November 18, 2011

• Do you provide health or human services on Cape Cod or the Islands?
• Does the public know what services you provide?
• Do people know how to access your services?
• Do you need assistance in finding services for your clients?

Mass 2-1-1 would like to identify holiday programs to list on their site.  If you know of any programs (Thanksgiving baskets, meals programs, Christmas food baskets, meals, gifts) please forward information to Ronnie Gullette at ronniegullette@comcast.net.

____________________________________________________________________

Join WE CAN staff, board, volunteers, community partners, program participants, and other supporters for the 10th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Meeting.  Event scheduled for Thursday, December 1st from 5:00 - 7:00 PM at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod in South Yarmouth. Event is FREE - guests welcome.  RSVP to info@wecancenter.org or 508/430-8111.

___________________________________________________________________

The Barnstable County Human Rights Commission is seeking candidates to fill two vacancies on the Commission for terms beginning January 2012.  The HRC was created to promote equal opportunity, prevent discrimination, investigate and mediate complaints and  provide a local office where people can learn how to protect their rights.

For more information and submission guidelines click here.

_____________________________________________________________________

You are invited to participate in this Webinar on Friday, December 2, 2011 from 1 - 2:30 PM (EST).  The webinar will outline the recent trends of suicide in the military and present techniques and policies used in the past and present showing how the military has adjusted to the recent  increase in suicide.  Included will also be a discussion on how to recognize the signs of suicide, not only with military personnel but also returning veterans including National Guard and Reserve soldiers.  There will also be a discussion about the military culture and the work being done to remove the stigma of getting help.

Register for the webinar by emailing Brandy Brooks at brandy.brooks@state.ma.us.  Space is limited.  Webinar is sponsored by the Massachusetts Suicide Prevention Program.  Will also include live closed captioning.

_____________________________________________________________________

Current teen topics young people want to discuss and know more about!

The Barnstable Youth Services Division would like to invite young people between 13 yrs. and 19  yrs old to the next Y.E.S. program for a discussion about eating disorders among teens combined with the stresses of holiday eating.  Program scheduled for Friday, December 2nd, 4:45 - 6:30 PM in the United Cultures Room at the Hyannis Youth and Community Center.

For more information contact Sally-Ann Imes at 508/790-6345 ext 109 or by email at sally-ann.imes@town.barnstable.ma.us

_____________________________________________________________________

We all grieve in different ways, and loss is highly personal.  But a community also grieves and struggles with healing.  Come together as a community on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 from 5:30 - 7:00 PM to recognize losses, to learn how to help each other, and to heal at the Police Athletic League of Cape Cod, 279 Brick Kiln Rd., East Falmouth with guest speaker, Joan Schweizer Hoff, Program Director of the Dougy Center, National Center for Grieving Children and Families.  Event is FREE and all are welcome.  Dinner will be served, child care available.  For more information call 774/392-5420 or 508/375-6626. For more details click on Event Flyer.

Sponsored by:  The C&I Youth Suicide Prevention Project, a program of the Community Health Center of Cape Cod and funded by MDPH, and the C&I Suicide Prevention Coalition.

___________________________________________________________________

This gatekeeper training is scheduled for December 6, 2011 from 9:00 AM - 2:00 pm at Sandwich Hollows, 1 Round Hill Rd. in East Sandwich.  This training will be led by the Samaritans on Cape Cod and the Islands and is designed to reduce the incidence of suicide among adults age 55 and older.  After the training, participants will be able to:  understand suicide risk in older adults, develop strategies for early intervention and prevention, differentiate between methods of responding to varying levels of risk and recognize available sources for ongoing support.

Approval of CEU's is pending.  Registrations taken on a "first come first served" basis.  For more information or to register contact:  Stephanie Kelly or Jessica McHugh at the Samaritans at 508/548-7999 or ccsamaritans@verizon.net. 

This training is being offered through a partnerhsip with the Samaritans on CC&I, REACH, C&I Emergency Medical Services, Alzheimer's Services of CC and DMG with funding by the Cape Consortium for At Risk Older Adults and the C&I Community Health Network 27.

_____________________________________________________________________

Medicare's Open Enrollment period is October 15 - December 7, 2011.  Medicare beneficiaries may contact any Senior Center in Barnstable County to reach a certified SHINE Counselor who can provide information as to an individual's best plan options for 2012.  The SHINE Program provides free, unbiased and confidential assistance for seniors and disabled adults.  Assistance can be provided over the telephone or in person.  While Open Enrollment is the best time of year to review plans, many people who connect with a SHINE Counselor learn that they can improve their coverage and/or reduce their costs at other times of the year as well, so it is important to contact  SHINE even if it is after December 7th.  SHINE Counselors are knowledgeable about special enrollment opportunities and public assistance programs available throughout the year.  The Regional SHINE Office for the Cape and Islands is located in West Yarmouth and may be reached at 508/394-9326.

