March 2017
EveryMind News News

EveryMind Hosts Workshops Focused on Immigration Issues
 
Over the past several weeks, EveryMind, in partnership with Catholic Charities and other local nonprofit organizations, has helped organize three workshops to address immigration issues of concern in the community.  

The workshops featured a panel of community representatives, including representatives from the  Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), Montgomery County Council, and i mmigration lawyers, who discussed  the rights of immigrants, deportation laws and processes, MCPD's role with respect to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and plans to protect children in the event a parent or guardian is detained.

EveryMind is collaborating with local government agencies and community organizations to help devise unified communication and action plans to ensure that affected individuals and families have access to vital information and resources. Please check EveryMind on Facebook and Twitter, as well as upcoming issues of InMind, for more information and updates.



Advocacy Updatedoor

In recent weeks, there has been significant legislative action at both the state and federal levels affecting behavioral health care funding and access.

There are many ways you can get involved and make your voice heard.  On the state level, you can visit the Mental Health Association of Maryland's Action Center    to send a message to your state representatives urging them to support  the  Keep the Door Open Act,  which  increases resources for treatment for mental health and substance use disorders. 
 
On the federal level, the United States  Congress is considering legislation that will negatively impact people with mental illness and/or substance use disorders.  The following websites offer resources to help you communicate with legislators: 
EveryMind will continue to track these legislative developments and advocate for the preservation of funding, coverage and access to crucial mental health benefits.



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March Observance of Social Work Month 
Increases Awareness of Professionsocial

Thank you to EveryMind's dedicated Social Work staff, who work tirelessly every day on behalf of their clients and the community.

Social work is a helping profession that forms the foundation of our work here at EveryMind.  Whether our social work staff are on the streets working with homeless individuals or in the schools providing counseling and case management for youth and families in need, these highly-trained professionals make a difference on many levels. 

Social Work Month recognizes the contribution of social workers and increases awareness about the nature of the work they do to support and improve the mental wellness of our community.  Social work isn't always about counseling and therapy. It can be about a housing crisis, a lack of employment, illiteracy or even a need for laundry soap and toothpaste. EveryMind's social workers tackle all of these issues, providing therapy and support, but also connecting with community partners and government agencies to access resources, and even reaching into a hallway closet for snacks and bar soap for a client in need.

We also work extensively with social work interns, helping prepare them to join the mental health workforce.  Interns at EveryMind receive hands-on experience and expert supervision as they earn credit toward their degrees, while helping us serve some of the most underserved and vulnerable people in our community. We are proud to say that many interns return and are hired as full-time employees.

Please join us in honoring not just our staff members, but all social workers and mental health professionals across the country as they serve, advocate for and empower people every day, all year long.


educationUpcoming Community Education Opportunities

C lick on the course listing below for more information and to register online.
 
Free to youth serving organizations
April 27, 2017 9:00am - 5:00pm
Location: EveryMind. 1000 Twinbrook Pkwy., Rockville, MD 20851

Open to military, veterans, their families and those that work with or support them.
May 1, 2017 8:30am - 5:30pm
Location: American Red Cross, Regional Headquarters
8550 Arlington Blvd, Fairfax, VA  22031
 
Mental Health First Aid: Maternal Mental Health
Open to individuals that work with and/or support new moms and moms to be
May 4, 2017 8:30am-4:30pm
Location: EveryMind. 1000 Twinbrook Pkwy., Rockville, MD 20851
 
Continuing Education: 6.0 Credit Hours
June 8, 2017 9:00am-4:00pm
Location: Johns Hopkins University, Montgomery County Campus
9605 Medical Center Drive, Room 121, Rockville, MD  20850


Take the First Step Toward Making a Difference!hotline


We are recruiting volunteers, including those with bilingual skills, to serve as emotional support/crisis intervention specialists for a 24/7 confidential hotline, as well as text and online chat services. The next training course begins April 1. 

Our services positively impact the lives of people in need of support.  Here's what some callers have said about their experience with us:
  • "Your help means the world to me ...I feel lucky to have found this number."
  • "Hotline is the only opportunity I have for a human connection.  Always a caring and kind voice... You got me through a really rough day full of negative emotions."
  • "Thank you for hearing me. I feel more alive after talking with the hotline."
For additional information, please visit   EveryMind's Volunteer Opportunities or contact Pamela Lee, EveryMind Volunteer Coordinator at PLee@Every-Mind.org. Begin making a difference now by completing our  volunteer application. 


Support EveryMind and "Spin For A Cause" - March 25thcycle

98.7 WMZQ's Aly Jacobs and EveryMind invite you to a full-body energizing work out at Zengo Cycle Cathedral Commons on March 25th. This 50 minute cycle-centric workout is only $20 with 100% of the proceeds benefiting EveryMind to support our mental wellness programs and community education.
   
When : Saturday, March 25th, 1pm
 
Where : Zengo Cycle, Cathedral Commons,
3308 Wisconsin Ave, #202, Washington, DC  20016
 
Cost to Register : $20 per bike  


Interesting Readsreads
How Artificial Intelligence Will Save Lives: Prediction of Future Suicide Risk
ScienceDaily.com, March 1st

A groundbreaking project led by a Florida State University researcher makes an exponential advance in suicide prediction, potentially giving clinicians the ability to predict who will attempt suicide up to two years in advance with 80 percent accuracy.

The Compulsion to Go Online is not a Mental Illness
StatNews.com by Sharon Begley, February 8th

From our desire to connect to the way we respond to unpredictable rewards, our minds are wired in a way that lets digital technology sink its hooks into us, but researchers say social media compulsion doesn't equal mental illness.

  READ MORE 
How Millions of Kids Are Being Shaped By Know-It-All Voice Assistants
WashingtonPost.com by Michael Rosenwald, March 2nd

Psychologists, technologists and linguists are only beginning to ponder the possible perils of surrounding kids with artificial intelligence, particularly as they traverse important stages of social and language development.

Is My Smartphone Making Me Dumber?
Time.com by Markham Held, February 8th

More and more research suggests that this digitally lightened mental workload may be coming at a cost.

5 New Brain Disorders That Were Born Out Of the Digital Age
TheWeek.com by Tammy Kennon, February 28th

The internet has done a lot of good for the world, but it's worth highlighting a few of the more recent disorders that experts blame on our digital obsession. One such example is "nomophobia" - the feeling of panic one has upon being separated from one's phone or tablet.

Yoga, Breathing Exercises Can Help Relieve Depression
PsychCentral.com by Rick Nauert, PhD, March 6th

Researchers discovered participation in yoga and deep breathing exercises at least twice weekly plus practice at home could be used as an alternative or supplement to pharmacological treatments for depression.


Cat Ownership Not Linked To Mental Health Problems
CNN.com by Johanzynn Gatewood, February 22nd

Cat owners can breathe a sigh of relief. Despite suggestions from previous research, a recent study shows that there is no risk of psychotic problems from cat ownership.




A Wish List for Children and Families in Our Community

For vulnerable children and families in our community, meeting basic needs can be a struggle. Please check EveryMind's donation page for an updated list of items, such as nonperishable food items, cleaning supplies and diapers, that are often requested by our clients but rarely donated. If you would like to donate any of these items, please contact EveryMind at 301.424.0656   to make arrangements to drop items off at our office, 1000 Twinbrook Parkway, in Rockville.  

We also receive client requests for pro-bono legal services, s pecifically in the area of immigration law. If you can help with these services, please contact Pamela Lee at plee@Every-Mind.org.

Thank you in advance for your support and generosity.  




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Textline 301.738.2255
 

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