The Hamel VFW is hosting a Valentine’s Dinner & Dance on Saturday, February 17th. Food from 5-8:00 pm with music from 7-11:00. The Arcades will be playing great classic rock with a touch of country and a polka or two. Everyone who’s heard these guys say their music and rotation is outstanding! Bring your sweetheart and enjoy a relaxing night. There is a $5.00 cover.
This weekend the military Family Assistance Center (FAC) contacted PBYR with a request for service. A service member’s father is in an AZ hospice. He is very ill and will likely die in several days. The service member would like to see his father and bring 4 family members to AZ, however does not have the funds. The service member contacted the FAC, the airline , the Red Cross and the American Legion . The cost for the flight is $1,760.
PBYR agreed to provide an emergency grant of $880.00 to assist this family. We appreciate the FAC for bringing this situation to our attention as we want to support this military family in their time of need.
Gary Goldetsky, Psy.D, LP
President – Plymouth Beyond the Yellow Ribbon
Donor Connect Friends
I have received a few recent requests after the updated list was sent out this week which I would like you to think about over the weekend and if you’re able to help in any way or know of someone who might be able to help please refer that information to me and I will get in touch and go from there.
Metro area request for a small stationary exercise bike.
Bloomington area request for a Lift Recliner.
St. Cloud area request for a Lift Recliner.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Donor Connect Friends
January has flown by and been full of all kinds of excitement! I hope you all are doing well after this last snow storm. Fortunately we were lucky here in St. Cloud and didn’t receive a single flake. Thank you all for being so very patient with me as I know it has been a while since I sent out an updated list, I truly appreciate it!
If there are any questions about the list or if you would like the donor information for a specific item please either call or email me and I will get you that information. If you do not see an item on the list please get in touch with me and I can reach out to different places or add it to the requests.
Have a wonderful day!
myHealth is hosting another dental clinic for Children’s Dental Services on Wednesday January 31st 9-4, at our Hopkins Clinic.
Feel free to post and pass the attached flyer onto youth and families in need of dental services. The clinics fill up fast, so encourage those interested to call and schedule early. Thanks for helping spread the word!
Children’s Dental Services will be hosting Give Kids a Smile Day on February 2nd and 3rd at our Headquarters location in Minneapolis. On these days we are able to provide a full range of free services to uninsured patients, and we have many appointments still available! Please feel free to post and pass along this flyer to help spread the word!
Thank you.
Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2018 @ 9:00 am PT/ 12:00 pm ET
Presenters: Judith Cohen, MD, Allegheny Health Network; Robin Goodman, PhD ATR-BC, A Caring Hand, The Billy Esposito Bereavement Center; Zaneta Gilano, LMSW, CT, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS); Carole, family member
During both peace and conflict, children with parents in the military face unique military related stressors. Military children may develop childhood traumatic grief following the death of a caregiver from combat or non-combat situations. This presentation will provide an overview of issues specific to military culture and family life, describe two models for treating military children with traumatic grief, and will highlight a military consumer voice.
Date/Time: Thursday, February 15 at 1:00 PM ET/ 10:00 AM PT
Mark your calendars for the next Developmental Trauma Disorder Training Webinar coming in February. And in case you missed it, watch the first two clinical training webinars here:
Sesame Street for Military Families has released new content! Visit the link below to find interactive games, videos, and printable activities for military families to do with their preschool children. Topics include staying healthy together, creating fun and meaningful birthday traditions, encouraging children’s self-expression, making changes more comfortable, and so much more!
The death of a loved one is the most difficult life event that many children ever experience. A death due to suicide can be especially hard to face. Parents and caregivers may feel overwhelmed as they try to decide what to tell their children about a suicide death while struggling with their own grief over how the person died. This new guide includes tips for caregivers in preparing to tell their children about a suicide death and helping children to grieve in healthy ways.
