Send us a text Over the winter we've had a lot of exciting things happening at S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. The tiny homes have been placed at our farm property located in the country and construction has begun at our second apartment building at 1515 Knox Street in Ogdensburg. This winter our Executive Director, Dave Bayne, connected with Kearney Coupland, a professor at St. Lawrence University. They were able to collaborate on an exciting project with Environmental Psych and Design students at S...
May 13, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Send us a text In this episode Carrie and Dave meet with Gayle Morrissey, who is the Education Coordinator for the adult mental health unit at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center. Gayle's job focuses on topics such as educating people about their diagnosis, self-regulation, self-care, coping skills, and becoming more self-aware. Gayle's job changes from person to person and day to day as she provides person-centered, individualized care as she helps provide people with tools to be successful in their...
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Send us a text We are excited to finally announce our collaboration with the three BOCES locations in St. Lawrence County. Together we are constructing tiny homes built by the students at BOCES that will be transported to S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc.'s garden and greenhouse property, which will begin the development of our social farming community. Each house is a duplex and will provide homes for six separate individuals that are in need of housing in our county, with more on the way next year. T...
Jun 12, 2024•45 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Send us a text "He loves to grow things, and he is very proud of what he does. Brian worked at the greenhouse and he loved it. He had a purpose, he felt good about himself and like he was contributing. He was so proud to be a part of something, accepted, and to be praised for the work that he did." ~ Barbara Briggs Ward Dave and Carrie talk with Barb Ward, a local author and self-taught illustrator. Barb also has a long history with Dave and S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. She not only sits on our Bo...
Mar 29, 2024•44 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Send us a text We are very grateful to be receiving so much support, and we regularly receive messages from our community members asking how they can help. S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. will be hosting an event on Thursday, January 25th called Homeless No More, and we need your help - we need your voice! With your participation we can help reduce homelessness in our community. This is how you can become involved and help us advocate for housing in county. If you can’t be there, but would like to pr...
Jan 17, 2024•12 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Send us a text Welcome back to a new season of Beyond the Box! We know that you are working to make 2024 your best year yet, so whether you are looking to improve your health and fitness or financial health, volunteer in your community, learn strategies to manage stress and anxiety, or improve your nutrition then join Dave and Carrie as they review some of the beneficial resources that our community has to offer to assist you as you embark on your journey. We also know how difficult the new year...
Jan 06, 2024•47 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Send us a text It has taken Brittanie Kelso fifteen years to be able to share her story, and after hearing it I have even more respect for the strong, resilient, and caring woman that she has become. Britt has a message for the wives, mothers, children, family, and friends that are left behind when someone ends their own life. She shares what it was like to deal with the guilt, judgement, and blame that she felt over the years, and how she overcame all of those things to become the wife, mother,...
Aug 05, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Send us a text This Week Dave and Carrie sit down with Aida Arias to discuss how she incorporates Chinese Medicine into her Massage Therapy practice. Aida approaches each. massage from a holistic point of view, and uses the ancient practice of Chinese Medicine to help her see the whole picture. To schedule a massage with Aida you can contact her at: 914-312-5120 609 Canton Street in Ogdensburg, New York Support the show Support our show Sign up for our newsletter...
Jul 26, 2023•47 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Send us a text This week Dave and Carrie interviewed the Director of REACHOUT of St. Lawrence County - Karen Easter. Karen is truly a pioneer in the field of crisis hotline and mobil crisis intervention. Karen answers questions such as what REACHOUT is, what to expect when you call Reachout, how they train their crisis and intervention team, and what to do if you or someone we know is in crisis. Karen talks about how many of us have been affected by suicide in our lives, and it turns out that we...
Jun 26, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Send us a text In this week's episode Carrie and Davie interviewed Dennis, who has been a member of S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. for over a year now, and shared his story for the first time with us. Dennis's story begins with a dark time in his life when he was on suicide watch, but he shares with us everything that helped him cope. Dennis's experiences have motivated him to begin work as a mental health advocate, and in today's episode he shares some of the things that help him get through his mo...
Jun 05, 2023•39 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Send us a text As the editor of North Country This Week and North Country Now, Jimmy Lawton has been one of the voices behind our news coverage here in the North Country for the last fifteen years. He has recently begun an editorial column that is a little bit different than what he is used to, venturing into something a little more personal, and having some conversations that are not easy to talk about, but necessary in the world that we live in today. Dave and I joined Jimmy in the newsroom to...
May 21, 2023•40 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Send us a text Dave and Carrie are back with the second season of Beyond the Box. They kick the season off with a conversation that is not easy to have, but necessary as we attempt to encourage open discussion and challenge the stigma associated with mental health. If you or a loved one are struggling or having suicidal thoughts you can visit the St. Lawrence County Government website to find a list of local Mental Health Service Providers including: Outpatient Treatment Inpatient Treatment Voca...
May 12, 2023•15 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Send us a text Do you think Beyond the Box? We are in search of new interviews and stories to tell in 2023. Do you have an inspirational story that you want to share with us? Are you working on something unconventional or advocating for change and want to get your message out there? Then reach out to us! Visit our website at www.stepbystepinc.org, fill out the contact information, and send me a message because every voice matters… even yours. We can't wait to see who we'll meet in 2023. We wish ...
Dec 29, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Send us a text Join us as we talk fitness, nutrition, and New Year's Resolutions with Bridgette Havens, group fitness instructor and nutrition coach. Bridgette shares her inspirational story with us - when she was faced with health challenges she chose to make some changes and take control of her health. Bridgette shares how she got moving, stayed motivated, made lasting lifestyle changes, and how her fit community offers her the support and encouragement to help keep her on track. Bridgette not...
