The Family Corner- Back to School
|
Well, the summer is almost over,
and its time to get back to one of the
most important routines for
families..School. The beginning of a new school year can be a stressful time
for children, with new teachers and classmates, bigger classrooms, new routines
and more schoolwork.
This is especially true for children who are facing major
transitions such as starting elementary school or entering middle school. As a parent, there are proactive steps you can take to support your child as he or
she heads back to school.
- Express interest and enthusiasm about the start of the school year. If you are confident, your child will be too.
- If you have visited your child's school already, you are one step ahead of the game. If not, take a walk around the school with your child and locate his or her classrooms, lunchroom, playground and restrooms. This will help keep your child from feeling lost on the first day.
- Take time to listen to your child's thoughts about the new
school year. Is he or she worried about anything? Remember to let your child
know that it's normal to feel nervous about the start of school.
- When they start, spend time each day talking to your child about what happened in school. Give your child positive feedback about his or her new
experiences.
- Praise and encourage your child to become involved with school
activities and try new things.
- Attend school functions and stay involved in your child's
education. Children whose parents are more involved with their education have
higher achievement, are better adjusted and are less likely to drop out of
school.
- Make a point to learn about how your child develops not just
physically, but socially and emotionally, as well. If you are aware of
what's typical behavior and thoughts for your child's stage of
life, you will be able to tell more readily when things may not be right.
Anxiety and stress about starting school is normal for a
child and usually passes within the first few days or weeks. If your child
continues to seem anxious or stressed, talk to your child's pediatrician
about what you can do as a parent. If problems persist, consider a referral to
a trained and qualified mental health professional.
From Mental Health America, for other resources, click on www.nmha.org
|
Program Highlight- Flex and Wraparound Programs
|
While Family Continuity is
sometimes described as a Mental Health agency, we know that there is much more
to it than counseling and therapy. Mental health is also closely associated
with good physical health, strong friend and family relationships, and positive
outlets for recreation. For many years, Family Continuity has provided services
that get at these needs to children referred by the Massachusetts Department of
Mental Health through two programs; its "Flex" programs located in
Lawrence and Hyannis and its "Wraparound" programs serving Lynn and
Lowell.
"Flex" stands
for flexible support, and it pretty much describes how they do their work. The
staff take great pride in becoming partners with the child and family, learning
the challenges of life in their homes and
communities, and helping to provide
whatever it takes, whenever and
wherever necessary to help children confront their
mental health issues
and overcome them. Teaching social skills, helping
children and parents
with discipline, teaching parenting skills, mentoring
children, and a host
of other activities are all part of the day. Starting this
summer, the Flex
programs have provided respite and mentoring services to a new
group
of children, those involved with the Children's Behavioral Health
Initiative
(CBHI), providing in-home respite services. Throughout the fall,
they will
also offer three psycho-social education groups to children of
various
ages to help them thrive socially and in their family and peer
relationships.
The Wraparound programs cover
much of the same ground, but they work with "family partners" (see
the description of this program in our July Newsletter), parents of children
with emotional and mental health
problems who have successfully navigated the
system, and who use their experience as peer mentors and guides to help other
families. The Wraparound programs also sponsor family support groups, public
education and training, and a wide variety of family recreational events in their communities such as the Lowell Community Garden (see story below).
We believe that these
programs, in their own way, have as much impact as our more formal counseling
and therapy. And, if you asked the children and family members who participate,
they would most certainly agree.
For more information about our Flex Programs
contact:
Robin
Risso, Lawrence Flex at
978-620-2501
Ann Beckert, Hyannis
Flex at 508-815-5151
Lynn
Powers, Lowell Wraparound at
978-620-2528
Bob
Kowalik,
Lynn Wraparound at 781-477-7997
|
|
Lowell Community Garden
|
Family Continuity's
Lowell Wraparound Program is literally blooming at the seams.
