Who We Are
My Health My Choice My Life’s Peer Wellness Coaches (PWC’s) promote healthier behaviors for Tennesseans with Mental Health and/or Substance Use Disorder conditions. The My Health, My Choice, My Life Initiative was created, in part, to dramatically help participants with mental health and behavioral health. There are a total of 7 PWC’s and 1 statewide coach/trainer across Tennessee. We use evidence-based curriculum that has been based credible research in our teachings. PWC’s use different workshops, one-on-one coaching, wellness activities, workshops, and trainings to reach people to help achieve participants their wellness goals. The PWC’s provide their services within their respective agencies and Peer Support Centers, as well as in facilitator trainings across the state. More than 1,200 Tennesseans served in 2021.
It is important to focus on mental health because adults living in America with serious mental illness die on average 25 years earlier than other Americans. Focusing on wellness, nutrition, physical exercise, and more can help participants live a long healthy life. PWC’s use the 8 Dimensions of Wellness as a tool to help reach the wellness goals of the participants. Wellness workshops include Chronic Disease, Diabetes, and Chronic Pain Self- Management Workshops, WHAM, NEW-R, and Tobacco Free Workshops.
Find a Peer Wellness Coach Near You
The PWC’s provide their services within their respective agencies and Peer Support Centers, as well as in facilitator trainings across the state. Please feel free to get into contact with the nearest PWC to start your wellness goal today!
Dina, a Johnson City, TN native, earned a BS in Psychology and an MA in Storytelling from ETSU. She has worked as a case manager for victims of domestic violence and began working at Frontier Health as a Peer Wellness Coach for the TDMHSAS Wellness Initiative My Health My Choice My Life in 2015.
She received several honors in this position, including keynote status for the 2017 Art for Awareness event in Nashville and the “Advocate of the Year” award at the 2018 Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Conference in Manchester, TN.
Dina began serving as the Statewide Peer Wellness Coach & Trainer in November, 2018, and she is committed to serving peers receiving services in the state of Tennessee and also to her team of Peer Wellness Coaches. Dina is personally committed to wellness, enjoys acting and theatre arts, Bellydance, and being active in the great outdoors.
A peer wellness coach for Frontier Health in Johnson City, Julie Fann is a former newspaper reporter and adjunct professor who developed a passion for mental health issues due to her father’s serious mental illness as well as her own struggles. This led to a position as a grant writer for the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law in Washington, D.C., the non-profit which was at the fore of the de-institutionalization movement in the 1970’s. She had the honor of meeting Patrick Kennedy who has been an advocate for mental health throughout his career, as well as Reese Butler, founder of 1-800-SUICIDE. With a bachelor’s degree in English from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, and a master’s from East Tennessee State University, she considers it a privilege now to help those who are living with mental health, addiction, and co-occurring disorders in a four-county region in Upper East Tennessee where she was born and raised. She lives with her cat, Abby, and several house plants.
Deven is a newer Peer Wellness Coach in the Upper East TN area with Frontier Health. She was trained as a Pastor and has spent most of her years working with all ages in Christian education and pulpit ministry. As a Chaplain Resident at her local VA hospital, Deven discovered a passion for working with people with mental health and/or substance abuse. Deven has also struggled with depression and anxiety throughout the years, with the most severe as post-partum depression and then depression accompanying her autoimmune illness and subsequent pain. When the pain became too much, she made a decision to live and fight for her health. She has found recovery in her mental health struggles, but also a balance in treating her autoimmune illness-Sjogrens. Deven loves to hike, camp, and spend time with her kids and partner.
Photo and Bio Coming Soon!
Kathleen.Hankins@cherokeehealth.com
Kathy Hankins has worked in the mental health field for more than a decade as a case manager, site coordinator for peer recovery, facilitated CBT, batterer's intervention, and empathy building groups for convicted felons. She has a bachelors degree in psychology with an emphasis in human services. Kathy has two adult daughters and no grandchildren … yet. She loves animals and currently has 2 dogs and 2 cats as part of my family. She finds great peace in nature and enjoys crafts.
Barry N. Floyd was born in Manchester, Tennessee and raised in Flintstone, Georgia outside of Chattanooga. He joined the U.S. Navy after high school and trained as a Hospital Corpsman spend much of his time with the United States Marine Corps. Barry retired from the U.S. Navy and moved back to Tennessee in 2011. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Management from the University Phoenix and obtained his CPRS in 2019. Barry put that certification to work starting as a Program Assistant in psychosocial rehabilitation for Ridgeview in 2020. Barry comes from a family with a history of medical and mental health issues., and he has his own health and mental health issues from his time in the U.S. Navy. Barry wants to help others in the best capacity that he can, so he decided to pursue the Peer Wellness Coach position. As a coach, he has more opportunities to show people there is hope for a positive change and help more people with the same problems that he has experienced.