Talking to Your Child About a Suicide Death
During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the National Human Trafficking Training and Technical Assistance Center (NHTTAC) will host a 90-minute webinar that highlights emerging trends, case studies, and research on human trafficking and substance use with a specific focus on the opioid crisis. Presenters Elizabeth Hopper (Project Director of REACH, the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute), Audrey Morrissey (Associate Director of My Life My Choice), and Ginny Sprang (Professor, College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky) will discuss (1) the role of substance use for individuals at risk of, currently experiencing, or recovering from trafficking; (2) trauma-informed approaches from provider, client-based, and research perspectives to understand contributing factors to vulnerability; and (3) promising practices and treatment options that address the underlying issues that put victims and survivors at risk.
Date: Wednesday, January 31, 2018 Time: 1:00 – 2:30 pm ET
Network members Virginia Strand and Ginny Sprang have edited a comprehensive reference, Trauma Responsive Child Welfare Systems (Springer 2018), which offers a framework for introducing and sustaining trauma-responsive services and culture in child welfare systems. Organized around concepts of safety, permanency, and well-being, chapters describe innovations in child protection, violence prevention, foster care, and adoption services to reduce immediate effects of trauma on children and improve long-term development and maturation. Foundations and interventions for practice include collaborations with families and community entities, cultural competency, trauma-responsive assessment and treatment, promoting trauma-informed parenting and, when appropriate, working toward reunification of families. The book’s chapters on agency culture address staffing, supervisory, and training issues; planning and implementation; and developing a competent, committed, and sturdy workforce.
Topics covered include the following: (1) trauma-informed family engagement with resistant clients; (2) introducing evidence-based trauma treatment in preventive services; (3) working with resource parents for trauma-informed foster care; (4) use of implementation science principles in program development for sustainability; (5) trauma-informed and secondary traumatic stress-informed organizational readiness assessments; and (6) caseworker training for trauma practice and building worker resiliency.
R. Rodriguez-Rey, J. Alonso-Tapia, N. Kassam-Adams, and H. Garrido-Hernansaiz are authors of the article The Factor Structure of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory in Parents of Critically Ill Children, published in 2016 in the Spanish journal Psicothema (Volume 28, Issue 4) and available in English and Spanish at the link below. The study analyzed the factor structure of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) in a sample of parents whose children had survived a critical hospitalization, in order to consider the structural validity of the PTGI scores for this population and to report our understanding of posttraumatic growth (PTG) as a construct. PTG was conceptualized as consisting of changes in three broad dimensions: self, interpersonal relationships, and philosophy of life. Authors studied 143 parents who completed the PTGI six months after their child’s discharge from pediatric intensive care. The PTGI scores’ factor structure was studied through confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) of different models supported in prior research, followed by an exploratory principal component analysis (PCA). While prior models tested through CFA did not provide an acceptable fit for the data, through exploratory PCA, three components emerged that explained 73.41% of the variance: personal growth, interpersonal growth, and transpersonal growth. Subsequent CFAs on this three-factor model showed that a bifactor model had the best fit. Authors concluded that the three dimensions initially theorized appear to be robust, which supports the structural validity of its scores.
C. D. Santiago, A. K. Fuller, J. M. Lennon, and S. H. Kataoka had their article Parent Perspectives from Participating in A Family Component For CBITS: Acceptability of A Culturally Informed School-Based Program published in 2016 inPsychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy (Volume 8, Issue 3). They explored parents’ responses to a family component developed as an addition to the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS). The family component was developed to improve engagement and participation in CBITS and to support parents’ skill-building. To evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of the family component from the perspective of parents who participated, qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 low-income, Latino parents (80% female; 80% immigrants; average age = 38.07). Researchers found that parents (1) agreed that there was a need for programs like CBITS; (2) expressed a firm belief in the importance of parental involvement with their children and schools; and (3) reported a high level of satisfaction with the family component, indicating that it was beneficial to them, culturally relevant, and that they would recommend it to others. Parents noted some logistical barriers to participation and areas for improvement. Overall, the results of the study indicate that CBITS + Family is an appropriate, acceptable, and feasible intervention for Latino families. Supplemental data from children whose parents participated in the program provided further support for the value of the family component. Authors also discussed clinical implications for implementing culturally sensitive, school-based interventions.
