 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Posts Tagged ‘
resources ’
Cancer
American Cancer Society (ACS)
The American Cancer Society is a nationwide, community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to helping individuals and their families understand and manage cancer. With more than 3,400 local offices, the services provided to patients, families, and health care providers are far reaching.
www.cancer.org
CancerCare®
CancerCare is the oldest and largest nonprofit agency dedicated to helping people face the many challenges of a cancer diagnosis. CancerCare provides free professional support services, including counseling, education, financial assistance and practical help, to people with cancer, their loved ones, and healthcare professionals across the country.
www.cancercare.org
Cancer Care Connection (CCC)
Cancer Care Connection is a non-profit service organization that helps people make informed decisions through professional coaching and personalized information and resource connections. Cancer Care Connection’s (CCC) mission is to provide individuals and families affected by cancer with personal coaching, Internet navigation assistance, and useful information and resource connections. Call toll-free at 866-266-7008
www.cancercareconnection.org
Cure Search
CureSearch unites the world’s largest childhood cancer research organization, the Children’s Oncology Group, and the National Childhood Cancer Foundation through our shared mission to cure childhood cancer. Research is the key to cure. At more than 200 Children’s Oncology Group member institutions worldwide, CureSearch’s dedicated physicians, nurses and scientists are conducting clinical trials and performing research to identify cancer causes and pioneer treatments and cures. CureSearch NCCF supports this lifesaving research by raising public awareness and funds through awareness, legislative and fundraising programs, which directly contribute to increasing survival rates.
www.CureSearch.org
Facing Forward Series – Life After Cancer Treatment
Life After Cancer Treatment, a publication of National Cancer Institute (NCI), covers post-treatment issues such as follow-up medical care, physical and emotional changes, changes in social relationships and workplace issues.
www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/life-after-treatment
Mylion.org
www.mylion.org is a National Community Service Initiative sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting based on the documentary film A Lion in the House by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert. The film followed five young people living with childhood cancer and their families. Mylion.org offers a tool kit with information describing the impact of cancer on families and sibling, how friends can help, and information for doctors and nurses helping children with cancer.
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
The National Association of Social Workers is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with more than 152,000 members. NASW works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies.
www.socialworkers.org
National Cancer Institute
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of eight agencies that compose the Public Health Service (PHS) in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The National Cancer Institute coordinates the National Cancer Program, which conducts and supports research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer, rehabilitation from cancer, and the continuing care of cancer patients and the families of cancer patients.
www.cancer.gov
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS)
The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship was founded in 1986 by and for people with cancer and those who care for them. NCCS is a patient-led organization representing survivors of all types of cancer and their families through information, support, and advocacy. The Cancer Survival Toolbox® (www.cancersurvivaltoolbox.org) is a free audio program designed to help cancer survivors and caregivers develop the practical tools to deal with cancer.
www.canceradvocacy.org
Partnership for Parents
The Partnership for Parents is a Web-based support network for parents of children with serious illnesses. The organization’s Web site is designed to be a haven where parents can feel the solace of kindred spirits while finding the information they need to cope with their situation and navigate their difficult journey.
www.partnershipforparents.org
Death & Dying
Aging With Dignity
Aging with Dignity publishes Five Wishes, an easy-to-use legal document that helps adults of all ages plan for the care they want in case they become seriously ill.
www.agingwithdignity.org
Caring Connections
Caring Connections is a program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. It is a national consumer engagement to improve care at the end of life, supported by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Caring Connections provides a variety of free resources on end-of life issues.
www.caringinfo.org.
Hospice Foundation of America
The Hospice Foundation of America exists to help those who cope personally or professionally with terminal illness, death, and the process of grief and bereavement.
ww.hospicefoundation.org
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
The National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO) is the largest nonprofit membership organization representing hospice and palliative care programs and professionals in the United States. The organization is committed to improving end of life care and expanding access to hospice care with the goal of profoundly enhancing quality of life for people dying in America and their loved ones.
www.nhpco.org
The Soros Foundation
The Soros Foundation's Project on Death in America (PDIA) distributed $45 million in grant awards to organizations and individuals working to improve care for dying patients and their families. The PDIA Web site offers numerous links to this network of resources.
www.soros.org/initiatives/pdia/about
Disabilities
American Association of People with Disabilities
The largest national nonprofit cross-disability member organization in the United States, dedicated to ensuring economic self-sufficiency and political empowerment for the more than 56 million Americans with disabilities. AAPD works in coalition with other disability organizations for the full implementation and enforcement of disability nondiscrimination laws, particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
www.aapd-dc.org
American Foundation for the Blind
The American Foundation for the Blind—the organization to which Helen Keller devoted her life—is a national nonprofit whose mission is to ensure that the ten million Americans who are blind or visually impaired enjoy the same rights and opportunities as other citizens. The American Foundation for the Blind promotes wide-ranging, systemic change by addressing the most critical issues facing the growing blind and visually impaired population—employment, independent living, literacy, and technology. In addition to its New York City headquarters, the American Foundation for the Blind maintains four National Centers in cities across the United States, and a Governmental Relations office in Washington, DC.
www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=42
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 118,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists.
www.asha.org
The Arc of the United States
The Arc of the United States works to include all children and adults with cognitive, intellectual, and developmental disabilities in every community.
www.thearc.org
Easter Seals
Easter Seals has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families, live better lives for more than 80 years. From child development centers to physical rehabilitation and job training for people with disabilities, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life’s challenges and achieve personal goals.
www.easterseals.com/site/PageServer
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS administers a free library program of braille and audio materials circulated to eligible borrowers in the United States by postage-free mail.
www.local.gov/nls/
United Cerebral Palsy
United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) is the leading source of information on cerebral palsy and is a pivotal advocate for the rights of persons with any disability. As one of the largest health charities in America, the UCP mission is to advance the independence, productivity and full citizenship of people with disabilities through an affiliate network.
www.ucp.org
Family Genetics
KidsHealth for Parents, Genetic Counseling
KidsHealth is the largest and most visited site on the Web providing doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence. Created by The Nemours Foundation’s Center for Children’s Health Media, the award-winning KidsHealth provides families with accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information they can use.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/medical_problems/genetic_counseling.html
National Society of Genetic Counselors
The mission of the National Society of Genetic Counselors is to promote the genetic counseling profession as a recognized and integral part of health care delivery, education, research and public policy.
www.nsgc.org
Partnership for Parents
The Partnership for Parents is a Web-based support network for parents of children with serious illnesses. The organization’s Web site is designed to be a haven where parents can feel the solace of kindred spirits while finding the information they need to cope with their situation and navigate their difficult journey.
www.partnershipforparents.org
Healthy Lifestyles
American Dietetic Association
With nearly 65,000 members, the American Dietetic Association is the nation's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA serves the public by promoting optimal nutrition, health and well-being.
http://www.eatright.org/Public/
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association offers information on diet and nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyle issues to help people stay healthy.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200009
American Medical Association, Adolescent Health Web Site
The AMA Adolescent Health Web Site offers a variety of information on various topics including injury prevention, violence and bullying, nutrition and fitness, alcohol, drug, and tobacco use, etc.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/1947.html
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs
The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs represents state public health leaders and others working to improve the health and well being of women, children, youth and families, including those with special health care needs. AMCHP accomplishes its mission through the active participation of its members and vital partnerships with government agencies, families and advocates, health care purchasers and providers, academic and research professionals, and others at the national, state and local levels.
