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Transitions ACR Dec 2019 Newsletter
HAPPY HOLIDAYS?

Sometimes, we find ourselves cringing when our friends and colleagues say, "Happy Holidays" to us. Of course, we WANT our holidays to be happy, but for many, they are fraught with stress, anxiety, disappointment, a sense of loss, depression and other difficult emotions. And it can be even harder when someone in the family is living with a chronic health condition. How can you take care of yourself when this time of year is challenging to you? This newsletter includes ideas from our young adults at Transitions ACR, as well as an article from our Guest Blogger, Mara Briere, founder of Grow a Strong Family, Inc. , a local social service agency which provides customized family life education services to families uprooted by mental health issues. With some support, self care and coping skills under your belt, we hope you and your family have a VERY Happy Holiday season!
EMPOWERING YOUTH IN TRANSITION

How to Fight the Holiday Blues:
Suggestions from a Young Adult at Transitions ACR
Ian begins his blog post with these words, " Holidays can be a difficult time for anyone. In some ways, they are a time of plenty and meaning, but they can also a be source of stress. This can be particularly challenging for those of us struggling with mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. He then shares 3 ideas to minimize the stress that holidays can place on young people living with a mental health condition. Read more of Ian's Young Adult Blog post HERE .
OUR GUEST BLOGGER, MARA BRIERE

How to Survive the Holidays When Your Loved One
is Living with a Mental Health Condition
Mara Briere, founder of Grow A Strong Family, Inc. writes, "When a loved one has a mental health disorder, this can throw a curve ball at the established rituals that a family has. Just like cancer and diabetes can throw a curve ball at family rituals, it is important to acknowledge that mental health conditions can do the same, and to identify some strategies for creating new rituals and expectations. Rituals, routines and traditions change and this is something we can learn to accept. Read about the importance of new rituals, SMART goals and creating accommodations in advance. These ideas and additional suggestions will help guide you towards a positive and enjoyable holiday season. Read MORE.
SUPPORTING THE CARETAKERS DURING THE HOLIDAYS
Self-Care is Putting on
YOUR Oxygen Mask First

Did you catch our new Tip Sheet from our Family Advisory Board (FAB) ? This Tip Sheet was written specifically for caretakers and family members of those living with mental health conditions and is a good reminder to take care of yourself during the holiday season. When you board an airplane, you will get the instruction, "In case of emergency, put YOUR oxygen mask first, before helping others." This assures that you are healthy and equipped to take care of others who need help. Yet we often forget to apply this basic idea to regular, everyday life when things can get overwhelming and we feel depleted. Our FAB group of caretakers and parents created a four page Tip Sheet complete with reminders, suggestions and a large list of resources that can help you do the self-care you need to maintain your own well-being so that you can successfully take care of others. Read the new Tip Sheet HERE . 
ON THE JOB

Disparities in Vocational Supports for
Black Young Adults with Mental Health Condition
Our new research brief, "Disparities in Vocational Supports for Black Young Adults with Mental Health Conditions" by Jonathan Delman , Ph.D., J.D., M.P.H. begins, "Young adult Black people with disabilities, including serious mental health conditions (SMHCs), are less likely to find and keep jobs than peers who are White" and then discusses the "Whys". It discusses the Research on Barriers and Facilitators to Employment including Socioeconomic Status (SES), Discrimination, and Court Involvement and goes on to present information on Engagement and Access to
Vocational Services. Read or download it HERE . 
AT SCHOOL
Our New Young Adult Blog Post: Classroom Friendly Coping Skills
Our Young Adult team at Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research just posted a new blog called Classroom Friendly Coping Skills about some of the skills and tools you can use in the classroom that don't require "official accommodations". Some ideas presented include the 3-2-1 Grounding Technique and those popular spinner fidget rings. And if you want to know how a frozen orange can help, read our latest blog post HERE . 
UPCOMING EVENTS
Upcoming Webinar from DeafYES! at iSPARC

Register NOW for our Webinar on Dec 11th


Date: Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2019
Time: 12:00-1:00 PM ET
Presenters: Dr. Melissa Anderson & Dr. Alex Wilkins

During this clinically-oriented webinar, Dr. Anderson and Dr. Wilkins will review current best practices for making therapy interventions more accessible and engaging for Deaf sign language users. They will share concrete examples of adaptation attempts made to a number of evidence-based therapies, including but not limited to Seeking Safety, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Cognitive Restructuring for PTSD . Find out more and Register HERE .

Transitions ACR Researchers Will Be Presenting Again This Year

The 33rd Annual Research and Policy Conference on Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Behavioral Health (the " Tampa Conference ") is March 15-18, 2020. Registration is now OPEN. Find more details HERE. We will be attending and are presenting several sessions around young adult mental health.
ADVANCING RESEARCH

New Webinars & Presentations to Watch
Our Webinar " Re-Conceptualizing & Boosting Engagement for Young Adults with Serious Mental Health Needs in Community-Based Services" is now available on our website. This webinar examined the complexity of service engagement for 18-25 year olds enrolled in multidisciplinary team-based services. New practice principles of young adult engagement were proposed. This webinar is helpful for direct care providers, state and agency administrators, policy makers and researchers who aim to boost engagement among vulnerable young adults through multidisciplinary, community-based treatment team models. You can download the slides and watch the full webinar HERE .
This presentation, "Trauma-Informed Inpatient Care: Utilizing Trauma-Focused, Evidence-Based Interventions to Treat Traumatized Adolescents in Inpatient Settings" is available on our website. In it, research on various interventions were presented and discussed. These included Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Children (MBCT-C).  You can download the slides and watch the full webinar HERE .
 
IN THE NEWS
WHAT IS ISPARC DOING?
iSPARC recently released their 2019 Annual Report in which they presented their research activities and achievements to their funder, the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. The iSPARC mission is to conduct, disseminate, and support the use of research in the public mental health system to enhance services for people with behavioral health conditions that promote their recovery and improve their quality of life. Our work informs, advises, and involves individuals with lived mental health experience, their families, providers, administrators, and policymakers navigating the behavioral health landscape in the Commonwealth and beyond. Read about what iSPARC accomplished this past year in the 2019 Annual Report HERE:
WHO WE ARE
The Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research   promotes the full participation in socially valued roles of transition-age youth and young adults (ages 14-30) with serious mental health conditions. The Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research ( Transitions ACR ) is located within the Implementation Science and Practice Advances Research Center ( iSPARC ) and houses The Learning & Working During the Transition to Adulthood Rehabilitation Research & Training Center ( The Learning & Working RRTC ), among other projects.
 
The Learning & Working RRTC   is a national effort that aims to improve the supports of this population to successfully complete their schooling and training and move into rewarding work lives. 
Funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).

As a Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Research Center of Excellence, iSPARC aims to improve the mental and behavioral health of all citizens of Massachusetts and beyond.
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Some of the contents of this message were developed under a grant with funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, United States Department of Health and Human Services (NIDILRR grant number 90RTEM0005 ). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this message do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, and/or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

The Transitions to Adulthood Center for Research is part of the
Implementation Science and Practice Advances Research Center, 
a Massachusetts Dept. of Mental Health Research Center of Excellence.