The opioid crisis is closer to home than many realize in Snohomish County, and the impacts are being felt throughout the community. It was one of the takeaways from Thursday night’s virtual opioid roundtable hosted by the Verdant Health Commission.

Verdant Health Commission Chairman of the Board, Jim Distelhorst, opened the meeting by sharing a 17 minute video on opioid use in Snohomish County, where overdose deaths have increased 20-30% since 2020. In 2020 alone, 525 Snohomish County residents died from opioid overdoses. Yakima County is the only other county in Washington with more opioid-related deaths.

Opioid use is not only harmful to users, it also harms other members of the community. For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control, one in three police officers will be stuck by a used needle during their career.

Verdant based in Lynnwood (find out more about how it works and how it is funded here) funds a range of health-related initiatives and has also launched its own Needle Service Program (SSP), Distelhorst explained. The needle exchange program provides drug users with sterile injecting equipment, safe disposal of needles, access to health care, treatment, testing and support.

Distelhorst pointed out that Verdant Health does not distribute free needles, which leads to more needles being improperly discarded.

“People only get the number of needles they give back,” Distelhorst said.

This helps limit the number of needles in the community and ensure that as many needles as possible are properly disposed of, he said.

Verdant has also addressed the opioid issue by hosting Narcan training. Narcan is a nasal spray that, when administered, blocks the effects of an opioid overdose. In January, Verdant partnered with Molina Healthcare and Snohomish County Social Services to host three training sessions attended by over 75 community members.

As a result, “there are now 75 more people in our community trained to recognize the signs of an overdose and administer Narcan,” Distelhorst said. “Each participant received a Narcan kit to take home. Each kit contains two Narcan nasal sprays. This means that there are now another 150 of these Narcan nasal sprays circulating in the community.

Verdant plans to hold additional Narcan training sessions in the coming months.

Roundtable speaker Linda Grant, CEO of Evergreen Recovery Center, said there is a stereotype that only teenagers use opioids, when in fact they don’t.

“We need to broaden our thinking about how we approach this,” Grant said. “About 70% of opioid-related deaths are people over 30.”

Evergreen’s naturopathic doctor, Andrew Dzikowski, said the clinic has seen a significant increase in relapses since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he added that Evergreen strives to be a place where patients feel they can come back if they need additional help.

“One of the things we strive for is that whether you’ve relapsed or not or are recovering, we want to be a safe place where people feel they can come back, whatever their situation. , without any judgement,” he said. “And that’s what we do. We create a safe and protected space for people to come at all stages of recovery and all stages of life and to guide them to a safer environment with housing, counselling, therapy, medical care and a warm, loving touch.

After the video, a Q&A session was held to answer questions from the community.

Many commenters have asked where teens can get drug treatments and access programs like SSP.

Distelhorst said the Center for Human Services offers outpatient treatment for teens. The center is a non-profit, community-based youth and family services agency that provides counseling and promotes drug and alcohol prevention. Northpoint Recovery, located in Bellevue, also offers treatment for children ages 12 to 17 and accepts Medicaid.

Grant said she empathizes with young people trying to seek help for addictions as resources have dwindled in recent years.

“The treatment of young people has just gone down terribly in terms of resources,” she said. “I know our legislature is trying to reinforce that this time, but the Center for Human Services is about it. Even the inpatient facility, Sundown M Ranch [located in Yakima] is the last hospital treatment center for young people. It’s just dying for no really good reason.

A commenter asked if facilities are experiencing longer stays than before due to the presence of drugs with stronger trace amounts.

According to Mishelle Rutherford, director of health services at Evergreen, the average stay for patients in rehab is five days. However, stays are getting longer as many drugs are now mixed with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 80 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Because fentanyl takes so long to leave the body, patients experience withdrawal symptoms for longer periods of time.

“We find that it lives in the fat cells,” she said. “So he comes out at different times. So someone can feel better one day in rehab, and the next day they’re back in full withdrawal. It was really difficult to manage. »

Another commenter linked to this question, asking if it was proving difficult to convince insurance companies to cover longer stays.

Rutherford said Evergreen hasn’t had too many problems with insurance companies so far.

“As long as we can show there’s a medical need for them to be there,” she said. “This is where it gets tricky, because what we might consider a medical need in our detox field may not be exactly what the insurance company considers a medical need. So that poses problems. »

In fact, Rutherford said, there are more problems with patients leaving early.

“We end up having a lot of people leaving against medical advice around day four or day five because they don’t feel better,” she said. “So it’s kind of a complicated room just to get them through full detox. And of course going through rehab: that’s just the very beginning.”

Distelhorst ended the meeting by thanking the community for joining in and being open to learning more about the complicated processes of addiction treatment.

Any other questions or comments can be sent to Zoe Reese at [email protected].

— by Lauren Reichenbach

Home loan is a type of loan services that offers money to purchase new real estate such as land or house to end users.

