May is
Mental Health Awareness Month
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In This Issue
- Wellness During Uncertain Times
- Statewide Services for National Guard and Reservists
- VSO Spotlight - Caregiver Support
- 2020 Senior Dance Challenge
- COVID-19 Updates
- and more!
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Wellness During Uncertain Times
by Matt Turner, LCSW, LCAS-A
Clinical Coordinator/Lead Clinician
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During the last few months our country has experienced an event which has impacted every facet of our society. Coronavirus is by no means a new threat, but the strain now known as COVID-19 has made every region of the globe take notice and make radical adjustments to life. So, herein lies the issue: how to take care of ourselves during these times.
Perhaps, prior to COVID-19, many Americans idealized the notion of working from home. What we have learned from stay at home orders and remote workers however, is that this long-held ideal isn’t without its own unique challenges.
Stories of disconnection from co-workers, isolation, difficulties separating “work time” and “home time,” becoming unstructured, and feeling less productive are just a few of the challenges that remote workers have reported.
Stick to a Routine
To that end, shifting our focus to wellness and self-care is perhaps more important than ever before as Americans are feeling evermore isolated. The importance of schedules and routines simply can’t be over stated. For example, if you used to get up at a specific time each morning to start the day, begin to do that again. Obviously, the kiddos no longer need to be hurried out the door and off to school but nonetheless maintaining a regular schedule is important.
Put some work into getting showered and dressed for the day. Don’t we all feel better when we put work into taking care of ourselves, even when there is no place to go? While it stands to reason that if you are working from home you can dress differently, don’t discount the importance of being out or your pajamas dressed for the day, even if it’s not business casual.
In the afternoons and evenings it is important to have things that signify the end of your work day, even when working remotely. What does this mean? Stop checking and responding to emails, put laptops and other devices away and finally change clothes to more comfortable around the house apparel. Maintain schedules and routines with respect to mealtime, whether that is time with family, friends or even alone. Also, end the day with the same rituals and routines you previously held, including pre-bedtime activities and a consistent time in bed.
Get Moving
Other things that can be helpful include exercise. We all know the struggles of incorporating exercise into daily life, but if COVID-19 has left you home-bound with more time on your hands than before, challenge yourself to incorporate exercise into your daily schedules. Try your hand at experimenting with different recipes. Let’s face it, our favorite restaurants are closed and only providing take out/curbside pickup. Use this time to explore your culinary prowess and make meals that you think would be interesting – experiment with those you would have previously never tried.
Limit Your News Intake
Another act of self-care is to limit your intake of news related COVID-19 and the ever-evolving story lines and speculation that fill up the 24 hour news cycle. Let’s not be mistaken, it is important to stay informed, but more information isn’t necessarily better.
Try Therapy
Before
A Crisis
Life for Americans and much of the globe has changed and in rapid fashion and we have been left trying to understand and adjust to the new norms. These changes caught us very much off guard and we are all tasked with finding equilibrium again, which is why self-care in so important and mental health wellness is part of true self-care.
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Matt is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who received an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington and graduate degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Matt completed his graduate internship at the University of Michigan Family Assessment Clinic, where he received extensive training and direct supervision assessing and treating children and adolescents who had experienced significant traumas.
Matt’s professional history includes providing therapy to children and adolescents in foster care and home-based services to support this same population, working in inpatient psychiatric/behavioral health facilities, as an outpatient therapist, and finally in a clinic which serves military populations, veterans, and their families.
Specialties: Matt is most passionate about working with children, adolescents and adults who have experienced past trauma, depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, difficulties managing anger as well as individuals with dual diagnoses.
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N.C. National Guard and Reservists Have Access To Quality Care
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While we are all making so many sacrifices during this pandemic, few people in this nation know that our National Guard and Reservist service members and their families have endured more than most.
Thousands of National Guard and Reserve members have been and continue to be called away from their families and sent to communities most devastated by the pandemic to provide a variety of high risk and high demand jobs. They are enhancing medical capacity, supporting testing sites, providing logistical support and doing other essential jobs that could mean the difference between life and death for places overwhelmed by the virus.
The families who stay behind while their loved ones are activated are overwhelmed by the unknown of these deployments, including uncertainties about return dates and the high risk of infection for the service member.
