Write Your State Legislator: Maintain Funding to BCI

BCI clients, family members, and friends, you can help ensure that Delaware will continue to fund services for people served by behavioral health agencies. Here is a sample letter you can personalize and send to your State Representative or Senator.

We know the State of Delaware is facing a huge budget deficit for next year. If we make our voices heard, we may prevent a possible reduction or elimination of services for addicted persons and their families. If BCI has saved your life or the life of a loved one, please tell your story!

If you don't know who your legislators are, you can call the numbers listed here.

Your voice matters. Write today and give people affected by addiction hope for the future. Thank you!

A Clothesline of Love for Parents and Children

Child-sized T-shirts, bibs, and hats, colorfully decorated with messages of love, line the hallway today at BCI Lancaster. The clothesline was part of today’s Children's Celebration, A Blue Ribbon Day for Kids. Clients and their children enjoyed arts and crafts activities and lunch.

The event concluded BCI's month-long celebration of Child Abuse Awareness Month. Other April activities included handouts of information in the waiting room, “Release for Recovery” with nail painting and facials, and a “Get Informed” workshop on Delaware’s resources on child abuse.

In addition to having fun with the art project, today’s participants took away more useful information. “We’re giving out the Child Abuse 800 number they can call,” said Needle Exchange Coordinator Rochelle Booker (pictured above). “Also, we have pamphlets on child abuse and neglect prevention; when a child discloses abuse, how to report it; sexual abuse; and recognizing child abuse – the definition and warning signs.”

The Diamond State Roller Girls stopped by to help out with the event and donated some art supplies. “We like to support anything in the community that’s beneficial, especially that has to do with kids,” said Clinical Supervisor and roller girl Domenica Personti. “We actually have about 7 girls who are all in recovery. So it’s very close to them. A few of them said they wish things like this were taking place when they were getting their lives together, so they could do things with their kids in a safe environment.”

Below, members of our outreach team display some of the artwork created.

text4baby Offers Free Healthy Preganancy Tips

Are you an expectant mother? Do you have a cell phone? If so, you can now get free health care tips to help you have a successful pregnancy. Just text the word baby or bebe to 511411.

The "text4baby" program is completely free, even if you have a pay-as-you-go phone. It was created by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, and all the health care advice comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The program will send you three text messages a week on topics such as nutrition, and labor and delivery. Moms with babies under a year old can also sign up.




Image: James Cridland, Wikimedia Commons

April Is Alcohol Awareness Month

SAMHSA eNetwork would like to you know that Alcohol Awareness Month was created to raise overall awareness and increase knowledge about alcohol abuse and alcoholism—a serious, yet treatable disease—especially for those under age 21.

Prevention PSAs - In support of this initiative and the Surgeon General's "Call To Action To Prevent and Reduce Underage Drinking," SAMHSA is implementing a new wave of underage drinking prevention public service announcements (PSAs) for print, television, and radio. Available at stopalcoholabuse.gov, these PSAs are designed to reduce and delay the onset of underage drinking by increasing communication between parents and youth.

Town Hall Meetings - In addition, SAMHSA will conduct town hall meetings to discuss what can be done to prevent and reduce underage drinking. This year nearly 2,000 town hall meetings will be held across the country. Get more information or learn how you can participate.

Free Alcohol Screenings - Each April, Screening for Mental Health sponsors National Alcohol Screening Day (NASD). This observance offers the public the opportunity to take a confidential and free screening for alcohol problems. Take an Online Alcohol Screening here.

NAMI Delaware Walk Is May 1

BCI is proud to be a Pathways Sponsor of the 2010 NAMI Walk in Delaware. The goal of the walk is to raise both money and awareness of the need for our community to support a world-class treatment and recovery for people with mental illness. NAMI-DE works to advocate, support, and educate people with mental illness and their families. Their programs and classes are offered to the community at no cost to participants.



It's not too late to sign up and participate in the walk!
Location: Dravo Plaza at the Wilmington Riverfront
Date: May 1, 2010
Distance: 5 K
Check-in: 8:30 am
Start Time: 10:00 am
For more information, visit namide.org.

Benefit for the Children of Mike Kriner and Chris Sturmfels

Save the Date: Benefit for the Children of Mike Kriner and Chris Sturmfels

Saturday May 22 from 2 PM to 8 PM
Nur Shriners Hall, Route 13, New Castle, Delaware.
All proceeds will go to the Kriner and Sturmfels children's educational trusts.

*NATIVE AMERICAN OPENING CEREMONY
*KARATE DEMONSTRATIONS
*SILENT AUCTION

FEATURING MUSIC BY:
PHENOMENAL DELTA BLUESMAN - GARRY COGDELL
DELAWARE’S LEGENDARY - KENNY JONES
GANG OF TWO
IN TOO DEEP
THE CONDORS

*ADMISSION BY ADVANCE PURCHASED TICKETS ONLY*
INDIVIDUAL $30
TWO Adults for $50
Child 12-years & under $12

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: KRINER/STURMFELS BENEFIT
MAIL TO: KRINER/STURMFELS BENEFIT - PO BOX 672, DELAWARE CITY, DE 19706

INQUIRIES:
HOWARD ISENBERG - howardi[at]comcast[dot]net
RITA MAROCCO - rita.marocco[at]verizon[dot]net

Here is a printable Save the Date poster.