PORTLAND, OREGON, USA, March 10, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Real Estate Lending Market report emphasizes key drivers and market trends fueling growth

ACCESS THE FULL REPORT: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/real-estate-loans-market-A10048

The market study incorporates an in-depth analysis of the Mortgage Loans Market based on key parameters which consider drivers, sales demands, scope and market share. Additionally, the report provides detailed metrics on drivers, growth, and opportunities that directly influence the market. The report further focuses on assessing the market size of four major regions, namely North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. The research study is designed to assist readers with a comprehensive assessment of current industry trends and analysis.

The report covers various companies’ home loans research data, benefits, gross margin, global market strategic decisions, etc., through tables, charts, and infographics.

DOWNLOAD A FREE SAMPLE REPORT: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/10413

Other important factors studied in this report include supply and demand dynamics, industrial processes, import and export scenarios, R&D development activities, and cost structures. In addition, consumption supply and demand figures, production cost and selling price of the products are also estimated in this report.

The study will help readers-

1. Recognize complete market dynamics.

2. Inspect the competitive scenario as well as future market landscape with the help of different restrictions such as Porter’s Five Forces and Parent/Peer Market.

3. Understand the impact of government regulations during the Covid-19 pandemic and assess the market throughout the global health crisis.

4. Consider the portfolios of major market players operating in the market coupled with the in-depth study of the products and services they offer.

Main offers-

1. AMR’s report on the Real Estate Lending Market offers an in-depth study of the global market share, key growth determinants, country-level position, segmental assessment, market outlook and main trends.

2. Porter’s five forces model, on the other hand, cites the effectiveness of buyers and sellers, which is important in helping market participants implement successful schemes. In addition, the research study includes,

– Threat of new competitors
– Threat of new replacements
– Bargaining power of suppliers as well as consumers
– Rivalry between the main players

3. Explicit analysis of driving and restraining factors of the global Home Loan Market is also provided in the report.

GET AN EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/10413

Major Market Players-

The home loan market also focuses on the major players operating in the sector. Their product portfolio, business tactics, company profiles, and revenue share are also neatly defined in the report. Finally, the study describes the strategies such as partnership, expansion, collaboration, joint ventures and others implemented by the forerunners to enhance their status in the sector.

Major market players are changing the vision of the global mortgage lending industry: Bank of America Corporation., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Lendio, Liberty SBF, Northeast Bank, Santander Bank, NA, SmartBiz, The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. ., US Bank and Wells Fargo.

COVID-19 scenario-

The research study presents the in-depth impact analysis of COVID-19 on the global Home Loan Market. The unprecedented situation has plagued the global economy and the mortgage market has been hit hard, especially during the initial phase. The report also takes into account the details of the scope of the market during this pandemic. In addition, the study provides a large-scale study of the policies and plans executed by key actors throughout this mandate. At the same time, he also cites the post-pandemic scenario, since the majority of government bodies have proposed measures to relax existing rules, while major vaccination campaigns have also been launched across the world. With this drift on board, the global mortgage market should be back on track very soon.

COVID-19 IMPACT ANALYSIS/CUSTOMIZATION: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/10413?reqfor=covid

Key market segments

• BY SUPPLIERS

o BANKS
o NON-BANKING FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
o OTHERS

• BY THE END USER

BUSINESS
o INDIVIDUALS

• BY TYPE OF PROPERTY

o HOTELS
o DETAILS
o INDUSTRIAL
OFFICE
o RESIDENTIAL
o OTHERS

Most Popular Reports

1) BFSI Security Market

2) Drone Inspection and Surveillance Market

3) Automated Optical Inspection Market

Pre-book now with 10% discount:

1) Financial Advisory Services Market- https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/financial-advisory-services-market-A06946

2) Supply Chain Finance Market – https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/supply-chain-finance-market-A08187

About Us:

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global corporations as well as small and medium enterprises with unparalleled quality of “Market Research Reports” and “Business Intelligence Solutions”. AMR has a focused vision to provide business insights and advice to help its clients make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market area.

David Correa
Allied Analytics LLP
800-792-5285
write to us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn

This story is about suicide. If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, please call the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for resources additional.

When the news broke that 22-year-old Stanford football star and senior Katie Meyer died by suicide last week, it was a heartbreak to parents who understood what Katie’s mother, Gina, meant. , when she said she was having “a parent’s worst nightmare” in her interview with NBC News’ Stephanie Gosk on TODAY.

Especially terrifying for parents: Meyer told Gosk that she and Katie’s father had no red flags leading to his death and that she had been in good spirits on FaceTime with them hours before.

Katie’s death leaves questions about what parents need to know about mental health support on campus and how they can support their children in college, especially now that students seem to be struggling more than ever.

Related: Katie Meyer’s parents speak out after her death

According to the latest Healthy Minds Institute data report from Winter 2021, 41% of students surveyed reported moderate or major depression, and 13% said they had had suicidal thoughts in the past year.

