Here is your weekly news roundup of articles, reports, resources and webinars you might find interesting.
In a time of stress and social distancing, let’s CONNECTT!
A New Virtual Resource for Older Adults!
CONNECTT is a way to socially connect with other people for free, doing things you enjoy from the comfort of your own home. 
 
The Greenwich Country Day School and the Greenwich Commission on Aging / Greenwich Senior Center have organized daily 30 minute sessions on a variety of topics. Older adults can join one or all sessions. Participants will meet faculty, students, artists, friends and neighbors including the Greenwich Senior Center staff. Participants can participate in activities, share their experiences all while having fun and connecting with a community that cares. 

You can participate by computer, tablet or phone. Everyone can join! No registration necessary. You do not need to be a Greenwich resident. Learn more.
If you’re feeling stressed or nervous during these days of COVID-19, you’re not alone. We know you’re looking for ways to take care of yourself and #BeTheDifference. Mental Health First Aid USA com piled these tips from the Mental Health First Aid curriculum to help you care for your own and your loved ones’ mental health. Read more.
Staff in schools and youth programs do not need to and should not stop seeking to build developmental relationships with young people while they are at home during the nation’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. Every time you take one of the relationship-building steps below in the critical weeks ahead, place a check next to it and know that you have made a valuable contribution to helping young people weather this storm.  View the checklist.
Let's #SpreadSmiles
on Social Media!

It's an anxious time right now and it's hard to avoid the nonstop coronavirus news. While it's necessary to be informed, over-consumption of news is unhealthy. One way you can help is to #SpreadSmiles on social media! It's simple - share a picture of something that made you smile or laugh. Use hashtag #SpreadSmiles and tag @communities4action in your post. We will collect some of the images to share with you next week!
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Save the Date for These Webinars!
FREE Webinar for Small Businesses: How Small Business Can Survive the Coronavirus Pandemic
Tuesday, April 7, 2020 | 12:00 to 1:00 PM 
This fast-paced webinar will focus on the keys to surviving the crisis and getting back on track as quickly as possible once the "all clear" sounds.
You will learn:
  • How to plan your time;
  • How to keep revenue flowing when you're shut down;
  • How to negotiate with landlords and franchisors;
  • How to take advantage of Government assistance;
  • The one thing you should spend MORE money on; and
  • How to get back on track when the "all clear" sounds.
FREE Webinar: "Gambling" - Youth Gambling in video games
Monday, March 30, 2020 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM OR
Monday, April 20, 2020 | 1:30 – 2:30 PM
Did you know that gambling like activities are incorporated into video games and youth as young as 8 years old are exposed to gambling? This free webinar is for service providers and parents of youth!  Both of these sessions will take a look at the impact of technology in making gambling activities much more accessible for youth and risks of technology overuse and underage gambling.  Register Today!
Reports & Resources
Reports

Frank Greenagel, co-author of the new book  Video Game Addiction 101 , would like clinicians to get involved on two fronts: advocating the inclusion of video game addiction as a disorder in the next update of the DSM, and finding training opportunities on this subject and bringing that knowledge back to colleagues.
Telehealth has long been viewed as a potential solution for improving access to addiction treatment in rural and remote areas. But as Lisa McLaughlin, LLMSW, MSI, and her colleagues at Workit Health in Ann Arbor, Michigan, have discovered, telehealth can make a significant impact in urban areas as well. Read full report.
Resources
We have been gathering resources to
help you manage during these tough
times. Check out the articles, reports,
links to virtual support group meetings
and at-home entertainment ideas. This page is updated as we gather new resources, so check back often!


Pathways has developed an online platform  with videos and activities to help parents build resilience, foster mental health and forge stronger relationships in families. They have made the first section, with valuable information about parenting for resilience, completely FREE. Scroll down the page for the free content.
FREE Stay-at-Home Resources
For more than 50 years, Ranger Rick Raccoon has been teaching children about wildlife and nature through award-wining print publications. Proceeds from Ranger Rick subscriptions go to the National Wildlife Federation to help America’s wildlife thrive in a changing world.
The Banff Mountain Film Festival is an international film competition and annual presentation of short films and documentaries about mountain culture, sports, and the environment. It was cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 but this site has some of their best short films from this year for free viewing.
The Community Mindfulness Program (CMP) of New Canaan, CT is offering free meditation sessions via telephone conference call three times daily, Monday-Friday, and on Saturday and Sunday mornings. CMP’s mission is to provide “meditation for all who want it” and to support an individual’s physical, psychological, emotional and social well-being. All are welcome to participate. Sessions will be offered live and are appropriate for first-time meditators as well as those with long-standing practices.   

Resource shared by Kim O’Rielly at Laurel House , home of Resources to Recover , a f ree mental health referral and information website. For this and a daily list of free mental health and recovery supports go to The HUB’s daily calendar .

Don't Forget to Do Your Part to Help Fight COVID-19!