Dr. Connie Omari
Hey, hey Hey and welcome to the black Marriage and Family Therapy matters podcast where we connect black families to black therapists. Today’s guest is Mrs. Shenira Billups.
Hi Shenira Billups. Hello, how you doing? I’m doing well how are you? I’m doing good. Good. Let me introduce you to our guest. Is that okay?
Shenira Billups is the founder and CEO of mental growth and internal healing LLC, is a national certified counselor and a licensed professional counselor in the state of Connecticut. Shenira attended southern Connecticut State University, from which she received her Master’s of Science degree in clinical mental health counseling. shinier, was an active member of the American Counseling American Counseling Association from 2010 and has worked on numerous projects and presentations working with special populations. She built the foundation of her career working in an acute psychiatric, residential and outpatient setting, including crisis services throughout the greater New Haven and fearful counties, and currently practices in the L city. As a professional, she now works with a variety of clientele, including but not limited to special populations, and persons with a variety of diagnosis is she is dedicated to helping others enhance the quality of life through therapeutic care, advocating for families justice reform, and using her resource when this we’re providing collaborative services. Shinya is a thriving entrepreneur, mother of one, and enjoys serving her community through her faith in her profession, as well as working with others to improve communication and life skills. She also enjoys an occasional book or law dramas in her downtime. She resides in the southern Connecticut area and operates as an independent contractor with her own behavioral health practice. That’s awesome. Awesome. Awesome.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Thank you. Yeah.
Dr. Connie Omari
So tell me what got you into this type of work?
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Well, truth be told is a variety of things. I was raised in a home where things are very much eclectic, coming out of a black family, but my, my parents had always embraced being goodwill towards others. We didn’t have the best of life as far as, you know, resources of everything. But at the same time, my mom was such a resourceful person. And my dad was such a person on top of education. So what we may have lacked as far as economics, we definitely were able to gain as far as morals and the strength of family. As my, my parents, well, my father was always the bigger thing in terms of breadwinning like he worked with mechanics or whatever have you. My mom, she did a lot of community work besides doing what she did. In southern, she went to the school, or rather, she worked at the school that I went to, and now she’s about to retire. Which is like, I’m like, Well, my mother’s maths was higher in there ever since I was younger, and just seeing her was stapled my was secured my place in this field is, well, I wanted to be sure to work with people by always wanting to know how the mind work. So I actually interesting enough started in working with chemistry trying to get into neurology, but yeah,
Dr. Connie Omari
so really wanted to know how the mind works.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
I found it was very lonely, though, like, you know, doing all this kind of research. But, you know, I felt kind of like, okay, there has to be another way. So I went into psychology now. So kind of seen as sometimes we can feel that anyone can do it. Not necessarily true. If we increase mindfulness, many people probably would be a little bit better off as far as things go with their way of thinking, but it really takes a certain type of personality and just push to really go through with the field. But what I liked about it is that it could incorporate the science of how the mind actually connect. So what got me into it?
Dr. Connie Omari
Good, good. Good. Awesome. Awesome. Um, let’s see.
So how how would you say what is it that black families need to know about being a to get more resources, in order to get more resources, you have to be willing to do the work.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Be patient with yourself, I feel that within our culture is sometimes gonna be super challenging because of, with so much having been blocked from us, I call it like red tape. Basically, the limits that have been put on us as far as being able to gain resources and information, it’s been super challenging. So for us to get access, it might take a little bit more elbow grease. The thing is that it can be taxing that times and feel really hard because not everyone out there is for the promotion of everybody’s well being. However, understanding that at the end of the day, it’s about the family unit and preserving it keeping it intact. Let that be what pushes you ahead and understand this something, there’s a resolve out there, but you just have to be able to look and be patient, and be willing to keep your keep your eyes open. Stay connected, and don’t be afraid to give information. Like we have this whole thing of oh, I’m concerning thing. They just want to do this. Is that the thing? Is that, okay, right now you have nothing right? Right now you’re really limited, right? You’re gonna get stuff. I mean, yes, be careful, don’t just do it with anybody. But at the same time, don’t. Don’t label yourself as such a skeptic too, because then it also makes people kind of either resenting working with you, or they can actually limit working with you because your life is just too difficult. It’s too risky, too much.