We asked experts in the fields of mental health and higher education for their thoughts on what parents can do.

1. Start working on self-defense skills early

Think about the skills people need in college before your kids get into college, Myrna Hernández, vice president of student affairs at the College of Wooster in Ohio, told TODAY Parents. “While they’re still in high school, figure out what your child is dealing with, whether it’s academics, mental health, or anxiety,” she suggested.

“Then start building their self-advocacy skills,” she said. “Ask them, ‘What do you want to do about it and how are you going to achieve it? to be able to speak for themselves.

Read more: TODAY’s guide to young adults and mental health

2. Learn about mental health resources

When visiting college campuses, parents and students should ask about mental health services the same way they would ask about meal plans or internship opportunities, experts said — even if their students have never needed mental health support in the past.

Know who to contact in case of a problem. Know where the student health center is. Know how to find mental health help and make sure your college kids know too. At Wooster, for example, Hernández said the school has an “early warning system” in the form of a university “care team” made up of students, faculty and staff. staff who can follow up if someone alerts them with concerns about a student. .

Wooster offers counseling services through its Student Wellness Center, but Hernández noted that those services might have a wait time. She said Wooster and most colleges and universities also have emergency mental health support available 24 hours a day, seven days a week — which is important for students to know.

Other questions to ask colleges: How long do students typically wait to see a counselor? How many sessions are they given before they have to seek help outside of the university? What kind of support does the university provide if they need to find a private mental health provider?

3. Consider legal release forms

What many parents don’t realize is that once kids are over 18, privacy laws limit colleges in what they can tell parents about mental health. of their students.

In some cases, parents may want to submit documents signed by their students, which will give the college more freedom to tell them if their children are suffering from a medical condition on campus, whether mental or physical. These forms may include a medical and/or financial power of attorney as well as HIPAA authorizations.

“If a student welcomes this, it’s not a crazy thing to have, just in case,” said Dr. Sarah Cain Spannagel, licensed clinical psychologist and faculty member at Case Western Reserve University.

“My mom sent me off to college with a Tupperware with things like a little sewing kit in it,” Spannagel noted. “Did I use any of these things? No. They sat in a storage block in the corner of my dorm. But I had them if I needed them; and it’s really no different, if it makes sense to everyone involved.

4. Talk about mental health and have a plan

When a child goes off to college, the dynamic between them and their parents changes, Hernández said — and communication is important.

Once a student has been on campus for a few weeks, “Ask them, ‘Who besides your friends supports you?'” she said. “Make sure they can point to someone. Even a single connection, like a coach or a professor or someone from the academic resource center is enough, but they have to be connected to someone.”

For students who received mental health support in their hometown, a “direct continuity of care plan” is also essential, Spannagel said, and not just in terms of counseling or medication.

“Whatever personal care your child takes at home, it has to accompany them in some way through college,” she said. “If they have a gym membership at home and working out helps relieve their stress, make sure they know where they can do it on campus. nails every week, so they should.”

5. Work on noticing instead of judging

Spannagel advised parents to stay in regular contact with their kids in college and insist, sometimes, on hearing their voices or FaceTiming so they can see what they look like. However, she warned that parents should be “observers” when watching their children and not judge them.

If they are grumpy from lack of sleep or not eating enough, instead of criticizing them, be aware and notice if a child seems to be eating, exercising or sleeping more or less than usual, has she declared. Significant changes can be an early warning signal that something is wrong. A big say a student might need help with, Spnagel said: any mention of desperation.

Spnagel also said that while students need their independence, it’s okay for parents to decide to take something off their child’s plate.

“If you have to pick up their medicine from the pharmacy and mail it to them at school, who cares? ” she says. “There are a million other opportunities in college to be independent. If they need you to do that one thing to keep them on track, that’s OK.”

6. Tell your kids they’re not alone if they’re struggling

Samantha Arsenault Livingstone is an Olympic swimming gold medalist who battled depression and now works as an educator and mental health advocate. She knows all too well the perfectionism and pressure that Katie Meyer’s parents mentioned in their TODAY interview, for both top athletes and the average person.

Going to college as an elite athlete, she would have benefited from knowing that “other people struggled as well,” she told TODAY Parents. “I completely believed that I was the only one. Even after all my achievement, I felt like an impostor, and that for me was the driver into the depths of depression, into this dark, dark space, because I had felt like I would be found out if I revealed some kind of struggle.

Livingstone noted, “We don’t need a diagnosis to be able to talk about anxiety. Sometimes children feel they need permission to feel what they feel.”

Hernández said the mental health crisis among students is “generational,” not just a byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We must remember that it is getting worse now, as not only are students dealing with the disruption caused by the pandemic, but they have also grown up in schools with the anxiety and stress of active shooting drills and thinking to their personal safety every day just at school in general,” she said.