Michelle Sherman, Jenna Gress Smith, Kristy Straits-Troster, Jessica Larsen, and Abigail Gewirtz are the authors of Veterans’ Perceptions of the Impact of PTSD on Their Parenting and Children published in Psychological Services (Volume 13, Issue 4) in 2016. Although considerable research has examined the impact of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on couples and partners, relatively little is known about how it can affect parenting, children, and the parent-child relationship. While adverse effects of parental PTSD on child functioning have been documented, the processes by which these outcomes occur are unknown. Additionally, parents’ perspectives on how their PTSD affects parenting and children have yet to be studied. This 3-site, mixed methods exploratory study included 19 veteran parents who had a diagnosis of PTSD. Participants were recruited from Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers. Veterans participated in focus groups or individual interviews and completed questionnaires, responding to questions about the effects of PTSD on their functioning as parents. Two sets of themes emerged from the qualitative inquiry: (1) Veterans reported parenting difficulties that were associated with three PTSD symptom clusters, including avoidance, alterations in arousal and reactivity, and negative alterations of cognitions and mood; and (2) Veterans described both emotional (e.g., hurt, confusion, frustration, fear) and behavioral (e.g., withdrawal, mimicking parents’ behavior) reactions in their children. Veterans also shared numerous ways in which their children provided practical and emotional support. Authors offer implications of these findings for future research, program development, and clinical care, including a free online parenting resource for veterans with PTSD based on this research.
I received an email about a woman in the SW Metro that has several large tubs of Beanie Babies that she would like to donate to military service members children. They are new and/or in like new condition and belonged to the woman’s daughter who is now at school and no longer wants them. I’m hoping that others would be willing/wanting to take some so we can get them to military families, my contact information is below. The donor wants to see them gone soon so time is short as they may end up at Goodwill. Thank you!
As a leader in your community or organization, please join us for an important discussion to move the Mental Well-Being Learning Community to the next level in 2018. In 2017 we learned about 7 different initiatives happening in Minnesota to build mental well-being and resilience. Let’s talk about what’s next!
Your contribution is important to create a more powerful Learning Community in 2018.
Tuesday, January 30th 2017
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Register to Participate (NEW LINK!)
Sites? The link to Registration includes a list of sites near you.
No Site Address? We will update site addresses as identified. Hosts will also email participants before the event.
No Site Near You? Email anna.lynn@state.mn.us to confirm if one is currently available or to become a host.
Other Questions? Email anna.lynn@state.mn.us
Help pass the word for a Family Assistance Center job opening in Cambridge, MN.
Below and attached is a Family Assistance Center (FAC) Specialist job opportunity. This is a Full-Time civilian contracted position and we are looking for widest dissemination. Please share the attached information with Soldiers, Airmen and civilians.
JOB TITLE: Family Assistance Center (FAC) Specialist
EMPLOYER: Skyline-ULTD
OPEN PERIOD: Thursday, January 11, 2018 – Friday, January 24, 2018
POSITION INFORMATION: Full-Time Contract
VACANCY LOCATION: Cambridge, MN
Point of contact for this position is: Ms Nancy Launderville nancy.l.launderville.ctr@mail.mil or 651-282-4209
Plymouth Beyond the Yellow Ribbon
Financial Statements
As of and for the year ended December 31, 2017 and 2016
As we announced at the end of September, DHS has been testing a new phone number to connect people to crisis services. Testing of this number in the metro area has been completed, and the pilot of the new crisis number is now getting underway.
Starting Monday, January 8, individuals and service providers in the Twin Cities metro area, calling from a cell phone, can call one number — **CRISIS — and have their call seamlessly forwarded to their county crisis team.
