EMPOWERING MINDS MESSENGER
September 2018
September brings cooler weather and signals the start of academic year. Did you know that September is also National Recovery Month? At Empowering Minds we believe people can and do recover, and we're here to help along the way .

Check out photos from our Back-to-School Outreach Event, learn tips for back to school success, read up on National Recovery Month, and stay current on agency updates.
Thank you to all our sponsors, community partners, and community members for attending our annual Back-to-School Outreach Event on August 18th! We had a fantastic time. 550 book bags were distributed to Baltimore Metropolitan children, over 800 individuals were engaged, 20 community partners provided resources to event attendees, and 75 families reached out to learn more about Empowering Minds. 
10 Ways to Make the Switch From Summer to School
Here are tips for when it's time to make the switch from summer-fun to school-time.

1. Restart Routines.  Kids need time to adjust, so provide a head start. About two weeks before school starts, make bedtime earlier and dust off the alarm clock. Aim to serve meals at approximately the same times your child will be eating throughout the school year.

2. Go Over Ground Rules.  Decide when and where she'll do homework. Be sure to cover tricky topics: Can she watch TV after she finishes her work? How late can friends visit on school nights? When's the caffeine cutoff? What about chores? Establishing guidelines and going over them together will make sure you're on the same page once school's in session.

3. De-Stress Dressing.  Let your child choose special first-day clothes — a souvenir shirt from a park you visited this summer or a new dress to match her best friend's. To avoid arguing over school-appropriate clothes, bring the fall wardrobe front and center. Replace sandals and swimsuits with socks, sneakers, and lightweight sweaters.

4. Develop a Game Plan — Together.  Discuss goals for the upcoming year, triumphs from the year before, and some skills he would like to improve. Goals might include:
  • Making three new friends or sitting at a different lunch table every week
  • Becoming captain of the chess team or a spelling bee finalist
  • Making the honor roll

5. Keep Passions in Play.  If your child became a weaving whiz at summer camp or a diving champ at the local pool, keep it going. Integrate new summer hobbies into the school year by finding after-school clubs or groups that will let her continue to do the cool new things she tried this summer!

6. Summon the Learning Spirit.  Assign creative "homework" as summer wanes: Ask him to identify a paw print in the park or photograph something that changes colors. Make family flashcards and quiz each other: What was the farthest you went from home this summer? What plans were rained out?

7. Take a Family Field Trip . Plan one last fact-packed trip to top off months of water parks and baseball games. You don't have to go far: Visit a nature sanctuary to learn about different plants and trees, or examine an old ship down at the docks.

8. Set Up a Homework Area.  Create a quiet, well-lit space for study. Prevent first day freak-outs by hauling out the necessities: backpack, dictionary, atlas, calculator, art supplies, paper, and pencils. Make it personal and fun, but free from distractions.

9. Sharpen Skills.  Add more factual brain-bending activities into the everyday mix. Sudoku games, crossword puzzles, word searches, and trivia all encourage your child to sit still, focus, and complete a task from start to finish.

10. Go for a Test Run.  Take a trip to school, and get familiar with the new classroom. Make sure to find the cafeteria, gym, theater, and library. Don't forget about bathrooms! It's also a good time to size up cubbies, try out lockers, and locate a pay phone.


Courtesy of:
EMRC's Health Home Program provides enhanced and comprehensive care coordination and management services to our Psychiatric Rehabilitation Program clients who are affected by, or at risk for, chronic conditions.

We serve both children and adults with serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI), serious emotional disturbance (SED), opioid substance use disorders, and/or developmental and intellectual disabilities through a whole-person approach that addresses their behavioral, somatic, and social needs; and improves their overall wellness.