Dr. Connie Omari
How do you think our culture which you kind of touched on this a little a little bit earlier, Ross wants you to elaborate more? How do you think our culture that encourages keeping things in the family, and not exposing our dirty laundry, might work as a barrier for us in terms of being able to access resources?
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Well, um, when it comes down to certain services that are provided by the community, that attitude, like, totally get it with the whole, respecting the family and keeping business, our business, you know, understanding that, but it shouldn’t trickle in sort of point where you’re not trusting anyone, but you expect things.
Dr. Connie Omari
Exactly. That part. It’s like, you know, trust me, but you need me to, to help you out, you know,
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
it has to be a rest of the relationship that you have, must have a good level of reciprocity, to ensure the success there are. So you cannot go and give, give nothing, but be demanding, and even downright snotty when someone tells you okay, you need to do X, Y and Z. Well, yeah, that’s about it. But don’t go get on angry, because and say, Well, you shouldn’t be doing just No, no, no one should be doing anything for you. You feel entitled to something perhaps because of what has happened, or the barriers that you might be facing. But as far as the work that’s been done, unless it’s in their job description, the extra they don’t have to do. But in order for you to understand sometimes you may have to release some things, but if you choose to hide it, then understand you may not get everything you’re looking for.
Dr. Connie Omari
So I will try to not to give too much information, because this is something that I’m personally dealing with, but how do you how do you a lot of times the system that is designed to have these resources doesn’t fully understand like the at risk community. So there are certain things that are allowed and even encouraged, really out of ignorance. What what in turn, turn what it produces is well, I don’t I don’t think it’s as ignorant as they think. Okay, let me just be a little bit more specific, like one of the things I’ve noticed and I think the research supports this is most people who are born in the projects die in the projects, right. You know, if you’re born in poverty, a lot of times you you die in poverty is like a generational generational thing, but this is so we have all of these resources are so you know, it’s like, what what what really is going on like what is how is it that we can have on Food Stamps, you know, all the SSI all the you know, the Medicaid, all of this stuff education, which is free. And still people are stuck. That’s my first question. And I want to follow it with a follow up question, which is, how do you cuz I don’t want to blame our people? Because I don’t think it’s us any? Well, sometimes it is. But how does the system act as a barrier? as well?
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
But first first question that phrases like, ignorance is bliss. However, ignorant for terms of faith base, looking at it also, from this way, my people perish for lack of knowledge. And when we have our people like living in as you put projects, sometimes you have generations coming up in the project areas, because that’s, you know, that’s where, what they know, that’s what’s familiar, that’s what’s comfortable. And it’s like, I’m giving all these services. Why, by the gallon of milk when convert the whole car for free? Absolutely. Some people, they don’t have the drive in terms of becoming greater This is a mindset to that, unfortunately, has been also passed through generations. Work hard.
Dr. Connie Omari
Yes, yes.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Correct. But it’s harder, right?
Dr. Connie Omari
Does the system some time enable that drive?
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Because the system can discourage describing the drive that you want, because, again, it comes with so much blocking, because it’s like, in past, we weren’t provided opportunities. Now we are provided opportunity. And some people are for that. And some people are not, for the people who are for that it doesn’t escape the fact that it takes some work to actually get to certain places, like where I’m at right now, the basics, I had to make sure I go to school, to school, I had to pay, if I didn’t qualify for certain things for financial aid. Loans had to be happening. I didn’t have an old, old couple grandma somewhere able to hit her up for some money, and then hop back and take out loans. I do I do get payments, whatever. So go ahead and do it. Because why I want to get there and I had to drive. I couldn’t easily probably just go and take a job somewhere.
Dr. Connie Omari
Yeah, absolutely. Like a lot of people do. Like a lot of you not only got the education, but now you have your own business and you make your own schedule, you can sacrifice.
A lot of sacrifice, but that’s the big thing, sacrifice.
And how is it? How do we get people because, you know.
I’m thinking about I used to work in a community based programs. So this was a program where it was lower income people who had HIV. And they, they, they were able to receive housing, they were able to receive food stamps, everything that they had in the house was paid for, you know, lights, whatever, electricity, everything, and what else do they have, they’d have their insurance, I think it had like either Medicare or Medicaid or something like that. And then they would get an SSI check. And that check until it was like $771. And they would get every one every month, and they will rely on it like clockwork. And so one of the one of the residents that I had met, she was brilliant. I mean, had the potential to just do anything. I mean, I know HIV is like it, you know, it can get the body but she wasn’t. She was she was she was able to to work, you know, a function and move around. But she was just so scared of leaving that SSI check.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Yeah, and that’s a sad route.