As part of their
non-school hour programming, a community garden was planted in late June. The garden was created for several
reasons: getting children and adolescents interested in green activities, to
educate them on how to plant and care for a garden, use the fresh produce in
cooking projects, as well as a "plant it forward" program. All harvested
produce will be given to the Tewksbury Food Pantry and others in need. It includes both a vegetable and herb garden
with the ability to double in size next year. The garden was planted on the
grounds of the Tewksbury United Methodist Church which has become the program's
satellite site for many of the activities the Wraparound Program is developing.
|
|
Volunteers Needed
| You don't need to be a professional to
change the lives of families, children, elders, and other of your neighbors.
Family Continuity provides services at almost 20 sites around Massachusetts,
and each one offers opportunities for volunteer work that can make an important
contribution. We are looking for men and women for volunteer work in our hub offices
to support the important work that we are doing in the community by performing
light office work.
For additional information,please call our
Information Line at 1-866-219-3320.
|
|
Real Stories | |
Chantelle's Story
Things
don't get bad overnight, and unfortunately, they don't get better overnight
either, as Chantelle will tell you.
The past four years of my life have been very
difficult and interesting. When I was growing up I thought that no one loved me
in my family so I went to look for friends that I thought would love me like I
was family. I hated when anyone told me what to do so I always blew
people off. I started to run away from home and be disrespectful to my
mother and not follow her house rules. My first day of high school I
met with my friend and we thought it would be cool so I skipped my first day of
high school. Later on in the school year I would skip school probably
three times a week. My mother got sick of my actions and filed a CHINS but
I still didn't listen. I was placed into detention at least four to five
times. The judge also got sick of seeing me and called DSS. For the next
8 months I lived in a trailer with a foster mother and her daughter. I
went to school, came home and stayed in my room. I had to go to a new high
school. The kids were so different from me, I felt like I didn't belong
there. During that summer I got to go home. I was excited. I
behaved for a few months and then it started to go downhill again. I met
this boy I was crazy about him. I never wanted to go home but he always
made me go. But, also that same summer I started hanging out with some of
my old friends.
Here's where I hit bottom. One day I had $70 and
I wanted to buy a half of Mary Jane nut. I was with my sister and two
friends. We smoked while my sister drank. After we were done I was
really sick, so I went outside to get some fresh air. Something was very
wrong. I couldn't feel my face or my body. My friend had to carry
me to her house, and the whole way there I am thinking that I am just going to
die. I could feel my body getting really cold and weak and my heart slowing
down. My sister didn't want to call my mother because she didn't want to
get into trouble. But my friend's mom got home and saw me. She called my mom in like 2 seconds.My mom
got there and called an ambulance and they rushed me to the hospital. I
knew deep down I would have died if they never called my mom. I remember thinking that tonight is going to be the last day I
live on this earth without having the chance to say how much I love my
mom. After, I had a lot of time to think about things since I couldn't go
anywhere. I knew from the start when I was almost dead that I had to find
new friends because a real friend cares about you when you get hurt; they will call your parents. My own
sister didn't call my mother. They were just going to let me die just to
save their own butts. Read the rest of the story.
|
|
Family Continuity's Mission Statement:
Supporting family success in every community by empowering people, enhancing their strengths, and creating solutions through partnerships to achieve hope, positive change and meaningful lives.
Agency Values: Family, Community, Advocacy, Leadership, and Change Treatment Philosophy, founded on the belief that positive change is always possible:
* The most effective treatment provides a continuity of care, acknowledging that connected, relevant supportive services to clients/client families promote recovery, stability, self advocacy and permanency in the midst of changing needs.
* Therapeutic change occurs in the context of a dynamic treatment partnership between clients and helpers that is founded on choice, respect, honesty, and a shared responsibility for and participation in the development of solutions.
* Effective treatment is empowering and strength-based, recognizing that all clients possess resources for change and that change is possible when these resources are utilized.
* Creating meaningful lives starts with identifying goals and connecting that to individualized, flexible and creative treatment planning that incorporates a client's family/community relationships, culture, and context. |
|
|
E-mail us and let us know you want to be on the list today! Please forward this to others and encourage them to sign up! Click the above box.
| |
|
