Beyond Survival: Creating Communities Where Kinship Families Thrive

HOST: Arcelia Armstrong, Director, Caregiver Support and Kinship Navigator Programs Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio, Inc. (AOoA)

HOST: Marsha Rose, Supervisor, Kinship Navigator Programs, AOoA

GUEST: Derenda M. Schubert, PhD CEO, Bridge Meadows

In this episode of Roots of Resilience: Empowering Kinship Families amid Opioid Recovery, made possible by the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, with special guest Derenda M. Schubert, CEO of Bridge Meadows. The conversation explores the experiences of kinship and grandfamilies raising children due to substance use, while also recognizing the broader challenges families may face as they navigate caregiving, recovery, trauma, changing family roles, and the need for support. Together, they discuss family and community recovery, reducing stigma, building intentional and intergenerational communities, and the importance of connection, belonging, and joy in helping children and caregivers thrive. Listeners will gain encouragement and insight into how families and communities can move beyond simply surviving difficult circumstances to create supportive villages where children, caregivers, parents in recovery, and older adults can find hope, resilience, and a sense of belonging.