Related:

With the spring semester in full swing, the Taylor University Counseling Center has set up therapy groups and workshops for students and faculty.

Three therapy groups will meet on a weekly basis for three or four weeks. Each will address a variety of topics, including healthy relationships, managing anxiety and stress, and trauma and resilience.

Registration closed on February 14 for the Healthy Relationships and Trauma and Resilience groups, but registration for a second Anxiety and Stress Management section is open until this Friday, March 11.

There are approximately 25 people currently registered to participate in therapy groups.

Kathy Chamberlain, Director of the Counseling Center, started in July 2020. She has over 30 years of social work experience and specializes in anxiety, trauma work, couples work and mental disorders. ‘mood.

“I hope that one, people recognize that they are not alone and two, that they get the resources they need to make the changes they need,” Chamberlain said.

Like the therapy sessions, the counseling center will host three workshops this semester that students and faculty can attend without registering. The topics of the workshops are communication and conflict resolution, eating disorders and cognitive resetting.

Chamberlain said the counseling center tries to provide workshop opportunities once a month so the Taylor community can learn more about mental health.

The first of three, Communication and Conflict Resolution, met Feb. 15 from 4-5 p.m. in the Cornwall Auditorium to discuss practical communication skills and conflict resolution techniques needed in various relationship situations.

The Disordered Eating Workshop will take place on March 15 from 4-5 p.m. in Cornwall for faculty and staff and 6-7 p.m. in Alspaugh East for students. Members of Shelah House, an eating disorder treatment center in Anderson, Ind., will share their knowledge about early signs of the disorder, body image, and treatment options. Students participating in the second session are encouraged to bring their lunch to the space.

For the final Cognitive Reset workshop, there will be a session on April 12 from 4-5pm in Cornwall. This is specifically aimed at students, providing ways to identify negative thought patterns regarding self-esteem and ways to rewrite those beliefs in a positive light.

Freshman Jonathan Berry said he has been attending individual therapy sessions since the end of J-term and also attended the conflict resolution workshop.

“Even if you don’t get all of your problems resolved right now, it really helps to talk to someone like a professional,” Berry said. “It’s useful even if you’re just organizing your thoughts.”

As an added incentive for students, many professors offer extra credit for attending workshops due to their built-in educational component.

For example, Mike Guebert, professor of geology and environmental science, offered his students additional credit opportunities if they use the advice center and hand in a brief account of their experience.

The counseling center usually receives a quarter of the student population, whether it is a one-time appointment or ongoing appointments. However, Chamberlain said that by the end of 2021 their numbers had increased by 33%, approaching 60% usage of Taylor’s student body.

“The need for mental health care is greater than it has ever been,” Chamberlain said.

One of Chamberlain’s passions in mental health treatment is preventative care. Realizing the need for an outward-looking approach, Chamberlain said it is only now with the COVID-19 pandemic that mental health professionals have begun to intentionally practice preventive care.

Most topics for therapy groups and workshops came directly from student feedback in light of promoting preventive care. According to Chamberlain, communication and conflict resolution was the number one ask of Taylor students who completed a survey sent out through announcements late last fall.

“Our hope is that we reach people who aren’t already in our clinic,” Chamberlain said.

QR codes and counseling center fact sheets are available across campus for easy access. Additionally, grounding boxes—kits containing supplies designed to reduce stress and anxiety—can be found in each dorm as well as at the Academic Enrichment Center. Specifically, they include toys, coloring tools, and therapy lights that mimic sunlight.

Individual appointments can be booked by emailing [email protected] and walk-in sessions are open Monday through Friday at 3 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis.

For times when students or faculty cannot use in-person services, Chamberlain pointed out that online resources such as breathing techniques and mindfulness videos are easily accessible anytime through the MyTaylor portal.

The counseling center has office hours Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For program updates and mental health tips, follow them on Instagram @tucounseling.

With the growing demand for specialized skills since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, professional courses have become the need of the hour, according to Vanitaa Rawat, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner and motivational speaker.

Watch the Zee Business live stream below:

“The Covid-19 pandemic has introduced unprecedented changes in our learning methods. It has also given a great boost to digital learning in the education system. Even though the worst of the pandemic seems to be behind us, blended learning, i.e. a mixture of offline and online teaching, will be the new normal. We are seeing a big push on job training and skills, which are the need of the hour, and will help us develop a stronger, more skilled workforce,” said the famed life coach and content creator. .

Vanitaa was speaking as the guest of honor at the launch of new skill-based courses for students of Shree Mahavir Vidyamandir Trust B. Ed College and VT Poddar BCA and Commerce College. She praised the colleges for introducing the new courses and said they would help students develop new skills and seek better livelihood opportunities.

“Vocational training has become more important than ever. Anyone who takes a practical, skills-based course is already at an advantage over others who are not,” she pointed out.

