Home » AYFN Newsletter November 13, 2009 AYFN Newsletter November 13, 2009
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If you have questions about helping yourself or your family, call one of our youth or adult Peer Navigators at 907-770-4979 (in Anchorage) or toll-free (in Alaska) at 1-888-770-4979. A Peer Navigator helps you understand how the system of services can work for you, helps you prepare to attend school or treatment services meetings, can attend meetings with you and can be a support... because a Peer Navigator is someone who has been there (we are the parents and the youth who have done it ourselves, had training in how to support others and now we're ready to share what we know to support you and your family).
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In this Update:
AYFN Wants You! Employment Opportunities
Cold? Swine Flu? What's the Difference?
Significant Weight Gain, Metabolic Changes Associated with Antipsychotic Use in Children
Gamerz Night
Free Webinar: Living WRAP
Seeking Youth and Young Adults to Write about Mental Health
Issues!
Thanksgiving Blessing Food Drive
AYFN Recommended Read: Tracey, A Mothers Journal of Teenage Addiction
AYFN Statewide Groups and Classes
AYFN Wants You! Employment Opportunities
AYFN has three postions open in the
Anchorage office. The first new position is for a new
outreach grant to assist families to sign up or re-enroll in
Medicaid, DenaliKidCare or one of the Medicaid waiver programs
(TEFRA, etc.)for their children with behavioral health issues. A
part of the role includes being out-stationed in the offices of
Anchorage pediatricians. The position can be full or part-time
with a salary equivalent of $17-22 per hour. If you are
interested please send your resume to Kathy Hollett at 401 E.
Northern Lights Suite 100 Anchorage, AK 99503 or fax to 907-
770-4997 or e-mail to admin@ayfn.org
AYFN is
hiring an energetic, upbeat part or full time Youth Peer
Navigator. Qualifications for the position include experience
utilizing behavioralhealth systems of
care, the ability to advocate, educate and support youth with
behavioral health challenges, interact positively with family
members and professionals in the community, and a willingness to
empower youth and family members to be equal partners with
professionals who provide services.
Computer literacy or the desire and ability to learn are a plus.
The successful applicant will be provided 80 hours of peer
navigation training. Salary DOE, hours are
flexible.
The successful applicant for this
position must be at least 18 years of age and provide a resume
and a cover letter answering the following question: "What
personal experience(s) do you have that prepares you to be a
Youth Peer Navigator?" Resumes and cover letters are
to be emailed to:dir@ayfn.org or faxed to 907-770-4997.
AYFN is
hiring a part or full time Peer
Navigator with a salary equivalent of $17-22 per hour. Qualifications for the position include experience
utilizing behavioral health systems of
care, the ability to advocate, educate and support families of youth with
behavioral health challenges, interact positively with family
members and professionals in the community, and a willingness to
empower youth and family members to be equal partners with
professionals who provide services.
Computer literacy or the desire and ability to learn are a plus.
The successful applicant will be provided 80 hours of peer
navigation training. If you are
interested please send your resume to Kathy Hollett at 401 E.
Northern Lights Suite 100 Anchorage, AK 99503 or fax to 907-
770-4997 or e-mail to admin@ayfn.org.
Cold? Flu? Swine Flu? What's the Difference?
Confused about the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus? How can you tell the difference between your common cold and sniffles, seasonal flu and swine flu? The table below spells out the differences between the symptoms of a cold and the H1N1 virus. The best way to prevent the spread of the common cold, flu and swine flu is to wash your hands frequently, sneeze into your sleeve or into a tissue and most importantly, stay home if you feel ill.