http://www.amchp.org/
Bright Futures at Georgetown University
Bright Futures is a national health promotion initiative dedicated to the principle that every child deserves to be healthy and that optimal health involves a trusting relationship between the health professional, the child, the family, and the community as partners in health practice.
http://www.brightfutures.org/
Covering Kids & Families
Covering Kids & Families (CKF) works to reduce the number of uninsured children and adults who are eligible for public health care coverage programs but not enrolled. The organization operates through statewide projects in 45 states and the District of Columbia and more than 140 local community projects. In addition, 5 states have CKF liaison grants that provide opportunities to participate in the national CKF initiative.
http://coveringkidsandfamilies.org
HRSA Maternal and Child Health Bureau
The Maternal and Child Health Bureau is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration. The U.S. Congress enacted Title V of the Social Security Act, which authorized the Maternal and Child Health Services programs and provided a foundation and structure for assuring the health of American mothers and children.
http://mchb.hrsa.gov/
Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health
The Konopka Institute is built on a foundation of research that articulates what has been demonstrated to be effective in healthy youth development. Strategies based on the interrelatedness of youth health problems‚ a commitment to programs that work ("best practices") or show promise of doing so ("best bets")‚ and an understanding that adolescents must be viewed in the context of their families and their families in the context of neighborhoods and communities‚ are organizational hallmarks. Building upon these core values, the Konopka Institute is positioned to provide information‚ programs‚ and policy support to the youth-serving community.
http://www.allaboutkids.umn.edu/konopka/
The National Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual an Transgendered Health
The National Coalition for LGBT Health is committed to improving the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and communities through public education, coalition building and advocacy that focuses on research, policy, education and training.
http://www.lgbthealth.net
The President's Council on Physical Fitness
Fitness.gov is the health, physical activity, fitness and sports information Web site of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. You can find out about the Council and its work, view our publications, and link to the resources of other government agencies as well as to health and fitness organizations.
www.fitness.gov
HIV/AIDS
The Body
The Body.com is a comprehensive Internet resource offering HIV/AIDs information on more than 550 topic areas. The Body’s mission is to use the Web to lower barriers between patients and clinicians; demystify HIV/AIDS and its treatment; improve patients’ quality of life; and foster community through human connection.
www.thebody.com
Campaign to End Aids (C2EA)
The Campaign to End AIDS (C2EA) is a diverse, new coalition of people living with HIV/AIDS, their advocates and their loved ones. Together they are demanding that our leaders exert the political will to stop the epidemic in the U.S. and abroad, once and for all.
www.c2ea.org
HIV AIDS Information National Library on Medicine
A comprehensive AIDS information service is vital to enable people to combat the AIDS epidemic. Scientists, physicians, educators, and other health professionals need rapid access to the latest information on AIDS research, diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention. Consumers require similar access to appropriate information for decision-making about their behavioral choices and treatment. Community-based organizations, clinics and other types of service providers also need access to high quality, accurate and timely information for their staff and clients. The National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world’s largest medical library, has been developing AIDS information services since the AIDS crisis began in 1980.
http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/hiv.html
HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau
The HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) was formed in August 1997 to consolidate all programs funded under the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. The CARE Act was signed into law on August 15, 1990 to improve the quality and availability of care for people with HIV/AIDS and their families.
http://hab.hrsa.gov
Kaiser Family Foundation
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation focusing on the major health care issues facing the nation. The Foundation is an independent voice and source of facts and analysis for policymakers, the media, the health care community, and the general public.
http://www.kff.org/hivaids/index.cfm
National Association of People With AIDS
Founded in 1983, the National Association of People with AIDS is a non-profit membership organization that advocates on behalf of all people living with HIV and AIDS in order to end the pandemic and the human suffering caused by HIV/AIDS. We are the oldest national AIDS organization in the United States and the oldest national network of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world.
http://www.napwa.org
National Institutes of Health Medline Plus
MedlinePlus is a source of good health information from the world’s largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus has extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted sources on over 700 diseases and conditions. There are also lists of hospitals and physicians, a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary, health information in Spanish, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs, health information from the media, and links to thousands of clinical trials.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/aids.html
Office of Minority Health
The mission of the Office of Minority Health (OMH) is to improve and protect the health of racial and ethnic minority populations through the development of health policies and programs that will eliminate health disparities. OMH was established in 1985 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It advises the Secretary and the Office of Public Health and Science on public health program activities affecting American Indians and Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders.
http://www.omhrc.gov/hivaidsobservances/hivaidsinfo.html
Project Inform
Project Inform is a national nonprofit, community-based organization working to end the AIDS epidemic. Its mission is to inform people living with HIV, their caregivers and their healthcare and service providers about the treatment and monitoring of HIV disease; to advocate and facilitate research towards a cure and for appropriate policies, legislation and funding for HIV research treatment and care; and inspire people to make informed choices, take effective action in the fight against HIV and choose hope over despair.
www.projectinform.org
Treatment Access Expansion Project (TEAP)
The Treatment Access Expansion Project is committed to improving access to early and comprehensive treatment for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. As part of its mission, TEAP has created a Medicare Part D Toolkit available for downloading.
www.taepusa.org
Living With Illness
CancerCare®
CancerCare is the oldest and largest nonprofit agency dedicated to helping people face the many challenges of a cancer diagnosis. CancerCare provides free professional support services, including counseling, education, financial assistance and practical help, to people with cancer, their loved ones, and healthcare professionals across the country.
www.cancercare.org
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is a Federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CMS Administers the Medicare program and works in partnership with the States to administer Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and health insurance portability standards.
www.cms.gov
Council of Nephrology Social Workers
Many people may be in early stages of kidney disease and not know where to find information or help. Once people with chronic kidney disease progress to kidney failure and require dialysis or a transplant, Medicare mandates that each dialysis or transplant patient have access to a masters level social worker. You can information about chronic kidney disease and the Council of Nephrology Social Workers (CNSW) by visiting their Web Site.
www.kidney.org/professionals/CNSW/index.cfm.
National Alliance for Caregiving
The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) is a non-profit coalition created in 1996 to support family caregivers and the professionals who serve them. NAC’s founding partners are the American Society on Aging, the Department of Veterans Affairs, AARP, the National Council on the Aging, and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Current membership includes more than 40 national organizations.
www.caregiving.org
The National Pain Foundation
The National Pain Foundation, a non-profit organization, was established in 1998 to advance functional recovery of persons in pain through information, education, and support. It's mission is to be a credible and highly effective resources to empower all persons in pain, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or economic or social status, to improve their lives through education, advocacy, communications networks, and community participation.
www.painconnection.org
Partnership for Parents
The Partnership for Parents is a Web-based support network for parents of children with serious illnesses. The organization’s Web site is designed to be a haven where parents can feel the solace of kindred spirits while finding the information they need to cope with their situation and navigate their difficult journey.
www.partnershipforparents.org
U.S. Department of Labor Office of Worker's Compensation Programs
The Department of Labor’s Office of Worker’s Compensation Programs administers four major disability compensation programs which provide wage replacement benefits, medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation, and other benefits to federal workers or their dependents who are injured at work or acquire an occupational disease.
Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP)
Pain
American Pain Foundation
Founded in 1997, the American Pain Foundation is an independent nonprofit 501(c)3 organization serving people with pain through information, advocacy, and support. Our mission is to improve the quality of life of people with pain by raising public awareness, providing practical information, promoting research, and advocating to remove barriers and increase access to effective pain management.
www.painfoundation.org
American Chronic Pain Association
The mission of the American Chronic Pain association is to facilitate peer support and education for individuals with chronic pain and their families so that these individuals may live more fully in spite of their pain. The organization raises awareness among the health care community, policy makers and the public at large about issues of living with chronic pain. The association also offers support and information for people with chronic pain.
http://www.theacpa.org/
Cancer-Pain.org
Cancer-pain.org has been developed by ACOR (Association of Cancer Online Resources) with input and advice from patients, caregivers and an Advisory Board of health care professionals dedicated to providing the most advanced cancer pain relief. The organization’s aim is to help cancer patients receive the pain treatment they deserve.
Tags: health, organizations, resources, websites, wellness
Posted in
Uncategorized |
No Comments »
Adoption.com and Foster Parenting.com
Adoption.com and Foster Parenting.com are committed to helping as many children as possible find loving, permanent homes. The organizations also provide critical information at the decision-making moment to women facing crisis pregnancies. They assist adoptees and birthparents to find birthfamilies, and we help hopeful adoptive parents make adoption dreams come true. We are especially committed to helping special needs children in the U.S. and around the world, who otherwise wouldn’t be able to find families.
www.adoption.com and www.fosterparenting.com
American Bar Association, Center on Children and the Law
The ABA Center on Children and the law works to improve children’s lives through advances in law, justice, knowledge, practice, and public policy.
http://www.abanet.org/child/home2.html
Casey Family Services
For over 25 years, Casey Family Services has assisted vulnerable children and families. Today, programs operate throughout New England and in Baltimore, Maryland. Casey Family Services is a fully licensed and accredited non-profit child welfare agency providing a broad range of programs to meet the changing needs of vulnerable children and families. Founded in 1976 solely as a source for long-term foster care, Casey Family Services today offers foster care for children, as well as post-adoption, preservation and reunification services for families. In addition, Casey has established a number of specialized and innovative community-based programs to help strengthen families and enable parents to provide the healthy, nurturing environments their children need to grow and thrive.
http://www.caseyfamilyservices.org/
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Formerly the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information and the National Adoption Information Clearinghouse, Child Welfare Information Gateway provides access to information and resources to help protect children and strengthen families. A service of the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
http://www.childwelfare.gov
Child Welfare League of America
The Child Welfare League of America is an association of more than 900 public and private nonprofit agencies that assist more than 3.5 million abused and neglected children and their families each year with a range of services.
http://signup.cwla.org/cwla/splash/
Afterschool.gov
Afterschool.gov offers one-stop access to government resources that support after school programs. The site is designed for anyone who cares about kids 6-18-providers, parents, and kids and teens. You can find information to help you understand the issues that face kids and teens or fund, start and operate an after school program. You don’t need to know which Federal agency has the information you need– afterschool.gov searched the sites for the information requested most often and put it in easy to use categories. Research studies, news and publications are added as they are released to keep you up to date on what is happening in the field of after school programs
www.afterschool.gov
American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics is dedicated to the attainment of optimal physical, mental and social health and and well-being of all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.
www.aap.org/
Headstart Bureau
Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs that serve children from birth to age 5, pregnant women, and their families. They are child-focused programs and have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families.
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/hsb/
National Association for the Education of Young Children
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8. Founded in 1926, NAEYC is the world’s largest organization working on behalf of young children with more than 100,000 members, a national network of nearly 450 local, state, and regional Affiliates, and a growing global alliance of like-minded organizations.
www.naeyc.org
National Association for Family Child Care
The focus of NAFCC is to provide technical assistance to family child care associations. This assistance is provided through developing leadership and professionalism, addressing issues of diversity, and by promoting quality and professionalism through NAFCC’s Family Child Care Accreditation.
www.nafcc.org
National Child Care Information Center
The National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), a service of the Child Care Bureau, is a national clearinghouse and technical assistance center that links parents, providers, policy-makers, researchers, and the public to early care and education information.
www.nccic.org
National Parent Information Network (NPIN)
The National Parent Information Network (NPIN) provides information to parents and those who work with them. Among the materials available are relevant articles, a question answering service, descriptions of innovative programs, and "Parent News," an electronic report on timely issues related to parenting and child development.
www.edutopia.org/php/orgs.php?id=ORG_304763
Parents Action for Children
Parents’ Action for Children is the voice of America’s parents. It is a national non-profit dedicated to advancing the interests of families and young children. Parents’ Action develops parent education materials, connects parents with one another, and fights for issues such as early education, health care, and high quality and affordable child care.The online center for information about early childhood development and resources for parents and caregivers.
www.parentsaction.org
Parent Leadership Development Project
The Parent Leadership Development Project (PLD) provides leadership training and support to parents of young children with disabilities (birth to five years). At the same time, the project responds to parents’ continuing need for information about local, state and national resources that exist to support families of young children with disabilities.
www.fpg.unc.edu/~pld/
American Academy of Pediatrics Car Safety Seats Transportation Safety Web Site
Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for children and adolescents ages 1 to 21. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has information on topics ranging from care safety seats to school buses to teen driving.
www.aap.org/healthtopics/carseatsafety.cfm
The American Red Cross
Since its founding in 1881 by visionary leader Clara Barton, the American Red Cross has been the nation’s premier emergency response organization. As part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguished itself by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has expanded its services, always with the aim of preventing and relieving suffering.
www.redcross.org
Child Welfare League of America
The Child Welfare League of America is the nation’s oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization. It is committed to engaging people everywhere in promoting the well-being of children, youth and their families; and protecting every child from harm.
www.cwla.org
Domestic Abuse Intervention Services
Domestic Abuse Intervention Services, located in Madison, Wisconsin, offers a 24-hour crisis line, a 25-bed safe house for women and their children, legal advocacy, support groups, information and referrals. DAIS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
www.abuseintervention.org
Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide: Emergencies and First Aid
The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide Web site offers information on basic lifesaving techniques including mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, cardiopulmary resuscitation (CPR), medical identification tags, what families should have in a first-aid kit and more.
www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/firstaid/firstaid.shtml
Lambda GLBT Community Services
LAMBDA is a non-profit, gay / lesbian / bisexual / transgender agency dedicated to reducing homophobia, inequality, hate crimes, and discrimination by encouraging self-acceptance, cooperation and non-profit, gay / lesbian / bisexual / transgender agency dedicated to reducing homophobia, inequality, hate crimes, and discrimination by encouraging self-acceptance, cooperation, and non-violence.
www.lambda.org
National Crime Prevention Council
The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) is a private, nonprofit tax-exempt organization whose primary mission is to enable people to create safer and more caring communities by addressing the causes of crime and violence and reducing the opportunities for crime to occur. NCPC publishes books, kits of camera-ready program materials, posters, and informational and policy reports on a variety of crime prevention and community-building subjects. NCPC manages the McGruff “Take A Bite Out of Crime” public service advertising campaign.
www.ncpc.org
National Latino Alliance
The mission of the National Latino Alliance is to promote understanding, sustain dialogue, and generate solutions that move toward the elimination of domestic violence affecting Latino communities, with an understanding of the sacredness of all relations and communities.
www.dvalianza.org
National Tribal Justice Resource Center
The National Tribal Justice Resource Center is the largest and most comprehensive site dedicated to tribal justice systems, personnel and tribal law. The Resource Center is the central national clearinghouse of information for Native American and Alaska Native tribal courts, providing both technical assistance and resources for the development and enhancement of tribal justice system personnel. Programs and services developed by the Resource Center are offered to all tribal justice system personnel — whether working with formalized tribal courts or with tradition-based tribal dispute resolution forums.
www.tribalresourcecenter.org
National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center
This organization provides resources for professionals, parents and youth working to prevent violence committed by and against young people.
http://www.safeyouth.org/scripts/index.asp
Office on Women's Health, Violence Against Women
The Office on Women’s Health (OWH) was established in 1991 within the US Department of Health and Human Services. OWH coordinates the efforts of all the HHS agencies and office involved in women’s health. OWH works to improve the health and well-being of women and girls in the United States through its innovative programs, educating health professionals, and motivating behavior change in consumers through the dissemination of health information.
http://www.4woman.gov/violence/index.cfm
Parents Anonymous ® Inc.
