The Federation on the Move
December 2021 Newsletter
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Thank You and Happy New Year |
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We're grateful for you!
As 2021 comes to a close, we want to thank each of you for your support this past year. While we all faced many challenges, our network of families, family-run organizations, colleagues, friends, and advocates remained strong. We greatly appreciate the ongoing partnerships and collaborations that allow us to continue our work advocating for and representing the voice of families nationwide.
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Over the last two months, 22 NFF affiliates participated in our efforts to address COVID vaccination hesitancy. Find highlights of their amazing work below.
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Over 20 webinars were presented across the nation. Those will be posted on our Time to Return resource page soon.
- Pop-up vaccination clinics were held in D.C.
- Teen ambassadors designed masks for distribution at their schools.
- Face-to-face community events were held to promote parent-to-parent conversations.
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Dads MOVE created a COVID-19 Awareness Project website highlighting resources gathered by the NFF. Visit it here.
- Specific outreach was done targeting the Hispanic community. Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PPAL) appeared on the La Mega radio show.
- Families as Allies created the video below titled "Our Stories: COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy" about real experiences with vaccine hesitancy and overcoming it.
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COVID-19 vaccines have recently become available to children 5 to 11. The American Academy of Pediatrics created a library of videos where pediatric experts answer parents' and caregivers' questions about the COVID-19 vaccine for children. These resources are available in English and Spanish.
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Annual Conference Summary |
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Last month more than 600 parents, caregivers, family members, mental health and substance use professionals, advocates, and members of the family peer workforce joined us virtually for our annual conference. We're extremely grateful to the 15 sponsor organizations who made our event possible and to the 19 exhibitors who engaged with our audience to provide support and resources.
This year's group of presenters offered 47 terrific workshops spanning diverse topics in mental health, substance use, family-run organizations, and family peer support. If you'd like to watch a recording of any of their presentations, visit our conference playlist linked below. We appreciate that so many of you took time to complete our post-conference survey which provided overwhelmingly positive feedback. We look forward to seeing you next year at our 2022 conference. More details to come soon!
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2022 Children's Mental Health Acceptance Campaign
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It's not a typo. You read that right. After 17 years, we're re-defining the CMHA campaign! Previously named Children's Mental Health Awareness Week, in 2022 we are changing the "A" to acceptance.
One positive impact of a pandemic that has challenged everyone's mental health, is that now more than ever, people are talking about it and know it's important. So, it's time to move beyond the term awareness. This significant shift to "acceptance" speaks more directly to our goal for the campaign - to eliminate the bias and discrimination that individuals with a mental illness diagnosis or symptoms experience.
We believe the term acceptance directly combats prejudice. Mental health exists on a spectrum and almost everyone experiences challenges at some point in their life. Recognizing that our mental health is just as important as our physical health and accepting individuals who struggle for a period - or for a lifetime - is critical to reducing the fear, worry, blame, and shame that families and their loved one's experience - and increases the likelihood that those who are in need will seek the treatment and support they deserve.
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NFSTAC News and Highlights |
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NFSTAC provides education, training, and family support resources tailored specifically to families, the family peer workforce, communities, healthcare systems, clinicians, and educators. Our network of partners and subject matter experts will work with you to help address your needs. Our technical assistance is always free and we're ready to assist you.
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Mark your calendars and plan to join the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center on Thursday, January 6th for their inaugural Family Connections gathering titled "New Year: Resolutions and Expectations."
“Family Connections” is a new virtual community for parents and caregivers who support loved ones facing substance use or mental health challenges. Meetings will take place the first Thursday of the month from 1:30 - 2:30 ET. Each gathering will feature a focused topic, provide tips and tools, and provide the opportunity to network with other families.
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Henry Moore
Director of Family-Driven Practice
Families as Allies, Mississippi State Chapter
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Question: How has your work as a Family Peer Support Specialist evolved in the last 18 months?
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In 2022, NFSTAC will begin sending their own communications dedicated to families impacted by mental health and substance use challenges and the workforce that supports them. Sign up below to be sure you continue to receive news about support resources and upcoming events.
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Resource and Opportunity Highlights |
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We encourage you to explore the resources below for caregivers, youth and young adults, the family peer support workforce, and mental health and substance use professionals. Have a resource you'd like to share? Feel free to email us for consideration in future newsletters. |
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The Federation of Families of South Carolina is accepting submissions for its annual Children’s Mental Health Month Art Contest. The contest theme is "Messengers of Hope: You Are Not Alone!". This is a positive, creative outlet to raise awareness and reduce the stigma that keeps children and youth from getting connected to treatment and supports for their behavioral and mental health needs. The deadline for submissions is February 4th. Learn more here.
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The feeling of gratitude can have huge benefits for your child's mental health. Gratitude is typically associated with optimism, a more positive sense of wellbeing and even increased happiness. This children'shealth article offers 5 tips for teaching your child gratitude.
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Anxiety disorders are the most diagnosed mental health conditions in children, but anxiety is also a typical daily emotion that many of us experience. On Our Sleeves, a national movement to break stigmas around children's mental health, provides resources and tips to help kids manage anxiety, understand what's normal and recognize warning signs.
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The Institute for Innovation and Implementation, in collaboration with the Family Acceptance Project, has launched a new online resource to help LGBTQ youth and families find services and increase support for LGBTQ youth. This first of its kind website aims to help decrease isolation, family rejection, and mental health risks, as well as increase well-being.
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To help improve public awareness of family caregivers, increase family caregivers’ self-identification, and empower caregivers to use resources available to them, Livanta, the largest healthcare quality improvement organization in the United States and adviser to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, created #MyRoleCounts, a social media toolkit for partners and stakeholders including graphic files, social media posts, content, and hashtags.
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Child Mind Institute offers 12 ideas to help parents and caregivers (in English and Spanish) prevent burnout while caring for and meeting the emotional needs of a child who has mental health challenges.
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