Show notes
Season 1, Episode 39: Jan. 5, 2026
30:03 min
In the first episode of 2026, The Big Picture heads to the North Clackamas ODHS office for a grounded, human conversation with Moy Lemus, an eligibility worker whose story reminds us what trauma-informed care looks like in real time. Moy walks through a moment that began as a routine domestic-violence application and quickly became a crisis — a client learning her abuser had been released from prison while sitting at the desk.
Rather than focusing on heroics, Moy explains the deliberate, practiced choices that helped slow the moment down: presence, grounding, reframing safety, and giving someone space to breathe. He reflects on how survival skills, early exposure to emotionally complex situations, therapy, and everyday teamwork shape how he shows up for people in distress.
The conversation widens to the unseen emotional labor of eligibility work — recognizing that nearly everyone who walks through ODHS doors is experiencing some form of trauma, whether from violence, poverty, instability, or fear. Moy also shares how coworkers support one another in small but meaningful ways: stepping away, checking in, sharing a laugh, or grabbing a snack from a colleague’s desk.
The episode closes with Moy reflecting on why he chooses Oregon — not for policy or geography alone, but for community — and how helping people feel at home, even briefly, is at the heart of public service.
Our Celebrity PSA: “Knope!” We’re not gonna have a bad year! (15:03)
CreditsHosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications and Shenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10
Produced by: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe
Contact: Questions / feedback: bethany.g.howe@odhs.oregon.gov
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