Parents Anonymous ® Inc. is the the nation’s oldest child abuse prevention organization, dedicated to strengthening families and building caring communities that support safe and nurturing homes for all children. Parents Anonymous leads a dynamic international network of 267 accredited organizations and local affiliates that implement quality Parents Anonymous Programs for adults and children. Parents Anonymous provides training and technical assistance, develops publications and conducts research on meaningful Parent and Shared Leadership, systems reform and effective community-based strategies to strengthen families.
Parents Anonymous ® Inc. also operates the National Parent Helpline ®. This toll-free service (1-855-4A PARENT/ 1-855-427-2736) and website (www.nationalparenthelpline.org) seeks to strengthen families by helping parents and building protective factors. Helpline Advocates are available Monday-Friday from 10 AM -7 PM Pacific Standard Time, providing emotional support and referrals in English and Spanish to parents, caregivers and organizations. Visit us on the web at www.nationalparenthelpline.org for online parenting resources and a bulletin board to share parenting experiences, create caring communities and help others. You can also find us on Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/NationalParentHelpline; Twitter- http://twitter.com/parenthelpline, & YouTube- http://www.youtube.com/parenthelpline. Please help us spread the word! Contact: Jodi Doane, jdoane@parentsanonymous.org for more information.
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm
Safety House
The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center designed the Safety House Web site to assist parents, grandparents, and young children in recognizing the hazards that can occur within the home. The majority of poisonings and other unintentional injuries can be prevent by following a few simple steps to make the child’s surroundings safe for them at each level of development.
www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/safety-house/
StopAlcoholAbuse.Gov
StopAlcoholAbuse.Gov is a comprehensive portal of Federal resources for information on underage drinking and ideas for combating this issue. People interested in underage drinking prevention — including parents, educators, community-based organizations, and youth-will find a wealth of valuable information here.
www.stopalcoholabuse.gov
Covering Kids & Families
Covering Kids & Families (CKF) works to reduce the number of uninsured children and adults who are eligible for public health care coverage programs but not enrolled. The organization operates through statewide projects in 45 states and the District of Columbia and more than 140 local community projects. In addition, five states have CKF liaison grants that provide opportunities to participate in the national CKF initiative.
http://coveringkidsandfamilies.org
Family Education.com
FamilyEducation.com provides parents parents with school solutions, homework help, parenting tips, and expert advice.
www.familyeducation.com
Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
GLSEN, or the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, now in its 10th year, is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for ALL students.
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
http://www.glsen.org/cgi-bin/iowa/home.html
National Youth Advocacy Coalition (NYAC)
The National Youth Advocacy Coalition is a social justice organization that advocates for and with young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) in an effort to end discrimination against these youth and to ensure their physical and emotional well being. The National Youth Advocacy Coalition takes a comprehensive approach to improving the lives of LGBTQ youth and operates through a social justice framework.
http://www.nyacyouth.org/
Parents Anonymous
Parents Anonymous Inc. is the the nation’s oldest child abuse prevention organization, dedicated to strengthening families and building caring communities that support safe and nurturing homes for all children. Parents Anonymous leads a dynamic international network of 267 accredited organizations and local affiliates that implement quality Parents Anonymous Programs for adults and children. Parents Anonymous provides training and technical assistance, develops publications and conducts research on meaningful Parent and Shared Leadership, systems reform and effective community-based strategies to strengthen families.
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm
Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG) is a national non-profit organization with over 200,000 members and supporters and over 500 affiliates in the United States. PFLAG promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons, their families and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and to secure equal civil rights. Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays provides opportunity for dialogue about sexual orientation and gender identity, and acts to create a society that is healthy and respectful of human diversity.
http://www.pflag.org/
Partnership for Parents
The Partnership for Parents is a Web-based support network for parents of children with serious illnesses. The organization’s Web site is designed to be a haven where parents can feel the solace of kindred spirits while finding the information they need to cope with their situation and navigate their difficult journey.
www.partnershipforparents.org
SAMHSA Family Guide
SAMHSA.gov is a public education Web site, developed to support the efforts of parents and other caring adults to promote mental health and prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs among 7- to 18-year-olds.
http://family.samhsa.gov/
Gay, Lesbian and Straight, Education Network (GLSEN)
GLSEN, or the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for ALL students. GLSEN strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
www.glsen.org
National Association of Social Workers’ One Teen at a Time Campaign
The National Association of Social Workers’ Web-based public education campaign includes resources and tools to assist professionals, parents and teens in achieving healthy and positive outcomes. The campaign focuses on building the social and emotional skills adolescents need, as well as offering information about diversity and tolerance. The campaign includes information and resources on adolescent health; practical tools for professionals, families and teens; and fun features, such as downloadable posters, bookmarks and stickers.
http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/oneTeen/default.asp
Afterschool.gov
This Web site offers one-stop access to government resources that support after school programs. The site is designed for anyone who cares about kids 6-18-providers, parents, and kids and teens. You can find information to help you understand the issues that face kids and teens or fund, start and operate an after school program.
www.Afterschool.gov
American Youth Policy Forum
The American Youth Policy Forum provides full text reports on community and youth development policy.
American Youth Policy Forum
The Building Partnerships for Youth
The Building Partnerships for Youth Web site includes a database of youth development programs.
Building Partnerships for Youth
Centers for Disease Control Healthy Schools, Healthy Youth Program
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) promotes a Healthy Schools, Health Youth! Program that provides resources to enhance healthy behaviors among adolescents.
Healthy Youth Program
Gay, Lesbian and Straight, Education Network (GLSEN)
GLSEN, or the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for ALL students. GLSEN strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
www.glsen.org
Kids Count
Kids Count, a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a national and state-by-state effort to track the status of children in the U.S. By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, Kids Count seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children.
www.aecf.org/kidscount/
Maternal and Child Health Bureau
Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) provides information on health services for children and adolescents. This federal agency also posts national statistics on its Web site.
Maternal and Child Bureau Program
National Association of Social Workers’ One Teen at a Time Campaign
NASW's One Teen at a Time Campaign provides downloadable fact sheets for parents, teachers and school social workers on bullying, self-esteem, diversity and more. The campaign is part of the national Partnership in Program Planning for Adolescent Health (PIPPAH) Program.
Parents Anonymous
Parents Anonymous Inc. is the the nation’s oldest child abuse prevention organization, dedicated to strengthening families and building caring communities that support safe and nurturing homes for all children. Parents Anonymous leads a dynamic international network of 267 accredited organizations and local affiliates that implement quality Parents Anonymous Programs for adults and children. Parents Anonymous provides training and technical assistance, develops publications and conducts research on meaningful Parent and Shared Leadership, systems reform and effective community-based strategies to strengthen families.
http://www.parentsanonymous.org/paIndex1.htm
Search Institute
The Search Institute promotes “40 developmental assets” which are positive experiences and personal qualities that young people need to grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.
