Dear Collaborative Network:
This issue of the Collaborative Connection has a different focus than our traditional bi-weekly newsletters . May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we want to provide our network with valuable mental health resources.
Mental health is one of the Cobb Collaborative’s main strategic initiatives to improve outcomes for all people and families in our community. Mind Your Mind exists to raise awareness, promote resiliency and reduce stigma around mental health. We partner with a number of organizations, including Resilient Georgia, to create mental health programs, services, and activities for Cobb County
We are VERY excited to announce that our Mind Your Mind mental health focused web pages have been recently updated by our friends at Green Mellen. Within these pages, you will find important mental health information and resources.
We encourage you all to browse through these updated pages and also feel free to SHARE with your networks to further the reach of mental health awareness and to provide needed resources to the community.
We hope you will find the information, resources and event links in this newsletter helpful. Please FORWARD and SHARE this newsletter to others in your network to increase awareness and advocacy for strong mental health.
And, as always, we remind you Mind Your Mind and be well.
Warmly,
Irene
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Everyone is impacted by their mental health—regardless of culture, race, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual orientation.
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Did you know that...
- 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year?
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1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year?
- 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year?
- 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14 and 75% by age 24?
These statistics reiterate the need for destigmatizing mental health and providing information and resources to promote better outcomes. Educating yourself about mental health is one of the best ways you can help yourself and the people in your family and community who are struggling with mental health issues. We encourage everyone to take advantage of or low or no cost training opportunities to learn more and be proactive for strong mental health.
Additional ways to help de-stigmatize mental health include:
- Realizing that mental health has a full range of symptoms and is complex, but common.
- Sharing real-life examples of people who are living with mental health disorders. Also, sharing stories of personal resilience.
- Listening to and supporting those who have mental health challenges.
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Cobb Collaborative's Second Quarter General Membership Meeting will be held in the community room at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Town Center, 625 Big Shanty Rd NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144. We are grateful to CHOA for the use of this meeting space.
We are honored to have two featured speakers for this meeting during Mental Health Awareness Month:
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Through ARPA grant funding, Cobb Collaborative is offering no cost Mental Health First Aid training opportunities in 2023.
Mental Health First Aid is a course that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training gives you the skills you need to reach out and provide initial help and support to someone who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem or experiencing a crisis.
For more information, click on the following links:
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Tue, May 23, 2023 8:30 AM EST
Mental Health First Aid for Public Safety
Marietta Police Department,
Marietta
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Mon, Aug 21, 2023 9:00 AM EST
Mental Health First Aid for Fire and EMS
Marietta Fire Department,
Marietta
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Fri, Aug 25, 2023 9:00 AM EST
Youth Mental Health First Aid Virtual Training
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Please visit our Events Calendar to find additional training dates and registration links.
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CRM® introduces a set of wellness skills designed to help adults and children learn to track their own nervous systems in order to bring the body, mind and spirit back into greater balance, and to encourage people to pass the skills along to family, friends and their wider community. CRM®’s goal is to help to create “trauma-informed” and “resiliency-focused” communities that share a common understanding of the impact of trauma and chronic stress on the nervous system and how resiliency can be restored or increased using this skills-based approach.
Please join us for these important and impactful training events and bring a family member or friend too! Registration links can be found on our Cobb Collaborative Events web page. Please note that registration is required and we will have a waitlist feature available should each event reach capacity.
Learn more about our mental health initiative by visiting our Mind Your Mind web page.
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Mon, Jun 12, 2023 10:00 AM EST
Community Resiliency Model (CRM)® Training
North Cobb Regional Library,
Kennesaw
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In February, we moved from a monthly Mind Your Mind newsletter to a quarterly digital magazine. In this new feature from the Collaborative, we take a deeper drive into specific mental health topics aimed to raise awareness, promote resiliency, and reduce stigmas associated with mental health.
You can read our first edition on our Mind Your Mind web page. Our second edition will be released soon, so be on the lookout for it.
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La salud mental nos afecta a todos, independientemente de la cultura, raza, etnia, género u orientación sexual. Los trastornos de ansiedad, los trastornos alimentarios, la depresión, el TDAH, las adicciones y el trastorno bipolar son ejemplos de afecciones de salud mental comunes y tratables. El 20% de los adultos y jóvenes estadounidenses de entre 13 y 18 años padecen enfermedades mentales.
Es importante saber que está bien pedir ayuda. Ya sea que estés lidiando con problemas de salud mental personalmente o cuidando a un amigo o familiar, la situación puede ser abrumadora y desesperada. Esta página proporciona acceso a información y recursos locales para ayudarte a navegar su situación. |
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Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACEs, are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood centered around neglect, abuse and household dysfunction. These can undermine a child’s sense of safety, stability, and bonding.
- ACEs are common. 3 in 5 adults in Georgia have experienced at least one ACE which mirrors national data.
