Reducing Disparities: Exercise for People with Serious Mental Illness
Topic Info
Meghan Oefinger, B.S., HFS comes on the show to discuss People with Serious Mental Illness- the silent population. She will help us to understand who they are, and how we can assess who is at risk. She will give us the amazing benefits of exercise for people with SMI (benefits extend far beyond what we think of when we speak about benefits for the general population) and explain how to create an Inclusive Environment to exercise for people with SMI.
Guest Info
Meghan (Oefinger) Enriquez attended Slippery Rock University where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in both exercise science and psychology. From her experience working with the homeless as an AmeriCorps member she sought to begin her career serving the physical wellness of people with mental illness. In 2008, Meghan began working at Johns Hopkins University as Intervention Director for Dr. Gail Daumit's NIMH funded ACHIEVE clinical weight loss trial for people with serious mental illness. The study consists of four intervention components including group exercise, weight management group sessions, individual weight loss counseling and dietary intervention. Developing, managing and coordinating the delivery of the first three components at 10 different Psychiatric Rehabilitation Programs (PRPs) throughout the state of Maryland are Meghan's primary tasks as Intervention Director. In addition to her three years of work with JHU she also owns her own franchise as an international consultant and coach for an education based Swiss Health and Wellness company. She is recently married and lives near Baltimore, Maryland.
