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cafcainc · 2 years
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Let’s Talk About It... - August 29th, 2022
In our culture there are topics that people often find difficult to talk about. Parents could certainly make a list of the difficult topics they struggle to know how to broach. There is even some concern that by talking about difficult topics that we are planting a seed or the idea and that could in some way be harmful to our children. While it is important to always consider a child’s age and developmental level, it is equally important to educate and communicate with our youth, even when the topic up for discussion is difficult. In this blog, I will discuss suicide prevention measures and why it is so important. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for our youth. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, nearly 20% of high-school students report serious thoughts of suicide and as many as 9% have made an attempt. Adolescents are vulnerable for many reasons, including their developmental level and social stressors.
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Because teens are often influenced by other teens it is important to teach young people how to recognize warning signs (clues) that a person considering suicide may display. The following list provides examples of warning signs that our youth should be able to recognize:  
Loss of interest/pleasure in activities
Giving away possessions
Dropping hints/clues that you may not be here very much longer
Expressing desire to die or not be a burden to others
Expressing feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or having no reasons to live
Suicidal behaviors that may include making a plan and/or doing something in preparation of ending one’s life
Change in behaviors, such as being risky
Using drugs or alcohol
Situational Clues – change in living situation, lose a job, failing in school, break-up, parents are divorcing, etc.
Equally important is helping youth know how to respond if they begin to pick up on ‘clues’ from their friends. If you recognize warning signs it is important that you TALK ABOUT IT. Asking someone if they are contemplating ending their life will NOT harm the person. If you cannot find the words and feel too uncomfortable then find someone else to ask. How you ask doesn’t matter, what matters is that you ASK.
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Teaching your teen about the prevalence of suicide and how to respond if they or someone they care about is considering ending their life could be a LIFE-SAVING LESSON. Reminding teens that problems are temporary and can be solved, no matter how difficult they may seem can give teens HOPE. Talking about difficult topics, like Teen Suicide can give youth the tools they need to preserve LIFE.
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Staci Holderman, MA, LPCC-S
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cafcainc · 2 years
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Watering Love - April 26th, 2022
You know that old saying “when you focus on the good, the good gets better”? While cliché, there is truth to that statement. We all want to live as our best selves. So how do we do that?
Growth. A continual, lifelong process. Something so much easier said than done. How do we foster growth? A part of this comes from what we are choosing to focus on. Anxiety? Negative self-thoughts? Guilt? All are perfectly valid seeds planted into our minds, but sometimes we focus on them too much. Many of us battle these every day, and at times they can take over. But, there’s good news! We can choose what we water, and what we water will GROW! Adopting this mindset can help us take charge of our minds.
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Each thought acts as a seed planted within us. And we can choose whether or not it should grow. Focusing on positive thoughts and believing them helps us to water our good seeds. Things like self-care, self-love, trust, and gratitude are seeds that, when watered, help us to sprout our best selves. Our focus is the water and our support acts as the sunshine. Support can look different for everyone. Some surround themselves with family and friends while others may need additional support from mental health professionals and/or medication. Either way, it’s all self-love. We are all different and it takes different amounts of water and sunshine for different plants to grow.
Give yourself room to grow!! We won’t always get it exactly right. But without our mistakes, we wouldn’t have the good. If you are needing extra support throughout your journey to growth the amazing staff at CAFCA can help.
Spring has sprung! What are you growing?
Raegan Miller, CSA, CAFCA Intern
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cafcainc · 1 year
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Why Therapy? - December 18th, 2022
Although there can be a stigma associated with paying an individual to listen to you, therapy actually has the potential to do wonders for a person’s mental health and overall sense of well-being.
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In 2020, the National Institute of Mental Health estimated that approximately 52.9 million adults in the United States have a mental illness. Among these 52.9 million adults, 46.2% of them sought out mental health services. But WHY were all these people willing to pay mental health professionals for their services? The American Psychological Association (APA) suggests several reasons:
Mental health counseling can be an effective approach for treating an array of mental and behavioral health concerns such as anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
The benefits of mental health counseling extend beyond the counseling session and even after the conclusion of one’s counseling services. For example, an individual with anxiety may learn coping exercises in-session to practice outside of the counseling room in their everyday lives. Another example would be an individual who wants help learning how to appropriately confront a boss at work. This client’s therapist could lead the client in a series of role-playing scenarios that the client could then practice out-side of the counseling session before confronting their boss.
