Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month

April is Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month. In honor of this month and in an effort to keep kids safe, BCCS is planning to host a variety of events throughout the month, which will help to raise awareness about child abuse and prevention. This is an opportunity for BCCS to educate our staff and clients about the dangers of child abuse and the benefits of prevention and education, as well as providing an opportunity for us to come together to raise awareness in our state.

There is a significant need to raise awareness and educate our staff and clients about the seriousness of child abuse.  According to 2011 research by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, every year 3.3 million reports of child abuse are made in the United States involving nearly 6 million children.  Child abuse statistics in the United States are frightening – with reports stating that we lose five children every day due to abuse-related deaths.  Additionally, children whose parents abuse alcohol and other drugs are three times more likely to be abused and more than four times more likely to be neglected than children from non-abusing families.

Child Abuse Awareness Schedule

  

April 9th – Kickoff

Staff will be in the dispensing area and the lobby to hand out resources including bookmarks, ribbons, and tattoos and inform clients about activities that will take place throughout the month.

April 16th - Recovery for Resiliency

Clients will have access to items to pamper themselves and have a day of relaxation.  This will include meditation and yoga led by our staff that specialize in those areas.  These activities will take place in the IOP room and are open to all staff and clients.  

  9:00- 9:20  Meditation with Mike

  9:30- 9:50  Yoga with Donna

10:00- 10:20 Meditation with Mike

10:30-10:50  Yoga with Donna

11:00-11:20  Meditation with Mike

11:30-11:50  Yoga with Donna

April 23rd- WORKSHOP

Community Educators and Advocates and a number of agencies will come to present information to staff and clients on child abuse.  They will also educate us on the service available to youth and their families. All workshops will take place in the IOP room. 

9:00- 9:40   Child Inc                              Positive coping skills, dealing w/ difficult children

10:00-10:40  Crossroads                       Preventing learned behavior and substance abuse

11:00- 11:40 Prevent Child Abuse         Prevention and Education

12:00- 12:40  Child Mental Health          Connection to services

April 30th - WRAP UP

Luncheon and arts and crafts activities will be held. Several of our generous staff members have offered their time to do art projects with our clients and their children.

BCCS Participates in Common Ground to Benefit Clients

At BCCS, we work hard to provide our clients with the highest level of care and offer them top- notch services that benefit their treatment.  We want to empower them to be able to make positive changes in their lives on their road to recovery.

These beliefs led us to our involvement with the DSAMH sponsored project, Common Ground.  Last week, BCCS held an open house to kick-off the launch of Common Ground, a web-based software program that helps people prepare to meet with psychiatrists and arrive at the best decisions for treatment and recovery.  The system will help co-occurring clients communicate better with their prescribing doctor and come to a shared decision with them about their treatment plans.

BCCS’s Lancaster site, located at 2713 Lancaster Avenue in Wilmington, is the first co-occurring site to use this software.  It is BCCS’s goal to successfully implement Common Ground at the Lancaster site and then begin using it at its other locations throughout the state of Delaware. 

March is Social Work Month

March is Social Work month, so it’s a good time to say thank you to all of our dedicated staff at BCCS who work hard every day to help our clients make positive changes in their lives.  Below is a message written by BCCS’s Elizabeth Lombino, a Social Worker and the Director of Community Based Services & Staff Training and Development. 

Being a Social Worker means so many different things to me. It means having the opportunity to connect with diverse, vibrant people. It means a strong level of professional integrity. It means having a deeper understanding of the human race.

Being a Social Worker means being misunderstood. I kind of like this aspect of our profession. I am willing and able to inform others as to why the work of Social Workers is so important. Attempt to expand our collective world view.

Being a Social Worker means knowing how to work a soap box. Educate and advocate on behalf of those who do not always have the power or voice to advocate for themselves. Getting into a good debate with someone is part of the deal. These are the moments I feel most like a Social Worker. Advocating and attempting to raise awareness. Plus, I like to learn about people and see how their mind works. It’s a challenge and I kind of like that.

Being a Social Worker is a big part of who I am. Being a Social Worker means that I am part of a vibrant and wonderful profession. I could not imagine myself being anything other than a Social Worker.

March Is National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month and this year’s theme is, "Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day," which encourages personalized healthy eating styles and recognizes that food preferences, lifestyle, cultural and ethnic traditions and health concerns all impact individual food choices.

National Nutrition Month encourages nationwide nutrition education and was created forty years ago by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. We all are well aware that eating healthy will make people look better, feel better, and help them lead healthier lives, but making the right food choices on a daily basis can present challenges. Many of us do not take the time for ourselves to make good health a focus. Between the stress of daily life, work, and family – health and self-care are easy to put on the back burner. Below are a few tips on how to incorporate more healthy eating habits into your daily life.