The seven certification courses launched include Creative Writing, Life Skills Education, Basic Contest Course, Basic Book Counting, Python Programming Language Basics, and Communication Skills/Brand Development. personality. (Seventh lesson?). Other courses of this type are in preparation.

Dr. Kishoresinh Chanda, Vice Chancellor, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU), Dr. Patralekha Barad, Dean of Faculty of Education, VNSGU, Dr. Snehal Joshi, Dean of Faculty of Computer Science, Dr. Mehul Desai, Principal of Udhna Citizen College, RJ Veer of 91.1 FM, Administrator Sudhakar ji Master, Niraj Patel and Chandrakant Shah, also graced the occasion.

(Disclaimer: Brand Office article)

The Hardin County Schools Family and Youth Resource Centers have a program for parents to help prevent mental health issues among the student body.

HCS parents can attend a session called “More than Sad” from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Central Hardin High School Library to learn about the signs of depression, how to talk to a child about mental health and the various resources that are available.

This session is a partnership between the school and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It was previously scheduled for January 13, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

CHHS Youth Services Center coordinator Brendan Chaney said the event was aimed specifically at parents in the district, not students. Some refreshments will also be available.

Chaney said when the foundation hosted the “Out of the Darkness” event last fall, they decided to team up to organize trainings and programs for parents, teachers and students.

She said that at the start of the school year, the school sent out surveys to staff, students and parents. She said the top three concerns for parents were counseling options, teenage stress and anxiety, and self-esteem.

“We want to educate parents and staff, and then we want to work with and educate students,” she said.

Chaney said the event will teach parents how to recognize signs of depression in their children and how to talk to them about it, as well as how families can get the resources they need in the community.

She said the district partners with 10 different agencies that can step in and help arrange therapy sessions for students if they qualify for school-based counseling.

Chaney also said there are also small groups at CHHS for different things like anxiety, coping skills and self-esteem during flextime at school.

“We really want to be preventative as much as possible and help students and parents as much as possible,” Chaney said.

Andrew Harp can be reached at 270-505-1414 or [email protected].

Nick Martin can be sweet, but when he reads the words to his poem “Honesty”, the message comes through loud and clear.

my therapist

Taught me that it’s not failure I fear

But rather the potential for my success.

A black man

Could speak through my firm exterior

And talk to my inner child.

In the 30-line narrative poem, Martin, an economics student at San Diego State University, explains how a visit with a therapist helped him find himself, giving him the strength and release to be himself in the process.

The poem struck a chord with audiences: Soft Quarterly, an arts and culture publication, published the poem in its most recent edition, and he performed the piece at several SDSU receptions, including the reception of the Young Men of Color Alliance in November and Brother to Brother Luncheon in December.

Martin will perform it again at “Let the Poet Speak,” a February 27 spoken word event at the Black Resource Center hosted in conjunction with the San Diego Association of Black Psychologists.

“I feel blessed with the impact the poem has had so far,” Martin said. “I didn’t think it would spark as much dialogue as it has so far, however, I’m happy with it. My main intention is to tell so that people don’t feel alone. The poem serves its purpose and that’s what matters most to me.

Martin, who grew up in Spring Valley and the Encanto neighborhood of San Diego and graduated from Patrick Henry High School, said he started writing poetry when he was 14. He published his words on the powerpoetry.org website.

During his junior and senior years, he was actively involved in the spoken word community and participated in his high school’s talent show.

But poetry was more than something he excelled at. It was his outlet to express his feelings of confusion, sadness, hope and humanity during a tumultuous time in his life.

“I would just like to talk about the struggles I witnessed in high school when it came to my mother’s health and the fact that I was separated from her when I was 15,” Martin said. “It was a confusing time, especially during those teenage years when all we do as people is understand each other for the first time. My intentions, whenever I wrote poems on the subject of mental health, were to relate to people as best I could. People want to feel seen and heard in their day-to-day lives.

We tango in philosophy and call it conversation.

He would ask me who I am and what do I want?

I am still struggling with this question.

As a black man, I feel the need to adapt

EVERY ENVIRONMENT.

Though my dark skin can’t blend into every

environment,

I know how to camouflage my voice and

mannerisms,

For any environment.

The inspiration for “Honesty,” Martin said, came from mental health therapy sessions he had in the spring of 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when mental health and wellness were a major topic of discussion. A National Institute of Health study showed that minorities were disproportionately affected by the mental health side effects of the pandemic.

Martin said he wanted to let his audience, especially black men, know that it was okay to seek help for their mental health.

“I felt it was important to shine a light on a part of the black community that is still stigmatized in certain contexts,” Martin said.

This constant game of charades, left me

I don’t know my own hue.

my therapist

I said to find my own success, I gotta know what

I appreciate.

I told him that honesty matters most.

And it’s been one of the keys to mine

Freedom all the while.

One person who has worked to combat this stigma of therapy within the black community is Ricky J. Popea psychologist from SDSU Psychological and Counseling Services who acts as a facilitator for the Alliance of Young Men of Color.

