MONDAY MEMO #16

Resilient Georgia
Feb 3
5 min read

Happy Monday and welcome to February! As we step into a new month, we’re excited to share resources and opportunities that support resilience and advance mental health initiatives across our state. This week’s edition includes valuable tools for healthcare providers, mental health resources, and those working in substance use recovery, along with resources for fostering social connection and professional development. But before we dive in, here are some key updates and highlights from the RG Team to keep you informed and engaged!

RG Highlights

Self-Care for Professionals: Gabrielle Stewart created this Self-Care Resource Guide which offers practical strategies for preventing burnout, compassion fatigue, and vicarious trauma. Additionally, plans are underway to develop this resource into our 8th Learning Card! We know there is a lot going on in the world, so please share widely and be sure to take care and integrate self-care into your daily routines to support yourself during this time.
February Lunch & Learn: Christopher Wolf Crusade Join us February 13th from 12-12:45pm to hear from Cammie Wolf Rice, founder of the Christopher Wolf Crusade (CWC Alliance), as she shares her mission to prevent opioid misuse and honor her late son, Christopher. Resilient Georgia is also partnering with CWC Alliance through a two-year grant to launch a Statewide Teen Opioid and Fentanyl Prevention Initiative. This program will empower teens as Care Coaches to educate peers and communities about opioid safety, Narcan use, and mental wellness. For details or to request a Zoom link, email Alex English at aenglish@resilientga.org.
Chart of Executive Orders for Nonprofits This resource from the National Council for Nonprofits helps nonprofits track recent executive orders, their status, and potential impacts on organizations. Feel free to share widely and stay informed.
Upcoming February Dates:
- February Peer-to-Peer Network Meeting: Tomorrow February 4th from 2-3pm
  - Join us for a discussion on how to Bolster Coalition Building Efforts and Partner Engagement!
- February Office Hours: Wednesday February 12th 4-5pm and Thursday February 13th 8-9am

Coalition Highlights

Resilient Middle Georgia - The AJC published an article highlighting RMG’s Darice Oppong’s journey toward healing and resilience. After the loss of her infant son, Judah David Oppong, Darice discovered solace in crochet—a skill that not only helped her process grief but also paved the way for a transformative new program. By introducing crochet to NICU parents, Darice is offering a compassionate support network during a profoundly challenging time. We are honored to witness Darice’s heart-driven mission and proud to partner with her as she supports the Middle Georgia coalition work.

Building a Region of Resilience Northwest Georgia - Each month, BRRNWGA shares Family Table Talks, an overview of a concept with conversation prompts to help communities and families discuss these important relational needs. You can also check out the short YouTube video that accompanies the Family Table Talk cards. Thank you for your efforts, NWGA team!

Healthcare Providers

Communication PEARLS - This resource from CLOSLER gives tips for providers on how to more effectively and empathetically communicate with patients to ensure efforts result in positive outcomes. PEARLS stands for Partnership, Empathy, Apology/Acknowledgment, Respect, Legitimation, and Support. It is a framework used to enhance communication by fostering trust and connection between professionals and their patients or colleagues. Each element of PEARLS helps build rapport and improve the effectiveness of interactions by demonstrating understanding, validation, and respect. Please share with your partners!

Advising People on Using 988 Versus 911: Practical Approaches for Healthcare Providers - This guide from SAMHSA aids the community in understanding the differences between 988 and 911, how to navigate both systems and how to choose which is the most appropriate for meeting immediate needs.

TI Resources for Med Students - This new resource from Resilient Georgia outlines what it means to be trauma-informed for medical students and why it matters, and pairs this with examples of initiatives in Healthcare & Higher Education, as well as available training resources to move from trauma-aware to trauma-informed. Please share with your healthcare and academic partners and medical professionals!

Mental Health Resources

Mental Health Coalition Resource Library The Mental Health Coalition’s Resource Library is made available by their alliance of the leading mental health organizations. They encourage you to browse this database to learn about mental health, help a loved one, learn coping skills and seek support. You can search by key words, by category, or provider.

Mental Health Advocacy Resource Toolkit This resource from Free Your Feels is designed to help you and your community support mental health, providing an explanation of advocacy and giving tangible steps and resources to support your advocacy efforts. By advocating, we can build a more inclusive and supportive environment not only for ourselves, but for everyone. Every action, big or small, can contribute to a movement for mental health equity.

New Initiative to Address Mental Health in GA The Ad Council announced a Georgia-focused mental health initiative in collaboration with the Atlanta Falcons, UGA Football, and the Blank Foundation. This effort extends the national "Love, Your Mind" campaign, aiming to foster openness and proactive attitudes toward mental health and features a new PSA titled "The Rituals We Share," showcasing Falcons and Georgia Bulldogs sharing their mental health practices. The Blank Foundation has provided a grant to support this campaign, emphasizing its commitment to destigmatizing mental health conversations and encouraging Georgians to prioritize their mental well-being. For more information and resources, visit LoveYourMindToday.org.

Professional Development

Developing Digital Safety, Empathy, and Mindfulness This free webinar on February 6th at 12:00 PM will address the growing challenges of AI, social media apps, online gaming communication, and evolving wearable technology. Richard Guerry will provide practical strategies for responsible decision-making in the digital age, helping attendees guide both youth and adults toward informed and mindful technology use to not just survive, but thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Talkable Communities Training Calendar: Talkable Communities provides free mental health training courses to prepare us for mental health emergencies. Their training calendar provides online courses that include Mental Health First Aid (youth and adult) and Question, Persuade, Refer, among other evidence-based training. Check it out and share widely!

The Benchmark Community Collaborative: Join the conversation Thursday, March 6th from 11AM-1PM at the Rainwater Conference Center in Valdosta, GA. This event will focus on models for long-term treatment of severe and persistent mental illness, providing an opportunity for networking with community partners dedicated to mental wellness and recovery. Attendees will receive lunch, and 2 CEUs are available.

Social Connection

GSU Prevention Research Center Receives $5 Million Grant, Focuses on Social Connectedness Working with community partners in the refugee resettlement hub of Clarkston, Ga., the Prevention Research Cente r will explore how evidence-based interventions that combine mindfulness with cognitive behavioral therapy can be adapted to reduce social isolation and loneliness in highly diverse communities. The findings from the project will help promote social connectedness in the local community and will be disseminated nationwide.

Six Million and Lonely: Addressing isolation in Atlanta’s immigrant and refugee communities In the second installment of “Six Million and Lonely ,” WABE’s “All Thing’s Considered” team looked at the local effort to better understand and eventually alleviate the loneliness struggle for Atlanta’s refugee and immigrant communities.

Substance Use and Recovery

Official Launch of the Center for Addiction Recovery Support (CARS)! The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Office of Recovery, in partnership with One World Recovery Network (OWRN), is excited to announce the launch of the new Center for Addiction Recovery Support (CARS)! CARS is ready to provide essential training and technical assistance to help organizations better support individuals facing substance use and co-occurring mental health challenges.