Search Institute
###
Tags: Adoption and Foster Care, National Alliance on Mental, organizations, resources, websites
Posted in
About |
No Comments »
Introduction
The adolescent years can be very challenging for some teenagers and their families. While adolescence can be an emotionally intense, stormy phase for virtually all teenagers, sometimes a teen's struggles require special intervention. Many teens struggle with issues related to mental health, family relationships, friends, school performance, substance abuse, sexuality, and other high-risk behaviors.
Struggling teens usually show signs of distress. Common warning signs include:
- Low self-esteem
- School failure and truancy
- Defiance towards authority (such as parents, teachers, police)
- Running away from home
- Choosing the "wrong" friends
- Impulsive behavior (such as speeding, taking other unsafe risks)
- Getting in trouble with the law
- Depression
- Abusing alcohol or drugs
- Social isolation
- Eating disorders (overeating, not eating, self-induced vomiting)
- Self injury (such as cutting)
There is help for these youngsters and their families through many avenues.
There are many ways to locate and access programs and services for struggling teens. Initially parents can seek help by contacting school personnel (guidance counselors, social workers, administrators), family service agencies, community mental health centers, other community-based social service programs designed specifically for at-risk youngsters and their families, public child welfare agencies, family and juvenile courts, and specialty courts (such as truancy and drug courts).
Social workers can help parents and struggling teens identify and explore difficult and challenging family issues. Individual, family, and group counseling provided by clinical social workers may help parents and teens improve their communication skills and relationships, resolve conflicts, and address important mental health issues.
Professionals called "educational advocates" and "educational consultants" may be able to help parents and teens obtain needed services. Educational advocates, who are often attorneys, help people obtain specialized educational services. Educational advocates charge parents a fee and work with local, state, and federal education officials to ensure that students receive the services and "special accommodations" to which they are entitled by law. Advocates may file claims in court to force school districts to provide or pay for special-needs services and programs outside the school district.
Educational consultants help parents locate programs and services designed to meet their child's needs. Educational consultants charge parents a fee, assess each teen's unique strengths and needs, and help the family find the most appropriate schools or programs for their teen. Many educational consultants monitor students' progress in the new program or school and, when necessary, advocate for the teen with that program or school when challenging issues arise.
Programs and services for struggling teens can be very expensive. Some families are able to pay for these programs and services "out of pocket." Some families have health insurance that pays for all or part of the program, or the public school system may pay the cost.
Many families cannot afford needed programs and services, do not have adequate insurance, and are unable to obtain funding from their public school department. In some instances families that cannot afford needed services agree to give legal custody of their teen to the local public child welfare agency, which then funds the services or programs (in several states the public child welfare agency will fund services without requiring that parents hand over legal custody). In still other circumstances, desperate parents may turn to the juvenile or family court and formally request that the teen be declared "wayward," thus enabling the court to require the child to accept intervention. In these cases the state typically pays for needed services and programs. Some parents may be reluctant to use this route to services because the court, not they, determine where the child goes for help.
There is a wide range of services and programs run by private and public agencies for struggling teens and their families. Some programs may be available locally; however, some programs may be in other communities or states, which means that the teen must live away from home in order to receive needed services.
A broad range of professionals and agencies offer crisis intervention and follow-up counseling services to teens and families. These services may be available through family service agencies, community mental health centers, hospital outpatient clinics, public child welfare departments, and psychotherapists in private practice (such as clinical social workers, clinical and counseling psychologists, mental health counselors, pastoral counselors, psychiatric nurses, and psychiatrists).
Many communities offer comprehensive counseling and family-intervention programs specifically for teens and families in crisis. These programs – known by names such as "comprehensive emergency services" or "comprehensive intensive services" – provide home-based assessment, emergency counseling, information, and referrals for longer term help.
A variety of alternative schools, therapeutic schools, and treatment programs serve teens who struggle with significant behavioral, emotional, mental health, and substance abuse issues. Some programs, such as alternative high schools, focus primarily on education while being sensitive to students' mental health and behavioral challenges. Other programs, such as residential treatment programs, therapeutic boarding schools, and wilderness therapy programs, focus primarily on mental health, emotional and behavioral issues, while including an educational component. "Emotional growth" boarding schools address mental health, emotional, behavioral, and educational issues simultaneously. Other boarding schools focus on specific learning disabilities while also paying attention to the whole student. In short, different programs give different degrees of emphasis to personal and academic issues.
Parents of struggling teens – particularly teens who are oppositional and defiant – may be tempted to place their child in a school or program that promises to impose needed discipline and structure. Often these schools and programs – such as some military boarding schools and those that advertise their mission as "character education" – do not provide the mental health services many struggling teens need. These schools and programs can cause more harm than good for struggling teens who have personal and mental health issues that contribute to their challenges.
Prominent program options include:
- Alternative high schools provide education, including special education services to teens who have floundered academically or socially in traditional high schools. These schools may be freestanding or sponsored by a community mental health center, family service agency, school district, or a "collaborative" composed of several social service and educational programs.
- Youth diversion programs typically attempt to help struggling teens who have had contact with the police avoid more formal involvement in the juvenile justice system (juvenile courts and correctional facilities). Typical youth diversion programs offer first offenders individual and family counseling, links to other needed services (such as psychiatric medication), and education.
- Independent living programs are designed to help adolescents develop the skills they need to live independently. These programs primarily serve teens who do not have stable families and are in the state's custody. Some independent living programs also serve teens whose families are able to pay for these services privately. Typical services include practice in daily living skills, money management, career and educational planning, mental health services, housing assistance, recreational, and social activities and case management.
- Wilderness therapy programs offer highly structured intensive short-term (three to six weeks) therapy in remote locations that remove adolescents from the distractions available in their home communities (such as television, music, computers, cars, drugs and alcohol, movies, delinquent peer groups). The challenges of living full-time outdoors and developing wilderness survival skills help teens develop self-confidence and pro-social behaviors. Often, families are advised to send their struggling teen first to a wilderness therapy program and then to a therapeutic or emotional growth boarding school, rather than return the teen to their home community environment.
- Boarding schools for teens with significant learning disabilities offer structured academic programs that focus on education and learning while addressing relevant emotional and behavioral issues.
- Emotional growth boarding schools offer structured academic programs and focus on emotional development and personal growth but do not provide the intensive treatment services offered by therapeutic boarding schools.
- Therapeutic boarding schools focus intensively on students' mental health, substance abuse, and behavioral needs while also providing an academic educational program.
- Residential treatment centers offer highly structured treatment addressing substance abuse, family, and other mental health issues. In contrast with therapeutic boarding schools, residential treatment centers are more like a psychiatric hospital than a school, although they may have an academic/educational component in their program.
Many communities run substance abuse courts (sometimes known as drug courts) and truancy courts. These specialty courts use a supportive and nurturing approach rather than a punitive one to help struggling teens. Using case management, counseling, tutoring, mentoring, and parent education, the courts' goal is to prevent future problems and more formal involvement with the juvenile justice system.
Social workers can provide struggling teens and their families with:
- Assessment of the teenager's and family's needs and strengths
- Information about and referral to needed programs and services
- Information about financial and legal issues and resources
- Names of reputable educational advocates and educational consultants
- Crisis intervention counseling services
- On-going psychotherapy for the teen, the parents, and the family as a whole
- Case management (helping staff from multiple agencies coordinate and communicate on behalf of the teen, and advocating for the family with these providers)
- Information about important "warning signs" of teens who are on a downward spiral and the steps needed to get help
- The National Association of Social Workers provides a listing of social workers in your area who can help you with these issues. Please click here to find a social worker.