He asked Martin to recite his poem at the reception in November, during which audience members were moved to tears and heartfelt discussion.

“It touched me to see this work that I have dedicated my life to having such an impact on someone like Nick,” Pope said. “The idea of ​​being a black therapist and helping people like me kept me going. Reading this poem kind of validated my perseverance in getting this degree so I could help young men unleash their potential.

“I will be forever grateful to him for what he wrote in this poem,” Pope said. “It’s moving.”

Martin, a major in economics with a focus on policy and a minor in creative writing, wants to work as a policy analyst.

But until then, and beyond, he wants to keep inspiring people with his words.

In this coming-of-age story, growth is not linear.

In the same way that grass and plants grow down

Sun is the same way I will grow towards my values.

My honesty.

My own freedom.

Without having to adapt to anyone.

“I want my work to accomplish healing, empathy, and using knowledge gained to improve our relationships with others,” Martin said.

Related content

4th anniversary of the Black Resource Center

Monday, February 28 | Noon – 2 p.m.

younion Assurance PLC, the fastest growing life insurer in Sri Lanka, has announced the historic achievement of producing the highest number of Million Dollar Roundtable Qualifiers (MDRT) in the history of the life insurance industry in Sri Lanka. A record total of 300 MDRT qualifiers were reported, representing a 74% increase from 2020.

The company achieves industry-leading status by recording five (5) Top of the Table qualifiers, twenty (20) Court of the Table qualifiers, and two hundred and seventy-five (275) MDRT qualifiers.

MDRT is a global, independent association recognized internationally as the gold standard for life insurance and financial services. Its members are required to generate a certain level of bonuses, commissions and income, and to demonstrate professional knowledge, strict ethical conduct and exceptional customer service.

Congratulating the winners, Jude Gomes, the Chief Executive Officer, said: “I am extremely proud that our advisors are recognized in the highest echelons of insurance and financial services professionals as the number 1 MDRT winners in Sri Lanka. Lanka, despite the challenges. by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recording a number as impressive as 300 reflects the outstanding work our advisors do every day as trusted partners to our clients. I would like to convey my sincere gratitude to our advisors and to all those who have worked tirelessly to provide exemplary performance while respecting the highest ethics. We will continue to support our advisors in improving their skills to support our clients in achieving their dreams. We are also grateful to our customers for placing their trust in us.

The company places a strong emphasis on empowering its sales force to deliver best-in-class customer experience by administering professional training programs, providing industry-leading technology support while offering industry-leading recognition in the industry.

Senath Jayatilake, Union Assurance Director of Distribution, said: “The Agency and Corporate lines of business are very proud of the MDRT qualification number as it reiterates that Union Assurance is doing everything possible to ensure that its agents and financial advisors are of the highest quality. caliber. We believe that a competent, motivated and disciplined sales force is at the heart of service excellence. The launch of the UA Premier Club illustrates the importance Union Assurance places on providing exceptional customer service, as well as the company’s overarching goal to constantly raise the bar to exceed international standards.

Vindya Cooray, Chief Bancassurance Officer, said, “We are delighted that Union Assurance’s Bancassurance channel has grown over the years to become the country’s premier bancassurance provider. As the largest bancassurance provider in the country, our qualified and experienced agents are committed to providing the best services to customers through bancassurance channels. The Union Assurance Circle of Excellence was launched as a tribute to the hard work and commitment of our insurance relationship managers, and to offer them the opportunity to enjoy the best rewards and recognition in the industry.

Union Assurance is part of the John Keells Group, one of Sri Lanka’s largest publicly listed conglomerates. It is among the most awarded insurance companies in Sri Lanka, completing over three decades of success with a market capitalization of Rs. 15.9 billion, a life fund of Rs. 47.5 billion and a ratio of capital adequacy (CAR) of 250% in September 2021. Designed to empower the Sri Lankan dream, Union Assurance offers life insurance solutions that cover education, health, investment, protection and retirement of Sri Lankans. With an island-wide branch network and a workforce of over 3,000, Union Assurance continues to invest in people, products and processes with a customer focus. to respond to emerging changes in the life insurance industry.

[Diocese of Los Angeles] For Prism staff and volunteers, the need to be companions and share communion with those in local jails and detention centers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has never been as urgent or as rewarding.

“People are intimidated by the issue of incarceration, but that’s not what we’re doing,” says Ann Noble, program coordinator for Prism, the Department of Restorative Justice for the Diocese of Los Angeles. Often, she says, “it’s just one human being talking to another human being and sharing a story. So that’s the biggest problem, and yet it’s not a big problem. I feel like it takes so much and all it takes is the greatest gift you have, which is your presence, and anyone can give that.