Individuals who pursue mental health counseling typically do not experience harmful side effects. While it is true that verbalizing suppressed feelings and negative experiences can cause temporary unpleasant feelings, verbalizing one’s past hurts may be the gateway to healing and for finding the proper resources. For example, think of a student who was utilizing therapy with the purpose of increasing their self-esteem. After several sessions without much progress, this student disclosed to their therapist that they were being mistreated at school (ie. the negative experience), which in turn gave the therapist the opportunity to help their client be an advocate for themselves. 

In addition to these reasons, counselors and therapists are trained professionals who are required to uphold certain ethical standards on behalf of their clients. Among these ethical standards is the concept of confidentiality. The counselor pledges to not disclose their clients’ name or identifying information with others, unless mandated to do so by the law. Counselors are trustworthy individuals who seek to serve their clients to the best of their abilities.
Lucy Geisner, CAFCA Intern
Sources:
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2012/08/psychotherapy-effective
https://www.amhca.org/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFil eKey=24a27502-196e-b763-ff57-490a12f7edb1
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cafcainc · 1 year
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Couples at Christmas - December 15th, 2022
Maybe  you have seen the television ad where a spouse surprises their mate with a new shiny car in the driveway- bow and all. In another ad, the couple surprises each other with his and her new pickup trucks! The couples express gratitude to each other as they imagine how great life will be with their new items. (Merry Christmas)
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So what if you do not have $70,000 to $90,000 to surprise your spouse? Or worse, what if you find yourself longing for an item or gift that is just out of reach financially. This type of longing can lead to discontent, dissatisfaction, self doubt, or even blame- YIKES!
Consider that giving of items, new cars, diamonds, etc., is nice if you can afford it, but also it is perhaps the easiest type of giving there is. The most challenging type of giving is the giving of one's grateful self. When a couple cultivates a mutual gratitude, they are able to best appreciate the lives they are building together - keeping the struggles and hard times in perspective. Gratitude provides a foundation where couples can grow in their relationship as well as individually. In my work with couples, I encourage- challenge- each to bring  their best self to the relationship. This is particularly important when it comes to gratitude. When a partner expresses gratitude it helps to bind and edify the relationship. If a couple wants to gain more success and happiness, building and expressing gratitude is a great place to start and it won't max out your credit cards!
Take time to consider what gratitude means for you and your partner.
Let's examine a few quotes that describe how others view gratitude;
"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others."  - Cicero
"Gratitude opens the door to the power, the wisdom, the creativity of the universe. You open the door through gratitude." - Deepak Chopra
"'Enough' is a feast" -  Buddhist proverb
"I was complaining that I had no shoes until I met a man with no feet."- Confucius
"Gratitude, like faith, is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it grows, and the more power you have to use it on your behalf. If you do not practice gratefulness, its benefactions will go unnoticed, and your capacity to draw on its gifts will be diminished. To be grateful is to find blessings in everything. This is the most powerful attitude to adopt, for there are blessings in everything."  - Cohen
"It is gratitude that makes us joyful."
If you do not have a partner, consider how cultivating your gratitude could affect your relationships with friends, coworkers, neighbors and others you come in contact with-
One last quote, "Don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines."
So this holiday season, no matter what material gifts you may give or exchange, consider the giving of your grateful self. It will benefit you and those around you.
Harold Tokle, LMFT
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cafcainc · 1 year
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Social Anxiety During the Holidays - November 29th, 2022
For many the holidays are joyous times that spark delight and excitement; however, for some it sparks only worry and apprehension. Social anxiety is reported to be the third largest mental health care problem in the United States. Millions of people suffer from this condition every day, and it is common that those who suffer will suffer alone.
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Social anxiety is classified in two sectors, those who suffer from specific social anxiety such as speaking in front of a group. The other, more common form of social anxiety is denoted as those who become anxious, nervous, or uncomfortable in all social situations. Despite popular belief social anxiety can take place in whatever social situation one may be experiencing including interpersonal relationships, entailing romantic, friendships, and family relationships. Symptoms of social anxiety may manifest both mentally and physiologically.  Some of these symptoms may present as worry, indecision, depression, self-blame, heart racing, blushing, excessive sweating, dry throat, trembling, sweating, muscle twitches, etc.
