is a gentle journey towards mental clarity and emotional balance through a calming yoga session designed to heal the mind and soul to reduce stress and find inner peace. East Shore Library Ashana Taylor
  • Ashana Taylor
    Ashana Taylor

LUNCH

12:00 PM
Enjoy lunch on us and network.
  • Dr. Roxane Hearn

Managing the Impact of Stress with a Holistic Approach

12:15 PM
Dr. Roxane Hearn
In this session, we'll explore the effects of stress on our overall health, with a focus on how stressors and triggers can harm our immune system, cardiovascular health, metabolism, and gut function. You'll learn practical strategies, including lifestyle changes, nutritional support, and the healing power of movement, to help mitigate the negative impact of stress. Dauphin County Library Dr. Roxane Hearn
  • Dr. Roxane Hearn
    Dr. Roxane Hearn

This session will focus on ​coping with triggers and managing stress in connection with nutrition to help individuals make healthier lifestyle choices.

The Power of Great Storytelling

1:00 PM
Shannon Nordt
This session will focus on awareness and education about mental health conditions to navigate negative attitudes, assumptions, and ideas about them. It will also highlight the benefits of group therapy as a way to share lived experiences. East Shore Library Shannon Nordt
  • Shannon Nordt
    Shannon Nordt
Lauren Simmons

Lauren Simmons

Executive Director, NAMI

April Downing is the Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Alliance (NAMI) Dauphin County Pa where she supports, educates, advocates, and provides resources to individuals with mental health conditions, their family and friends, and the community. She completed an MBA in Human Resource Management with a minor in Human Services at Elizabethtown College. In 2019 she became a certified life coach to further her skills in helping individuals reach personal life goals. April has worked with non-profit organizations for over 20 years with a passion for underserved individuals to help build her community. She has worked as a director of parent engagement for those living below the poverty level. April also has experience working with incarcerated mothers to reunify with their children once released from prison. She was integral in forming a male involvement group called Connect with HIM to get males more engaged in the education of their children. Throughout her many years of service in the non-profit field she recognized that mental health was a common thread for many. Mental health does not discriminate based on any socio-economics barriers. Families no matter the population or zip code they identify deserve help.

April Downing
Executive Director of NAMI
Dr. Roxane E. Hearn, PhD

Dr. Roxane E. Hearn, PhD

Board-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner

Dr. Roxane E. Hearn, PhD, affectionately as Dr. Rox, is a passionate Board-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner with over 25 years of experience in the field of health promotion & behavior change. Her mind, body, & soul approach to health is holistic, science-based, practical, no-nonsense, enthusiastic, and grounded in psychological theory that supports lasting behavior change and is focused on treating the ROOT cause. Dr. Rox is passionate about helping her clients understand the imbalances in their body’s basic systems so they can restore balance, rather than name the disease and match the pill to the ill. She is dedicated to helping her clients honor their bio-individuality by understanding how their body functions so they can give it what it needs to SURVIVE, THRIVE, and feel ALIVE! Dr. Rox finds great joy in helping others cultivate the elevated mindset necessary to persevere on this lifelong journey of attaining & sustaining optimal health DESPITE the twists, turns, & detours that pose a threat to their health & happiness! " Dr. Rox holds a doctorate in Health Psychology and is a National Board-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner. Her education and training have also secured her the esteemed qualifications as a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor (CFNC) and a National Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC); the only health coach certification approved by the American Medical Association (AMA). Dr. Rox owns a wellness tea company with herbal blends targeted to support common health & wellness concerns ranging from weight loss woes to joint pain. She also owns Mindfully Fit , a HIPAA compliant health portal and mobile app which allows her to deliver telehealth, programs & courses, care plans, and overall patient management with the added bonus of behavior accountability tracking tools so she can monitor patient symptoms, provide real-time feedback, and connect with her patients on the go! You can access all Dr. Rox products, programs., and services by visiting DrRoxHealth.com

Roxane E. Hearn, PhD
Board-Certified Holistic Health Practitioner
Ashana Taylor

Ashana Taylor

Founder of Fire Life Yoga

Ashana Taylor, MBA, is the visionary founder of Fire Life Yoga, a boutique wellness studio in York, PA which offers Bikram Yoga, Yin Yoga and Inferno Hot Pilates. She is driven by her passion for creating a supportive space where individuals can ignite their inner peace. With over 20 years of experience working in both public and higher education, Ashana brings a unique blend of expertise, warmth, and leadership to the Fire Life Yoga community. Through teaching Bikram and Yin Yoga, she offers a transformative practice that fosters emotional balance through movement and stillness. When she’s not guiding classes at Fire Life Yoga or working as a licensed Realtor in Central Pennsylvania, Ashana enjoys life in York, PA, with her husband, three daughters, and their adventurous Australian Cattle Dog mix, Dash.

Ashana Taylor
Founder | Fire Life Yoga
Shannon Nordt

Shannon Nordt

Clinical Mental Health Counselor

Shannon’s journey into mental health advocacy began after postpartum depression in 2008. As a case manager and public speaker/blog writer, she pursued a master’s degree in counseling to expand her impact. As a Clinical Mental Health Counselor, she treats individuals, couples, and families with mental health issues like depression, anxiety, grief, ADHD, Post Partum Depression and substance abuse.Shannon aims to normalize therapy in the African American community and integrate holistic approaches to mental health care, creating tailored treatment plans for clients.

Shannon Nordt
Clinical Mental Health Counselor
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