988 Suicide Hotline is Live!

988 will become the new three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

The Lifeline will provide compassionate, accessible care and support via phone, text, or online chat to anyone experiencing mental health-related distress. You can use 988 if you have thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crises, or any other kind of emotional distress. You can also dial 988 if you are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. 

Project Connect is this Friday!
Project Connect is coming to Odessa on Friday, July 29 at Odessa High School. Partner with HCC for a day of community service! Project Connect events are a day of public outreach designed to provide the underserved in our community with the health resources they need, free of charge. Providers gather to provide free services, including haircuts, dental extractions, mammograms, health screenings, and more. 

Additionally, the Diagnostic Imaging Mammogram Unit will be there and have a grant to cover mammograms for women who are 40 and over and uninsured.

Service providers and volunteers are needed for the Odessa Project Connect on Friday, July 29. Organizations will help raise awareness of available community resources, help provide free services, and build connections within the community. To learn more and get involved, contact Suzanne Smith at 660.229.5293 or click the link below.

Sponsors:
Blue Skies Home Care LCC
Bridge of Hope
Bridge to Hope Community Development & Outreach
CaptionCall
CLAIM
Compass Health Network
Easter Seals Midwest
Good Shepherd Hospice
Harvesters
HCC Dental
HCC Medical
HCC Behavioral Health
HCC Network CHW's
HCC Peer Recovery Coaches
Heart to Heart Int'l
Helen's House
Helping Hands of Odessa
Home State Health
House of Hope
Legal Aid of Western Missouri
MVCAA
Northwest Community Services
Pettis County Community Partnership
Truman VA
United Healthcare
W-ILS
HRSA Launches the National Maternal Health Hotline
Improving maternal and infant mortality rates doesn’t begin and end with improving birth. Maternal and infant health is relevant from the moment someone becomes pregnant through their delivery and postpartum.

Many women feel overwhelmed, sad, or anxious during their pregnancy and even after the baby is born. For some women, these emotions may stay for months.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)’s new National Maternal Mental Health Hotline provides real-time emotional support, encouragement, information, and referrals. Pregnant and postpartum women can call or text 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746) to get the help and resources they need when they need it.

The Maternal and Infant Health (MaIH) Project  connects women and birthing parents with health care and social care resources to support a healthy pregnancy, delivery, birth, and postpartum. This includes access to doulas, breastfeeding education, as well as a variety of other services to help address unmet needs. For more information about the program, visit the The MaIH Project. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 844.860.0111.
CDC BA.5 Covid Variant Updates
The BA.5 variant is now the most dominant strain of COVID-19 in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And while it's hard to get an exact count — given how many people are taking rapid tests at home — there are indications that both reinfections and hospitalizations are increasing. For people who are immunocompromised this is especially concerning. If you or someone you love or spend time with is immunocompromised, it is important to have a COVID-19 plan to protect yourself from infection and prepare for what to do if you get sick. Your plan should include:
 
How to Protect Yourself
• Stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations
• Talk with your healthcare provider about COVID-19 pre-exposure
prophylaxis (preventive medications)
• Take extra precautions, including wearing a mask, avoiding poorly
ventilated or crowded indoor settings, and washing your hands often
 
What you can do now to prepare
• Know the symptoms of COVID-19
• Learn how to check your COVID-19 Community Level
• Know how to get tested as soon as possible
• Know how to reach a healthcare provider right away
• Have an updated list of all your current medications
 
What to do if you were exposed to COVID-19
• Monitor your health for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested at least 5 days
after exposure.
• Wear a well-fitting mask for 10 full days any time you are around others
 
What to do if you have COVID-19 symptoms
• Stay home
• Get tested right away. Use a self-test at home or 
 
What to do if you test positive for COVID-19
• Contact your healthcare provider, health department, or 
• Check if a Test to Treat location is in your community
•  Isolate until it’s safe to be around others
• Monitor your symptoms. If you notice emergency warning signs, call 911 or
call ahead to your local emergency facility
 
Learn How to Get Treatment Quickly
If you test positive for COVID-19, oral antiviral and monoclonal antibody treatments are available for people who are more likely to get very sick. 
 
Don’t delay. Treatment must be started right away to be effective. Talk to your healthcare provider about what treatment options are best for you.
 
Share your COVID-19 plan with your family, friends, and healthcare providers so they can support your prevention and preparation steps.
Alzheimer's Caregiver Support
If you or someone you know is caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's, there's help. Creating a comprehensive plan for caregiving as a family allows for an easier transition through the stages of dementia.


The Customized Caregiver Training and Relief Program offers tailored support that prioritizes the family’s safety, comfort, and goals: mrhassociation.org/caregivers/
Easter Seals Midwest Sponsors Parent Cafe on August 19, 2022.
*LUNCH AND $25 GIFT CARD PROVIDED*

What are Parent Cafés? 
Parent Cafés are based on the Strengthening Families Framework and the Five Protective Factors (Resilience, Relationships, Knowledge, Support, and Communication). The cafés are a FREE parenting event with lunch provided.

At the cafés, parents will have meaningful, guided conversations about what matters most, our families, and how to make them stronger!
For questions, email Toni Reynolds at toni.reynolds@esmw.org 
For more information on Parent Cafes, you can visit https://www.bestrongfamilies.org/parent-cafes 

August 19, 2022
12:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Lexington HCC Building
825 South Business Hwy 13
Lexington, MO 64067

Please register here to hold your spot! 

No childcare provided. Adults only please. Each registered adult will earn a $25 gift card! 
Tuition-Free Public Health Opportunity for
Missouri Residents
A.T. Still University's College of Graduate Health Studies has been awarded a grant supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that will provide tuition-free graduate level education to Missouri residents for the Missouri Public Health Workforce Preparedness Certificate Program.
 
The goal of the grant is to increase public health leadership for COVID-19, health equity, and emergency services in rural and urban underserved areas of Missouri and among racial/ethnic individuals either currently working or interested in working in public health.
 
The grant will cover tuition, application fees, and technology fees for individuals who meet all certificate and grant requirements. The grant currently runs through May 31, 2023, with the high hope that it will be extended for an additional year. There is also potential for students who complete the certificate program to earn a Master's in Public Health degree paid for by the grant.

Included below is some basic information on courses that would be completed through the certificate program. The curriculum includes Introduction to Public Health Concepts, Epidemiology, and Public Health Disparities, Health Inequities, and COVID-19. Select the fourth course from the following 2 options: Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Response, or Identifying Community Health Needs.

The application is free, and the tuition and technology fees are also paid for by the grant (you are only responsible for textbooks).

If you are interested in earning a certificate or degree paid for by grant funds please contact Lindsay Leckbee or Jeri Speak immediately to discuss your eligibility and to apply.

(*Applicants must have an accredited Bachelor's degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 to be considered.) 

For more information, contact Lindsay Leckbee or Jeri Speak at the College of Graduate Health Studies at 660.626.5577.

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