If you suffer from any of these symptoms, there are some coping mechanisms that may help you through the holidays.
Take small steps! Slowly integrate yourself into the situation! Spend small amounts of time interacting and excuse yourself to take breaks to decompress as needed.
Lean on your support system. Talk to a friend or family member who you trust so you do not feel so alone.
Don’t exacerbate the issue.  Commonly the use of substances will only make the matter worse. So, if you are offered alcohol maybe opt to skip it!
Though approaching the issue may feel overwhelming, it is completely attainable! Remind yourself to focus on what is in your control.  Make a plan and always allow yourself to have a break if you need it! Do not be negative to yourself. No step is too little, and any progress is just that - PROGRESS!
Happy Holidays!!
Sarah Brown, Social Work Intern
References:
What is Social Anxiety? | The Social Anxiety Institute
How to Break Out of Social Anxiety During the Holidays | Counseling@Northwestern
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cafcainc · 1 year
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5 Self-Care Tips for Mental Health - November 18th, 2022
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Self-care can be defined as the process of taking the time to do things that can help you live a healthy life and improve both your physical health and mental health. Making sure you spend the time to focus on implementing a self-care routine is essential in improving mental wellbeing. Here are some self-care tips you should try:
Stay Aware of Your Emotional Health – Buy a planner, make a list, or create a reminder on your phone to help yourself to remember to check on yourself
Repeat Positive Affirmations – “I am enough”, “I can challenge my negative thoughts with positive ones”
Practice Breathing Techniques and Mindfulness Exercises – Take deep breathes, meditate
Spend Time with Loved Ones – Whether it’s with family, friends, or co-workers
Do Something That Makes YOU Happy – Take a walk, listen to music or podcast
Addy Kareken, Social Work Intern
Source: https://www.sfadvancedhealth.com/blog/mental-wellness-self-care-tips
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cafcainc · 1 year
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Seasonal Affective Disorder - November 7th, 2022
As the seasons change, many of us are affected by the lack of sunlight and the cold weather. This change can bring upon effects of SAD (seasonal affective disorder), but there are extra steps to ease this process. Feeling in a rut or simply put, wanting to lay down indefinitely, can be aided and eased with these additional tricks and tips. Firstly, getting sun is very important to our mental health and functioning; so, Vitamin D supplements are helpful for the lack of sunlight we will experience. Ensuring a proper amount of sleep and implementing or making sure there is time for exercise in one’s schedule is important as well. Exercise is excellent in releasing feel good endorphins that ensure the body and the mind are happy. Exercise can be done in any duration or intensity such as walking the block, doing an ab routine from YouTube, a Pilates class, or running/walking on the treadmill, etc. Self-care is especially important, such as making time for one’s laundry, showering, bathing, painting one’s toes, doing a face mask, pampering oneself etc. Plan ahead of time to ensure proper rest for yourself is taken as well as time to be active. It is especially important to practice boundaries and saying, ‘no’, in order to ensure proper care of oneself is taken. Also, never discount talking to a professional, as talking through issues can be the most beneficial part of working through them. Whether that be through a zoom telehealth call or an in-person appointment.
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The winter and SAD (seasonal affective disorder) can negatively affect people, though remembering to get proper Vitamin D ingestion, sleep, exercise and practicing self-care can drastically change the severity of the symptoms.  
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469 https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder
Kaitlyn Howell, Social Work Intern
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cafcainc · 1 year
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Co-Parenting - November 1st, 2022
Co-parenting is defined as sharing the duties of raising children. It requires empathy, patience, and open communication. Co-parenting is important when recognizing different traits and parenting styles each parent has.
Below are three types of co-parenting styles:
Parallel Parenting – most common and occurring more than half of the time. Parallel parenting involves low conflict or issues and communicate well.
Conflicted Co-parenting – frequent conflict and poor communication skills. Can be most harmful for children involved.
Cooperative Co-parenting – joint coordination from all parties and offering parental support to each other.
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These are the pros and cons of co-parenting:
Pros:
Have an open dialogue with ex-partner.
