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February ~ 2011 | | | The upcoming talk in our Family Rounds series for parents and professionals... February 17, 2011 ~ 12-1:30pm new location: DAVENPORT 4 BOARD ROOM, Salem Hospital "Adoption: Post-Legalization Speed Bumps and How to Maneuver Them" Presenter(s): Jami Zarella, LCSW Regional Manager Adoption Journeys & Heather Ingham, LCSW Regional Response Worker Adoption ~ has been in existence throughout the ages. Adoption is the creation of a family system by bringing a child/children and parent/parents together. Every child and parent has values, beliefs, and a history that can have a positive or negative impact on the new family system. All adoptee's share certain core adoption-related concerns or speed bumps. Understanding the unique needs of an adoptive family can help lessen the anxiety and stress for the family system, and assist parents in maneuvering the speed bumps. This training is to assist in understanding core adoption issues and strategies to assist parents in the life-long adoption journey. Registration is required as space is limited: email Ivette Thomson ithomson@partners.org or call 978 354 2670. As usual the lecture is FREE, intended for parents and professionals, and takes place in Davenport 4 Board Room, Salem Hospital. _________________________________________ *New Group for Parents Through Adoption ~ If Sufficient Interest There have been many families over the years visiting the Family Resource Center to learn more about adoption and how they can better support their children. Questions often arise about concerns in developmental stages and might there be critical times for adoptive children. If there are related concerns when parents should seek care. Adoption Journey's has come out to speak in the past, "one of the best talks ever" they have provided services to many North Shore families for years. In a collaborative efforts a plan was developed to educate families, make additional resources avaialble, and support families long term. Two talks will be provided, "Adoption: Post Legalization Speed Bumps and How to Maneuver Them" next Thursday and in follow up April 21, " Attachment and How it is effected by Trauma and Neglect ". Adoption Journey's has offered to come quarterly to facilitate a group for "parenting through adoption". Therapists in behavioral health also asked if an adoption group can be made available. With sufficient interest, we will form a group.
| Mark your calendars for upcoming Family Rounds..... March 17 - "That's So Gay: Creating Safe Environments for LGBT Youth" Presenter: Pam Garramone, Executive Director, Greater Boston (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) April 21 "Attachment and How it is effected by Trauma and Neglect" Jami Zarella, LCSW Regional Manager Adoption Journeys & Heather Ingham, LCSW Regional Response Worker May 19 "Trapped Inside the Beast of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder" Cathy Goldstein Mullin, LICSW at MassGeneral for Children at NSMC Parents and Professionals: If you have suggestions for topics or speakers for the upcoming series, please let us know. | The Pediatric Behavioral Health Library
for children, adolescents, parents and professionals continues to grow with updated literature and well over a thousand references. Please come visit our Behavioral Health Library in the Family Resource Center, MassGeneral for Children at North Shore Medical Center on the 4th Floor.
Open Monday-Friday 12 noon - 4:00 pm Donations this month: "Addict in the Family" by Beverly Conyers ~ (16) copies for lending "Everything Changes: Help for Families of Newly Recovering Addicts" ~ by Beverly Conyers (4) copies for lending Thank you to Lucie, Susan and LTC member! Many books that were long overdue have been returned. We are still missing quite a few. If you have any borrowed books from our special collection could you please return them so we may lend them to other families? Or if borrowed books are lost please let us know too so we may replace them. Thank you!
We welcome donations and/or gently used books from either our wish list or the current titles available in our library (corresponding links above). Extra copies allow us to lend our resources to more families and professionals.
