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Welcome to the Portland Women's Taskforce September 2008 e-newsletter. In this issue you will find information about upcoming local events and trainings as well as publications that highlight women in recovery. Don't forget--September is National Recovery and the message is clear: Recovery is EVERYWHERE!
Sincerely,
Amanda Edgar, Ronni Katz & Nancy DeYoung
City of Portland's Overdose Prevention Project
Members, Portland Women's Taskforce
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September is National Recovery Month!
*Bangor Area Summit on Addiction Recovery ~ September 4th*The Power Of Our Stories ~ September 13th *Recovery Celebration! ~ September 20th
*Recovery & Wellness Resource Fair ~ September 24
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October Conference: Contemporary Issues in Perinatal Care
Focus on fetal monitoring and newborn drug withdrawal
The Maine Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) present a 2-day conference for nurses, nursing students and ACOG fellows on October 2 & 3 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Freeport. On day two, Karen D'Apolito, Ph.D. (Vanderbilt University) will be sharing her expertise in using the Finnegan Scoring tool for assessing newborns who are withdrawing from opiate exposure during pregnancy.
MEAWHONN.org / View the Conference Brochure (PDF)Co-Occurring Collaborative Serving Maine:
Teleconference Series ~ Recovery"This master Teleconference Series on recovery brings the voices of leaders in Maine and across the country to reflect on the multifaceted issues of recovery for co-occurring conditions of mental health and substance abuse. It will explore such issues as consumer empowerment, inclusion models, peer programming, wellness recovery action programming, and consumer /peer leadership." CCSME.org / View Brochure (PDF) Workshops on Centering Prayer
Scheduled for SeptemberThe Alcyon Center in Seal Cove, Maine (12th-13th & 19th-20th)"A group of recovery advocates and spiritual leaders have
collaborated to sponsor four workshops in September on Centering Prayer...Father Thomas. As Keating describes it, 'Centering Prayer is a method of refining one's
intuitive faculties so that one can enter more easily into contemplative prayer.' The daily
practice has been adapted for use by many people in recovery." The Alcyon Center is a
retreat space in a quiet, wooded setting along the coast of Mount Desert Island.
Overnight accommodations are available at various prices. The fee for the
workshop plus six follow up sessions is $20. Space is limited and reservations
are required. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Maine Lighthouse at
207-288-3331 or kmiller@mainelighthouse.org,
or The Alcyon Center at 207-244-1060 or alcyon@juno.com.
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The Effects of Addiction in the Family: A 4-Week Educ ational Series
Crossroads for Women offers 'The Effects of Addiction on Friends & Family' to anyone who has a loved one with a drug or alcohol problem,
male or female, who may or may not be in treatment. The next session begins on Tuesday, September 9th at Crossroads for
Women's outpatient office on 66 Pearl Street, Suite 202 in Portland,
Maine. These sessions fill up quickly. Call 207.773.9931 or email info@crossroadsforwomen.org to register today.
View the Flyer (PDF)
A Beautiful Benefit
On Saturday, November 1st, Crossroads for Women will host a fundraiser
at the Head  Games salon in Portland, Maine. From 3:00pm - 8:00pm
friends, colleagues, clients, board, staff and other supporters are
invited to the salon for a stylish hair and spa party, while all the
proceeds from the evening will go to the agency. All you need to do to
show your support is make an appointment for any service during 3:00-8:00. Call 773.8393 to save your slot!