Having consistent rules and responsibilities in both households
Set boundaries and use positive talk in both homes.
Update each other and keep informed of all life/household changes.
Cons:
Do not burden the child(ren). Don’t sabotage your child’s relationship with the other parent(s).
Don’t accuse other parent(s) or jump to conclusions, discuss with them the issues that have been brought to attention.
Co-parenting will be a challenge but not for the needs of your children.
Bailee Marcum, TCM
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cafcainc · 1 year
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5 Vagus Nerve Exercises to Ease Anxiety - October 12th, 2022
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Polyvagal theory emphasizes the importance of the vagus nerve and the role it plays in a person’s mood.  The vagus nerve provides oversight to a person’s nervous system.  If the vagus nerve is nurtured, it can send signals to the brain that promote calm and happiness. Here are some simple exercises that may help shift your psychological state from anxious to calm!
Neck Stretch: Place your left hand at the top of your head and gently lean your head towards your right shoulder. Look up with your eyes and hold for a count of 30 seconds.  Repeat the same for the opposite side.  
Cold Water Exposure: Immerse your face, including your eyes, forehead, and majority of your cheeks in cold water for 15-20 seconds.  
Humming: Hum or make a sound with your vocal cords, like the “OM” used in meditation.  
Controlled Breathing: Breathe deeply and slowly from the abdomen. Envision the expanding of your abdomen and widening of your rib cage as you inhale. Exhale slower than you inhale and shoot for approximately six breaths per minute.
Foot Massage: Gently roll a frozen water bottle back and forth under your foot for one minute.  Repeat with the other foot.
Tamme Morse, LPCC
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cafcainc · 1 year
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Screen Time - October 3rd, 2022
Too much screen time is a hot topic for those of us in the mental health field.  For years, we have been recommending (maybe even begging) parents to limit the amount of screen time their children get.  When I began research for this post, I was appalled to see that there is an actual recommendation for the amount of screen time a 2 year old should have….a 2 YEAR OLD.  Your two year old simply does not need a device but, since it’s out there, here it is….for children aged 2-5 years, sitting and watching television, and using other electronic media (DVDs, computer and other electronic games) should be no more than one hour per day. For children/young people aged 5-17 years, limit sedentary recreational screen time to no more than 2 hours per day. www.health.act.gov.
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Why are we recommending screen time limits?  From my experience, the number of children referred to me for autism assessments who regularly spend 6-8 hours per day on a screen is alarming and should be a big red flag to parents, teachers and health care providers.  Many times, the child can learn how to interact with the world and are simply not given the opportunity.  Several studies document symptoms of too much screen time to include (www.theottoolbox.com):
headache
blurry eyes
foggy brain
eye strain
sleep issues
tantrums
emotional skills and emotional development
issues with problem solving skills
weight
physical health
In multiple studies, excessive screen time has been linked to school problems, anger, aggression, frustration, depression and other emotional problems. Over-stimulation causes kids to have poor focus and depletes their mental energy, which often leads to explosive behavior. I see this in my office every week.  www.allinahealth.org
A final piece of data that should make us all concerned is that in the United States, prisoners regularly engage in more outdoor recreational activity than our children.  While maximum security prisoners are guaranteed 2 hours of outdoor activity daily, half of kids worldwide only get an hour, and as many as one-third get less that 30 minutes.
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If I could make one recommendation to improve your child’s mental health, it would be put down your devices.  Yes, all of us, parents, children, teachers, providers….put down your devices.  Go outside.  Play, laugh, move.
Over the weekend, CACFA was honored to partner with Harrodsburg First and Harrodsburg Baptist Church to sponsor Kinderland during Oktoberfest.  This event was free and had a number of inflatables for children of all ages.  On Saturday alone, 350 families brought their children for hours of outdoor play.  I spent several hours there and not once did I see a child on a device.  It made me smile.
Susan Turner, Director, Licensed Psychological Practitioner
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cafcainc · 2 years
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Self-Diagnosing & Social Media - September 27th, 2022
Chances are that most of us have some sort of social media presence. Whether it be Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat or some other platform. As a society we’re pretty well connected. While scrolling through social media it isn’t uncommon to come across a person talking about a mental health diagnosis they may have received. A lot of people do this to raise awareness about the disorder and it can be empowering to do so. It can help end the stigma around specific disorders and it can raise awareness for mental health in general. While there are some benefits of discussing a diagnosis on social media there can also be some risks. One such risk being individuals self-diagnosing themselves with a disorder.  
