The Be Well Bulletin is intended to share with you, our friends, some of the important things
Provident is seeing, doing, and learning. We want to have a conversation with you
about what it means to be better and hopefully inspire positive changes in your life.
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All of us have felt stuck at some point: in a frustrating task at work, in a health rut, in a relationship challenge. But right now at Provident, we’re seeing the huge benefits of getting UN-stuck.
We challenged ourselves to take a fresh look at how we’re delivering services and are thrilled with the incredible difference it has made for our clients and our business:
- We’ve connected with new partners to deliver mental health care services to areas of the metro region that were seriously in need. Our agency footprint grew dramatically within just a few months.
- We’ve combined two Provident departments. This move helped our employees by giving them new and valuable knowledge, supported our clients by giving them more well-rounded and better-informed care, and benefitted our agency by improving workforce efficiency.
- We’ve even re-thought what an “office” can look like and are now taking appointments through a mobile health van. The van covers a 664 square mile service area.
I’ll admit, getting UN-stuck can feel unnatural at first. It can seem radical, risky, and like a lot of work. I’d encourage you to read these two articles (found
here
and
here
) for some great tips that can be applied to many areas of your life. The upside is well worth it!
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Lindsay Jeffries is Provident's Director of Clinical Services. She is the first person to serve in this newly-created position and oversees the 67 people who make up the organization's Clinical and Life Crisis teams.
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Kids and Social Media: How Parents Can Help
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A recent study published by
Common Sense Media
, a CA-based nonprofit that helps kids and families make smart media and tech choices, showed how much social media use has grown among teenagers over the past 5 years.
As a mental health provider, Provident as particularly interested in how the increase is impacting young people emotionally.
The news is not all bad:
- Teenagers report that social media helps them feel less lonely, depressed and anxious. They report feeling more confident, popular, and better about themselves.
- Many teenagers are using social media to stay connected with friends and family, get involved in philanthropic/political causes, enhance their creativity, communicate with educators, and meet others who share their interests.
Now for the challenging stats:
- For teenagers who are already struggling with social-emotional wellbeing, it heightens their feelings of being left out, of feeling bad about themselves, and of feeling bullied.
- 35% of kids report being bullied at some point.
Provident helps the families and children they serve navigate social media in a healthy, productive way. A few tips from our experts:
- Social media isn't going away, so better to help your child learn to manage it early. Every child is different, but 12-13 years old is the average age most begin pressing for their first account.
- Young people need insight on the consequences of broadcasting personal information. Talk to them about:
- How to maintain their privacy and protect themselves
- How to be respectful of others
- How to present themselves appropriately
- Parents need to understand that their role is to keep their child safe, but to do so from a distance that the child is comfortable with. Social media is not "spy software."
- Develop a contract that outlines what both parent and child are comfortable with. A sample can be downloaded on Provident's website.
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By answering 62,059 suicide hotline calls per year,
Provident's Life Crisis Services team reaches approximately
7+ people each hour, or 170 people every day.
That adds up to nearly the capacity of
Busch Stadium and Enterprise Center combined.
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Feeling Kinda Blue Social Networking Site Relaunches
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Be sure to check out the newly-redesigned Feeling Kinda Blue website (
feelingkidablue.org
), which provides a safe space for people who struggle with depression, anxiety, grief, emotional pain, and other mental illnesses to connect with others.
The site has approximately 7,000 members nation-wide and is monitored by Provident's team of professionals 24/7.
Thank you to founder and funder of the site Sally Barker for her support.
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Celebrating Provident's Expansion into Jefferson County
Provident's recent expansion into Jefferson County was celebrated with an open house and ribbon cutting at the High Ridge office. The community-focused event was attended by residents, business owners, and local government officials.
The expansion was made possible through a partnership with the Jefferson County Health Department. In addition to the High Ridge location, there is an office in Hillsboro as well as a mobile van that travels throughout the county.
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Provident, Inc. | 314.533.8500 | info@providentstl.org | ProvidentSTL.org
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