Information about services and programs for struggling teens and families is available from social workers, schools, public child welfare agencies, juvenile and family courts, family service agencies, community mental health centers, educational advocates, educational consultants, and lawyers. Useful Web sites include:
Frederic G. Reamer, PhD, is the author of The Pocket Guide to Essential Human Services which contains diverse resources compiled into a user-friendly guidebook appropriate for use by professionals, volunteers, and consumers.
###
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect those of the National Association of Social Workers or its members.
Related Articles:
Tags: adolescence, help, intervention, programs, resources, teens, warning signs
Posted in
How Social Workers Help, Youth Development |
1 Comment »
Introduction
According to the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA), there are approximately 11 million children of alcoholics / substance abusers in the United States who are less than 18-years-old. Being raised in a family where abuse of alcohol or other substances (illegal drugs or prescription medications) occurs can lead to a host of challenges for children. Children raised in homes with addictions often silently suffer and struggle with schoolwork, peers, self-esteem, and other problems
Any child who has a parent / guardian / primary caretaker who abuses alcohol or other substances would be considered a child of alcoholics or a child of substances abusers.
Alcohol or substance use among parents / guardians impacts overall family functioning and significantly impacts the ability of parents or guardians to provide appropriate safety and structure for children.
Children are at great risk for emotional, sexual, and physical abuse by parents or guardians who use alcohol or other substances. Many adult children of substance users report years of silent trauma while growing up in an addicted home. Children become vulnerable to assuming the role of the family scapegoat and are frequently blamed for the substance user’s behaviors.
Additionally, interactions with family members become unpredictable, which can lead to children feeling frightened or stressed. Children may feel as if they are "walking on eggshells" and are unaware that alcohol or other drugs influence their parents' moods.
Children often blame themselves for their parents' use of alcohol or drugs. This may result in children attempting to change their own behavior in order to satisfy parents who are difficult to please.
Children of alcoholics / children of substance abusers are at risk to develop several emotional disorders, including:
- Depression
- Anxiety / Panic Attacks
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
- Sleep Disturbances
- Social Development Issues
- Substance Abuse Disorders
- Eating Disorders
Many personal characteristics frequently develop in children who are raised in a family where an adult abuses alcohol or other substances. Children frequently become fixated on order, become "perfectionistic," feel different from their peers, become extra-responsible (or act as the "parents"), have difficulty with age-appropriate activities, take themselves too seriously, may be loyal despite proof that the loyalty is not deserved, or develop passive-aggressive ways of dealing with conflict. Conversely, children of alcoholics / children of substance abusers may become rebellious, demonstrate problem behavior, or have difficulty controlling emotions or behavior. In addition, children of alcoholics / children of substance abusers may start alcohol or drug use to cope with stressors, potentially being at risk for leading to a substance use problem.
There are a variety of effective services available for children growing up in families with addiction.
- School Counseling Centers: Public and private schools often employ social workers or guidance counselors who are available to discuss concerns around family addiction and the impact it has on children. This type of program is often designed as a preventive support that attempts to assist students prior to academic issues developing. Individual and group services may be offered.
- Individual Psychotherapy: Therapists trained with addressing family addiction issues are helpful to provide children with support and treatment. For younger children, play therapy (a type of talk therapy that involves the use of games and toys to express feelings) is useful for addressing issues that may be related to parental alcohol or substance use. For adolescents, there is a range of talk therapies available that will build on strength and resilience as well as focus on any symptoms that may have arisen, including depression, self-harming behavior, eating disorders, or anxiety.
- Self-Help: For older children and adolescents, Alateen may be a helpful resource and peer support group. This is a group of other children and teens who are dealing with some sort of family / peer substance use. It is based on a theory that is similar to Alcoholics Anonymous.
It is sometimes difficult to seek help for personal issues and seeking help when one’s parent has an alcohol or substance abuse problem is not exception. However, if you or someone you know is being impacted by family substance abuse, there is help!
Here are some helpful suggestions:
- Talk to a school counselor or teacher.
- Talk with a pediatrician.
- Talk with a mental health professional.
- Talk with an addictions counselor.
- Talk with another family member.
- Attend a self-help meeting.
- Talk to someone else you trust.
- Educate yourself! Read about resources on the Internet.
Resources
###
Related Articles:
Tags: addiction, alcohol, articles, children of alcoholics, help, National Association for Children of Alcoholics, parental, resources, substance abusers
Posted in
Addictions, Your Options |
No Comments »
Introduction
Nineteen million (or eight percent) of Americans could benefit from treatment for “an alcohol problem.” Although 2.4 million people are diagnosed with alcoholism, only 139,000 of them receive treatment with medications.
The most common form of treatment for alcoholism consists of group and/or individual therapy, including community self-help programs. Treatment can often be time consuming. For example, individuals are often encouraged to go to 90 meetings in 90 days or they are involved in structured group therapy three to five days per week at two to three hours per day. Often, people want to know, "Isn’t there a pill that can fix the addiction to alcohol?" Unfortunately, there is not a pill that can cure the addiction, but there are medications that can perhaps make it easier to effectively participate in treatment.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved only three drugs in the past 55 years to treat alcoholism. Each of these drugs acts differently in the body to interrupt the addiction process. They are Antabuse, ReVia, and Campral.
For those with an alcohol problem, the oldest medication thought to “cure” the disease is Antabuse (disulfiram). Wyeth-Ayerst Laboratories Division first marketed Antabuse in 1948. This drug causes many unpleasant effects when the individual consumes alcohol, even in small amounts. The effects can range from facial flushing, headache and mild nausea to severe vomiting and increased blood pressure and heart rate.
The expectation is that as a person associates these negative symptoms with drinking, the individual will be less likely to want to drink another time. Usually, the threat of becoming ill after a drink of alcohol will deter most motivated people. However, the effectiveness of the drug depends mostly on the individual’s motivation for remaining abstinent.
While Antabuse will build up in the person’s system those who choose to resume drinking will simply stop taking the medication for a few days prior to consuming alcohol.
Another problem is that people have reported experiencing very mild reactions with the use of mouthwash that has a percentage of alcohol in it, foods with vinegar like salad dressings and ketchup, and certain colognes and aftershave. Your doctor should talk to you about what is best to avoid and what to experiment with in terms of over-the-counter products and medicines.
Antabuse should not be prescribed for people with cirrhosis or other chronic medical conditions, including heart disease or diabetes. Let your doctor make this decision. This drug should also not be prescribed for people over 60 years of age. Severe reactions to Antabuse have included heart attacks, and some cases have even resulted in death.
The FDA approved the use of ReVia (naltrexone) in December 1994 for the treatment of alcoholism. It was initially marketed by DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical company for treating narcotic dependency. ReVia blocks the parts of the brain that experience pleasure from drug/alcohol use.
Studies began to show that when used to assist with treating alcoholism, the drug helped to decrease cravings and relapse when it was used over a period of three to six months. The success of the drug, however, is likely dependent on a person's simultaneous involvement in a structured treatment program that can educate them on addiction, recovery, and relapse prevention behaviors.
The studies on ReVia and alcoholism treatment all occurred in settings that combined psychotherapy and psycho-education with the medication. Therefore, the FDA approved ReVia for alcoholism only as an adjunct to traditional supportive therapy. According to the FDA, “This drug is non-addictive but can cause liver toxicity if prescribed at doses higher than recommended.
ReVia is not recommended for people with active hepatitis and other liver diseases (www.fda.gov).” Side effects include nausea, headache, dizziness, fatigue, and sometimes vomiting and insomnia. This is a daily medication to be taken orally; however, a long-acting injection is being developed.