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Problems With Self-Diagnosis One trend on TikTok lately seems to be people posting a disorder that they may have and then listing off the symptom criteria for the diagnosis. Again, this can be a great way to spread awareness, however, problems arise when individuals see the symptom criteria and start applying them to their own lives and eventually (and often inaccurately) come to the realization that they must also have the same disorder.  So, what are some risks of self-diagnosis?
Incorrect Information: A TikTok video or post on Facebook about a mental health diagnosis may not include all the relevant information pertaining to a disorder. Furthermore, it could contain inaccurate or misleading information.
Identifying with One or Two Symptoms: One or two points a person makes on social media may resonate with you and lead to the belief that if they have the disorder then you must also. Many mental health diagnoses have overlapping symptoms. Some mental health diagnoses require an assessment administered by a professional to accurately make a diagnosis.
Cooccurring Disorders: Maybe you see all the symptoms of a mental health diagnosis on social media and then you correctly make a self-diagnosis. Maybe you and the person on a TikTok video both meet the criteria for generalized anxiety. Many mental health disorders can occur together or at the same time. So, while you may have concluded correctly that you have generalized anxiety you could be missing other symptoms that could indicate you have a cooccurring disorder.
What To Do Instead If you feel like you are suffering from a mental health disorder or just having feelings of struggling in general the best thing to do is to seek out help from a qualified mental health professional. There are many resources online that can help you find a mental health therapist such as psychology todays provider directory which can be located at www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists. Another good place to start is with your family doctor. They will be able to inform you of mental health resources in your community and prescribe medication if needed. Lastly, if your child is experiencing behavioral issues, in addition to the resources mentioned above, you may be able to talk with your child’s school and the school may be able to offer information on resources.
Social media can be fun, and it can help us stay connected with our friends and family. It can help us pass the time, and it can help spread awareness about disorders. What it can’t do is assist in making an accurate and informed diagnosis.    
Aaron Carney, CAFCA Intern
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cafcainc · 2 years
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5 Tips for Personal Success - September 19th, 2022
Achieving personal success is an attractive goal for many. People want to achieve the goals they set for themselves in all aspects of life, including sports work, education, and relationships. People may believe that success is a mixture of hard work and luck. However, the reality is that there is no magic formula for success. Each person, their abilities, and their specific situation tips the balance towards either external or internal factors related to their "success." A key aspect to keep in mind is that personal success takes time and dedication to achieve. It is not something that can be accomplished overnight. Most everyone wants "success" and has some motivation to achieve. Obsessing over it isn't  beneficial for mental health.
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Think, how do you define success for yourself? others? Many times, our definitions of success may be influenced by our family of origin, other's expectations, television and media (God Help Us), or perhaps our own inner critic telling us, more! more! We may see others we deem as successful and begin thinking, maybe accurately, that their lives are easier than our own. We may equate financial success with personal success. We may even envy or be jealous of others achievements, actually discounting their efforts.
Here are 5 Simple Tips to increase your chances of achieving personal success:
Start Meditating - Many of our lives move at a dizzyingly pace. Our daily lives do not allow us to slow down, focus and reflect on what is really important, the present moment. taking time to explore what is happening on the inside rather than external forces and obligations allows us to organize our thoughts and direct our attention , maybe even re-assess our Goals.
Goals - Personal success involves achieving many things, such as work gratification and fulfillment, family stability, developing stable relationships, cultivating our abilities. Taking on too many things at once can be overwhelming as we search for balance in our lives. People may achieve financial success and due to their devotion and dedication to work miss out on important things that aren't things, such as child's first steps, baseball games, recitals, time with "important" people in their lives. Some Goals may seem myopic, achieving recognition in sports requires great sacrifice. An extreme example would be the personal goal of climbing Mt. Everest requires a great amount of sacrifice in other areas. As you examine your life goals, consider what you may give up in order to achieve. In a recent survey of Olympic athletes over 40 percent reported they would give up as much as a decade of their lives in order to "achieve" a gold medal.