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Substance Use History Heightens Risk of Postpartum Suicide
 "A study [by the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology] has found that women with a history of substance abuse
have a six-fold increase in the risk of attempting suicide shortly
after giving birth, Reuters Health reported Aug. 18. Examining hospital records from women who gave birth in Washington
state between 1992 and 2001, researchers compared 355 women
hospitalized for a suicide attempt within a year of giving birth with a
larger group of new mothers who had not attempted suicide." View the AJOG Study
In Ohio, Inmate Mothers Care For Babies In Prison
"At the Ohio Reformatory for Women, a dozen babies are spending time
behind bars...they are participants
in a program that enables inmate mothers to raise their children in
their cells. The program is one of many across the country designed to meet the
unique needs of mothers who are locked up (picture). Women are the
fastest-growing segment of the U.S. prison population. At the Ohio
Reformatory, the warden estimates that 75 percent of the 2,300 inmates
housed there are mothers..." More from National Public Radio (NPR)
USDOJ Report: Parents in Prison and Their Minor Children
"Since 1991, the number of children with a mother in prison has more than doubled, up 131%. The number of children with a father in prison has grown by 77%. This finding reflects a faster rate of growth in the number of mothers held in state and federal prisons (up 122%), compared to the number of fathers (up 76%) between 1991 and midyear 2007." Full Report Details
A Long Journey Home: A Guide for Creating Trauma-Informed Services for Mothers and Children Experiencing Homelessness
"The
Long Journey Home was written as a response to some startling lessons
we have learned from the field of homelessness over the last decade. It
is intended to serve as a guide to agencies looking for practical ideas
about how to create trauma-informed environments. It is best viewed as
a template and should be supplemented by your knowledge and expertise
regarding the most effective adaptations for working with families in
your own program." View the Guide
 Smoking Crack May Speed up HIV Course in Women
"Women infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, who use crack
cocaine risk deterioration in their immune status, development of
"AIDS-defining" illnesses, and death from AIDS-related causes, even if
they adhere to potent combination antiretroviral therapy used to treat
HIV infection." More from Reuters Health
U.K. Brewers Look to Women to Reverse Slumping Sales
 "Brewers in the United Kingdom are responding to declining beer
sales by establishing brands that they believe will appeal to women,
the Wall Street Journal reported Aug. 15.Coors this year established a unit called "Eve" within the
company that officials say is designed to create 'a world where women
love beer as much as they love shoes.'" 
FDA Considers Training Docs to Prescribe Narcotics
"Amid growing reports of patient deaths and complications caused
by problems with legally prescribed pain medication, the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) is discussing the possibility of requiring doctors
to receive specialized training before prescribing narcotics, the New York Times reported Aug. 16."
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Cumberland County "Community Themes & Strengths Assessment"
"The City of Portland's Public Health Division is asking for
your assistance with our Community Themes and Strengths Assessment. This assessment involves the use of a short
survey to gather community members' thoughts and concerns about the health
issues in their respective town or city. By giving the public an opportunity to voice their opinions we are able
to identify areas of strength and need, and ultimately improve our community
health efforts. To achieve this goal we are asking you (Cumberland Co. residents ONLY) to fill out the survey by clicking
on the following website address: http://surveymonkey.com/cumberlandcountyhealth
As an incentive to take the survey, those
who complete the questions have a chance to win one of several weekly prizes,
including gift cards, an edible fruit arrangement, and water bottles. If you have
any questions, please contact Marice Tran at mtran@portlandmaine.gov or 541-6952. SAMHSA Announces Availability of New 
Sustainability Toolkit for Grassroots Programs
"The Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is announcing the
release of "Sustaining Grassroots Community-based Programs: A Toolkit
for Community and Faith-based Service Providers." Grassroots community
and faith-based treatment and recovery providers are concerned about
continuing critical services for people affected by substance abuse and
mental health disorders. This toolkit is designed to help these organizations plan for long-term survival."
Funding Opportunity
"Community Action grants provide funds to
individuals, American Association of University Women (AAUW) branches and AAUW state organizations as well as local
community-based nonprofit organizations for innovative programs or non-degree
research projects that promote education and equity for women and
girls." Find Out More
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Next Meeting
Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday October 15 from 1:30-3:00 @ MMC. Please RSVP and if you have any agenda items to add, please let us
know. Contact Ronni at 756-8116 or rmk@portlandmaine.gov |
Local treatment & Recovery-Related Resources for Women & Girls
Support Services & Publications Specific to Women & Girls
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PWT on Yahoo! Groups
 The Portland Women's Taskforce is on Yahoo!
Groups. If you would like to be a part of the email group, please go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/portlandwomenstaskforce/
or email Ronni at rmk@portlandmaine.gov
PWT on MySpace
We've started a blog and have listed our PWT partner organizations as well as local resources for anyone to view. Check us out on myspace.com/portlandwomenstaskforce.
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