MONDAY MEMO #7
- Resilient Georgia
- Nov 11, 2024
- 4 min read
Happy November, partners! Please read the following reminders:
Our final 2024 Round update calls will be this month, with no meetings in December. We also will be hosting another Resilient Georgia office hour this Wednesday at 4-5pm via Zoom. You should all have the calendar invite, but we will resend the Zoom link prior to the session. These are optional drop-ins to discuss any concerns or receive any coalition technical support from our amazingly experienced coalition consultant, Gabrielle Stewart.
Regional Coalition Spotlight
Resilient Gwinnett: In October, Gwinnett County officials marked the expansion of OneStop Centerville, a major community resource center, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). This 33,000-square-foot facility enhances service access by housing vital partner organizations, including View Point Health. View Point Health will play a pivotal role through the introduction of its first Play Therapy and Resilience Training Program, aimed at providing specialized education, training, and clinical supervision for clinicians focused on supporting children and families. This initiative emphasizes culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate practices to foster resilience and healing through play and family therapy.
Additionally, The Gwinnett Coalition has recently become a 501c3. They now offer valuable resources, memberships, and networking opportunities to strengthen nonprofits in the Gwinnett community. They focus on enhancing the impact of local organizations through collaboration, professional development, and resource sharing. Congratulations to the Gwinnett Coalition on achieving nonprofit status, which will further empower their mission to support and unite the nonprofit community in their region!
Caregivers and Parents
National Family Caregivers Month: November is National Family Caregivers Month — a time to celebrate the dedication of family members who provide care for loved ones managing health challenges, including mental health conditions. This month, Mental Health America wants to help ease the journey for caregivers by offering resources that promote both caregiver and care recipient well-being. MHA’s Caregiver Resource Center is a one-stop-shop for information on essential caregiving topics, from recognizing burnout to building resilience.
Mental Health Resources for Caregivers: Supporting caregivers with information and resources can help them maintain their mental health and better serve loved ones with mental illness. This resource page includes a guide for caregivers, resources for coping with stress, crisis planning, treatment and recovery, and more.
Domestic Violence Prevention
The Confess Project of America, known for training barbers as mental health advocates to reduce stigma and support mental health in the Black community, has partnered with the City of Atlanta. This partnership emphasizes a mutual commitment to addressing domestic violence and enhancing mental health services, aligning with findings from the Confess Project’s Harvard research study that underscore the importance of such initiatives. The collaboration reflects the organization’s dedication to community-focused mental health advocacy. Please check out this video with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens for more details and feel free to share it with your networks to extend its reach!
Justice, Equity, Diversion, and Inclusion
They're Not Too Young: Young children notice and think about race. Adults often worry that talking about race will encourage racial bias in children, but the opposite is true. Silence about race reinforces racism by letting children draw their own conclusions based on what they see. This resource provides guidance on conducting age-appropriate race-based conversations. Feel free to share as you feel appropriate in your communities!
Making Space: This article on the Learning for Justice website outlines the roles of affinity groups in providing a platform that lifts the voices of marginalized individuals within their community to create change. The article provides tips on identifying a champion, launching a successful affinity group, and addressing challenges. Please share as you feel appropriate!
Professional Development and Events
A Formula for the Future: The Case for Ensuring Affordable Postsecondary Ed : During this event on December 5, 2024, at 9:30 AM, the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education and Georgians for College Affordability will host this Critical Issues Forum to examine the current structure of funding for Georgia's colleges and universities and explore the challenges students face in paying for higher education and discuss the broader implications for our state's economy and future workforce. We will also dive into potential solutions, including policy changes, funding reform, and innovative models aimed at reducing financial barriers for Georgia students. Registration is free.
Adolescent Health Alliance of Georgia Meeting: GCAPP’s Adolescent Health Alliance of Georgia (AHA-GA) announced a state-wide initiative supporting youth ages 13-17, spearheaded by our wonderful partners at GCAPP. This collaborative effort unites public and private stakeholders to align strategies that enhance the overall health and well-being of youth across Georgia. By sharing resources, raising awareness, and advocating for policies that promote health equity, AHA-GA aims to address social, emotional, physical, mental, sexual, and reproductive health disparities. This introductory virtual call will be December 3rd at 11AM. Register Here!
Youth
Grief Awareness Toolkit : This toolkit, cocreated by Free Your Feels and Kate’s Club is designed to encourage individuals to feel empowered to share their feelings and seek the support they need. By recognizing expressions of grief, youth can process their emotions and develop healthy coping mechanisms, while adults can more effectively support young people through their healing journey.
Community Interventions to Prevent Substance Use Among Youth: This report of findings from a systematic revue of coalition interventions to prevent substance use among youth found that collaborative efforts, specifically coalitions and partnerships, that address the use of cannabis, tobacco, alcohol, including binge drinking, and illegal substances were effective. These two approaches must have both a community-based organization and two or more interventions selected and implemented to reduce substance use demand, underage access, or both in the community. Read the full report's findings here.
Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens Registration: In this 8-session live-online course, teens are invited to participate in activities, practices and meditations designed to help them learn how to navigate the emotional ups and downs of life with greater ease. This class is taught by Jamie Lynn Tatera and Karen Bluth, experienced Mindful Self-Compassion for Teens instructors and teacher trainers. Please share the registration widely with your youth and families!