"Be Here Now"

For young people in recovery, music can act as a bridge to sobriety and provide an outlet for healthy recreation. Recently on a visit to Old Friends Guitar Shop in Wentzville, MO, a young man in our Troy Day Treatment Program was given the opportunity to play the guitar of his dreams. As he began to strum the perfectly tuned antique, acoustic twelve string, a familiar light of self assured contentment settled in. With teens struggling from substance abuse, one of the biggest enemies to sobriety is the foe of being discontent. But at this moment, the young man you see in the photo was anything but bored. He was in the moment entirely. Not in the past, not in the future, but fully in the present. The virtue of living in the moment was no better expressed than by Grammy award winning artist Ray LaMontagne, in his song, "Be Here Now":




"Don't let your mind get weary and confused
  
  Your will be still, don't try
  Don't let your heart get heavy child

   Inside you there's a strength that lies...."


When redirecting our minds through awareness, uncertainties become irrelevant and strength is found. Allowing the mind to rest reaffirms the sense of control, autonomy, and escape that so many teens end up struggling to achieve through high risk behaviors. Such is the plight of substance abuse in adolescence. But the great gift of music not only provides a life skill that teaches discipline and commitment. But it's also a place where the mind can be free to "Be Here Now".

Written by: Michelle Boonaerts 

Youth Mental Health First Aid

http://www.sjsu.edu/counseling/MHFA/

There is no one who can claim to have NOT been affected in some way by a mental health concern.  All of us at one point in our lives will be touched in some way by a mental health “issue”.  I am not talking about a crisis or a diagnosis….it may simply be a serious event that creates in our life or the life of someone we know, a mental health concern. 

So what is a Mental Health Concern? 

They can happen daily, all around us, from the person struggling with grief (which looks different to everyone) or a true mental health disorder.  Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is designed to help everyone be more aware.  In the MHFA class we learn that MHFA is like “regular” first aid for the mind.  Like “regular” first aid, no one is at fault, no is blamed – we just do what we can to manage the situation while waiting for professional help.  This is exactly what Mental Health first aid teaches as it relates to concerns around – our mental health!

Preferred Family Healthcare has several trainers around Missouri who can facilitate an 8 hour certification class in Youth MHFA as well as an hour long “taste of” class.  This class is designed to educate people about what a mental health concern looks like in a youth, and the difference between “normal” adolescence and a concern.  The course includes ways to recognize risk, protective factors and concrete steps to take when a mental health concern is identified.  The beauty of this course is that it does not ask anyone to diagnose and treat; but instead, to take 5 simple steps to apply first aid. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn-Bzief7lk

For more information check out our website at www.pfh.org, to schedule a class in the St. Louis Region contact me – Jean Sokora jsokora@pfh.org or Brigid Woodhead - bwoodhead@pfh.org 

Achieving Recovery Through Creativity

  Art is used in addiction recovery                services across the country and around the world because addiction is a global problem. Art prevails where words fail in expressing the dark world of addiction and triumphs in overcoming the stigma associated with this disease.

In a booklet published by the Innovators Program at John Hopkins University, the executive board explains that, “Where science analyzes and explains addiction with images of data displayed in pie charts and bar graphs, art reveals the gangled complexity of addiction with images of paint and other materials to enhance our understanding of this treatable, chronic illness.”

http://pinterest.com/preferredfamily/ 

Art's importance to the individual in the recovery process cannot be understated and its role in raising awareness to communities is invaluable. In fact, the Innovators Program also says that "the growing consensus among substance abuse professionals confirms that addiction art complements addiction science and is a 'remarkable contribution to the field of substance abuse prevention and treatment.'"

http://pinterest.com/preferredfamily/

The art created by the consumers of Preferred Family Healthcare in the “Achieving Recovery Through Creativity”, or ARTC, provides a creative opportunity to engage the community in the mission to assist others in achieving their potential. Through anecdotal observation and testimonial based evidence we can see that the ARTC program is making a profound impact.

$20 will fund supplies for a person working on recovery through the ARTC program for an entire month. Your gift will help change lives. To see more art and what $20 can create, visit our Facebook or Pinterest page. Click here to donate today. 

Don't miss our ARTC exhibit presented at the Fraser Leonard Gallery!

Click here for more information.

                                                                                                                                                                           

ARTC Outcomes Surveys July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012
1657 surveys completed over past two years	67% youth (18 and under) 33% adult (19 and over)
Introduced me to new activities that I enjoy.	90%
Helped me to express my thoughts and feelings.	91%
Gave me an opportunity to learn activities I can do instead of using drugs and or drinking.	93%
Gave me a sense of accomplishment.	92%
Helped me improve my ability to work with others.	87%
Helped me discover new skills I can use in the future at school or work.	87%
Helped me feel better about myself.	89%$20 will fund supplies for a person working on recovery to be involved in the ARTC program for one month. Your gift will help change lives, to learn more watch, Face of Recovery.

Works Cited

Santora, Patricia B., Dr, Margaret R. Dowell, Dr, and Jack E. Henningway, Dr. "Guidelines for Organizing Art Exhibitions on Addiction and Recovery." Policyarchive.com. The John Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2008. Web. 3 July 2013. <http://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/bitstreams/21307.pdf>.

"Addiction Science: From Molecules to Managed Care." Drug Abuse Is a Global Problem.National Institute on Drug Abuse, July 2008. Web. 03 July 2013. <http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/addiction-science/international-program-conclusion/drug-abuse-global-problem>.

Praise for "Clean"

I have never written a review on a book before, however I want to shout from the rooftop’s you must read this book,  Clean by David Sheff.  Reading this book will give you one of those ah-ha experiences of life where all the little pieces and opinions you have collected in your head about addiction will be brought into sharp shocking focus as David provides passionate objective investigative style understanding of a war within our country where 250,000 Americans die every year.  Addiction is a preventable, treatable disease, not a moral failing. As with other illnesses, the approaches most likely to work are based on science — not on faith, tradition, contrition, or wishful thinking.

 

Clean offers clear, cogent counsel for parents and others who want to prevent drug problems and for addicts and their loved ones no matter what stage of the illness they’re in. But it is also a book for all of us — a powerful rethinking of the greatest public health challenge of our time.

Article written by: Paul Lambi, Director of Organizational Advancement at Preferred Family Healthcare

Intensive In-home Services

Preferred Family Healthcare offers a very needed service called Intensive In-home Services (IIS). IIS are short-term crisis intervention services that occur within your very own home. Many people may chose this option when their families are at risk with the possibility of their children receiving out-of-home placement. IIS allows those families to remain together, supporting each other through a crisis situation. This program is unique in that it offers intervention and other services in a very flexible and adaptive way. 

Our services include:

• Resolving child abuse/neglect
• Promoting child and family safety
• Parenting education
• Child development training
• Support to individual, families and couples
• Sexual abuse, domestic violence, and substance abuse prevention education
• Communication and negotiation skills
• Home maintenance/housekeeping skills
• Developing linkages with community resources
• Job readiness skills
• Other services that meet the specific needs of the family.

In our program, through referral, we focus our services to assist those families by responding immediately to a crisis, focusing on families' strengths, having 24 hour accessibility to specialists, and the knowledge to meet the needs of the family.

If a referral is appropriate, then the family will be assigned to a specific specialist. The services provided are up to 20 hours per week and range from 4-6 weeks in length. In addition, IIS provides follow-up aftercare services for up to 90 days. IIS believes the best safety net for a child is parent(s) who are caring and capable, rather than the child being placed outside the home. Lastly, IIS offers counseling, education, listening, modeling, problem solving, child management, communication and negotiation skills, use of community resources, housekeeping skills, and a reasonable alternative to out-of-home placement.

To learn more about other services, please feel free to contact us today.

-Maxwell Law