Learn to Assertively Say "No" - It is not easy to say no to others requests. the discomfort people may feel is so great that, on some occasions, they prefer to give in, even if they are already feeling overwhelmed- adding to their distress and chaos. Constantly focusing your attention on others is an obstacle to personal success. There is absolutely nothing wrong with helping others. however, this becomes an issue when other people's request don't allow you to meet your own needs.
Be Proactive - Proactivity is the ability to anticipate situations. Proactive people do not wait for a problem to come along and fix it. Instead, they analyze the environment. detect potential problems and take action to prevent unwanted outcomes. Most importantly they learn to confidently visualize preferred outcomes.
Set Short-Term Goals for Personal Success - Personal goals may differ depending on when it is possible to achieve them. If you can achieve a goal in a week or two, it's a short-term goal. If It will take months or years to achieve, it is a long-term goal. Short term goals are easier to achieve and give information on your progress. As we learn to meditate and reflect on own personal success, we may realize that some of our behaviors are actually hindering our success. If someone is trying to improve their overall work performance and satisfaction, (long term goal) they may realize that going to bed earlier and getting a healthy night's sleep may be the achievable short-term goal.
Personal success may be considered a journey rather than a destination. The musical group Avett Brothers consider success as leaving this life with no hard feelings-think on this. Thank you and good luck as you define and pursue your own "Personal Success"!
Harold Tokle, LMFT
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cafcainc · 2 years
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Learning from Stress: Building Resilience - September 12th, 2022
It is a fact that everyone, everywhere experiences stress. Sometimes we may experience stress more intensely than other times in our lives. The term “stressing out” is a common household term these days. It’s almost a natural response for us to experience stress. Stress can come in many levels. Positive stress can occur to help keep us on track. Knowing that big work deadline is right around the corner can motivate us to try harder to stay focused this week. Tolerable stress is more serious but is temporary and adaptable. This may be the construction traffic you sat in this morning on the way to work, causing you to feel behind throughout your workday. And lastly, there’s toxic stress. Toxics stress can be prolonged and can impact many other aspects within our lives in a very disruptive way. Finding out you have an autoimmune disease is just one example. We all have experienced every type of stress and some point in time. Collectively, our world has experienced a rather toxic stressor of the course of the past two years, the Covid-19 pandemic. Identifying and acknowledging stress is easy. It’s easy to pick out all the annoying and challenging parts of our lives. But, how do we approach the conversation of coping with stress? This is where resilience comes in.
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Resilience to some may be a daunting concept, however, when broken down just means how support ourselves to get back on track after experiencing some level of stress. Resilience is literally defined as “toughness”, the ability to bounce back. Bouncing back from stress takes some work. Building resilience is being mindful about our experiences and learning how to overcome difficult emotions.
5 Tips for building and maintaining resilience include:
Challenge Your Thinking Be willing to reflect on the stressor. Try to see things from a different perspective. Focus on what you can control and what you can’t. Notice what your thoughts are trying to tell you when stress is around. Are those thoughts true? Cultivate a mindset that is inquisitive and open to understanding what is going on inside you.
Avoid Needless Stress Think about what it is you want to happen. Set realistic goals for yourself. Make a list of steps you need to take and try asking for help getting there. Don’t put off tasks. This will only make things worse. Learn what triggers you and set boundaries around this. Adjust your standards—learn to be good enough. You don’t always need to strive for perfection, your best is enough! This will help you build confidence to tackle stress.
Be Compassionate Be kind to yourself. Remember that stress is…stressful. Learning how to manage it can be hard work! Take time to practice gratitude and self-care. Give yourself grace and try not to judge some of those overwhelming feelings you may experience. Try listing some things you are thankful for.
Keep It Real Bad feelings don’t last forever, and setbacks will always come and go. Stress can sometimes serve a purpose that is helpful to us. Experiencing it is normal and something we all do. Expect and embrace the change! Even having a good laugh and sense of humor about stress can help us cope.
GET SUPPORT! Building positive relationships can help us make it through. What is your support system like? Do you have friends or family members you can go to when things get tough? Are you comfortable talking with them? Counseling may be a helpful intervention. Reaching out to a licensed professional can help you process what is going on and be motivation you need to get back on track. CAFCA offers a variety of services waiting to support you and help you learn how to practice these things!
