October 2012
Issue: 10
Right Turn Newsletter 

STOP!  Right Turn, Right Now

For what's new with Right Turn . . 

 

 

Staff Receive Cutting Edge Adoption Competency Training:  Now Offering Training for Mental Health Practioners 
 

  

The Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) is delighted to announce that with the generous support of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, C.A.S.E. has awarded Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska funding to provide Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) - a training for clinicians/mental health professionals that has been shown to be effective in developing adoption competent mental health practice.

 

Lutheran Family Services (LFS) is a statewide, faith-based not-for-profit multi-services human care organization that has provided services to children and families since 1892. LFS has partnered with Right TurnSM, a collaboration between Nebraska Children's Home Society and Lutheran Family Services to provide the TAC training. Right TurnSM has become a leader in the area of adoption and the State's primary provider for post-adoption and guardianship support. Right TurnSM was charged with the responsibility of capturing barriers to and gaps in services to adoptive and guardianship families since the start of the program in January 2010. Right TurnSM has not only recognized the shortage of adoption-competent mental health practitioners throughout the state of Nebraska but has partnered with Lutheran Family Services to create a solution. The partnership between LFS and Right TurnSM will allow for the availability of adoption competent mental health services to be available to adoptive families throughout the State.Right Turn TAC

 

Trainers, Cortney Schlueter and Linda Dubs, from Right TurnSM participated in a 5-day Trainer's Orientation in September 2012, and will begin implementing the TAC in November 2012. Lutheran Family Services will be one of six sites around the nation that provide this type of training to Licensed Mental Health Providers. The other sites around the nation are: The Department of Social Services, Catawba County, North Carolina; Lilliput Children's Services, Sacramento, California; the University of Minnesota Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, Minneapolis, Minnesota; The Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange, Inc. (MARE) in collaboration with Child & Family Services; and The Villages of Indiana.

For questions or additional information contact Cortney Schlueter:              402-661-7115 or [email protected].

 

Upcoming Trainings 

 

Understanding and Parenting Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder

 

Monday,

October 15, 2012

from 6:30 PM-8:30PM at   

Nebraska Children's Home Society

4939 S. 118th Street, Omaha NE 68137

 

 Learn More & Register

 

 

Training for Adoption Competency

 

For Mental Health Practioners

Begins Friday,

November 9, 2012

with 12 following sessions

9:00AM - 4:30PM

 Contact Suz Bittner at 402.661.7107 or [email protected].

Help Right Turn Help You!

 

Please complete the following short survey! 

 


Healthy Kids Street

Information related to childrens health . . .   
 
 

Secondary Disabilities in FASD

  

Primary disabilities are characteristics or behaviors that reflect differences in brain structure and function, such as mental retardation, attention deficits, and sensory integration dysfunction. Secondary disabilities are disabilities that the individual is not born with. These disabilities and behaviors develop over time because of a poor fit between the person and the environment.

 

Current thinking presumes that secondary conditions could be lessened or prevented through better understanding and appropriate interventions for children and adults with FASD and their families. The following secondary conditions have been found to be associated with FASD:

  • Mental Health Problems - Several studies have documented an increased risk for cognitive disorders, psychiatric illness, or psychological dysfunction among most individuals with FASD. The most frequently diagnosed disorders are attentional problems, including Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD); conduct disorder; alcohol or drug dependence; depression; or psychotic episodes. The incidence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts is reported as significantly higher in people with FASD. Other psychiatric problems, such as anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder, have also been reported for some.
  • Conduct Problems in School - Children with FASD are more likely than most children to be suspended, expelled, or drop out of school. Difficulty getting along with other children, disobedience or disrespect toward teachers, and truancy are some of the reasons that lead to removal of these children from the school setting. Even children with FASD whose behavior is not severe enough to cause their removal from school, many remain in school but have a negative experience due to their behavioral problems.
  • Trouble with the Law or Incarceration - Teenagers and adults with FASD are more likely than the general population to be involved with the criminal justice system and experience incarceration. Difficulty controlling anger and frustration, combined with problems understanding the motives of others, result in many individuals with FASD being involved in violent or explosive situations. Individuals with FASD can be very susceptible to persuasion and manipulation, resulting in unwitting involvement in illegal activities.
  • Alcohol or Drug Dependence - More than a third of individuals with FASD have had problems with alcohol or drugs, with more than half requiring inpatient treatment.
  • Independent Living - Adults with FASD generally have difficulty sustaining employment or living independently as productive members of their communities.

PROTECTIVE FACTORS
Despite the serious nature of the secondary conditions that can occur with FASD, several positive factors have been identified that may mitigate these conditions. These protective factors include the following:

  • Early diagnosis - Children with FASD who are identified early have an improved prognosis. Early identification allows for enrollment of the child in appropriate educational classes and provides access to social services that may benefit the child and his or her family. In addition, early diagnosis provides families and school personnel with an explanation of why the child may act or react differently than other children in some situations.
  • Involvement in special education and social services - Children who receive special education geared towards their individual needs and learning style are more likely to achieve their developmental and educational potential. Children with FASD exhibit a wide variation in behavioral characteristics and severity of symptoms. Special education allows for individuation of their educational programs. In addition, families of children with FASD who receive social services, such as respite care or stress and behavioral management training, have more positive outcomes than families who do not receive such services.
  • Loving, nurturing, and stable caretaking environment - While all children benefit from a loving and stable home situation, children with FASD may be particularly sensitive to disruptions, transient lifestyles, or dysfunctional relationships. Community and support of the family, as well as the child, are needed to prevent secondary conditions in individuals with FASD.
  • Absence of violence - Individuals with FASD who do not experience abusive households or become involved in youth violence are much less likely to develop secondary conditions than children who have had such negative experiences. Children with FASD need to learn and be taught alternate ways of expressing their anger or frustration.