Dec 27, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Send us a text January is quickly approaching, and many of us are thinking about how we are going to improve our financial health in the New Year. This week Carrie and Dave spoke with Richard Tacchino. Richard is a North Country native who has not only spent many years working in the financial industry, but who also knows from experience how challenging it can be to improve your financial health. This podcast will give you the information you need to set your goals for 2023. We discuss how impro...
Dec 19, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Send us a text Western and Eastern medicine both offer unique perspectives fundamental to healthcare today. Dave and Carrie met with Allison Smith, a Physician Assistant, Yoga Instructor, Entrepreneur, and North Country native. Allison first began practicing medicine from a traditional Western perspective, but the longer she practiced, the more she realized that although there were things she liked about it... there were also things that she didn't. Allison took a step back, explored some new id...
Dec 08, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Send us a text Dave and Carrie talk with Cindy Small, our educator and Personal Medicine Coach at S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., inc.. Cindy organizes classes, outings, and community events for our Drop-In Center. Join us as we discuss where S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. began and how our Drop-In Center has grown over the last twenty-five years. Cindy defines Personal Medicine, discusses her open teach model, and talks about how she helps each individual realize and tap into the potential that exists within...
Nov 30, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Send us a text Your health and wellness boils down to the choices that you make every day and the daily habits that you create. Join us for this week's episode as we interview Shannon VanHouse and Michelle Catlin, Lifestyle Coaches with Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center. We discuss the importance of nutrition and touch on topics such as: how nutrition is linked to anxiety and depression and managing and preventing chronic disease, debunking the "eating fresh is more expensive" myth, the pros and co...
Nov 16, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Send us a text Dave and Carrie continue to explore a multi-dimensional, person-centered approach to health and wellness in their interview with Katie Davis. Katie is a Reiki Master, Intuitive Healer, and Breathplay Coach, and we discuss strategies to help manage stress, anxiety, and trauma. Some of the topics that we cover are breath connection, creating a favorable environment, living in the present moment, and learning to say no (setting boundaries). Katie reminds us that we have more power in...
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 10
Send us a text We all experience pivotal moments in our lives when we know that it is time to make a change. Perhaps you are struggling with a serious health complication, unhappiness in your relationships or career, financial instability, or any number of circumstances that life has thrown at you. It is often fear that initiates our desire for change. What is going to happen to me if I don't take better care of myself? Is this all that I am going to accomplish in my life? Fear highlights the di...
Oct 21, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Send us a text You are a multi-dimensional being, with your own unique blend of physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual components that make you perfectly, imperfectly you. Your genetic make-up, environment, and circumstances can never be replicated. There is, and will only ever be, one you. This is why there is no one-size-fits-all approach to improving your life. Whether you are trying to lose weight, improve your finances, change your career, manage a health obstacle, or reach any ot...
Oct 03, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Send us a text With cold weather on the horizon,. we have been receiving an increasing number of emails from people that are in need of housing. Unfortunately all of our units are currently full. We do have a waiting list, but there are more resources available in our community. In this week's podcast we interview Lindsay Best from St. Lawrence County Community Services to help provide tools that you can access if you or someone you know are in need of housing or services. Lindsay discusses the ...
Sep 26, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Send us a text Have you ever felt emotionally dominated or abused, or like a victim of injustice? If you have felt held back personally, socially, professionally, or financially, or as though you were unjustly controlled by another, then you know all too well how devastating oppression can feel. Oppression can traumatize a person over time. It strips a person of his human dignity and identity, and the result is deeply felt pain, and frustration. When we first met Casey earlier in the summer we m...
Sep 19, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Send us a text This week we continue with our Under the Bridge Series, where Dave and I talk with some of the homeless in our community to better understand what is happening, and to shed some light on the questions that we have. Ed's story and circumstances are very different than anyone else we have spoken to. Ed spent the majority of his life hiding who he was, and it has taken him many years to be comfortable enough to share with us. Ed's story and message of self-acceptance reinforced our a...
Sep 12, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Send us a text In this week's episode Carrie and Dave address the two most common questions that have been asked after the first three episodes of Beyond the Box: How can I help? How do I receive more information to apply for housing? Carrie interviews Tammy Bush, the Deputy Director of S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc., who gives some helpful information on how you can help in your own community, as well as discusses how to apply for housing at the Lincoln School Apartment Program. Support the show Su...
Sep 06, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Send us a text Marley's story is a very different narrative than the one we heard from Mountain Man last week. It is emotional and raw, and gives us a glimpse into what it is like to live with addiction. Despite her traumatic past, today Marley sees herself as a survivor and has a strong will to better her circumstances. She knows that she wants to leave a better footprint on the world than when she entered into it, and challenges me to ask myself that same question. What is the legacy that I wi...
Aug 28, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Send us a text Why is there suddenly such a drastic increase in the homeless population? Why are we seeing people sleeping in the dumpster and congregating in the park? Are they traveling together? Where are they coming from, and how in the hell did they ever end up here in our remote area of Upstate new York? Walking into my first interview I thought those questions were going to be easy, straightforward answers. However, what I discovered Under the Bridge was far more complicated than that. Wh...
Aug 22, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Send us a text In the debut episode of Beyond the Box, Carrie sits down with Dave, the Executive Director of S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc. - a small, peer-run, non-profit organization located in Ogdensburg, New York. Carrie and Dave discuss the agency's twenty-five year history, how their one room Drop-In-Center has expanded to offer more community services, and how they've implemented a Community Housing Initiative. While staying true to their grassroots mission, S.T.E.P. by S.T.E.P., Inc.. has gr...
Aug 11, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 1