• Eat a Variety of Nutrient-Rich Foods You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health and no single food supplies them all. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet can increase your nutrient intake and help protect you from a plethora of diseases. 
• Maintain a Healthy Weight The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity. Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer, and other illnesses.
• Eat Moderate Portions If you keep portion sizes reasonable, it's easier to eat the foods you want and to stay healthy.
• Eat Regular Meals Skipping meals can lead to out-of-control hunger, often resulting in overeating.
• Drink Water Cut calories by drinking water or unsweetened beverages. Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks are a major source of added sugar, and calories, in American diets.
• Cut Sodium Intake Select foods labeled “low sodium,” ”reduced sodium,” or “no salt added.” 

For more information, click here.

The Dangers of Underage Drinking

Underage drinking is a leading public health problem in the US. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, each year approximately 5,000 young people under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking from motor vehicle crashes, homicides and suicides, as well as hundreds of other accidents such as falls, burns, and drowning.

Yet drinking continues to be widespread among adolescents. Nearly 10 million youths, ages 12 to 20, in this country report they have consumed alcohol in the past 30 days according to the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. In the state of Delaware, more than 20% of adolescents drank alcohol for the first time before turning 13 and have had five or more drinks of alcohol in a row within a few hours.

To make the problem worse, once adolescents begin drinking they face a number of potential health risks. Studies show that young people who drink heavily may put themselves at risk for a range of health problems such as brain and liver functioning and growth.

At BCCS, we take alcohol abuse seriously, particularly with DE’s vulnerable adolescent population. Recently, BCCS's Statewide Coalition was honored for its commitment to the community through its SPF SIG program, which was created to reduce alcohol use and misuse among 12-25 year-olds. Funded through the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH), the program provides comprehensive substance abuse prevention services, which prevent and reduce alcohol abuse.

Another initiative that aims to help youth learn tools to avoid drinking alcohol is our You – Front & Center program, which is designed to change the attitudes of young Delawareans regarding alcohol and substance abuse, and works to build a network of capable young adults ages 18-25 who want to make positive choices about their future.

The Drop In Center Turns One!

BCCS is excited to announce that February was our Drop In Center's one year anniversary! BCCS began providing services last winter in the Center, which was designed to support the needs of our clients to help them build their lives towards structure and stability.

“BCCS Outreach staff invited those who have been using the DIC throughout the year for services to come and celebrate how the center has helped them and changed their lives.  The staff was able to come together and prepare food that they served to the clients at the one year celebration.  It was great seeing the staff continuing to show their care and support of the DIC and the people that it helps every day,” said BCCS Program Manager, Ralph Bradley.

The Center has been a huge success and has helped approximately 300 people per week since its opening.  The Center offers a drop-in zone to sit down and have coffee, a space to accommodate families including children, access to two full bathrooms with showers, computer access for job searching and training, a clothes closet that offers a selection of donated items for adults and children, a food bank that is available for emergency needs, screening rooms for HIV, HCV, and pregnancy testing, and space for group sessions. 

BCCS to Host Job Summit for Young Delawareans!

Calling all 18-25 year old Delawareans!  Come join us on March 6^th from 10AM to 2 PM, at the Embassy Suites in Newark, DE for our next You – Front & Center job summit! 

You – Front & Center is a program designed to help educate DE's youth about alcohol and substance abuse, and help them make positive choices about their future. 

One of the most important components of the You – Front & Center program is the series of job fair summits like this one, where participants can connect with prominent employers in the region and attend a free goal-setting workshop.  BCCS is happy to help DE’s young people set positive goals in their lives, connect them with employers, and assist them in creating a road map for achieving their goals.  

Click here for more information. 

Heart Disease Awareness Month

February is Heart Disease Awareness Month, so we would like to share with you some tips to prevent heart disease and to understand the symptoms of a heart attack.  Heart disease is a major problem in the US.  According to the CDC, each year about 715,000 Americans have a heart attack and approximately 600,000 people die from heart disease.

Prevention Tips

• Eat a healthy diet. Choosing healthful options can help you avoid heart disease.  Be sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, foods low in salt, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, and high in fiber. 
• Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can increase your risk for heart disease.
• Exercise regularly. Physical activity can help you maintain a healthy weight and lower cholesterol and blood pressure. The Surgeon General recommends that adults should engage in moderate-intensity exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
• Monitor your blood pressure. High blood pressure often has no symptoms, so be sure to have it checked on a regular basis.
• Don't smoke. Cigarette smoking greatly increases your risk for heart disease.
• Limit alcohol use. Avoid drinking too much alcohol, which can increase your blood pressure. Men should stick to no more than two drinks per day, and women to no more than one.
• Have your cholesterol checked. Your health care provider should test your cholesterol levels at least once every 5 years. 

Heart Attack Symptoms

The five major symptoms of a heart attack are:

• Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back.
• Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint.
• Chest pain or discomfort.
• Pain or discomfort in arms or shoulder.
• Shortness of breath.
• If you think that you or someone you know is having a heart attack, call 9–1–1 immediately.

Lastly, although heart disease is the nation's number one killer for both men and women, realize you do have control in preventing it.   According to the Mayo Clinic, 80 percent of heart disease is preventable, and even small lifestyle changes can have a big impact.