Make A New Years Resolution: Quit Smoking.

Thinking about quitting smoking in 2013? PFH’s Online, Off-Tobacco program can help. Thanks to funding from the Missouri Foundation for Health, Preferred is offering online tobacco cessation classes to anyone within the colored area on the map (view map for list of counties served).

Within just 7 weeks you will gain valuable insight on your smoking habits and triggers, create a quit plan tailored to your needs, learn to cope with urges and gain tips on nutrition, physical activity and stress management. Included with the program is a free participant workbook, $50 worth of nicotine replacement therapy or $25 gift card to any sporting goods store of your choice and guidance from a trained facilitator.

The virtual tobacco cessation program “Online Off Tobacco" is a truly innovative tobacco cessation service. This service recognizes the need for cessation services and is bringing classes to you through a virtual world.  PFH uses a 'private island' in Jibe to hold American Lung Association Freedom from Smoking sessions online. These sessions are one and a half hours a week for eight weeks. The island also features a library of information on remaining smoke-free.

Businesses, institutions and communities have already gone or are moving in the direction of becoming tobacco free, and tobacco users are surrounded by reasons to quit using and could greatly benefit from tobacco cessation services. Why not try it out for yourself?

The admission process is quick - you can simply e-mail or call the PFH Tobacco Cessation Coordinator to request admission (tobacco@pfh.org) or call 660.665.1962. Within 24 hours, the Coordinator sends an enrollment form to be completed and returned. The participant chooses the most convenient session time to attend, signs on, and creates a personal avatar online. Day, night and weekend sessions are offered to be as flexible as possible. Participants can continue attending Nicotine Anonymous sessions as long as they wish after completing the eight-week program.

Smoking is harmful to your health and even raises your insurance premiums. Why not save money while you are saving your own life? Take the pledge to be tobacco free in 2013.

Achieving Recovery Through Creativity

A.R.T.C. began as a program to provide substance-abusing adolescents the opportunity to tap into creative talents and convey emotions through the arts. Having experienced great success providing this service to our adolescent substance abuse consumers, PFH has begun implementing A.R.T.C. within select adult substance abuse treatment programs, and recently initiating an independent A.R.T.C. program funded by the Franklin County Children and Families Community Resource Board and being provided to high risk youth in Franklin County in Missouri. 

Using a variety of artistic mediums, A.R.T.C. participants learn to lower their defenses and express feelings without the use of mood-altering substances, and in doing so, discover parts of their selves that were otherwise hidden by a multitude of negative coping strategies and life circumstances. Participants further explore feelings and expand communication skills by discussing their completed projects in group and individual counseling settings. As their strengths and talents are validated by others, the participants experience an increase in confidence and self-worth. 

A.R.T.C. uses visual arts, music, and creative writing to encourage the expression of difficult emotions and provide consumers with an opportunity to explore activities that can serve as a means of healthy recreation as they strive to remain drug-free, let go of high risk behaviors and cope with difficult situations. Currently A.R.T.C. is offered within 15 PFH programs that serve youth and families across the state of Missouri and Kansas.

Despite our growth, we are far from reaching our goal. Our mission is to be a more centralized component of our comprehensive treatment programs and to continue to offer A.R.T.C. to large consumer bases.Our goals include acquisition of additional musical equipment and instruments, photography equipment, and videography equipment. The remarkable impact of creative expression on the consumers with whom we work becomes more evident every day.

It is the aim of Preferred Family Healthcare, Inc. to always think outside of the box and consistently strive to provide the highest quality care to our consumers through the most innovative means possible.

To find out more check out our website or our Pinterest page!

Mental Health Day

Working the 9-5 grind can become quite overwhelming week in and week out. But how can you recharge your batteries? Why not just take a day off.

A survey by ComPsych, a provider of employee assistance programs, found that 82 percent of employees admitted taking a mental health day. You may not think this is the best option but taking a mental health day can help you remain productive at work and help you relax.

When should a mental health day be taken?

There are foursigns that you need a break from work, said Brandon M. Smith an expert in workplace health.

1. You’re suddenly not sleeping well or have developed insomnia.

2. You can’t shake last week’s stress. In other words, your level of stress is greater than your current stressors.

3. You’re snippy with your spouse, your kids or your co-workers.

4. You feel a general sense of apathy and don’t care about your work.

So what do you do on you mental health day?

The point of a mental health day is not like a normal day off where you go out on the town with your friends or family, the point is to relax your mind and body and truly recharge your body. A big thing you can do is catch up on sleep, especially if you have been feeling exhausted at work. Another thing to treat yourself to is a spa day, get a relaxing massage, and let your daily strains release from your body. Another way is to go see your family! If work has you busy on the weekends and you haven’t had a chance to see your close friends and family, taking a day to talk and spend time with them may be important. You can even simply curl up and read a book and drink some coffee! To take a successful mental health day you can do anything that helps you relax both your mind and body.

With stress listed as a top source for work related problems, APA or The American Psychological Association found that 75 percent of Americans  experience physical symptoms from stress. So while you may think a day off may stress you out more and put you further back in your work, it may be the best option to further productivity down the road. Plus some employers now even include mental health days in their benefits.

Forbes.com gives us a checklist about how to effectively take a mental health day!

·         Don’t spend the day feeling guilty. It won’t help you recharge.

·         Pick your day smartly, and be respectful of your team. It is unprofessional to take a mental health break on the day of a big meeting or presentation.

·         Call (or email, or text) early. Your boss may need to plan, or re-plan, the day given your absence. This is easier for to do if he or she knows first thing, not late-morning.

·         Don’t lie. You don’t have to call it a mental health day. But rather than making up fake medical conditions, symptoms, or family crises, you can tell your boss you aren’t feeling great, and you believe you will be most effective if you stay home for the day and return to work after some rest.

·         Make sure you recharge. You know yourself best. Whether it’s lunch with a friend, a pedicure, a day outdoors, or curling up with a new book or the entire first season of Glee, do something for yourself.

·         Come back ready to go. Chances are you’ll have a bit to catch up on after a day off, but show up ready for it.

If you think you need a mental health day do not be afraid to ask for one. Being stressed at work can cause a dip in productivity and can cause apathy towards your job. Simply taking a day off can help recharge your batteries and improve your mood.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for daily updates about Preferred Family Healthcare and news about mental health.

-Maxwell Law