Scene from the November 7 LLA session on Health & Wellbeing. Courtesy photo
Scene from the November 7 LLA session on Health & Wellbeing. Courtesy photo
Scene from the November 7 LLA session on Health & Wellbeing. Courtesy photo
LEADERSHIP LOS ALAMOS NEWS RELEASE
The Leadership Los Alamos (LLA) Health & Wellbeing session, held on Friday, November 7 provided LLA Class Members with an intensive, full-day exploration of critical community health topics. The overarching Session Goal was to offer a balanced perspective on pressing issues related to health and wellbeing in our community.
Throughout the day, class members focused on the Core Community Health topics and
leadership issues such as older adult wellness, addiction and suicide prevention, grief support, Los Alamos County Social Services challenges, alternative opportunities in primary healthcare, and engagement with the community’s surroundings to improvehealth and wellbeing. Session organizers, including Session Chair Amber Pope and Board Liaison and Board Chair Sobia Sayeda, emphasized exploring health and wellbeing through the lens of leadership—focusing on both personal health and the wellbeing of those in our community around the leaders.
Morning Focus: Senior Services and Crisis Prevention
The session commenced at the White Rock Senior Activity Center, with a welcome from Session Chair Amber Pope. tThe class participants learned about community resources and explored personal mindfulness and fundamental mental health support.
The session was structured chronologically, starting with the facility tour led by Kiah McConnell, Marketing & Programming Coordinator for the Senior Activity Center followed by a guided Mindful Movement activity led by Kristine Coblentz, a Mindfulness Meditation & Yoga Instructor.
The class participants were offered ABC Community Suicide Prevention by Brandi Weiss, Program Manager & Anchorum Fellow at the Los Alamos Community Foundation. This training enables the participants to Ask, Be Present, and Connect the person in crisis in their community. The class also heard about Addiction Recovery Resources from a local representative of AA District 15. The inclusion of these topics demonstrates the LLA session’s commitment to exploring key challenges impacting our community.
The morning was concluded by receiving insights from Jessica Strong, Social Services Director for the Community Services Department of Los Alamos County. Jessica highlighted various efforts the Social Services Department is currently focused on in tackling food insecurity and other community concerns related to un-housed persons in Los Alamos County.
For lunch, which was prepared by Senior Activity Center Chef Stephen Jakob, LLA participants engaged in a mixer lunch opportunity with Older Adult Members of the Senior Activity Center. A lengthy lunch break was planned to allow time for this connection. Some of the Members expressed that how having the LLA class participants join for lunch made the facility festive and lively.
In the afternoon, the class traveled back to Los Alamos for the second half of the session. The participants engaged in two key immersive experiences focusing on Grief Support and Primary Care Alternatives. Hospice Care and Grief Support, held at Riveria Funeral Home, guided by experts Nicole Scotto of Anvoi Hospice, and Chaplains Leah Blackwell and Ken Hendrix of LAVNS, explored the topics on end-of-life care and emotional support. The main focus for this exploration was on a “Hospice vs. Home Healthcare Grief Support Experience”.
Direct Primary Care and Nature Immersion, held at the Los Alamos Municipal Airport, covered innovative healthcare models and the restorative power of nature. This session, held at the Los Alamos Municipal Airport. Elena McAlee, M.D. of SOL Direct Primary Care, discussed the importance of out of box thinking and providing alternative options for consumers to access health care. Kristine Coblentz, Mindfulness Meditation & Yoga Instructor, provided a Guided Nature Immersion experience. The participants had a chance to learn about the benefits of spending time in nature and resetting various bodily senses in restoring our state of being.
LLA Board of Directors expresses gratitude to all who facilitated this session and participated in a robust discussion regarding Health & Wellbeing in our personal lives and the lives of our community members.
The LLA Board of Directors are graduates of the program who choose to remain involved, often driven by a strong belief in LLA’s mission and a commitment to the LosAlamos community. LLA’s core values revolve around developing well-rounded, self-aware leaders who can communicate effectively, work collaboratively, and are committed to serving and making a positive impact on their community, guided by the principles of servant leadership.
LLA Mission Statement:
The mission of Leadership Los Alamos is to develop and empower a diverse network of current and emerging leaders within the Los Alamos community. We achieve this by providing experiential learning opportunities to observe, discuss, and act on leadership principles, foster self-awareness and effective communication skills, cultivate collaborative teamwork, and instill the values of servant leadership and community engagement. Our goal is to strengthen workplace culture and equip individuals with the tools to make a lasting, positive impact on our shared home.
LLA Vision Statement:
Leadership Los Alamos envisions a vibrant, thriving Los Alamos community where informed, civically engaged, and highly effective leaders continuously collaborate to address community needs, inspire positive change, and expand their collective impact. We aspire to cultivate a culture of leadership that values human potential, fosters strong relationships, and ensures Los Alamos remains an exceptional place to live and work for generations to come.
Scene from the November 7 LLA session on Health & Wellbeing. Courtesy photo
Scene from the November 7 LLA session on Health & Wellbeing. Courtesy photo