Dr. Connie Omari
And I was like, Do you realize you wouldn’t make more money if you use your brain and be you are totally, you know, be able to make way more than this check will not get her to see the value of because she’s like, well, if I lose this check in, you know, I won’t get it again.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
And I’m like, you don’t need it as rough when so I’ll use an example. Say that you have an individual right? And you’re telling them that okay, do you have two choices? We can either like you know, the individual starving, alright, they’re starving, they need something to eat. They really really want some food and they might have some energy, but it’s like, really starving here like my stomach feels like it’s touching the back of my mind. And I’m just wanting you offer them to Two choices. In time, you can either wait for this widespread, we have a variety of meats, vegetables, and starches. Everything’s been cooked according to temperature, and there is no charge for it. The thing is that they’re like, oh, my gosh, mouth is watering. And they’re like, gorgeous. And it’s a healthy meal, you know, because everything’s been home grown and homey, but they tell that person, you’re just gonna have to wait about 30 days give or take. And, you know, at the end of that 30 days, you know, you may get that, okay, you may qualify for that meal. But there might be a chance that it might change up just a little bit, but hold on to it. But if you really push yourself and maybe do a little bit extra, you might be able to secure your place as far as having all that extra pieces in that meal. But you have to wait about 30 days to figure that out. Or, if you’d like we can give you this wonderful happened. Well, that’s been put together as a burger, rice, and even get a chocolate shake, vanilla or shopping, whichever one you want to do that right? Right now. There’s no class for this either, not exactly as good. But you want to get something satisfied. It’s going to come like clockwork, it’s always going to be guaranteed. The other thing that that huge, no spread and everything. See, what you’re gonna have to do is make sure that you hold yourself accountable and continue on and you can’t just stop there, you may have to do some things in terms of filing some documentation and managing it can’t revert back to where you’re at right now.
Dr. Connie Omari
Right? Right.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
No matter what. Right? Which one do you think the person is going to choose? They got no friends house, I think you’d go over in real quick while they’re waiting for the 30 days to be over. They have no, there’s no food, places around where it’s like they’re just giving away fruits and vegetables, because all the pantries are closed, and they just need something to hungry.
Dr. Connie Omari
Yeah, yeah. So um, you’re absolutely that’s a that’s a really good point. And I’m seeing a lot of that I don’t know how it is. In Connecticut. I’m curious to know, but I own a cleaning business. But I even see this in like our larger chain restaurants like McDonald’s Walmart, like people not with with the competition with like, the stimulus checks and stuff. You will not work in my I mean, you know, they’re there. I mean, it’s, I have a vacancy in my cleaning business for months now. Because, you know, I can’t find anybody new and that I like anyway. But you know, the couple of people who got that stimulus check, it was like, alright, deuces. And, you know, I went to McDonald’s every day. And there’s like a $200 Hiring bonus, you know, and I’m like, wow, this is crazy. How people are just so immediately fixated on their immediate needs. That thing you’re not even thinking about, like you said that 30 Day home grown, because by now I’m sure that stimulus check is gone.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
But I’m there ways they could have invested money. I’m sad, because what happens is similar check is going out to these two communities. And it’s not to say that isn’t can’t be helpful. Set loads of money on other things. I mean, there’s so much you can do with $1,000. In investment, you can go ahead and I guess do what you gotta do in terms of maybe paying a bill or two, but I understand that you have monthly bills, you paying all those off, top notch. And then also, if you’re buying for pleasure, that was just a dumb spin right here, because you can legit probably live without some stuff.
Dr. Connie Omari
Well, you weren’t living without it. If we didn’t get the stimulus check.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
You didn’t really like you couldn’t. They have programs sometimes available in stakes where you can get an actual financial planner? That would have been that would be a smart thing, especially for those who have multiple children.