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Cold
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H1N1 Swine Flu
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| Fever |
Fever is rare |
Temperatures of 100 degrees F of higher for 3 to 4 days
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Coughing
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A hacking (mucus-producing) cough is often present
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A dry cough is usually present
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Aches
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Slight body aches & pains
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Severe aches and pains
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Stuffy Nose
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Stuffy nose is commonly present and typically resolves spontaneously within a week
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Stuffy nose is not commonly present
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Chills
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Chills are uncommon
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Chills occur in 60% of cases
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Tiredness
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Tiredness is fairly mild
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Tiredness is moderate to severe
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Sneezing
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Sneezing is common
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Sneezing is not common
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Sudden Symptoms
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Symptoms tend to develop over a few days
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Rapid onset within 3-6 hours with sudden symptoms of high fever - muscle aches- shortness of breath - tight chest
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Headache
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Headaches are fairly mild
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Headaches occur in 80% of cases
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Sore Throat
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Sore throat is commonly present
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Sore throat is not commonly present
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Chest Discomfort
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Chest discomfort is mild to moderate
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Chest discomfort is often severe
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For more information on the H1N1 virus and available resources in the state of Alaska, go to: http://www.pandemicflu.alaska. gov/
Significant Weight Gain, Metabolic Changes Associated with Antipsychotic Use in Children
Many children and adolescents who receive antipsychotic medications gain a significant amount of weight and experience metabolic changes, according to NIMH-funded research published October 28, 2009, in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Children and adolescents with mental disorders such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia spectrum disorder are often treated with antipsychotic medications, especially the newer, second-generation (sometimes called atypical) antipsychotics. However, research has shown that these medications have worrisome cardiovascular and metabolic effects on young people, and their long-term effects on growing bodies are unknown.
The researchers found that all of the medications were associated with significant weight gain (an average of almost 13 lbs). Those taking olanzapine gained the most weight-an average of about 19 lbs, while the weight gain with other antipsychotics ranged from 9.9 to 13.5 lbs over the first three months of treatment. In contrast, the untreated comparison group experienced minimal weight change of less than 0.5 lbs.
To read more about this study, please see: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/ science-news/2009/significant- weight-gain-metabolic-changes- associated-with-antipsychotic- use-in-children.shtml
Gamerz Night
Mark your calendar, Nov 20, is our next AYFN Anchorage Gamerz Night. Bring your favorite Wii game and challenge your buds. From 5 to 8:30, you can be a Gamerz god! We are also on the lookout for computer games for Windows XP operating system. Bring by your oldies but goodies pc games and throw down!
Free Webinar with Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD - Living WRAP
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST
Online and over the phone
Please join us for the FREE webinar with Mary Ellen Copeland, PhD, on how people can live day to day using WRAP as their guide to recovery and wellness. She will talk about the importance of hope, personal responsibility, education, self advocacy, support and problem solving in using WRAP. In addition she will share ideas for enhancing each section of WRAP, from the Wellness Toolbox to the Post Crisis Plan, so that it becomes a truly powerful personal guide. Her presentation will include stories that she has gathered from people around the world who use WRAP, stories that illustrate the challenges of using WRAP and the power of WRAP in helping people in improve the quality of their daily lives and going on to meeting their own goals and dreams.
This webinar is open to anyone who is connected to WRAP. Certificates of attendance will be available upon request.
Mary Ellen Copeland worked with a group of people who have a lived experience of mental health challenges to develop WRAP. She is the author of WRAP? (Wellness Recovery Action Plan), and many other recovery-oriented resources. For more information on her work go to http://www. mentalhealthrecovery.com.
This webinar is sponsored by the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery where you can get trained to be a certified WRAP Facilitator and Essential Learning, your resource for online WRAP and recovery courses.
The webinar requires both access to the internet and a phone for joining the conference calls. Long distance charges do apply. The webinar is recorded and posted on mentalhealthrecovery.com after the broadcast.
To Register
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/ register/691703217
For More Information:
http://mentalhealthrecovery. com/webinars.php
Seeking Youth and Young Adults to Write about Mental Health
Issues!
Are you a young person (anywhere between 14 and 30) who has experience with mental health challenges, foster care, residential treatment, juvenile justice or other systems of care? Want to get paid to write about it?
The Research and Training Center for Pathways to Positive Futures ("Pathways RTC") is seeking writers for its new online discussion forum. This forum will cover current mental health issues concerning transition-aged youth and young adults. Each month, a debate topic will be chosen based on input from Pathways staff and young writers. Writers will then craft a 2-4 paragraph editorial supporting either a "yes" or "no" position that will be placed on our website. Writers will be paid $50 for each assigned piece.
If you are interested in applying, please email your name, contact information, current resume, and writing sample (250-500 words, about 1-2 pages) to Kris Gowen at gowen@pdx.edu. Your writing sample should address your experiences with mental health services, homelessness, substance use, foster care system, juvenile justice system, group homes, or other systems of care and what you would like to see change in any of those systems.
