Family Corner 

This Family corner looks at three different aspects of how to have a safe and enjoyable summer. While each provides some tips and suggestions, the third section reminds us about the key to holding it all together...

Family Corner At home: Internet Safety Tips

There was once a time when getting out of school for the summer also meant getting out of the house. For a lot of kids and families, the warm weather still signals a chance to enjoy what summer has to offer. But it is also a time when children and youths find that they have a lot of free time on their hands, and being outdoors is not their only option. A whole world is also available indoors, on-line through the internet, and it is one that more and more children are looking to for information and entertainment.

The Internet is a wonderful place, filled with a universe of opportunities for learning, social connectedness, games and fun. It may also be a dangerous place for our children. It is a good time for Family Continuity to share with you some ideas from The Family Online Safety Institute that has prepared a list of practical tips to ensure that your child uses the internet safely:

·         Talk with your children about Internet safety as soon as they begin using the Internet. It is never too early to start discussing the importance of being a good digital citizen.

·         Use age-appropriate filtering, blocking and monitoring software on all Internet-enabled devices used by your child: laptops, tablets, smart phones and video games.

·         Stay involved in your child's online world by setting limits on "screen time" and monitoring who your child is communicating with online. Get to know the web sites your child is visiting and educate yourself about your child's online activities.

·         Explain to your children that they should never give out personally identifiable information online. For example, your child should understand that he/she should not post detailed information about whereabouts, schedule,  personal contact, or family information.

·         Make sure your child knows never to meet someone they met online face-to-face without first talking with you about the situation. Tell your child to never share their passwords with anyone, including friends.

·         Explain the consequences of posting inappropriate material online. For example, a child's reputation can be impacted by a status entry or an image that is shared.

·         Monitor your child's mobile phone usage and review text messages sent and received, including, images downloaded and uploaded.

·         Educate yourself on the latest threats facing kids online (e.g., cyber bullying, sexting, etc.) and arm yourself with information that will allow you to talk to your child about being a good digital citizen.

The internet may be a relatively new thing for parents to have to contend with, but in many ways it is no different than any toy or entertainment. Even something as commonplace as riding a bicycle is fun, but if your child doesn't know how to ride, the rules of the road, or the value of caution, bicycles can be dangerous too. This is what parents are for.

Family Corner On the road: Free fun Fridays

 OK, so the kids have been in the house, they've grown tired of TV and videogames. They are coming to their parent saying "I'm bored, there's nothing to do, why can't we have some fun?" This is about the time when my mother would say, "If I hear you say that one more time, I'll give you plenty to do" We knew what that meant, chores, so the idea of getting out of the house was all of a sudden more appealing. Of course, there was another option, and sometimes the answer would be "Lets do something together", But what? The costs of a day trip, transportation, admissions to a lot of fun things can be prohibitive for many families, and time together is always at a premium.

Thanks to the people at the Highland Street Foundation, it turns out that there is a lot for families to do, and it is all free.

Thanks also to Family Continuity Family Partner, Robin Rivers for sharing this resource with us so that we can share it with you.

Family Corner: Together

This is the real point here. Kids need their time, adults need their time. But for a healthy family, Families need THEIR time. The internet can provide a pretty solitary pass time. Even trips, vacations and special events can be fun, but often still end up with the kids doing their thing and parents doing the same. The key concept in "Family fun" is Together. Together, as in interacting, conversing, joking, sharing, engaging, and enjoying each other's company. Although going to a ball game or movie might be entertaining, it is not being together. What everyone will remember long after this summer's fun is over is the fun you had Together.

Having Fun With Our Families to learn about more activities that can make every day, not just Fridays, a time of fun and togetherness, LINK 

Family Continuity News:

Last month we highlighted the first year of our public high school based mental health clinic services. As we said, this was just one example of Family Continuity's strategic goal of locating its programs throughout its service areas, in an effort to outreach to people in need of support, but who would have difficulty accessing what they need. As our first year programs have shown, co-location quickly becomes integrated care when our staff present and participate in training, care coordination, and shared case responsibility. This month, we are pleased to announce the start of three other outreach programs, all in different settings, but all focusing on providing the most needed services wherever, and whenever needed.

-       Douglas High School.

Last week Family Continuity initiated its third high school outreach program at Douglas High School, where we will be posting one clinician for one day per week for the remainder of this school year, and hopefully expanding the program next year to two clinicians for two days, a similar model to our programs at Northbridge and Uxbridge.

-       Community Teamwork Inc.

Over the past several months Family Continuity has forged a strong relationship with Community Teamwork (CTI). CTI, serving Greater Lowell, is a non-profit Community Action
Agency committed to helping low-income people become self-sufficient, and  find innovative ways to address issues across the spectrum of needs, from people who are homeless, or those facing foreclosure or eviction. CTI drives change with vital services and key collaborations, to create housing, education and economic opportunities that reduce poverty. It has been our experience that that the homeless and those on danger of losing housing can be an especially difficult to reach population, but one that nonetheless have suffered trauma and often needs counseling and other mental health services. They are a terrific agency with a mission that shares much with that of Family Continuity. Early this spring, we began discussing the needs that the families, children and adults they serve have for mental health services, and we hatched a plan to  start working together toward that end.

This month we are pleased to announce the start of what we hope will be a long and important collaboration. Staff from our Lawrence Mental Health Clinic will begin scheduling time and offering services at three CTI programs, it's YouthBuild youth development program serving teens, its Early Learning Center serving young children and families with child care services, and its Lowell based Resource Center, where families and new clients come to sigh up for and participate in a wide range of services. Working closely with CTI staff, we believe that the impact on the individuals served and the community itself will be a positive start to an integrated one-stop resource center for families in need.

-       Devereux Massachusetts