Virtual Guests: If you are out of state, country, or otherwise unable to attend the event, join the Kriner/Sturmfels Benefit Virtual Guest event on Facebook.

"Release for Recovery" and "Get Informed!"

Child Abuse Awareness Month continues at BCI Lancaster. Today from 9 to 12, we hosted a "Release for Recovery" Day. Our clients were treated to a day of pampering, painting nails, and facials, while learning information on how to prevent child abuse.

Next Wednesday April 21 from 9 AM to 1 PM, we present a workshop called "Get Informed!" We will have educators from different agencies in Delaware come and present information on child abuse and how kids are affected:

9am – 10am· Child Mental Health ·Linda Zervas
The Division of Child Mental Health Services (CMH) is part of the Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. CMH provides a statewide continuum of mental health and substance abuse (behavioral health) treatment programs for children and youth. These services have graduated levels of intensity and restrictiveness that are child-centered and family focused.

10am – 11 am· Crossroads of Delaware ·Alberta Crowley
Crossroads is an Outpatient Substance Abuse Program for adolescents and their families. Crossroads offers a Full and Part Time Day Program as well as Outpatient and Group Counseling. Crossroads has school-based programs in the Brandywine School District, as well as (Wrap-Around) AIDE services for youth.

11am – 12 noon· Child Advocacy – A.I. Dupont Hospital ·Susan Poley
The mission of the Office of the Child Advocate is to safeguard the welfare of Delaware's children through educational advocacy, system reform, public awareness, training and legal representation. The Office is hopeful that as word spreads regarding the Child Advocate, and as feedback from the child welfare system shows improved outcomes from children, representation of all children by either the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program or the Office of the Child Advocate will be a reality.

For more information about this workshop, please contact Domenica Personti at 656-2348, ext. 146.

We Offer Free Prevention Workshops

The Outreach, Prevention and Education Department announces FREE Educational Workshops. We want to meet you where you are!!!


Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Prevention

• Anything you ever wanted to know about how to be a healthy mother-to be
• Signs and symptoms of an affected child
• The father’s role in creating a healthy baby
• Information for you, your friend, sister, cousin, wife – anyone!!!

Drug and Alcohol Abuse Prevention

• All the information you need to prevent drug abuse
• How to deal with stress in a healthy way
• How to keep your kids off drugs
• How to recognize the signs of drug abuse in a loved one

The Prevention and Education Department services all adults who would like more information on how to prevent drug and alcohol abuse, and its consequences. We provide information for you or a loved one, on a strictly confidential basis.

Let us give a FREE presentation in your next staff meeting, college class, community meeting, parenting class, or anywhere else you see a need for preventative information dissemination!!

Contact:
Sara Yarnall
Prevention Supervisor
302-656-9880 x25

We also offer:

• FREE HIV Testing
• FREE Hepatitis C Testing
• FREE Pregnancy Screening
• FREE Needle Exchange

Brandywine Counseling is a community organization that provides holistic care to persons and their families living with addiction, mental health, and HIV-related challenges. Brandywine Counseling Inc. services all adults (18+) in the state of Delaware.

Joyce Bunkley to Receive Guardian Angel Award

BCI congratulates Joyce Bunkley for receiving a 2010 Red Ribbon Award from the Delaware HIV Consortium. Joyce will receive the Guardian Angel Award Saturday April 17 at the WOW Awards Celebration. This award honors an individual whose efforts improve the daily lives of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Joyce is a Christiana Care Nurse who works full time at BCI’s Lancaster Avenue Center. She is an integral member of our infectious disease clinic, which serves many of our clients in the Safety Net Services and NSAFE programs. The clinic is our “one stop shop” for HIV/AIDS and mental health services within a single clinical home. Joyce and the team do a great job helping people struggling with multiple diagnoses comply with their medications. They also increase patient comfort by reducing scheduling, transportation, and other practical issues that might otherwise become overwhelming and frustrating.

Congratulations Joyce!

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Alpha is Moving to 2500 W. 4th Street

BCI Alpha is moving this week to our new location at 2500 West 4th Street. All services located at 2814 West 2nd Street will be moving to the new location. Alpha will be closed Thursday April 15 and Friday April 16, and will reopen Monday April 19 at our new location.

Attention Drug Diversion clients: Drug screen services will be located at 4th Street beginning April 19. Drug screens will be collected Monday-Friday; however, between 12-12:30 PM, there will be no drug screen collection. Screens will still be collected between 5-9 AM at the Lancaster site.

Here is a map of our new location. It is two blocks away from our present building, near the new car wash on the corner of Greenhill and 4th. We are located inside 4th Street Plaza. Go through the main doors and up the stairs to the second floor.



Thank you and we hope to see you at the new location!

April is Child Abuse Awareness Month

BCI is proud to be a community partner in the 2010 Blue Bow Campaign for Child Abuse Awareness, which takes place during the month of April. We have planned several activities to educate our clients and staff and provide you with tools to utilize within your personal and professional lives, and within your communities.

This week, BCI staff were given a blue ribbon to decorate and hang on their door. On Wednesday April 7, staff will sit in our lobby and dispensing areas and hand out bookmarks, ribbons, and tattoos. Later in the month, we will have presentations on how abuse affects children, and what is reportable. An art therapy project is also planned for our clients and their children.

Here is a complete calendar of events from Children and Families First.