____________________________________________________________________

The Barnstable Senior Center celebrates the holidays with its Annual Holiday Dinner on Friday, December 16th from 11 AM - 2 PM, hosted by the Friends of the Barnstable Council on Aging.  Entertainer Dave Burbank on the piano and singing holiday favorites for your singing & dancing enjoyment.  Turkey dinner with all the fixins' will be provided.  Event sells out quickly so get your tickets early.  Tickets are $13 and are available at the Barnstable Senior Center, 825 Falmouth Rd., Hyannis.  For more information call 508/862-4750.

While  you are there, shop for that special handcrafted gift item as the Crafters Group hold their Holiday Sale.  All proceeds benefit the programs and services of the Barnstable Senior Center.

____________________________________________________________________

Join the Barnstable County Human Rights Commission celebration of International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2011, 9:30 - 11:30 AM at the Cape Codder Resort, Hyannis.  Cornerstone & Rosenthal awards will be presented for  human rights work on Cape Cod.  Click Here for more information.

___________________________________________________________________

State Health Officials warn residents of carbon monoxide and electrical hazards following a winter storm.  The operation of gasoline, oil, or other combustible fuel electrical generators produces carbon monoxide which poses an extreme health hazard if used indoors without proper ventilation.   The use of gas stoves and charcoal as a heat source is not recommended since both also produce carbon monoxide that is not vented properly outdoors.  For the full advisory report Click Here.

_____________________________________________________________________

For the third consecutive year, on November 2nd, the Institute on Disability at the University of New  Hampshire, in collaboration with the Rehabilitation, Research, and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics at Hunter College, New York, funded by the U.S. National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research, conducted a Congressional briefing on the "Annual Disability Statistics Compendium.  Information is available from www.ResearchOnDisability.org and www.iod.unh.edu

__________________________________________________________________

Healthier Americans for a Healthier Economy features six case studies focused on the relationship between health and economic development.  The report examines how health affects the ability of states, cities and towns to attract and retain employers, and how workplace and community wellness programs help improve productivity and reduce health spending.  For the full report go to http://healthyamericans.org/report/90/___________________________________________________________________

The full list of policy recommendations and a summary are included in the Act FRESH survey tool.  Please share the invitation below with your local networks.  The deadline to respond is Wednesday, December 7th.

For more info, or if you would like paper copies of the survey, please contact Sara at 857-263-7072 x103 or skanevsky@mphaweb.org    TAKE THE SURVEY

Going hand in hand with the recent release by TFAH of Healthier Americans for a Healthier Economy, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has released its new policy brief, Return on Investments in Public Health:  A Summary of Groundbreaking Research Studies, which "highlights recent evidence indicating that strategic investments in proven, community-based prevention programs could both save lives and result in significant U.S. health care cost savings and overall economic cost savings.   The brief highlights the findings and recommendations from four studies released between 2008 and 2011. The studies-several of which were funded by RWJF-reveal that public health investments can help prevent chronic disease, reduce escalating health costs and improve our overall economy."  http://www.rwjf.org/publichealth/product.jsp?id=72990&cid=XEM_109529.

The VA has rebranded the National Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline to what is now called Veterans Crisis Line.  The purpose of the change is to shift the emphasis from "suicide" to "crisis" for Veterans and their families to make that critical first call for help.  The Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255, Press 1) is available 24/7/365 to provide confidential counseling and referrals for Veterans and their families.  This is an integrated national outreach effort to increase awareness and use of the Veterans Crisis Line, support and promote broader VA suicide prevention efforts, and promote help-seeking behaviors among Veterans at risk of suicide and other mental health problems.

For more information about the Veterans Crisis Line please click here.

____________________________________________________________________

• Support existing programs and practices that encourage happy and healthy eating
• Increase awareness of and participation in food-centered activities
• Increase healthy food options at all Cape Cod food pantries
• Promote community-driven advocacy and public education around healthy and happy eating.

To learn more visit http://www.bchumanservices.net/ or contact Beth Albert at Tel: 508/375-6626 

• Descriptive Title
• Brief Description of the Content (the who, what, why, when, where) 
• Attachments must be submitted in PDF and text format (either DOC or RTF files are acceptable)
• Weblink or Hyperlink if available 
• Contact information of the person submitting the information and if appropriate, the contact person for the event (include name, address, phone, TTY, email)