When visiting people confined to the Twin Towers, Men’s Central Jail and Century Regional Detention Center in Lynwood can seem scary, “an encounter can be sitting one-on-one with a person,” he said. she declared. “It can also be participating in a small service, a mass, just a small group of people in a circle.

“We don’t preach to them, we share. So it feels a lot more communal. We don’t stand on a podium to talk to them, we sit with them. With the Eucharist, she says, “there is an opportunity to share bread, an opportunity to anoint with oil, an opportunity to sit down and discuss.”

Continued COVID restrictions have limited Sunday gatherings to around 10 people, and “that’s really reducing our numbers,” according to Prism director Sharon Crandall. But as soon as the prisons reopened to visits, Prism was back, she said, because “it’s about the people we serve.”

Prism recently moved its base of operations to All Saints Church in Pasadena, a move the Reverend Mike Kinman called a “natural partnership.”

“One of the first things I did when I got here, before I officially became rector in October 2016, I went to a Prism fundraiser and learned about the ministry,” he said. declared. “Literally the next day I called [the Rev.] Dennis Gibbs and said, this is something I feel I have to do, especially as a congregation that skews the wealthiest and most privileged.

Since then, former directors of Prism Gibbs and Reverend Greta Ronnigen, co-founders of the Community of Divine Love, have moved their monastery to the San Luis Obispo area. After their departure, Noble and Crandall, who were long-time volunteers, took on leadership roles.

“If we really want to be God’s beloved community, we need to be actively involved in the places where some of the less privileged members of our society are,” Kinman said. “And not in terms of ‘we have to go help them,’ but because that’s where Jesus is.

“I hope it’s a ministry that draws our congregation more and more to those places where Jesus lives,” he added. “It’s also a ministry of the Diocese of Los Angeles and any way All Saints Church can reach out and help the mission and ministry of the diocese, it’s something we need to do, because we’re all in the same boat.”

Crandall said having a home base was important, both logistically and spiritually. “When we do a church service and we talk about community and we share the bread that was consecrated that morning in church, it means something to those we visit. I think we underestimate the power of this type of connection for incarcerated people.

For example, “a man named George, who was baptized in prison, is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. We baptized him in prison. He just lights up when he shows people that baptism certificate and tells people he’s a church member.

“It’s important for someone like George, who knows he’s going to spend the rest of his life in prison, to feel connected to a larger spiritual community.”

Crandall added: “Now, without the monastery, we need this support. It’s not necessarily an easy job to do. When I go to the prisons I am alone most of the time during the week and it is nice to feel that you have this supportive community behind you.

Episcopal Ministry Elevates LGBTQ+ Inmates

All Saints parishioner and Prism volunteer Tim Hartley says his experience in prisons helped him make his decision to seek ordination.

“It’s an amazing and fulfilling ministry,” Hartley said. “People coming to the service seemed moved, and I was changed by it.”

For many incarcerated people, especially the LGBTQ+ community, Prism brings “really good news, because there are a lot of organizations that will go as chaplains to prisons to convert people to their faith or their faith. particular faith, with the idea of ​​saving souls,” he said.

“Prism is one of the few organizations to send chaplains to the LGBTQ floor of the Twin Towers.”

He recalls a county-run training session for volunteers, where potential chaplains were hesitant to call inmates by their preferred pronouns, especially if those pronouns “may differ from their appearance or the prison they are in. One even asked if they could just call them by their inmate number.

“All this to say that the work that Prism does truly brings the good news that we are meant to bring as Christians.”

Prism volunteer Jonathan Stoner, 40, who is also a City of Hope chaplain, agreed, saying he jumped at the chance to return to prisons once COVID restrictions were lifted.

“How cool to be part of a ministry to the least of them that even other churches don’t want to do. Those experiences, doing services with LGBTQ+ people in prisons, were really meaningful.

“People coming to services are so hungry, so open, so involved and serious. They are engaged in reading. They ask great questions and bring their own knowledge of Scripture and their own experiences into the conversations. »

Social justice and the ministry of Prism are “part of the DNA of All Saints,” added Stoner. With Crandall and Noble as leaders, and with Mike Kinman leading All Saints, “Prism is going to be championed and hopefully we can get more people involved and even expand to other prisons and other prison systems,” he said.

“We can continue to reimagine what this ministry might look like and what the Spirit might move us in this pandemic season.

Serving those in prison “feels like a sacred obligation, a calling”, he said. “It reminds me that each of us has our dignity as human beings. Everyone has their value as a child of God, no matter what we have done or will do. We are all worthy of love and deserve a second chance, a third, a fifth chance.

“There’s this feeling that this is where I need to be on Sundays, with the people Jesus would hang out with.”

This is the second in a series of features showing how your support of BRAA is impacting Blue Raider student-athletes! True Blue Give 2022 will take place February 14-16, though Blue Raider fans are encouraged to show their support early here: http://bit.ly/TBG2022BRAA. MT Athletics thanks you for considering donating to the #BuildBlueNow campaign, BRAA or an athletic program of your choice.