Dr. Connie Omari
Well, I mean, even before the stimulus check, like I would, you know, I used to do in home visits with clients. We have this woman bless her heart. She had five kids, and they all lived with her mom. And then I was like, My uncle and a brother. I mean, it was it was, I feel it’s probably 13 People in this house. Okay. So if you can imagine what that income tax check look like, you know, every year and so I struggled with the you know how to talk to him and I’m like, a $10,000 Check. Because you got all these kids, you know, whatever I mean, do you realize that’s enough? You can find you an apartment. Like you can find you an apartment, you can get your utilities and stuff and probably get you a little vehicle, you know, on top of it. What’s that? You know, everybody everybody had pair shoes. Okay, if I had a pair of shoes and the cell phone new TV. Yeah, just Nate it was materialistic.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
I’m like a goal to dang Guam Metro. I don’t know what I got in the south, Metro mobile or exactly. Mobile or something like rise, and the best thing get out your mama house within 13 people.
Dr. Connie Omari
By she was good. She likes she got she looked good, though. She did a crowded, good. Good and broke and I’m not laughing at people. I think people you know, I think this is useful because a lot of people don’t know. A lot of people don’t know my husband on the smoke shop one day, one time or a period of time.
And someone had bought like some cigarettes or something. And Daniel gave him a receipt. And they were they were insulted by it. And they were saying What do you mean, you know, what do you think I can’t count my money. And it dawned on my husband is like, Oh my God, this person doesn’t know anything about being able to count their dollars and just manage their money. And, you know, maybe he didn’t mean necessarily received, feel insulted. It just really just like got our attention like, wow, our community.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Financial literacy is at all time low. Uh huh. is at an all time low. And that’s why I feel we definitely suffer much from that because it brings a level of trauma. That’s certainly different. And in terms of the whole thing, and as far as generations going through it because of not having trust in systems because of feeling that we’ve been betrayed by accessing or hearing stories of betrayal, and not wanting to be another statistic. And not taking a risk. I mean, it’s like a person who’s never had sushi before. They just hear sushi as raw fish and like, roast them when they finally find out about what sushi different types of sushi was made up to learn about tempura and all these things like wow.
Dr. Connie Omari
Yeah, yeah, that’s exactly what happened to my husband. He had like that. Now he eat it every week. He likes the salmon. Where do you see black family struggle the most with accessing resources?
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Lack of education. Drop out? Yeah.
Opportunity. Because it becomes limited. Sometimes you have to be in on some stuff in order to have access you do.
Dr. Connie Omari
It’s what you know, is not what you know, is who you know.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
So we almost feel pressured to do a cakewalk. We want to get something sometimes get it where it’s like, people might say stuff or they may do stuff. And some of us will go ahead and go on and talk but I’m gonna talk one go black people, when they present as a certain way to try and make us look a certain way. And then some of us were like, okay, you know what, let me say the battle for another day. I’m gonna go there, I’m just gonna smile there and bring me doing that depends upon the situation. If you go cross the lines, I will come in a professional manner, but not let you know that I won’t invest in anything that’s not going to provide me with reciprocity I need to carry on.
Dr. Connie Omari
There we go. So what advice would you give someone who wants to tap into community resources, but again, grows up with the mindset that you don’t put people into your dirty laundry.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
So as far as that goes, I think he’s just super important, too. For those who know better, you do better right. Okay. So as far as Sacco’s and tons of those of us who do understand in order to break those generational curses, we must be must, you must grab hold of whatever that was that we do understand and pass it on. But encourage ourselves to hold within our communities outside is really challenging. But as far as the inside, what we got to do is push each other out, you have this bad habit of putting each other down, like you’ll say, oh, yeah, everybody’s against each other. And the man is not giving us access. But as soon as we see one of ours going forward, because you see all they think there’s some good.
Dr. Connie Omari
Yeah, you think you ought it?
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Yeah. And it’s not helpful. And then what happens is, especially when Rammstein younger people, it causes a certain growth and discourages and what happens is it becomes a more of a breakdown, we don’t hold together, we can’t even hold water within our communities. But it takes events like Black Lives Matters, and people getting shot.
Dr. Connie Omari
Why we got to do that, yeah, where resources are available.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
But I feel that at a great extent, we also put limits on ourselves. Like, greatly put limits on ourselves, which ended up blocking our own blessings. And it doesn’t help at all.