You can email Kris or call her at 503-725-9619 if you have any questions.
Applications are due Friday, December 4th
Thanksgiving Blessing Food Drive
Bless your hungry neighbors with the gift of food this Thanksgiving! The Food Bank of Alaska and various faith community members are pitching in to help end hunger in Alaska. Donate food or cash to help those in need. Requested food items include cranberry suace, gravy mixes, canned yams or sweet potatoes, stuffing mix, pound of butter or margarine, aluminum roasting pans, pies, whipped cream or packs of dinner rolls. A donation of $10.00 will buy a turkey. Vounteers are also needed to help set up and distribute food on Nov. 22 & 23. For more information, contact the Food Bank of Alaska at 272-3663.
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AYFN Recommended Read: Tracey, A Mothers Journal of Teenage Addiction
Tracey is a compelling story taken from M. A. Anderson's journal, kept when her daughter was addicted to both alcohol and heroin. Tracey shows the frustration and rage of the parents as, one by one, society's institutions fail them in their attempt to save their daughter. It is a story of love, desperation and determination as Tracey's parents, driven to doubt their own sanity, succeed in rescuing Tracey, and themselves, from the ordeal.
To order this book, go to: http://astore.amazon.com/ alayouandfamn-20/detail/ 093077308X
To see our other recommended reads, head to the AYFN website, www.ayfn.org
AYFN Statewide Groups and Classes
In Anchorage : Join us for our interactive youth classes. Two classes are offered for youth ages 16-25, "Get Your S*#@ Together, Keep Your S*#@ Together!"(WRAP for Youth), and "Mood and Affective Skill Building (Anger Management)". Do you feel your life is out of control or that everything is swirling around you? We can help you pull it together, without blowing your top. Contact: will@ayfn.org for class info and registration!
YouthMOVE Alaska is here at AYFN! Help Will and all of Alaska become part of the nationwide collaboration of youth who want to improve services for youth! It's not just a group, it is a movement! Take part in YouthMOVE in the valley (third Monday of the month, 4-5pm), or in Anchorage at the AYFN office on Northern Lights (Wednesdays, 5-6:30 pm). See our calendar of Upcoming Events for details or contact Will at: will@ayfn.org.
Parent-to-parent support and youth groups are every Friday of the month from 6pm to 8pm. A light meal is served. AYFN is located at 401 E. Northern Lights, Suite 100, Anchorage, AK. For more info, contact us at: will@ayfn.org.
In Mat-Su : Parent Support Groups are held the 1st and 3rd and 5th Wednesday (if there is a 5th!) of the month from 6:30 to 8:30pm at the Pandemonium Book Store in Wasilla. The address is 1325 East Palmer-Wasilla HWY #101, Wasilla, AK. Parent support group also meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30pm at the Mat-Su Public Health Clinic in the Garrett Medical Building on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway (across from the bowling alley) .For more information on the Parent Support Groups, call Nancy at 907-715-0707 or email at: nancy@ayfn.org.
The New Youth Group is Here! YouthMOVE Alaska has landed in the Valley! Be part of the nationwide movement! Call Shae at 907-982-4998 or email her at: shae@ayfn.org. Youth Support group meets every other Friday from 6pm to 8pm. For more information on the Youth Support Groups and the location of the meeting, please call Shae at 907-982-4998 or email her at: shae@ayfn.org.
In Juneau: An adult support group meets each Thursday from 6pm-8pm at the Catholic Community Services downtown. Call Chlora at 907-321-2213 for more information.
In Fairbanks : Groups are meeting in Fairbanks, email Debbie for more information: debbie@ayfn.org.
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Upcoming Events
Complete Calendar
Click on an event topic for more information
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What would you like included in this e-newsletter? Let us know the type of information that would be most or least useful to you. We started this newsletter because families asked for it. We'll also change it based on your feedback! E-mail us at: admin@ayfn.org
This newsletter and all programming of Alaska Youth and Family Network is supported with funding from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, State of Alaska Behavioral Health Division and The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and with local support from Walmart, Moose's Tooth Restaurant, Diane's,and your private contributions.
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