There have been over 25,000 visitors since opening in March 2003! | | Collaborative Community Projects | | | NSMC Family Center for Mindfulness Minfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) classes for Adults and Teens now available for North Shore Community. A new eight week MBSR program for adults and "minfulness" program for teen "Cool Minds TM" 13-17 years old began last night at a lovely new central location at MassGeneral / North Shore Center for Outpatient care in Danvers. This winter session is the first available to the North Shore Community. The program has been taught at UMass Medical Center, Worcester for 30 years. The programs intital impressions included, "This is Wonderful!", "Already Love It!", and "So Glad I'm Here!". All three classes in the Spring session will begin on Wednesday, April 20th - June 8, 2011 from 6-8:30pm. Contact our coordinator, Ivette Thomson at 978-354-2670 of
________________________________________________ New ! Mindfulness-Based Teen Program - "Cool Minds TM" is now being offered to the North Shore community through a grant to the Department of Child Psychiatry. The Read Family Charitable Trust generously provided funding to Jefferson Prince, MD to teach Mindfulness to teens (13 -17 year olds) at NO FEE. The program had been specifically adapted for teens from the MBSR program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn at UMASS Medical Center 30 years ago. Florence Meleo-Meyer developed the current "Cool Minds". We, Jeff Prince, Jim Howland, and Marguerite Roberts, have taught the program at North Shore Recovery High School for two semesters; first in 8 weeks then a full semester couse four days a week. The Mindfulness program is currently offered at NO COST for teens (13-17 years) for 8 Wednesday's with an extra day for extended practice. Adolescents can be referred by parents, pediatricians and providers. Many referrals came from School Adjustment Counselors. The response at orientations was tremendous and more people signed up than expected, therefore, the large group broke up in two classes for the teens: 13 to 15 and 15 to 17 year olds and run simultaneously which began last night. There was alot of excitement starting up. An additional benefit has been that many parents of teens are taking the adult class in another area of the center coming together at 6:00pm on Wednesday's and learning mindfulness as a family with potential to practice together.  The Read Family has awarded the NSMC Family Resource Center another pediatric behavioral health grant, for the fifth year, in collaboration with Salem Public Schools. The focus of the program is twofold: first to provide analysis for previous YRBS results (Youth Risk Behavior Survey) from 2009 and 2010 and then implement the "S.O.S. Signs of Suicide" program with the Salem High School educators and entire staff, ninth grade students, and their parents this school year. The analysis of the YRBS is now complete and will be presented to the parents and staff of Salem High School. This project is currently coordinated with Andrew Wulf, Headmaster of the Freshman House, and David Angeramo, Principal at Salem High School. A needs assessment is being completed with the staff at the HighSchool before developing an educational program. SOS Signs of Suicide Prevention Program for secondary schools is an evidence based program of suicide prevention and mental health screening that can be implemented during one classroom period by existing school staff. The program teaches teens that depression is not uncommon, a treatable illness and empowers them to respond to a potential suicide of a friend or family member by using the Acknowledge Care Tell (A.C.T.) technique. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation awarded the Family Resource Center a three-year grant to implement two innovative evidence-based techniques: Relapse Prevention Therapy (RPT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) with the target population of adolescents with substance abuse disorders at the Recovery High School in Beverly. The program was planned collaboratively with Jefferson Prince MD, Mass General for Children at NSMC Department of Pediatric Psychiatry; Michelle Lipinski M.Ed., Principal and Jim Howland, Ed.D, M.S.W., LICSW, School Social Worker, North Shore Recovery High School in Beverly; and Marguerite Roberts MS, NP, Director Mass General for Children at NSMC Family Resource Center. The innovative programs were developed for the students and their parents. The upcoming year will focus on the effects of the program on stress reduction and relapse prevention in the students through data analysis. The fall session of the MBSR program for 22 parents graduated in November. Many shared inner strenghts that they had discovered, how mindfulness can be brought to many aspects of each day and noticing healthier responses to stressful events. Several participants even described it as "life-changing". The Teen group ended on January 20th with 9 students completing the program (the full semester curriculum). The "Cool Minds TM" program was adapted this semester and ran for over 20 weeks, for credit. As the students had been participating they developed their own practices and brought ideas which had been implemented to enhance their experience.
The first community-based eight week pilot session of "Cool Minds TM" - Mindfulness for Teens was with students at the North Shore Recovery High School in Beverly, whom graduated last spring from the MBSR program. Also, twenty five parents of children with histories of drug use from the Northshore Recovery High School and Learn to Cope of the NS (see family support programs) came together for the first eight week MBSR adult series. There have been very moving and positive experiences from both groups. These remarkable programs have been made possible for families due to the generosity of the Tower Foundation. The Center for Mindfulness (CFM) at the University of Massachusetts Medical School has been teaching Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction MBSR for 30 years. The "Cool Minds TM" is a newly piloted Mindfulness-Based Teen Program developed through the CFM by Florence Meleo-Meyer, Senior MBSR Teacher. It was adapted again since as it was taught in over 80 classes in close consultation with Florence Meleo-Meyer, MS, MA. _____________________________________
Staff training began in the spring of 2009 with an intensive five day silent Insight Meditation Retreat at the Barre Center. To try a guided meditation or listen to talks on meditation practice visit Insight Meditation Society. The second phase of training was completed in June when our team participated in the 7 Day Professional Training Retreat on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli, at the Omega Center in Rhinebeck, New York with several hundred other professionals from all over the world. | | | | Family Education and Support Programs |
| Trapped Inside the Cruel Beast of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder A 3 part educational series for OCD sufferers of all ages and the families of those with OCD beginning on 3/10, 3/24, 3/31 (with sufficient interest) 6:00-7:30pm at Family Resource Center, MassGeneral for Children at NSMC facilitated by Cathy Goldstein Mullin, LICSW, MassGeneral for Children at NSMC. Registration is necessary. Please contact Ivette Thomson at 978-354-2670 for more information. Session 1: OCD is a term that is often thrown about with humor and mention of Oscar and Felix. But this "OCD" bears no resemblance to the tormented experience of the real disorder. In session one we will look at the internal world of an OCD sufferer. We will map out the varied terrain where OCD has footholds. We will consider how this disorder keeps its victims trapped (often for years) and why those with OCD are compelled to engage in nonsensical rituals and compulsions while every part of their beings are begging to resist.