Raegan Miller, LPCA
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cafcainc · 2 years
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Foster Care Crisis - August 22nd, 2022
Children enter the foster care system for a number of different reasons. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, communities can help prevent child abuse and neglect by creating strong and thriving children, youth, and families.
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Promoting some of the following protective factors is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of youth entering out of home placement:
Nurturing and attachment
Knowledge of parenting and of child and youth development
Parental resilience
Social connections
Concrete supports for parents
Social and emotional competence of children
How to support youth in foster care in your community:
Become a foster parent
Donate items (luggage, backpacks, clothes)
Volunteer
Provide Respite Care
Assist with Transportation
Advocate
Casey Harris, Targeted Case Manager
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cafcainc · 2 years
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Kids First Always - July 5th, 2022
During my years in field of education and over the last nearly ten years of working with families in the mental health field, too often children struggle with mental health issues that stem from choices completely out of their control.
A strong co-parenting relationship reduces the stress of children and provides comfort and security that every child deserves. When parents choose to work together for their child, they can balance the responsibility of parenthood by having another person to discuss issues with and rely on which can help to reduce their stress too.
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In my role as a targeted case manager, I continue to try and share positive examples with many co-parenting households some basic tips that can benefit their children over health. In fact, some research indicates that children from successful co-parenting household often are more likely to be successful in a career and even have lower divorce rate as adults.
Some research answers more positive outcomes from coparenting:
Children that see parents respecting each other often have higher self-esteem and learn social maturity.
The child will have better relationship with each parent.
Successful coparents never put the child in the middle of conflict; this can lead to mental health struggles and difficulties outside the family.
Coparenting makes things easier for others that are in the child’s life, teachers, caregivers, extended family, and friends.
When coparents communicate well, the child will learn social skills such respect and cooperation that they can carry with them throughout their life.
Children can experience first-hand courteous and effective problem solving through effective co-parenting, which will serve them well in their future.
Children can learn organizational skills they can carry into adulthood.
If problems arise with the child, work together to resolve them. If you choose to battle it out, never do so in front of the child. Negative thoughts may arise, please do not bad-mouth the other parent in front of the child. This can cause doubt and resentment toward that parent, which can lead to anxiety and unnecessary stress for the child. They may begin to question and doubt one and even both parents. If a child can’t trust and communicate with their parents, they will seek for that comfort elsewhere that could lead to self-doubt and detrimental relationships. 
As society continues to have more non-traditional households with both parents living in one home, we need to always keep in mind to put the child first. Children did not ask to come into this world, we created them, therefore it is every parents’ responsibility to do their best to care for their child and put their well-being before themselves, significant others, or current love interest. After all, you created this child so you should do everything in your power to make their live the best it can be, by always putting the child first!!
Jeanine Bottom, Targeted Case Manager
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cafcainc · 2 years
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Community & Individuals with Developmental Disabilities - June 27th, 2022
Community is very important, particularly to individuals with developmental disabilities. Therefore, having places such as the Academy on Main are so vital to the health of these individuals. There are so many positives to community, such as increasing social interactions, increasing confidence, autonomy in decision making skills, and increasing independent living skills. Community integration also promotes a sense of inclusion. This is because the participants enjoy knowing other people who are like them.
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They also benefit from involvement in community activities. For example, most years, the Mercer County Fair has a special needs day that our participants can attend. Our clients have also participated in community cleanup days around Main Street in Harrodsburg.
There are several other activities that we participate in when we are at the Academy building itself. For example, at the Academy on Main, every Tuesday we hold cooking classes with our clients to help them to develop those skills in the kitchen. The participants are enthusiastic in their pursuit of knowledge, be it through participating in these cooking classes or completing art projects. It is also important to give them a sense of routine. The participants know where they are going on any given day and have a general idea of what they want to do.
In conclusion, it is important for persons with developmental disabilities to have a sense of community and a place to go where they feel like they are seen and heard. That is why COVID-19 was so detrimental to the health of these clients. They had to isolate at home and were unable to spend time developing the skills that are so vital to their continued search for independent living. The day that they were able to come back together was an extremely happy one. The smiles on their faces were a mile wide.
Danielle Shisler, LPCC
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