Dr. Connie Omari
I think we hang around people who who are toxic, you know, and take from said, it’s toxic.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Yeah, toxic. And that, that mindset, it triggers so much, but it also carries forward. That’s where you get it generationally, where it just carries on, because people like they deal with it. And then they pass it on to their children because of their approach. They may not necessarily say yeah, had that mindset, but what happens is through their actions, and not really putting forward their like positive type of thinking. Children get that and then their children’s children get that set. And then they just keep on carrying on with that. So it’s super important just to push our own communities up from the inside. Like you see your brother sisters just slacking or falling off course, let them know hey, listen, as he is hard right now. But understand you can do it. We know what we have to do. You know to to do, handle your business. Pull up yourself, by whatever it is you need to pull up and handle your business. And then whatever you need therapeutically, seek for the assistance, invest in yourself and invest in other people.
Dr. Connie Omari
I love that part. One of the best things you can do is investing in someone else.
Yeah. Any I know you live in Connecticut. Yeah, listeners are all over the world. But they’re mostly we have, of course, positioned the United States. Are there any resources that are kind of just consistent across the board? Who that people can read Gentoo if they need to?
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Um, so it depends upon what one’s looking for. I would say like, if you’re looking for things such as better housing resources, go to your local housing authority and ask them about referral list. There’s certain numbers that you can that one can call I know for, for Connecticut is 211. I’m not sure what it is for one yes, yes.
Dr. Connie Omari
Uh huh. Someone else on the show, I believe told me about this.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Yeah, just talk to all one. Um, there are some programs that are good for first time homebuyers. There, actually, there is a couple. George and oh my gosh, Georgia, George Lopez. He runs up a housing business him and his wife, they run a home on home home owners kind of business and they’re located down south action. So I love it. Yeah. So my gosh, I think it’s called Generation Realty. But I’m going to actually look it up now. But um, they are they are very good at providing information especially for our black communities. That just helps them to help them to acquire wealth and yet the Generation Next Realty Team.
Dr. Connie Omari
I actually think I’ve heard of them. Yeah, generation.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Yep. Generation Next Realty team. So they have new homebuyer investor workshops. Talk about family wealth, and we believe that health is wealth is health. And it’s important to just you know, understand that but it’s big for the forearm coming because it is, is bringing it into the trauma that we’ve suffered for so long, because again, the lack of resources could mean so much spiking up as far as anxiety and being in certain state of mind because of not being able to really address issues and being caught up into a constant cycle of lab.
Dr. Connie Omari
I love that. Um, what’s a common myth about accessing resources that you’d like to debunk?
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
A common myth?
Dr. Connie Omari
Or any myth or any misconception? Or
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
That there’s, um, well, I feel that sometimes people think is that once you’ve seen them once, once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. That’s a cop out about, right, you, you may have to kiss plenty of frogs before you end up seeing a prince. Not everything works immediately, there’s no instant gratification. When you apply for something, there’s gonna be time that you have to wait for it to be managed. You can’t expect it just immediately, because you may end up being highly disappointed. And it’s not because resources again, not because resources aren’t available at all. But it’s like, it’s really important just to have that patience to look through and understand what works for you as well. Because if you just jump into anything, you might end up with less than anything.
Dr. Connie Omari
That’s true. That’s true. That’s true is true. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. All right. Well, before we go, I just want to transition to a part of the show that we call what’s good. And what’s good as a part of the show where we express real life scenarios. And well hypothetical scenarios. And then you the expert gives us your professional feedback. Wow, awesome. Okay, so meet Oscar. Oscar is a 37 year old grown man who was homeless, he grew up in a two parent household with an older brother and, and other middle class community. However, because Oscar grew up in a middle class community, he actually lost he, there wasn’t a lot of expectations placed on him. Being the youngest and having family with financial resources, everything was given to him. And he really never learned how to be responsible. After he graduated high school, he didn’t know what he wanted to do. So he began gaming and sleeping on his parents couch. Eventually, his parents died in a car accident. And he had to get out on his own. He didn’t have the skills that he needed to be successful, and began living in a homeless shelter. Oscar is ready to be reintegrated into the community and become independent again, but he doesn’t know how to get on his feet. What would you advise Oscar?