Session 2: We will look at more real-life stories of people with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the role of theme in the disorder. We will look at treatment that works including Exposure and Response Prevention, Cognitive Restructuring, the Building of Self and Self-Esteem and medication. Session 3: We will continue discussing treatments and the impact OCD has on the family. We will look at family behaviors that help the most. Finally, we will look at resources for the OCD sufferers and their families. ADHD Parent Support Group : now an eight week series!
WINTER series to be held on Tuesday's 4:00-5:00pm beginning March 1, 2011. If interested please call 978-354-2670 . These times have worked out well for most parents, especially those attending the parent group while their children participate in the Social Skills classes held through the Neurodevelopment Center. The ADHD group also includes parents not involved with social skills classes. All caregivers are welcome to attend.
Bipolar Parent Support Group [monthly, the first Wednesday each month, time extended to 11:30-1pm) Patty Gardner-Goodof LICSW facilitates the group monthly. Dr. Prince participates in the group every other month ,to informally give parents an opportunity to discuss treatments and ask questions. We invite new parents to attend any time and join the group.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction NEW Training and practice in mindfulness, meditation, and mindful hatha yoga.Group education on integrating mindfulness everyday with life stresses and challenges; New Spring ADULT and TEEN Session beginning, Wednesday, April 20, 2011 for 8 weeks 6-8:30pm. Orientation will take place Sunday, March 13th and March 27th at 6:00pm at MassGeneral for Children at NSMC (Lynch Conference Room) attend one. Email ithomson@partners.org or call 978-354-2670 if interested. Pre-registration required. The sliding scale offered makes this course affordable for anyone. - Learn to Cope North Shore [peer parent support group for families living with a loved ones drug addiction, meets weekly Thurs. nights 7-9] learn2cope Every new family member that attends a meeting receives a packet of comrehensive educational information and resources and a copy of the NEW DVD Facts every family should be aware of regarding Opiate Overdose. Speakers related to addiction, Youth in Recovery and CAB Outreach training in OD Recovery with Narcan distribution are scheduled each month, as part of the regular meetings. Guest speakers will be posted on the Learn to Cope website. Upcoming speakers; Dec 9th CAB ~ Recovery and Narcan Training , "Ben" in Recovery; Dec 30th "Miki" in Recovery.
- G.R.A.S.P (Grief Recovery After Substance Passing) GROUP Affiliated with Learn to Cope, North Shore ~ Grief Recovery Group is open to anyone who has lost a family member or loved one to fatal overdose. First Thursday every month 7-9pm. Click on the following link to be directed to GRASP website Grief Recovery After Substance Passing
55 Highland Avenue, Salem, MA (NSMC Salem Hospital Campus) Highland Hall Auditorium on the ground floor.
An ear to listen. A shoulder to lean on. A hand to hold. A friend to share. You are not alone.
 Power Up! NEW - Girls ages 7-11 will learn how anxiety, anger and stress affect the brain and body. They will practice deep breathing, visualizations, basic yoga; exercise to music, dance and games. Winter Session is now underway. Facilitator Evelyn Resto 978-741-1215 ext. 8709. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren [meets 1st and 3rd Monday of the month from 11-12] facilitated by Elaine Rossen LMHC New members are joining and are always welcome.
Parents Helping Parents [parent to parent support, open and ongoing, meets weekly, free, confidential and anonymous] For more information, check our website or call .
 Sibshop [recreational peer support for siblings with a brother or sister with a developmental, medical or behavioral health disorder, held monthly] [see website for current calendar]. All Sibshops are held in the Sibshop Collaborative of the North East location in Danvers. The next Sibshop for 8-13 year olds will be Feb 22nd and April 19th 10am-2pm sponsored by the Children's Center for Communication/Beverly School for the Deaf and EMARC The next 4-7 year old Sibshop is scheduled for Saturday March 26th and May 14th, 9:30-am-12n sponsored by the Family Resource Center, MassGeneral for Children at NSMC and EMARC. The new Sibshop schedule reflects wishes expressed by families: holding the younger group more often and offering alternative hours for the older group.
As always, all Groups are Open and Ongoing Sincerely,
Marguerite Roberts, MS, NP Ivette Thomson, Care Coordinator
NSMC Family Resource Center NSMC Family Resource Center
MassGeneral for Childen at NSMC MassGeneral for Children at NSMC
mroberts2@partners.org ithomson@partners.org
nsmcfamilyresourcecenter.org
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