Here is your weekly news roundup of articles, reports, resources and webinars you might find interesting.
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It's Teacher Appreciation Week!
We always appreciate teachers, but the pandemic has reminded everyone just how vital teachers are.
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One in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, but everyone faces challenges that can impact their mental health. In 2020, Mental Health America's theme is
Tools 2 Thrive
, which provides practical tools that everyone can use to improve their mental health and increase resiliency regardless of the situations they are dealing with. Below are some materials. Follow us on
Facebook
and
Twitter
for additional information throughout the month.
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Throughout May, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will feature personal stories from real people experiencing mental health conditions. You can
submit your story
The goal is to make people feel less alone in their mental health journeys.
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As the country tries to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have experienced some level of anxiety, even if they don't have a mental illness.
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It's Older Americans Month
Since 1963, May has been designated as
Older Americans Month
; a time to celebrate the contributions of older Americans. It's also a time to raise awareness about issues affecting those 60 and older. This week we are sharing ways to engage with the community.
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A Guide to Engage Virtually
While we have been observing social distancing guidelines, many people have felt more lonely. It's important to engage with the older adults in your life and find ways to help them engage with others.
Here is a guide
with ideas for engaging virtually - both with and without a computer.
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The Art of Aging Art Show
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Food Insecurity: A Growing Problem
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According to the Connecticut Food Bank, projections say that
the COVID-19 pandemic could push as many as 187,000 additional CT residents into food insecurity.
That is on top of the 270,000 CT residents who struggled with food insecurity before this hit. Additionally, people are stocking up on food and not donating to local food banks. If you are looking to donate food or make a monetary donation to support local food pantries, visit the
Connecticut Food Bank website
.
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Please Like and Follow Us Today
We need you to help us grow our Facebook and Twitter communities!
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Save the Date for These Online Trainings!
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What Even is Mental Health?!?!
TONIGHT
: May 7, 2020 | 7:30 PM
Livetalk with Dr. Donna Volpitta addressing what mental health means, how to foster it, and why it's important to talk about.
Learn more and register.
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Using Challenges as Opportunities to Foster Mental Health
May 8, 2020 | 12:00 - 1:00 PM
Now, it is even more critical to understand how to foster resilience and mental health, which starts with some simple brain science. Attendees will learn crucial tools and strategies that they can use to help families navigate this difficult time period and become mentally stronger through it.
Learn more and register.
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May 12, 2020 | 2:00 PM
Brittany Bugbee, MPH will discuss her and her colleagues’ article’s findings regarding the effect of substance use on academic achievement among 12th grade students and the implications her findings have for coalitions addressing youth substance use in their communities.
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May 15, 2020 | 9:00 AM
Featured Speaker: Liz Jorgensen, CADC
Participants will learn and be able to describe:
- How to Identify the the logic of resistance in clients with substance abuse and mental health issues.
- How to use the roots of resistance as the key to willingness and trust in the recovery process
- How to understand childhood risks that are traumatic using ACEs data, even when the client denies trauma.
- Participants will be able to ask questions about specific presentations of resistance. Learn more and register.
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FREE Stay-at-Home Resources
Fun Things to Do
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We wish all moms a Happy Mother's Day!
Even though it might look a bit different this year, here are some ideas for honoring mom from a distance.
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How to Celebrate Mother's Day at a Distance This Year
The best gift you can give your mom on Mother's Day is your company, of course. But this year, because of Coronavirus and social distancing, most people won't be able to celebrate the holiday with their mothers.
Read more
www.womansday.com
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Six fun party games you can play over a Zoom call
In this period of social distancing, many of us are staying in touch with friends and family via the tiny cameras embedded in the fronts of our phones and laptops.
Read more
www.washingtonpost.com
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Reports
Most common mental disorders, from depression and anxiety to PTSD, are associated with disturbed sleep, and substance use disorders are no exception. The relationship may be complex and bidirectional: Substance use causes sleep problems; but insomnia and insufficient sleep may also be a factor raising the risk of drug use and addiction.
Read full article.
Parents: How to Handle TMI
Before “TMI” (too much information) was a popular cultural acronym, it was linked to heightened worry and anxiety, especially in those who struggle with information. TMI is compounded by our constant exposure to information (TV, internet, social media), making it harder to discern fact from fiction about the current crisis. Now more than ever, while so many aspects of parenting are challenging, let’s focus here on parental handling of TMI, including how to talk to your child, since increased worry and anxiety is likely.
Read full article.
Quaranteenagers: Strategies for Parenting in Close Quarters
All normally developing teenagers strive for independence, yearn to be with their peers and look ahead to the future. Given this, how do we care for young people whose wings have been clipped, who aren’t supposed to hang out with their friends and whose plans have been upended by coronavirus? Here are some strategies that might help to address these unforeseen parenting challenges.
Read full article.
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To give parents a sense of what’s out there, we’ve compiled resources in 10 categories: education, travel, reading, mental wellness, music, art, physical activity, theater and dance, languages and entertainment.
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Getting students involved improves retention, understanding, and enjoyment. And it’s remarkably easy to involve the audience with just a few easy principles (especially with the right technology at your disposal).
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This document contains links to a variety of printable resources that cover prevention, what to do if you're sick, etc.
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Your Daily Dose of Humor ...
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