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Welcome to November! We hope that you find enjoy our latest Portland Women's Taskforce e-newsletter. We've included local training opportunities as well as national news and a few unique programs that are making a difference. Happy Holidays!
Amanda Edgar, Ronni Katz & Nancy DeYoung
City of Portland's Overdose Prevention Project
Members, Portland Women's Taskforce
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Parkside Mom's Group: UPDATE
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We wanted to update you on a community initiative that is near and dear to our many hearts. Last Spring, Maria D'Andrea & Emmalie Norman (USM Community Nursing Partnership students) began a project which involved an assessment and intervention targeting addicted mothers in the Parkside neighborhood. Maria and Emmalie worked closely with many local providers in the hopes of meeting the needs of the women they had made connections with. Essentially, the young mothers of Parkside wanted a space to meet where their kids could be safe while they had the opportunity to talk with other women who were exploring recovery options.
At this point, Maria and Emmalie are nearing the end of their time at USM and are looking to the wealth of knowledge and resources that the PWT offers in the hopes that members can take the lead. In order to make this mom's group happen, we are in need of: a physical space, childcare volunteers (trained and/or certified), and women in need of a connection and/or supportive setting.
If you feel that you or your agency might be able to offer any resources and/or support, please contact Ronni Katz at 756-8116.
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Educational & Leadership Training Opportunities
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Friends
and Family Members Learn How to Cope With a Loved One's Addiction to Drugs or
Alcohol
Crossroads for Women
explores the basics of addiction, the recovery process and how to be supportive
of an addicted loved one while also taking care of you.
When: Tuesday evenings,
November 4 - November 25, 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Where: Crossroads for Women 66
Pearl Street, Suite 202 Portland, ME 04101
Who: Concerned friends and
family members who have a loved one, male or female, with a substance abuse
problem that may or may not be in treatment at this time. Adult women and men
are welcome.
Description: "The Effects of
Addiction on Friends & Family" explores the basics of addiction, the
recovery process and how to be supportive of an addicted loved one while also
taking care of you. The 4-week series is held on Tuesday evenings in a positive,
supportive environment. Free parking available. Light refreshments served.
Certificates of attendance to be presented at the end of the series.
How: The sessions cost $25 per
friend or family group per session or $85 for all 4 sessions paid in advance.
For more information or to register, call (207) 773-9931 or email info@crossroadsforwomen.org.
Recovering Women's Leadership Training (RWLT)
The RWLT is a series of empowerment workshops for women facilitated by two trained
facilitators, both of them have lived experience in recovery! Participants
should plan to attend all three sessions. Meals are provided. RWLT is free.
When: Fri
Nov. 14 (9a - 2p) | Sat Nov. 15 (9 a - 2p) | Sun Nov. 16
(9a - 3p)
Where: Bangor
Health & Community Services ~ 103 Texas Avenue, Bangor, ME
Who: Women who are
recovering from alcohol or drug problems and any of the following are welcome:
trauma background or a history of abuse or mental health issues. Learn skills to
help build a brighter future for you and your family!
Questions? Give Deb a call at (207) 458-4366 or View the Brochure
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Local & National Headlines
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Sexy costumes for young girls spook parents
(Portland Press Herald)
"Linda Stapleton went shopping for her daughter's Halloween costume...and was left wanting more. More fabric, that is. 'Some of the costumes are just a little too racy for a little girl,'
Stapleton said as she looked for a costume for her 8-year-old daughter
at Spirit Halloween in South Portland. 'I definitely wouldn't want my
daughter wearing some of these. She's asked for some with the belly
showing, but I wouldn't get them.'" Read More...
Middle-aged Women Drive Rise in U.S. Suicides (Reuters/Yahoo! Health)
"U.S. suicide rates appear to be on the rise, driven mostly by middle-aged white women, researchers reported on Tuesday [Oct. 22].
They found a disturbing increase in suicides between 1999 and 2005 and
said the pattern had changed in an unmistakable way -- although the
reasons behind the change are not clear. 'We need to find out more about the conditions under which these people are living.' The middle-aged women and men used various methods to kill themselves -- poisons, prescription drugs, hanging or suffocation, and firearms..."
Slim Majority of Doctors Advise Pregnant Smokers to Quit (NewsWise)
"A new study finds that barely half of pregnant smokers said their
doctors advised them to quit, and while about one in two smokers quit
before entering prenatal care, only 5 percent reported quitting after
entering prenatal care."
Forced Sexual Intercourse Among Young Adult Women (ChildTrends)
"Nearly one in five young adult women in the U.S. experience forced sexual intercourse. This [Child Trends] Fact Sheet uses nationally representative data to describe the types of force used during forced sexual intercourse."
kNOw More (Family Violence Prevention Fund)
"Violence. Reproductive Health. Different issues. Different places to go for
help. Different conversations. That's the way it works today - in politics,
health care, the public discourse. But that's not the way it works in real life. This website is about telling our stories, finding a common
language, sharing the truth. Read about women with stories to tell, and tell
yours."
Girls Medicated for ADHD Less Prone to Substance Abuse (LA Times)
"A study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine takes
the latest crack at the controversy, and finds that for girls with ADHD, being
medicated for the condition makes substance abuse less likely."
Trends & Complications Among Hospitalized Pregnant Women with Stimulant Abuse (Join Together)
"Maternal and fetal complications associated with stimulant abuse
during pregnancy are substantial and reported to be similar for cocaine
and amphetamines. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention queried the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National
Inpatient Sample to determine trends in cocaine and amphetamine-related
hospitalizations, and complications during these hospitalizations,
among pregnant women between 1998 and 2004." Research Summary
SAMHSA Awards $22.9 Million for Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women(Join Together)
"The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today
announced the award of 16 grants totaling $22.9 million over three years to
expand the availability of comprehensive residential treatment services for
pregnant and postpartum women, their children and family members. The service system, with linkages to primary care, mental health and social
services, is designed to help preserve and support the family unit and provide a
healthy environment for family members."
SAMHSA's Homelessness Resource Center
View the HRC's website for extensive information regarding women and homelessness. It's a great website chock-full of resources and links.
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The Rebecca Project for Human Rights
"is a national legal and policy organization that advocates for public policy reform, justice and dignity for vulnerable families. The Rebecca Project strives to reform child welfare, criminal justice, and substance abuse policies that impact the lives of vulnerable families...vulnerable mothers and children--and all families--have
the right to live free of sexual and physical violence, to heal from
the injuries of violence, trauma and addiction, and to raise our
children in healthy, safe, and strong communities."
US Marshals End the Shackling of Mothers
Read Their Stories: Mothers Shackled During Birth
Alternatives to Incarceration, Especially Maternal Incarceration
Amethyst, Inc.
"Breaking the cycle of addiction, poverty and violence for women and their children. Amethyst provides a safe, structured and affordable therapeutic
community in which recovering drug and alcohol dependent women can
gain and maintain sobriety."
Children's Book: When Mommy Drinks Drugs
S.T.A.R: Safety, Treatment And Recovery
National Organization of Women (NOW): "Love Your Body Day"
"Print ads and television commercials reduce us to body parts - lips, legs,
breasts - airbrushed and touched up to meet impossible standards. TV shows
tell women and teenage girls that cosmetic surgery is good for self-esteem.
Is it any wonder that 80% of U.S. women are dissatisfied with their appearance?"
What You Can Do
Take the Quick "Body Image" Survey
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Next Meeting
Our next meeting will be held on Wednesday December 10, 2008 at MMC from 1:30-3:00. If you have any agenda items please let us
know. RSVP 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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