Source: Centers for Disease Control FASD Fact Sheet

Neighborhood Watch

Information about community services!

 

 

October Fun for the Entire Family!

 

 

Statewide

 

Pumpkin Patches and More!

Visit this website for information regarding fun Halloween and Fall activities in your county!

http://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/NEpumpkins.php#listings 

 

Lincoln

 

Boo at the Zoo - Lincoln Children's

October 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 I 5:30 - 8 p.m

Learn More!

 

Omaha

 

One World Community Health Centers Trick-or-Treating

October 26, 2012 I 4:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m

Trick-or-Treat through the Livestock Exchange Building

4920 South 30th Street, Omaha

Children Ages 0-12

Learn More!

 

Westroads Mall Spooktacular Trick-or-Treat Event

October 26, 2012 I 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m

Line will form at the Food Court Entrance

Learn More!

 

Haunted Safari at Wildlife Safari Park

October 12-13, 2012

Learn More!

 

Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo - Spooktacular

October 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28, 2012 I 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m

Learn More!

 

Self Care Circle
Tools to stay at your best!

 


Self-Care Tips for Autumn

Article by Jolene Park, B.A., Certified Nutrition Consultant, Yoga Teacher

Reference Book: The Way of the Happy Woman: Living the Best Year of Your Life by Sara Avant Stover 

 

  1. Allow yourself more time to rest since your circadian rhythm is shifting. This could mean going to bed a little earlier (drink some chamomile tea before bed) waking up a little later, or even taking a catnap in the afternoon.
  2. Indulge in quiet walks through nature if possible.
  3. Let yourself cry when you need to.
  4. Turn to the healing power of prayer and ask for guidance, support, and protection during transition.
  5. Infuse your home or bath with essential oils of sandalwood, neroli or geranium.
  6. Light candles or a fire inside. Or even better, sit at a bonfire outside with friends -release whatever you need to let go of into the flames.
  7. Drink warm water with fresh lemon first thing in the morning.
  8. Make yourself a cup of hot almond milk with nutmeg and drink before bed.
  9. Let go of relationships, thoughts, situations and beliefs that are holding you back. She recommends writing a letter to someone or something you're ready to let go of. Record the things you learned, the unsavory pieces as well as the blessings that you will carry with you as you move forward. This letter is for your eyes only so don't hold back, write it all down. When complete, burn (release) the letter.
  10. Build stability in your body and clarity in your mind through a flow yoga practice.
  11. Massage warm sesame oil into your head (hair if you're washing it) around your ears and face. Then work downward to your feet, paying extra attention to your belly (use circular motion there) and the soles of your feet. Use long strokes on your limbs and circles on your joints. Sit on the edge of your tub, or lie down on a towel on the floor. Relax and breathe deeply for ten minutes while the oil sinks in. Take a hot shower or bath, washing the oil off with a gentle soap. This is an Ayurvedic practice that helps to ground, warm and calm you during an otherwise cold and dry season. It draws toxins out of the tissues and into the blood stream for elimination.
  12. Choose heavier, denser, cooked foods to ground and insulate you during the cold weather. The dominant color of this season is white. Add daikon (Chinese radish), quinoa, millet, bananas, apples, garlic, ginger, oats, pears, parsnips, turnips, cauliflower, okra, and onions to your diet whenever possible.
  13. Make the nightly ritual of writing down all the things that you are grateful for from that day. If you sleep with a partner, share your lists with each other.
  14. Create an "absolute yes list". For example, sleep at least eight hours a night, take a candle light bath a few times a week, go for walks outside even it's just for 10 minutes a day, spend your mornings in silence, eat simple wholesome foods, meet up with friends a couple times a week, totally unplug one day a week.

 

 

 
Halloween Parties!

 

Lincoln Area Halloween Party

 

Monday,
October 29, 2012

6:00PM - 7:30PM

Nebraska Children's Home Society

4700 Valley Road

Lincoln, NE 68510

 

Omaha Area Halloween Party

 

Saturday, October 13, 2012

 11AM-1PM

Cooper Village Farms

8602 Mormon Bridge Road

Omaha, NE 68152

 

The Road Ahead

 

Support Groups

Grand Island
Tuesday
October 16, 2012
6:30PM - 8:00PM
Education Quest: Preparing your Child for College
YWCA
211 East Fonner
Park Rd.
Grand Island, NE

Supper and childcare provided when you RSVP one week in advance to Sara Sanson at 308.698.1107 or [email protected].
 
WE NEED YOUR HELP to CELEBRATE!
While Right Turn is proud to support families through difficult times, we also know that adoption is something to be celebrated!  Adoptive families and children who have experienced trauma and loss have lots of moments to celebrate. 

Whether it is adoption day, or the first time you feel your child relax when you hug them - all these moments are important and deserve to be honored. 

We are hoping you will share your best moments with us by answering one or more of the following questions and submitting it to
Brenna at [email protected]. or
Right Turn
Attn: Brenna
124 S. 24th St.
Ste. 200
Omaha, NE 68102

1. Describe your "falling in love" moment with your child.

2.  Ask your child to share their story of learning they belong in your family.

3.  Describe any celebrations you have had along the way.  Small ones, big ones and everything in the middle.

 Right Turn plans to use these moments of celebration to help educate the community about the joys of adoption.  You can share your stories anonymously, ask to receive contact before its use or indicate that Right Turn is able to use as appropriate.

Right Turn will be in close contact with you regarding any opportunities to share your stories to ensure that you are comfortable  with how your story may be shared.
 
Right Turn is a collaboration between Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska and Nebraska Children's Home Society.

To learn more please visit the following websites: