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“Mrs. Olinda” Ricard-Hodge is a Certified Peer Specialist-Mental Health (CPS) and RESPECT Institute Speaker who desires her life to be "a daily testimony of hope and healing!"
She is a QPR Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Trainer serving as the CPS team member on the View Point Health GLS Suicide Prevention Initiative. This role allows her to use her journey with mental health challenges of depression, anxiety, PTSD, suicidal ideation and attempts brought on by trauma, to support families and youth (ages 10 to 24) who struggle with mental health challenges, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and loss survivors. As a member of the Newton/Rockdale Suicide Prevention Coalition she provides suicide prevention training and resources to help eradicate the debilitating stigma attached to people living with mental and behavioral health challenges. |
QPR Suicide
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"Mrs. Olinda" is a new member of the Caribbean Association of Georgia and is the newly elected Secretary on the Board of Directors. She is very proud of her mixed Cajun/Creole and Caribbean culture, with her father being a Louisiana native and her mother a native of Trinidad.
In 2006, she earned an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts from Nicholls State University in Louisiana, as a single mother. She went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a Minor in Business Administration while serving a second term as the Student Government President and as a Board Member of the University of Louisiana System’s Board of Supervisors.
She moved to Georgia in 2010 to reunite with her family. In 2013 she became the co-founder of Cornerstone Track and Athletic Association, Inc., Youth Alliance for Leadership and Life, Inc. and the Founder/Director of Sacred Families International, Inc. after witnessing the limited supports provided to parents while working as a Foster Care Case Manager and Court Appointed Advocate. The organizations were abandoned in 2015 following the passing of a son.
“Mrs. Olinda” has since become very active in the mental health and addiction recovery community. She serves as the Administrative Support Specialist and Vendor Coordinator for the Faith-Based Mental Health Initiative which host an annual mental health conference, she is a board member on the Garden of Gethsemane Homeless Shelter, and the Secretary of the Caribbean Association of Georgia’s board of directors which has taken on the mission of addressing Mental Health Awareness and Support in the Caribbean Community.
In 2019 she relaunched as Sacred Families International Network, Inc. and is also proud owner of Grassroots Business Consulting, LLC, an agency focused on providing administrative and technical support to small nonprofits, aspiring entrepreneurs, and expanding the capacity of the Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) workforce.
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Trainer
QPR Suicide Prevention Youth Mental Health First Aid (pending) Crisis Intervention Team - Youth Speaker/Presenter RESPECT Institute NAMI Ending the Silence Membership Member, Georgia Advocacy Office Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Advisory Council Ambassador Prevent Youth Sex Trafficking |
Skilled
Motivational Interviewing Intentional Peer Support Trauma Informed Care SOAR Representative Atlanta Furniture Bank Case Manager Facilitator Wellness Recovery Action Plan (pending) Serving on Groups NAMI Sharing Hope NAMI Family Support Group NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group Raising Highly Capable Kids Whole Health Action Management Suicide Attempt Survivor Support Group Alternatives to Suicide Support Group Children and Adult Suicide Bereavement Support Group |