Campral (acamprosate) is the newest drug approved by the FDA to assist with alcohol abstinence. It was approved in July 2004 for marketing and distribution by Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Though the exact workings of the drug are not understood, it is believed that Campral can restore imbalanced brain chemicals to a normal balance, thereby reducing cravings and thus relapses.
Campral is prescribed once someone has made the decision to remain abstinent and he/she is currently alcohol-free. The medication is most effective when combined with a structured treatment program that can teach relapse prevention skills, or provides social support, such as community self-help groups.
Campral has been used in Europe for over 10 years and has been shown to be useful for individuals with mild to moderate liver problems. Side effects have been reported as diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, gas, and itching. The most common side effect, diarrhea, usually resolves with time.
In all cases, a primary care physician or psychiatrist can prescribe and monitor the medications. Also, in all cases the recommendation is to use medication as a part of a comprehensive plan for treating addiction. The person with an alcohol problem should be willing to participate in some sort of supportive treatment program, ranging from community self-help groups like Alcoholics Anonymous / Narcotics Anonymous, Rational Recovery, etc, to a structured treatment program involving a combination of group and individual therapy and education. Recovering from addiction involves a lifestyle change. The medications can only assist in making the changes easier by reducing cravings and/or drinking behaviors so that you can focus on recovery.
Sources and Recommended Websites:
www.addictionrecoveryguide.org
www.fda.gov
www.medscape.com
www.niaaa.nih.gov
www.nida.nih.gov
Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Campral Brochure. 2005.
###
Related Articles:
Tags: alcohol, alcoholism, Antabuse, Campral, drawbacks, Laura Buck, medications, resources, ReVia, side effects, therapy
Posted in
Addictions, Your Options |
No Comments »
Introduction
Here are two articles on how social workers help in the adoption and foster care arenas. The first is a general description of how social workers assist adoptive and foster care parents. The second is a first-person narrative of a social worker based in Washington, DC who works in the foster care system.
Tags: adoption, birth parents, child, families, foster care, help, legal state, process, resources, social workers, tips, trends
Posted in
Adoptions And Foster Care, How Social Workers Help, Kids And Families |
1 Comment »
Introduction
According to the American Cancer Society about half of all Americans who continue to smoke will die because of the habit. Each year, about 438,000 people die in the United States from tobacco use. Nearly one of every five deaths in this country is related to smoking. Cigarettes kill more Americans than alcohol, car accidents, suicide, AIDS, homicide, and illegal drugs combined.
Fortunately there are many excellent resources available for people who want to quit smoking as well as information on how to help someone else give up cigarettes. Some services are offered free of charge while others, such as individual therapy, may have a cost involved. The goal is to find the resource that works best for you! Although the following list may not include all available resources, it can offer a starting point for anyone seeking more information on how to end tobacco dependence.
One should also consider using multiple resources, such as health professional(s) along with other types of assistance, such as support groups and Internet smoking cessation sites (described below). According to guidelines developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services treatment for tobacco dependence should include practical counseling, social support as part of the treatment, and social support outside of treatment to increase the chances of quitting.
Phone Quit Lines:
- Individuals who call this National Quitline number will be forwarded to their state's quitline for cessation services: 1-800 QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669).
- Speak with a counselor at National Cancer Institute Smoking Quitline: 1-877-44U-QUIT (1-877-448-7848).
Internet Websites:
- The Office on Smoking and Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides information for quitting both smoking and smokeless tobacco: www.cdc.gov/tobacco
- The Database & Educational Resource for Treatment of Tobacco Dependence site offers information on the treatment of tobacco dependence: www.treatobacco.net/home/home.cfm
- National Cancer Institute – Get advice and download cessation information for smoking and smokeless tobacco: www.smokefree.gov/.
- American Lung Association provides tobacco related information and the web-based smoking cessation program Freedom From Smoking® Online: www.lungusa.org
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse provides information on nicotine and addiction: www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/Nicotine.html
- For information on children and tobacco, visit the National Center for Tobacco-Free Kids site: www.tobaccofreekids.org
- See the National Cancer Institute site for specific topics on tobacco: www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/tobacco
- See Healthy People 2010 for tobacco related information in your state: http://www.healthypeople.gov/
Local Community Support:
- Nicotine Anonymous – Find a meeting: Phone: (415) 750-0328 or www.nicotine-anonymous.org/
- American Lung Association community-based group support – To locate where Freedom From Smoking® classes are being held in your community call 1-800-LUNGUSA.
Insurance Coverage and Tobacco Cessation:
This year the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will provide insurance coverage of smoking and other tobacco use cessation to help senior citizens quit the habit. This coverage will pay for a limited number of counseling sessions including sessions led by social workers.
Many insurance companies do not pay the costs for tobacco cessation treatment. However, now that Medicare is providing reimbursement for smoking cessation, other insurance companies may follow their lead.
Contact your insurance company to learn if coverage is provided for Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and/or prescription medications for tobacco cessation.
Other Resources – Professional Help
- Primary Care or Specialist Physician. Talk to your physician about concerns regarding tobacco use and advice on how to quit. Many Primary Care Physicians and Specialist Physicians are offering treatment for tobacco dependence in their office.
- You can also visit the American Academy of Family Physicians site for information on quitting tobacco: www.familydoctor.org
- Dentists. Your dentist can provide information on how smoking affects the gums, mucus lining, and oral cavity area in the mouth.
- You can visit the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Researcher's National Oral Health Information Clearinghouse for information on smokeless tobacco: www.nohic.nider.nih.gov/
- Tobacco Addiction Specialists. Clinical Social Workers are among the professionals who specialize in treating tobacco addiction. Social workers who are qualified and specialize in tobacco addiction and cessation can:
- Evaluate the need for medications to help with tobacco cessation.
- Identify behaviors that must change in order to maintain long-term abstinence from tobacco.
- Address the emotional and psychological reasons for tobacco use.
- Provide more intensive treatment for individuals who want more than brief cessation counseling.
- Offer combined treatment for tobacco cessation with treatment for other forms of addiction and/or mental illness.
- Offer individual, group, or family counseling.
###
Related Articles:
Tags: cigarettes, get help, Linda M. Guhe, Phone Quit Lines, professional help, quitting, resources, Support, tips, tobacco, websites
Posted in
Addictions, Tip Sheets |
No Comments »
The Meninnger Clinic
Menninger is the international psychiatric center of excellence, restoring hope to each person through innovative programs in treatment, research and education. The Menninger Clinic’s Hope Adult Program treats patients with schizophrenia.
www.menningerclinic.com
National Alliance on Mental Illness
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with serious mental illness and their families. Founded in 1979, NAMI has become the nation's voice on mental illness, a national organization including NAMI organizations in every state and in over 1100 local communities across the country who join together to meet the NAMI mission through advocacy, research, support, and education.
www.nami.org
National Institutes of Health
Founded in 1887, the National Institutes of Health today is one of the world’s foremost medical research centers, and the Federal focal point for medical research in the United States. The NIH, comprising 27 separate Institutes and Centers, is one of eight health agencies of the Public Health Service which, in turn, is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Simply described, the goal of NIH research is to acquire new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability, from the rarest genetic disorder to the common cold.
www.nimh.nih.gov/healthinformation/schizophreniamenu.cfm
National Schizophrenia Foundation
The National Schizophrenia Foundation (NSF) is a not-for-profit consumer-based education and support agency. Incorporated in 1999, the NSF focuses on public awareness, information, and peer support. Its consumer focus is partially grounded in the Foundation's administration of the national consumer network, Schizophrenics Anonymous (SA). SA self-help support groups, currently numbering 175 throughout the United States, utilize a Six Step, recovery-based program developed by an individual diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Through its public awareness programming, the NSF attempts to reduce the painful stigma that still surrounds people affected by this devastating illness. The NSF sponsors Schizophrenia Awareness Week during the last week of May (Sunday through Saturday) before Memorial Day each year.
www.NSFoundation.org
Tags: foundation, mental illness, resources, websites
Posted in
Schizophrenia |
No Comments »
Introduction
"American Indians and Alaska Natives" (AI/AN) describes a diverse group of people, made up of about 560 tribes living in the rural and urban areas of 35 states. This group consists of more than 4.6 million people who, according to the CDC, classified themselves as either AI/AN alone or "in combination with another race." Between 1990 and 2000, the AI/AN population grew by 26 percent.
