Hot Off the Press! Bergen's Promise Spring 2015 Family Newsletter

PROMISE-ING TIMES

For Our Families

Spring 2015

In This Issue

Dean's Corner

Introducing our Behavioral Health Home!

Positive Story: Maria

Wellness News You Can Use

Welcome

Thank you for reading our newly created quarterly e-newsletter, "PROMISE-ING TIMES: For Our Families." This newsletter will help you better understand our Wraparound Model of Care. We will also highlight some of your positive stories in each issue.

Bookmark our program and events calendar to make sure you don't miss something of interest for your child and family!

We are excited about launching our e-newsletter and aim to tailor its content to information that is of value and interest to you and your family.

We Want to Hear From YOU!

Please be sure to let us know what topics you are interested in covering by providing your feedback in the linked form at the end of the page.

Thank you for reading,

Dean Pastras, ACSW, LCSW

Executive Director

Dean's Corner

Bergen's Promise started strong in 2015! We continue to grow and our number of children and families we are serving is increasing every day. We have almost three times the number of staff we had two-and-a-half years ago, and are helping three times the number of families. We are also highly focused on a total wellness approach to the care of our families.

As always we are grateful to you - our families. We look forward to continuing to learn and grow together. Most importantly, we are always striving to improve the way we collaborate with our providers and the community to best support you - our children and families of Bergen County.

What's New at Bergen's Promise?

Bergen's Promise Introduces Behavioral Health Home

Thanks to the innovative leadership of New Jersey's Children's System of Care and the

Department of Children and Families, Bergen's Promise was the first designated care management organization to include medical expertise and health/wellness education.

What is a Behavioral Health Home (BHH)?

It provides fully integrated and coordinated care and health/wellness activities for children who have designated chronic conditions.
Care coordination is embedded in the Wraparound Model of Care to facilitate access to a full range of treatment and support services for children and families.
BHH team members work within the Child and Family Team to develop individualized plans of care, building on current services to provide a holistic approach to care.
This process provides direct face-to-face care coordination and Wraparound Care planning for children and families with complex needs.

What are the overall goals of the Behavioral Health Home?

Improve health outcomes
Promote better functional outcomes (such as improved school attendance)
Further enhance family functioning through the development of skills and abilities to actively manage the child's chronic medical and psychiatric conditions.
Decrease overall costs (including the costs associated with the use of acute medical and psychiatric services).

Does it work?

In the words of a parent whose son was enrolled into BHH due to an obesity diagnosis:

"Since working with BHH my son has lost a lot of weight. The Wellness Educator has great ideas and it makes me feel empowered because I have learned many tools to help me manage his weight through diet and exercise. I can't believe he's losing weight. I love working with BHH!"

How do I determine if my child is eligible for BHH services?

Consult with your Care Manager. Your child may be eligible for BHH services if he/she has a behavioral health challenge and a chronic medical condition. These conditions include:

Asthma
Diabetes
Eating Disorders
Obesity

Sickle Cell
Kidney Disease
Seizure Disorders
Cystic Fibrosis

Positive Story

Overcoming Anxiety: Maria's Story

Today, Maria walks down the hall of the social services building at the local community college, greeting people she passes with an air of confidence. Quite a difference from the girl, who one-and-a-half years ago, was unable to regularly attend high school because of debilitating anxiety.

Maria, her mother, and two younger brothers had been living in a New York City shelter for nine months before moving to New Jersey. A few weeks after moving, Maria began her first year of high school like any freshman, eager to learn and find her niche. However, pre-teen anxiety and social phobia began to resurface and she missed 40 days of school.

Maria's concerned mother called for help and was connected with Bergen's Promise. The Bergen's Promise Care Manager began meeting with Maria and developed a Child and Family Team to provide informal and formal supports to help her meet her goals to manage her anxiety.

Maria returned to high school as a sophomore the following fall, confident in her strengths and abilities to use exercise and reading to manage her anxiety. She completed the GED program and entered college. Maria continues to receive therapeutic support from her in-home therapist, as well as care management services through Bergen's Promise.

She is now looking forward to her college graduation - just a few years from now.

We hope that YOU will consider letting us share YOUR positive story sometime in the future!

Wellness News You Can Use

Celebrating the Mind/Body Link!

The month of May is a time to celebrate the profound beneficial effect that regular exercise provided through structured physical activity routines, and/or sport participation can have on emotional wellbeing.

People who exercise regularly tend to do so because they:

Sleep better at night
Feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives
Feel more energetic throughout the day
Tend to make healthier food choices
Get routine ailments less often
Feel they have another tool to help cope and/or manage their diabetes, asthma, anxiety, etc.

Thoughts, attitudes and personal strengths used to achieve success in personal fitness, wellness and sports can be used to achieve success in other areas of life. An example of this might be tapping your positive attitude, and maintaining a calm, relaxed state when giving a class presentation, going into an important meeting, and/or to communicate your thoughts, feelings, and needs to others.

So where should you start?

Start Small. Start Today. Build in a little more each week.

Aim to take a 15-minute brisk walk each day to help clear your mind, improve your mood, and boost your energy levels!

Reduce Allergy Flare-ups By Using Natural Cleaning Supplies

Spring is a great time to break out the broom, clean out our closets and start fresh. Using

more natural cleaning supplies may reduce allergy symptoms. Not only is there less exposure to chemicals, but you can also save money by making your own using ingredients found right in your home.

All Purpose Cleaning Spray: Mix two cups of warm water with a tablespoon of baking soda, add half a cup of vinegar, and transfer to a spray bottle.
Glass Cleaner: In a spray bottle mix equal parts water and vinegar.
Drain Cleaner: Pour half a cup of vinegar and half a cup of baking soda in the drain. Let stand 10 minutes, then flush with hot water.
Carpet Freshener: Baking soda is also a great for removing odors. Sprinkle some on the carpet, let stand one hour and vacuum.