At this time, **CRISIS is being piloted in the metro area only. The counties in the **CRISIS pilot are Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington. Eventually, **CRISIS will replace a list of 30 county crisis numbers across the state. As the system rolls out, a landline 800 number will be added for people without cell phones, especially in rural areas.
Note that during the pilot, in order not to miss any calls, if an individual outside of the metro area calls the number they will be routed to their local team as well. However, data collection will be focused on the metro area at this time. Also important is that the contractor was only able to set boundaries based on county lines not the reservations. Individuals will need to continue to dial the current number if they hope to reach a tribal team.
During the February 13 statewide crisis provider meeting, we will discuss a plan to partner with crisis teams in the metro to promote the number within those communities.
Thank you again for your cooperation in partnering with the Department of Human Services to provide crisis services to Minnesotan’s.
Please contact Dominique.jones@state.mn.us with any questions.
For more information about mental health services in Minnesota, visit:
Children’s mental health / Adult mental health / Resources for partners and providers
I hope your holidays were enjoyable and you were able to spend time with loved ones. My children all came home so it was a wonderful holiday for me!
Attached please find the January FAC Newsletter. This month we focus on personal wellness. If you have questions, or would like to find resources near you, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Thank you for all you do for our military families! I am looking forward to working with you in the coming year, have a great day.
Respectfully,
MN National Guard Readiness Center
1536 Ben Franklin Dr
Arden Hills, MN 55112
Office: 651-282-4055
Mobile:612-382-4181
Yolonda.m.vonitter.ctr@mail.mil
Dr. Michael Rodriguez
Dr. Michael Rodriguez: Professor and founding Co-Director of the Educational Equity Resource Center College of Education and Human Development University of Minnesota.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Shannon Hall
Interfaith Outreach & Community Partners
1605 County Road 101 N, Plymouth 55447
Lunch will be provided
This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required
Follow this link to register: iocp.ejoinme.org/gespeakerseries
Donor Connect contacts:
I was approached by Gary Komaniecki of the Rochester Public Schools who stated his auto shop students have repaired a 1998 Ford Conversion Van with a powered wheelchair ramp which is in good working order for donation.
If you know of anyone who would benefit from having a handicapped vehicle please get in touch with Gary at 507-261-7566.
Thank you.
What: Fishing for Life Holes 4Heroes Ice Fishing Festival
When: 1/27/2018 at Medicine Lake – 1-4:00pm
When: 2/3/2018 at White Bear Lake – 1-4:00pm
How: To Register please go to: FISHINGFORLIFE.ORG
Please see attached pdf for more information.
myHealth will be facilitating a training course on LGBTQA Inclusive Education Practices for woman-identified educators. Please feel free to attend in Hopkins on January 9th and pass this information along.
See attached flyer!
Delta Kappa Gamma flyer Jan. 2018.pdf
Donor Connect Friends
I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season so far! I have attached the last item list for 2017 to this posting. If there is anyone you think may benefit from the information please feel free to pass it along or refer them to me.
Donor Connect weekly listing 12.29.17.pdf
Thank you and have a happy New Years!
On December 27, 2017 the Bloomington Family Assistance Center (FAC) encountered a Service Member that needed temporary housing for 3 weeks prior to starting National Guard Training. PBYR and The American Legion quickly partnered to house the Service Member at an Extended Stay Motel. The Service Member was very pleased that she was protected from homelessness prior to starting training, especially with the severe winter weather upon us in Minnesota.
Kudos to all that were able to agree to effectively partner in such a helpful manner!! PBYR wishes the Service Member well in her future training and a Happy and Healthy New Year. We thank her for her planned service! And PBYR acknowledges the assistance and support from our partners –the American Legion and John Wagle, Bloomington FAC Representative!
Gary Goldetsky, Psy.D, LP, PBYR President
Plymouth Beyond the Yellow Ribbon 