Although they number in the millions—and their population is increasing—AI/ANs have the highest poverty rates of any minority or ethnic group in the United States (nearly twice the overall national poverty rate).
Additionally, they also face "health disparities," which means this group suffers from higher levels of certain preventable health conditions (such as diabetes, cancer, injuries, alcoholism, and drug addiction), than other groups in the U.S. In fact, the rates of injuries and diabetes among AI/ANs are two to three times higher than all racial/ethnic populations combined.
In addition to health issues, AI/ANs have endured decades of discrimination and harsh—even cruel—treatment. Perhaps the most barbaric has been the loss of their children, who have been forcibly removed from their homes among their tribes for decades.
The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was enacted in 1978 to protect Indian children, families, and tribes. Under the Act, tribes—which have a government-to-government relationship with the U.S.—have the right to self govern and to oversee child welfare issues among tribal members.
Two historical eras played an important role in the creation of the ICWA—the "Boarding School Era" (1880s–1950s) and the "Indian Adoption Era" (1950s–1978). During both eras Indian children were forcibly removed from their families and cultures so they could be "assimilated," or re-educated to fit into mainstream society. During these eras, churches and private organizations received money (in the form of grants) to help them "civilize," "save," and "cleanse" the Indian population.
From the 1880s through the 1950s, the U.S. Government backed efforts to:
- Remove young Indian children from their homes and tribal communities, sending them to live at schools great distances away;
- Forced these children to blend into mainstream society by teaching English and Christianity;
- Maintained military-style atmosphere at the boarding schools; and
- Prevented the children from seeing their families or siblings, speaking in their native languages, or participating in their cultural and spiritual traditions.
As part of the Child Welfare League of America's Indian Adoption Project, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Child Welfare League of America worked together to conduct a 10-year experiment. During this time, 650 children taken from tribes were placed in non-Indian homes, resulting in 395 adoptions. Throughout this era private/public agencies were "rescuing" children from their own culture, families and tribes.
The ICWA focuses on the large number of Indian children who are removed from their families (a number much higher than among other racial/ethnic groups), and the frequent placement of Indian children in non-Indian substitute care and adoptive settings.
The Act requires that active efforts be made to keep families together. If it's necessary to remove a child from his or her home, efforts must be made to bring the family back together. This means that everything possible must be done to help the family resolve the problems that led to neglect or abuse, including referral to services that are sensitive to the family's culture.
The Indian Child Welfare Act applies to four types of child custody proceedings:
- Foster care placements;
- Termination of certain parental rights, including stepparent adoption proceedings and delinquency proceedings;
- Pre-adoption placements; and
- Adoption placements.
Social workers can…
- Be advocates for Native American children and families
- Help families obtain necessary resources such as food, shelter, medical care, daycare, financial or housing assistance, etc.
- Teaching family members skills such as parenting, household management, etc.
- Educating families about preventative health care
- Help people understand why it's important to keep taking medications for chronic illnesses such as diabetes.
- Provide assistance to parents suffering from alcohol or other drug abuse
Offering marriage counseling or therapy for mental health problems (depression, anxiety, etc.)
For more information about the ICWA, contact:
Indian Child Welfare Programs
Casey Family Programs
360 Interlocken Blvd., Suite 100
Broomfield, CO 80021
303.871.8201
www.casey.org
National Indian Child Welfare Association
5100 SW Macadan Ave., Suite 300
Portland. Oregon 97201
www.nicwa.org Site contains an excellent training tool on ICWA
Denver Indian Family Resource Center
393 South Harlen St., Suite 100
Lakewood, CO 80226
303.871.8035
www.difrc.org
North American Indian Legal Services
1710 South Balsam
Lakewood, CO 80232
720.840.5438
www.nailsinc.org
###
Mr. Ed Rivera of the Casey Family Programs helped the author write this article.
Related Articles:
Tags: government boarding school, Indian, Indian Adoption, native, Native American, resources, welfare act
Posted in
Current Trends, Youth Development |
1 Comment »
Adoption Statistics and Trends
- Since 1987, the number of adoptions annually in the United States has remained consistent from 118,000 to 127,000 children.
- Adoption costs range from no cost to more than $40,000. Foster care adoptions are the least expensive, costing a maximum of $2,500. Independent adoptions tend to be the most expensive. Intercountry adoption fees range from $7,000 to $30,000, but additional fees may include travel, translation fees, and other expenses.
- In a 2003 study, a majority (60%) of adoption agencies accepted applications from gay or lesbian couples and 40 percent had already placed children in GLBT homes.
- Foster parents are strongly encouraged to adopt children in their care.
- In the past, child welfare agencies did not consider placing children with relatives when the children were in foster care due to abuse or neglect. Today, more agencies are working with extended families on successful kinship adoptions.
- Kinship adoptions: when a grandparent, stepparent, or other relative adopts a child
- Adoption from the foster care system
- Adoption from the United States using a public agency, private agency, or an attorney
- Open adoption, in which adoptive parents have information about or contact with birth parents before, during, or after placement (not legal in all states)
- Adoption from another country through a licensed adoption organization
- Federal adoption subsidies for eligible children (special needs)
- State adoption subsidies for children from foster care
- Federal and state tax credits
- Employer benefits, such as paid or unpaid leave of absence, reimbursement for adoption expenses, assistance with adoption services
- Adoption loans and grants for eligible parents
- College tuition and scholarship programs for youth aging out of foster care
- Counseling and psychotherapy
- Educational services
- Support groups
- More than 500,000 children live in foster care in the United States.
- Foster care placements have increased dramatically in the past 10 years.
- African American children make up two-thirds of the foster care population and stay in foster care longer than other children.
- Children are placed temporarily in foster care due to parental problems, such as abuse, neglect, substance abuse, abandonment, and incarceration.
- Most states encourage programs that provide birth parents with support so that their children can return home.
- Child agencies attempt to place children with relatives. In 2001, 24 percent were living in relative homes and nearly 50 percent were living in foster family homes.
- The average foster care stay is 32 months.
- The average age of children in foster care is 10.
- More than 30 percent of children in foster care have severe emotional, behavioral, or developmental problems.
- Nearly 20,000 youth age out of foster care at age 18 each year. Without support and community services, they are vulnerable to unemployment, homelessness, poverty, substance abuse, and incarceration.
- In a study of former foster care children, only 54 percent earned a high school diploma, 84 percent became a parent from 12 to 18 months after leaving foster care, and 25 percent had been homeless.
###
Related Articles:
Tags: adoption options, adoption statistics, agencies, assistance, children, foster care, post-adoption, resources, statistics, teens, trends
Posted in
Current Trends |
No Comments »
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
| |
| | |