The Cohen Clinic at Cape Fear Valley can be a resource for these families and for returning National Guard and Reservists when they are ready to process the experience of these deployments and deal with the emotional and mental health impact of the pandemic.
Individual, family and couple’s counseling services are available to all North Carolina National Guard and their families as well as Reservists from all branches and their families residing in the state of North Carolina. Through our highly effective and successful use of
Telehealth, therapy can be delivered statewide in the convenience of your own home.
Care provided at the Cohen Clinic is easily accessible without some of the barriers that traditionally prevent people from seeking help, such as the cost of care, documentation needed or long wait times. The Cohen Clinic has been able to eliminate all these barriers to provide accessible quality care to patients.
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Caregiver Support is a specialized program within the Department of Defense Warrior Care system providing resource for caregivers who, by the definition of this program, is a family member or friend attending to the day-to-day needs of an active duty service member or a veteran.
These are the main components of the program:
- Peer Support Coordinators (PSCs)
PSCs are individuals assigned to 10 geographic regions of the country to provide personalized case management to caregivers and to assist in identifying gaps in support.
North Carolina PSC: Max Dolan
Telephone: 910-709-2142
- Monthly Caregiver Virtual PEER Forums
Monthly virtual teleconference forums scheduled on the first Thursday of every month at 11 am and on the fourth Thursday of every month at 2 pm. Caregivers can share their experiences and network with others. To register contact the event coordinator at
osd.caregiver@mail.mil
Webinars are hosted quarterly in collaboration with Military OneSource on specific topics such as coping with PTSD, coping with TBI, helping families adapt and find their new balance. Check the
www.warriorcare.mil for more details
- Caregiver Resource Directory
This directory is designed to help empower caregivers with information about national and local resources and programs specifically to them. You can
download the directory here
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Join Us Online!
FREE virtual workshops and events each month.
Visit our
events page
for more information and to register. We continue to work with community partners and area businesses to provide a robust and helpful interactive experience for our community.
Mindfulness for Your Health Series
Wednesdays, 1 pm
May 6: Mindfulness and the Immune System
May 13: Mindfulness for Sleep
May 20: Mindfulness for Pain
May 27: Mindfulness and Holistic Movement
Sessions are facilitated by Hayat Hakim. Hayat is a certified meditation teacher and the founder and owner of Hayat Yoga Shala. A 17-year Army Veteran, she discovered the ancient art of yoga during one of her military training deployments in 2007. It helped her cope with the stress and the ever-changing, fast pace of military life.
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2020 Senior Class Dance Challenge
Hey 2020 Senior Class of Cumberland County (public, private, or home school), we want to celebrate YOU! The Cohen Clinic is sponsoring
Cape Fear Regional Theatre's
2020 Senior Class Dance Challenge! They have lined up Emmy-award winning celebrity choreographer Tyce Diorio (Taylor Swift’s Reputation tour and “So You Think You Can Dance”) to create a dance just for you! Tyce will choreograph to Meghan Trainor’s song “I Love Me.”
Sign up for online sessions where we will break the dance down for you, then you will submit videos of yourself doing the choreography! CFRT will edit the submissions together into one music video which will premiere on the CFRT Facebook Page on Saturday, May 30 at 8:00pm.
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For Veterans
For Children
For Students
- Marking History Videos on American History to aid students, or history buffs of any age.
- Tutor.com, free tutoring for military, dependents, Active Duty, Veterans, Guard,and Reserve. Click on the "Military Families" Link
For Parents/Guardians
For Everyone
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COVID-19 Updates
Check out the latest educational video.
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Stay Ahead of the Curve:
Continue Practicing Social Distancing
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As the State slowly reopens, it is still vitally important to continue the basics like wearing face masks/coverings, practicing proper hand hygiene and adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Please see the infographic below for details on what this means for the citizens of North Carolina.
While the State of NC encourages face coverings in public, the Health System is requiring masks or face coverings for any person (staff, patients, providers, vendors, etc.) in all our facilities.
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Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at
Cape Fear Valley | 3505 Village Drive
Fayetteville, NC | 910-615-3737
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Stay connected for up-to-date information and resources
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