EMPOWERING MINDS MESSENGER
APRIL 2017
The month of April is full of celebration! Here in the United States, we recognize April as the month of Arab American Heritage, poetry, Autism Acceptance, volunteering, and much more.  April also brings April Fool’s Day, Passover, Easter, Earth Day, and Buddha’s birthday. Empowering Minds Resource Center hopes you find time to bask in the sun, enjoy Baltimore’s blooming cherry blossoms, and honor this month’s many observances.  

Below you can learn about the importance of acceptance and representation of Autistic peoples, the impact of nature on our health, an influential Arab American psychologist, and several exciting agency updates!
Acceptance And Representation

We, Autistic activists and our true allies, talk a lot about Autism Acceptance and how important it is to value our neurology.

Acceptance shows that Autistics are respected as we are.I want more than acceptance though. I want representation. I want autism and Autistics – and all disabilities, and disabled people – to be represented in all media, politics, everywhere.

It is not hard to see that disabled people are under-represented, and misrepresented. News outlets talk – about us – to our parents, and to self-proclaimed experts, but rarely to us. TV, theater and movies hardly ever hire visibly disabled actors to play disabled characters. When the theme is autism, the stereotypes abound, the reality of being Autistic is ignored. Important decisions affecting our lives are made without us.

It is not hard to see that – if one is really paying attention – in the still rare occasions when a disabled person is an active part of an event, they are the “successful” disabled. Usually someone who has a college degree, someone who does, or can, hold a job, someone who will not make non-disabled people feel too uncomfortable when they see the disabled person. I applaud them. 

This post though, is about the “other” disabled people...

FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW TO CONTINUE READING


COURTESY OF

Amy Sequenzia, Autism Women's Network: 


How Does Nature Impact Our Wellbeing?

Research reveals that environments can increase or reduce our stress, which in turn impacts our bodies. What you are seeing, hearing, experiencing at any moment is changing not only your mood, but how your nervous, endocrine, and immune systems are working.

The stress of an unpleasant environment can cause you to feel anxious, or sad, or helpless. This in turn elevates your blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension and suppresses your immune system. A pleasing environment reverses that.

And regardless of age or culture, humans find nature pleasing. In one study cited in the book Healing Gardens, researchers found that more than two-thirds of people choose a natural setting to retreat to when stressed.   

NATURE HEALS 

Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones. It may even reduce mortality, according to scientists such as public health researchers Stamatakis and Mitchell...

INTRODUCING OUR NEW PROGRAM DIRECTORS!
Shanita Proctor-Marshall joins us as the Program Director of Harford County.
Renee P. Stokes joins us as the new Program Director of Anne Arundel County. 

We are honored and excited to work with them both!
INFLUENTIAL ARAB AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST

Dr. Mona M. Amer was born in Egypt and moved to Toledo, Ohio to pursue a Clinical Psychology PhD at the University of Toledo. Currently, she is an associate professor of Psychology at The American University of Cairo, where her research focuses on Muslim and Arab American mental health, culturally competent care, racial disparities, and community psychology. Her many publications include Counseling Muslims: Handbook of mental health issues and interventions and Arab refugees: Trauma, resilience, and recovery. In 2006, Amer was awarded the American Psychological Association’s Award for Distinguished Graduate Student in Professional Psychology. And in 2011, she received an Excellence in Teaching award and an Innovative Teaching Award from The American University of Cairo.

ACCEPTING NEW CLIENTS

Empowering Minds Resource Center is proud to announce there is currently  NO WAIT LIST at the agency. We work hard everyday to ensure referrals are quickly processed and clients are engaged by our staff and partnered therapists immediately.  We are ready, willing and able to accept new clients TODAY.  

NOW ACCEPTING HARFORD COUNTY REFERRALS

Empowering Minds Resource Center is EXCITED to announce that we are now providing Mental Health Case Management: Care Coordination for Children and Youth in Harford County

EMPOWERED 2 WORK

Empowering Minds Resource Center has NO WAITLIST for our Supported Employment Program, which assists with job readiness, job development and placement, and employment stabilization services! Call our Baltimore office at (410) 625-                                               5088 or email schellaiah@emrcgroup.org to make a                                                   referral today! 

Empowering Minds recognizes  Gazelle Ashby as the ag ency's Direct Service Coordinator of the month. Gazelle  was recognized for her years of services, dedication to her clients, outstanding performance, and bright personality

Congratulations and thank you for your hard work and dedication, Gazelle!
WE'RE HIRING!
Empowering Minds is looking to add some new members to our wonderful team. Check out the link below for more information!
| Empowering Minds Resource Center | 410.625.5088 | Fax: 410.625.4980 |  Website