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Well, first, you would need, I feel a kind of a communication manager. To help him out as far as navigating systems, I would want to find out from asker, if he is on any kind of assistance at all, that might be supplied from the state, every state, they usually have some type of programming for those who are dealing with being actively homeless and need some level of support. The trick sometimes is being able to come off of that support and actually get better and get more and be educated in the process. So I would want to see what support he’s already on. And then whatever he’s not on, if he needs like food stamps, or some kind of stipend or some sort that is entitled for those who may not have, I’m not sure that he was on that, I would also make sure that he is provided some level of case management. So there is someone who is helping him to hold himself accountable, and is willing to help him to go to the system and understand what he’s doing. Because he may not, since it was told said that he’s been kind of unable to be a certain way, because his kids didn’t necessarily seem to, and probably not either. It’s probably out of the goodness of their heart that he did everything for him. For him, right? He doesn’t know. So that’s going to continue to handicap him in a way and so he actually jumped on the grind and does what he asked him to do, but that would again, take having knowledge of it and also encouragement he may need somebody in his corner just found out he’s lost his guardians, but he’s a grown man. Who else does he have also connected with him as far as family or even friendships, either? and positive people who will help him as far as his mindset goes, and also in kind of in kind of provision, is there anyone like that?
Dr. Connie Omari
I love that. I love that. You’re just curious because I see quite a bit, I see a lot of my peers, maybe that might be an extreme case, but a lot of my peers middle class kind of struggle. Because one of the things that our parents did for us was removed the struggle. And then when it’s time to be independent, they don’t know the struggle. If you don’t appreciate the house. One of my girlfriends now bless their heart, but they’re losing the house because the parents gave it to the husband and husband and pay taxes on it. And I’m like, so you got a New York a brownstone? So like you got a watch. Oh, and they had a roommate in there. So they had like, he didn’t even have to come out of his pocket with it. Like he had a roommate, who was contributing to the home not pay the taxes and losing it all because wasn’t a part of the struggle. So so when you think about Atmos communities, I think, you know, I made the point earlier, sometimes we’d start off at risk, and sometimes we kind of find ourselves at risk, because that was a huge asset. That unless they come up with a whole bunch of money within these next couple of months. They’re out Oh, boy. Yeah. Oh, boy.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Oh, boy. That right there. That’s that’s really Yeah.
Dr. Connie Omari
That’s, that’s tough question.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
That’s just luck was just there are gonna be losses, like no matter what, there are gonna be losses, because when you’re talking about damage, years and years of damage, like we’re here, if you don’t take care of it, if I don’t take care of these locks.
Dr. Connie Omari
Yeah, yeah.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
They’re gone. Absolutely long.
Dr. Connie Omari
It’ll go back know that gentleman, you know, say, You know what, it was like, they have to cut all your hair off and you know, alright, it and it goes to that awkward looking stage before you know what I mean. But But the person who just gets it clapped on their head.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
You know, Paul locks over here.
Dr. Connie Omari
Right, right. Right, right, right.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Well, locks can handle all that. Stuff that not all locks. Yes, except for that.
Dr. Connie Omari
Oh, right. Sure. It’s been a pleasure talking to you today. It really has.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Thank you. Thank you.
Dr. Connie Omari
You’re welcome. Where can our listeners find you?
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Yes. So I do have a website, mental growth, internal healing, that calm growth, internal healing.com. that’s all one word. At and I also have a Facebook, you can look at for my profile under muscle growth, internal healing. I also have IG that’s MGI. H was at MGH LLC. And you can also see my other IG at clinical underscore Lin, spelled l EY. And in my clinical number is 203. Error code 203-873-1262.
Dr. Connie Omari
So that’s how you find her. She has a lot of as you can see a lot of wealth of information for at risk communities, and getting resources to them. So thank you so much for your time today. Do you have any final things or thoughts you want to leave with our guest today?
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Yes, I do. If you come to knowledge of anything that is going to help to uplift your community, and so bring better don’t be afraid to share it. Make sure you stay open to feedback as well. That’s super important to improve services and bless it for all our folks. When you get a survey about something, fill that survey out. If the government tells you fill up, fill out because truth be told, yeah, it goes for funding because what happens they take in numbers now. I’m telling you right now don’t have upper end folks. They will fill out some surveys the kingdom come but didn’t know where that money’s going. Yeah, don’t be.
Dr. Connie Omari
Don’t let that either. Surveys let us know if it’s gonna be a couple of minutes or like an hour because That’s, that’s my thing.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Like, I’m like, I don’t know how long it’s gonna take me to fill it out later do it but make sure you just make an effort. Right conscious effort.
Dr. Connie Omari
All right, thank you so much. It’s been wonderful having you. You take care.
Shenira Billups, LPC, NCC
Yes. I thank you for bye bye.