Connecting, Supporting and Empowering Maryland Families
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Volume 16 Issue 6
December 2020
This month we share:
Take Care of Yourself This Holiday Season
Parents' Guide to Children and Multiple Medications
What You Should Know About Problem Gambling During the Holidays
Apply Now for the 2021 Family Leadership Institute
Get Connected With Our Online Support Groups
Also included: upcoming trainings and events and employment opportunities.
Take Care of Yourself This Holiday Season
The holidays are supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. And yet, for some, the holiday season brings increased stress and risk for behavioral issues. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that there is an annual spike of drug and alcohol related deaths between December and January. Studies also show that binge drinking is highest during the winter holiday months, with 44% of people binge drinking on New Year's Eve, and 21% during Christmas. Binge drinking is defined as five or more drinks for men, or four or more drinks for women, during a two-hour time period. So what is the reason behind these troubling trends?
Read More
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Parents' Guide to Children and Multiple Medications
Making decisions about medication for a child with emotional or behavioral problems can be difficult. Today, an increasing number of children with emotional or behavioral problems are being treated with more than one medication, a practice called polypharmacy. This guide from the Child Mind Institute outlines what parents should know in order to make informed decisions about making changes in their child's medications, especially when more than one medication is involved.
Read the Online Article
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What You Should Know About Problem Gambling During the Holidays
The holiday season is an important time to check in with loved ones about their gambling activities--and to talk with youth about the risks of gambling. The typical stress of the holiday season, combined with increased separation and isolation this year due to the pandemic, can be a trigger for some problem gamblers.
"A change in someone's behavior or an increase in their gambling activity are both warning signs of problem gambling," explains Nancy Quidas, MCF's problem gambling coordinator. "Gambling affects the brain's rewards center in the same way drugs or alcohol do. Not being able to control the impulse to gamble is one of the biggest signs there is a problem."
You can help a loved one with a gambling problem by engaging them in a conversation about their gambling activities and encouraging the to do the following:
Read More
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Apply Now for the 2021 Family Leadership Institute
The Family Leadership Institute is a free, 60-hour, six-weekend intensive training program for Maryland parents and caregivers of school-age children with behavioral health challenges such as ADHD, autism, oppositional defiant disorder, bipolar or other mood disorders.
This unique opportunity helps parents and caregivers to:
Connect in an interactive virtual environment with peers and professionals
Build knowledge of children's mental health and learn how to access supports
Learn how to work more collaboratively with schools on behalf of your child
Become a more effective leader and advocate for children with mental health challenges
Meet and hear from experts and leaders in the filed of children's mental health in Maryland
Make strong connections with other parents and caregivers facing similar challenges
This year's Institute begins on January 29 and runs for six weekends in February, March and April.
Learn More and Apply
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Invitation to MCF's Annual Meeting of the Corporation
Maryland Coalition of Families will hold its Annual Meeting of the Corporation on Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 9:30 AM virtually via Zoom. Members of the public are welcome to attend.
If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Darlene Collins at
[email protected] by January 6.
Get Connected With Our Online Support Groups
MCF now offers many online support groups
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to provide a safe space for you to learn, share and receive compassionate help. All are facilitated by trained Family Peer Support Specialists who have dealt with similar challenges in their own families. Current groups are available for:
Parents and caregivers of children with behavioral health challenges
Young adults ages 18-26 struggling with behavioral health challenges
Anyone who cares for a person struggling with substance use (alcohol or drugs)
Parents who have lost a child to overdose
Anyone who cares for a person struggling with problem gambling
Groups are free for all participants and are held on different days of the week and different times of day. Find one or more that can work for you and join us soon!
Find a Support Group
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Also online:
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on-Fatal Overdoses in Children Under 15 On The Rise, Study Says
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7 Tips for Managing Grief Over the Holidays During COVID-19
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Family Conflict is Normal; It's the Repair That Matters
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Upcoming Trainings & Events:
Virtual Wellness Workshop Series
This series of free wellness events presented by MCF and other community partners is designed to help you prioritize wellness in every part of your life.
Wellness and Self-Care--Thursday, January 14
Home and Environmental Wellness--Thursday, January 21
Wellness Tools for Managing Mental Health--January 28
Wellness During Domestic Violence--February 4
Financial Wellness--February 11
Wellness During Conflict--February 18
When: Thursdays, January 14 to February 18
Time: 5:30 to 6:30 PM
Where: Online
Read More and Register
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For a complete list of upcoming workshops and events, please visit our events page.
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MCF Employment Opportunities
MCF is growing, and we have employment opportunities that might be perfect for you or someone you know! We currently have job openings for:
Statewide/Central Office:
Senior Accountant
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Contract Administrator
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Substance Use/Problem Gambling:
Outreach Communications Specialist, Baltimore city
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Family Peer Support Specialist, Southern Maryland
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Family Peer Support Specialist, Western Maryland
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Mental Health
Family Peer Support Specialist, Cecil County
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Early Childhood
Family Peer Support Specialist, East-Central Maryland
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Family Peer Support Specialist, West-Central Maryland
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Click here for further information on employment opportunities
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Maryland Coalition of Families (MCF) helps families who care for someone with behavioral health needs. Using personal experience as parents, caregivers, youth and other loved ones, we connect, support and empower Maryland’s families. Our staff provide one-to-one support to parents and caregivers of young people with mental health issues and to any loved one who cares for someone with a substance use or gambling issue.
10632 Little Patuxent Pkwy Suite 234 | Columbia, MD 21044
Toll Free: (888) 607-3637 | Fax: (410) 730-8331
www.mdcoalition.org
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Copyright © 2020, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Maryland Coalition of Families
10632 Little Patuxent Parkway
Suite 234
Columbia, MD 21044
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