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.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Says “Take 3” Actions to Fight the Flu

The dreaded cold and flu season is back – and arming your immune system is more important than ever. Exercise, diet and understanding the latest flu vaccines will help you stay on top!  The flu is a serious contagious disease that can lead to hospitalization and even death, so it is not something to take lightly.  The CDC urges you to take the following actions to protect yourself and others from influenza (the flu): 

Take time to get a flu vaccine

• CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses.
• While there are many different flu viruses, a flu vaccine protects against the three viruses that research suggests will be most common.
• Everyone 6 months of age and older should get a flu vaccine as soon as the current season's vaccines are available.
• Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness.

Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs

• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
• While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor prescribes them.

• If you get the flu, antiviral drugs can treat your illness.
• Antiviral drugs can make illness milder and shorten the time you are sick. They may also prevent serious flu complications.
• Studies show that flu antiviral drugs work best for treatment when they are started within 2 days of getting sick, but starting them later can still be helpful, especially if the sick person has a high-risk health or is very sick from the flu.

Holiday Survival Kit

Holidays can be a challenging and stressful time for everyone, particularly for persons who are GLBTQ.  The Mazzoni Center, a GLBTQ nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia, put together a helpful survival kit that includes activities and stress coping strategies to make the holidays easier to manage. 

The purpose of the survival package is to provide both resources and ways of coping with holiday situations for GLBTQ persons who may be by themselves or who are returning to families during the holidays.

To view the survival kit, click here.

For more information about the Mazzoni Center, visit by clicking here.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic violence continues to be a huge and largely hidden problem.  Most people can say that they have been affected by domestic violence, rather personally or through knowing someone who has been physically, sexually, psychologically or verbally abused by a partner.  Domestic violence crosses all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines, and it happens in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships.

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, in the United States, 1.3 million women and 830,000 men are assaulted each year by people they believe love them. In a 2005 survey, the Centers for Disease Control found that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men are victims of domestic violence at some point.

Domestic violence may go unrecognized because victims often don’t complain because their partners may have instilled a fear in them to remain quiet.  Unfortunately, it is often only when someone has become seriously hurt or has an emotional breakdown that their friends, family members, or professionals realize what is going on.

Since the 1994 passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), there has been increased awareness of the problem.  This has been greatly beneficial to lessening the stigma, breaking down some of the barriers, and allowing people to come forward to get help.  It is crucial for victims of domestic violence to have the courage to come forward, seek help, and stop the vicious cycle of abuse.

BCCS Participates in DE Pride Fest!

                                               

BCCS participated in the Delaware Pride Festival on September 8, which was located at the Diamond State Park in New Castle, Delaware.  BCCS staff had a table to highlight the numerous services for addiction and mental health that are available to the GLBTQ community.

Pride Festivals have been traditionally both a place to celebrate and to provide support for those of the GLBTQ community.  GLBTQ Pride Festivals are now in all 50 states, and are also celebrated globally in many places including Europe, Russia, China, India, Africa and Asia.  Pride festivals are a celebration for not only the GLBTQ Community, but the community on a whole. The word pride speaks of the feeling of self worth, connectedness, and dignity that festival such as this embrace. 

During the festival, an older gentleman came over to the BCCS table.  He introduced himself and said, "I'm 64 and I just came out.  This is my first Pride Festival.  I’ve struggled with depression my entire life and I’m slightly depressed currently. I just want to meet others in a similar situation to me.”  After we spoke for a bit, I directed him to services that BCCS offered that could help him overcome his depression and find a network of people with similar struggles.

After my interaction with him, I sat down and reflected on his comments and our interaction. I realized that the power of BCCS isn’t just the services that we offer, but it’s our openness to people and our non-judgmental approach, our interest in listening to others’ issues, and our willingness to genuinely want to connect people to care and help them. 

Daniel Norvell, ICADC, ICCDP