In parts of Oklahoma, pregnant women who ask for help with substance use risk being jailed instead of getting proper care. Eliza Washington-Harris and Caitlin Beasley from Metriarch explain how locking up moms doesn’t fix addiction—it just tears families apart and makes women too scared to be honest with their doctors, putting prenatal health at risk. Their research shows that support, early care, and harm reduction lead to better outcomes than punishment ever could. According to them, if we want healthier moms and babies, we need treatment, not jail cells for pregnant women who need help. Find more information at metriarchok.org.

In this episode, we chat with Kelsey Mishkin Gardner, Deputy Chief of Staff for Representative Raúl Grijalva. Kelsey discusses her journey from Oklahoma to Congress, her work on health policy and environmental issues, and the importance of tribal sovereignty and Medicaid expansion. She offers advice on securing federal grants, emphasizing coalition-building and strategic communication. We also touch on her role in initiating a GAO report on incarcerated pregnant women and navigating federal grants under the current administration.

In this episode, Kimberly Molitor, the Executive Director of Teen Empower, sets the record straight about sex education: it definitely needs a rebrand because it's so much more that that! We talk about how Teen Empower helps teens navigate healthy relationships, manage risky situations, and understand their bodies and health—while avoiding legal trouble for STI transmission. In Oklahoma, where sex ed is often outdated and inconsistent, there’s a clear need for evidence-based, expert-led programs. Someone needs to tell teens that Mountain Dew is not a plausible birth control method. Kimberly also highlights the strong parental support for Teen Empower and their peer educator program, which empowers high school students to teach each other about healthy relationships, risk reduction, and pregnancy prevention.

Find Teen Empower at teenempower.org