Our Health Home services not only treat clients’ current chronic conditions but also helps prevent additional chronic health issues. Using a community-based approach, EMRC’s Health Home integrates and coordinates all of the client’s primary, acute, behavioral health, and long-term services. We provide clients and their caregivers with a myriad of supports and services that promote health activities, monitor both somatic and behavioral health needs, and assist with hospital transitional care. With the EMRC Health Home Program, clients will have a Care Manager who will work with their doctors to:

  • Pay special attention to your health care needs
  • Make sure you get the medical services you need
  • Assist you with scheduling medical appointments
  • Health Education
  • Referrals to Specialists
  • Smoking Cessation
  • Weight Maintenance
  • Diabetes Control
  • Accessing Benefits
  • Transitional Care Needs
National Recovery Month


National Recovery Month is a national observance held every September to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with a mental and/or substance use disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life.

Recovery Month celebrates the gains made by those in recovery, just as we celebrate health improvements made by those who are managing other health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and heart disease. The observance reinforces the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover.

There are millions of Americans whose lives have been transformed through recovery. Since these successes often go unnoticed by the broader population, Recovery Month provides a vehicle for everyone to celebrate these accomplishments. Each September, tens of thousands of prevention, treatment, and recovery programs and facilities around the country celebrate Recovery Month. They speak about the gains made by those in recovery and share their success stories with their neighbors, friends, and colleagues. In doing so, everyone helps to increase awareness and furthers a greater understanding about the diseases of mental and substance use disorders.

Now in its 29th year, Recovery Month highlights the achievements of individuals who have reclaimed their lives in long-term recovery and honors the treatment and recovery service providers who make recovery possible. Recovery Month also promotes the message that recovery in all of its forms is possible and encourages citizens to take action to help expand and improve the availability of effective  prevention ,  treatment , and  recovery  services for those in need.

Each year, Recovery Month selects a new focus and theme to spread the message and share the successes of treatment and recovery. The 2018 Recovery Month observance will focus on urban communities, health care providers, members of the media, and policymakers, highlighting the various entities that support recovery within our society.

September 12, 2018 6:30pm
Parent and Family Connection: Baltimore
Ashley Addiction Treatment Center

Parent & Family Connection is a safe and professionally-facilitated resource for parents, guardians, and other family members that have a child (or children) or other loved one, in recovery or in active addiction. It’s a place to share support, wisdom, and perspective to help cope with the collateral effects of addiction. It is open to everyone and free of charge.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church/Spangler Hall
1609 Kurtz Ave
Lutherville, MD 21093


September 16, 2018
Homecoming Weekend
Ashley Addiction Treatment Center

2018 Alumni Homecoming (Free event for Ashley Alumni, family, friends, and the recovery community!)
Fun activities for the whole family including raffles, face painting and more!

800 Tydings Lane
Havre de Grace, MD 21078


September 16, 2018 7:00am
Matt’s Race for Recovery 5k
Ashley Addiction Treatment Center

800 Tydings Lane
Havre de Grace, MD 21078



September 23, 2018 9:00am
5k Walk/Run for Awareness and Recovery
Ashley Caramia’s Cause

Community College of Baltimore County (Catonsville Campus)
800 S. Rolling Road
Catonsville, MD 21228


Harford County Group
Baltimore City Groups
Mondays 6-7 PM 
Women's Group, Teen's Group, and Youth Group
Tuesdays 6-7 PM
Men's Group
Anne Arundel County Groups
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 has no waitlist for our CARE COORDINATION FOR MINORS and our PSYCHIATRIC REHABILITATION PROGRAM in Harford County ! 
 Empowering Minds recognizes Sherlease Cannady as the agency's Direct Service Coordinator of the month.

Sherlease's diligence and self-motivation make her a strong asset to our EMRC team. From our time together, we've noticed that Sherlease always goes the extra mile to achieve the best possible results. Sherlease continues to impress us with her dedication to helping our clients reach their goals.
 
Thank you, Sherlease! We are lucky to have you on our team.

WE'RE HIRING!

Empowering Minds is looking to add some new members to our wonderful team. Check out the link below for more information!
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