- Persistent exposure to one or more ACEs as a child or adolescent can cause prolonged activation of the body’s stress response, which triggers toxic stress. Toxic stress, when not properly addressed and reduced, can dramatically change how the brain develops and can lead to many learning and behavioral issues as a child, as well as many common life-threatening health conditions as an adult.
- Those who have experienced ACEs are more likely to experience longer-term physical ailments such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity, suicide and more.
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ACT TO MITIGATE THE IMPACT OF TRAUMA AND PROMOTE RESILIENCY |
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We know that adverse experiences impact all areas of a child’s life and affect their future if not addressed early on.
- Attend a Trauma-Credentialed Training
- Assess programs through trauma-informed lens
- Promote trauma-informed practices across systems and sectors
- Connect youth to caring adults and activities
- Recruit partners within your sector and cross-sector
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Protecting the mental health of the youngest members of our community is a priority. All children and adolescents need connections in order to maintain their mental health and overall well-being. At our Resilient Cobb Summit in February, Dr. Douglas Bell spoke on the importance of connections as being important in supporting healthy development and building resilience in children. Dr. Bell also focused on the "4 Components of a Connection", which are:
- Eye contact.
- Touch.
- Presence.
- Playful situations.
When behaviors seem to suggest "attention seeking," re-frame the narrative to realize that what is actually needed is CONNECTION. As a reminder, it is NEVER too late to work on building connections. Children and teens can gain resilience at any age with connections and support from trusted adults.
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Learn more about building connections with children by attending our low or no-cost training events, such as Basics Workshops. Visit our Events calendar for training information and registration links.
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Suicide does not discriminate. It affects individuals in all stages of life.
Alarmingly, our nation’s suicide rate increased by 4% between 2020 and 2021 after two years of decline and suicide is now the second leading cause of death in the United States for people between 10 and 34, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Approximately every 11 minutes, someone loses a loved one, a family member, a friend, a coworker or an employee to suicide.
We are all stakeholders in the fight against suicide.
One way to begin is following the steps below to make a positive impact and prevent suicide:
❓ ASK - Research shows people who are having thoughts of suicide feel relief when someone ask them in a caring way.
✔️ KEEP THEM SAFE - A number of studies have indicated that when lethal means are made less available or less deadly, suicide rates by that method decline, and frequently suicide rates overall decline.
🤝 BE THERE - Individuals are more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed and more hopeful after speaking to someone who listens without judgment.
🔗 HELP THEM STAY CONNECTED - Studies indicate that helping someone at risk create a network of resources and individuals for support and safety can help them take positive action and reduce feelings of hopelessness.
🗨️ FOLLOW UP = Studies have shown that brief, low cost intervention and supporting, ongoing contact may be an important part of suicide prevention.
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NOTE: If someone is threatening to take their own life or is at suicidal risk, please call 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY. |
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Cobb Collaborative offers low or no-cost events year round. Click here for our Events calendar.
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NAMI Cobb provides education programs, support and advocacy for individuals living with a mental health condition, their families, caregivers and friends as well as the local communities in Cobb County, while also supporting Cherokee, Douglas, Carroll, Bartow and Paulding counties.
NAMI Cobb acts as a voice in our community for access to affordable housing, affordable health care, quality treatment and support services for individuals living with mental health conditions; such basic services are essential for recovery, improving wellness and quality of life for everyone.
NAMI Cobb supports and aids mental health research; NAMI Cobb is a steadfast and an active voice in its commitment to raising public and legislative awareness of mental health challenges; NAMI Cobb will champion a community of hope and support for all individuals adversely impacted by mental illness.
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We recently featured a two-part "Mental Health During Pregnancy" series on our blog written by guest blogger, Megan Velarde, Maternal Child Health (MCH) RN.
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Click here for Part One which covers the basics of mental health during pregnancy.
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Click here for Part Two which discusses perinatal depression and anxiety and provides information and resources for guidance to promote strong mental health in expectant mothers and families.
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FindHelpGA.org is an easy way for Georgians to get connected with help, based on our comprehensive directory of local resources that will help strengthen families. Help seekers can search by zip code, or speak directly with a resource specialist by phone (1-800-244-5373) or online chat to locate resources near them.
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Click here to print flyers for your organization, request mailed materials, and more. Encourage families to use this FREE platform to connect to resources.
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Visit our Find Help Georgia web page to view an informational video on how to use this free resource.
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Tue, Jul 25, 2023 3:00 PM EST
Virtual Mandated Reporter Training
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Please help Cobb Collaborative increase our outreach and advocacy reach by:
- Forwarding our newsletters to others with an encouragement to subscribe.
- Following our social media outlets.
- Liking, sharing and commenting on our our social media posts
- Sharing our events and resources to your network and social media channels.
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Follow us on all of our social media channels for regular updates and resources.
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Serving the Cobb County Community for 22 Years |
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