December, 2018

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Holiday Self-Care The holiday season can be a time to connect with family and friends, enjoy traditions and celebrate. The flip side is that the added activity can add stress. And for those already struggling with grief, recovery or persistent life stressors, the holidays can become the most difficult time of the year. For these reasons, the season of giving should also be the season for self-care. There are many tools available to help us manage, from downloadable apps and mindfulness practice, to daily affirmations and simply taking time to breathe. The Mayo Clinic offers additional information on stress management during the holidays. Basic self-care tips are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Life Expectancy Declines in U.S.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a drop in life expectancy among Americans for the second year in a row last month. Although the drop was slight, from 78.7 years in 2016 to 78.6 in 2017, the cause of the trend is most troubling. Drug overdoses and suicide, both on the rise, were large contributors to the life expectancy decline. “Life expectancy gives us a snapshot of the Nation’s overall health and these sobering statistics are a wake up call that we are losing too many Americans, too early and too often, to conditions that are preventable," said Dr. Robert Redfield, the CDC's director. Click for more information from the CDC .

Chester County's Campaign for Suicide Prevention Suicide rates have been on the rise across the country for more than a decade. Chester County has not been immune to the crisis, but last year local prevention efforts increased, with multiple transit shelter ads and billboards, like the one pictured above. Beginning in May, more residents were reached with similar advertisements for mobile devices. This outreach is planned to continue throughout 2019 and is just one part of a collaborative effort to raise awareness and educate residents. Click for more . s have increased.

Naloxone Day Thursday, December 13 11 AM - 7 PM A limited supply of the opioid overdose reversal medication, Naloxone, will be distributed for no charge to the public in Chester County on a first come, first serve basis. Click for the downloadable flier .

CODE BLUE The temperatures have been dropping, creating potentially dangerous situations for individuals left out in the cold. There is a risk for hypothermia, frost bite, or other cold-­related injuries when temperatures dip to 35 degrees or below. But Code Blue can help. Chester County has Code Blue resources, including day and overnight shelters and places to get hot meals. Find out more about these potentially life-saving resources located throughout the county. Click here.

Find out more about flu vaccines here.

Check out our calendar of monthly meetings and support groups here . Contact us if you have additions!

More Resources, Events & Classes

Accessing the Child Serving Systems in Chester County is a free 4-hour training offered on Jan.16. Registration required by Jan. 9. HE LP WANTED - Voice & Vision, Inc. is seeking an outreach and education person for Chester County. The Peal Center, an organization made up of parents who have children with disabilities, has published a new directory of resources. Chester County Refer web - a user-friendly database for social services information.

Chester County Department of Mental Health / Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities 601 Westtown Road, West Chester, PA www.chesco.org/mhidd Chester County Commissioners Administrator: Linda Cox Deputy Administrator: Candy Craig