MURFRESBORO, Tenn. — Todd Wyant wears many different hats on any given day while working at the Student-Athlete Enhancement Center. One moment he is hosting tutorial sessions for an accounting student later that evening. Another is a smiling face offering a blue book to a student-athlete taking an exam later in the day.

The director of “SAEC”, as the folks at the Murphy Center call him, might help a student check his progress toward graduation with his class schedule next semester, and then simply offer good life advice to athletes like footballer Peyton DePriest, who says she frequently drops by her office whenever she needs someone to talk to about something.

“He’s kind of like my therapist,” DePriest said half-jokingly, acknowledging how Wyant helped her identify which graduate program would be best for her as she sought to take advantage of her additional eligibility due of the COVID-19 pandemic. “He listens to all my problems and gives me really good advice. He has so many athletes he takes care of. But every time I go he just finds time to sit down and talk about everything. I need. I’ve really enjoyed it over the years.”

It’s that personal connection, Wyant said, that really makes the job meaningful for him and his staff, who are among the first people both rookies and incoming student-athletes meet when they come to campus. because of the wide range of help they can provide. . Whether it’s helping them get their BlueID so they can buy their textbooks, to class registration, how to register for the MCAT, LSAT, GRE, or another app for schools higher when they leave MT.

“Our intentions are to really help student-athletes transition to Middle Tennessee as smoothly as possible,” Wyant said.

—

Wyant is quick to point out that SAEC, located at Gate 1 of Floyd Stadium, operates under the umbrella of the Division of Student Affairs, rather than directly with the athletic department.

Mainly because it highlights how he and his staff, including the associate director Earls of Wynnifredassistant director wes hofackerAthletic Academic Advisor madison lowrance and secretary Wendy Gamble, have connections across campus in areas such as career development and counseling, which allow them to expand their expertise and reach. Help connect student-athletes with advisors in specialized fields, such as aerospace, or even set up help with counseling services if that’s a need for that particular student.

It also means that SAEC staff are familiar with many of the university’s various academic rules, such as that international students are required to take at least nine on-campus credits, and can help student-athletes navigate their own sports schedules with their major, and also act as a conduit when athletics and academics need to communicate.

For male tennis player Fransico Rocha from Portugal, this help was great as he pursued a degree in economics, especially with SAEC’s relationship with his teachers, which made for a smooth academic experience.

“In Portugal, I think they have a different approach to school,” Rocha said, pointing out that varsity athletics is not an entity in Portuguese universities. “Here it’s easier to manage because the teachers are more willing to understand that we have sport, which is the most important. If I took economics lessons in Portugal, the teacher would just say ‘oh ok , you can’t come to the exam? Bad luck for you. And here the teachers are more willing to understand a different situation.”

Rocha said the work on office life skills, helping student-athletes learn to manage their time, build relationships with teammates and develop their overall maturity, has been a big help when it comes to moved to the United States for his undergraduate career. And this help both in the classroom and on the field only increases the value of his scholarship in the long run.

In addition to the valuable help of staff, the SAEC is also equipped with a comprehensive computer lab, often filled with specialized software that students need in areas such as concrete management or mechatronics, as well as areas of to set up tutoring sessions or study rooms. .

“We just want to remove all barriers,” Wyant said. “We just don’t want them coming in and going ‘I didn’t know (I needed that)’ or ‘You didn’t have that.'”

DePriest said she often borrows graphing calculators from SAEC, “because nobody has a $100 calculator around anymore.” She also pointed to things like lab goggles and scantrons as some of the physical resources SAEC can provide.

—

Not all Blue Raider athletes are in SAEC every week or even every year after completing their transition to college, Wyant said. That’s okay, he notes, because it often means they’ve learned enough during this transition process to become self-sufficient. But he knows the impact of his team’s work is felt when he sees the GSR and APR reports that come out each year from the Athletic Department. Middle Tennessee recently set a school record with a 93% graduation rate in 2021, the eighth consecutive year MT has set or tied a school record in this category.

“We never know what percentage we’re helping, but we know we’re helping them,” Wyant said. “We’re very proud, it’s kind of our championship, to have such a high GSR and APR.”

SAEC receives funding from BRAA, with Wyant noting that BRAA funds have recently helped upgrade bathrooms at facilities, but donations to BRAA are felt throughout SAEC through scholarships funded by these generous benefactors. which give a chance to students from all over the world. world, from all academic backgrounds to have the opportunity to obtain a degree in a field that suits them.

With COVID, Wyant has noticed an increase in his team to help student-athletes with personal issues, and he hopes to continue expanding the myriad of professional development opportunities SAEC already offers, from resume writing to dinner parties. label. As COVID numbers continue to improve in the region, look back to some of the community service opportunities SAEC used to lead, such as the Special Olympics. And with the transfer portal, Wyant expects to have even more opportunities to help incoming and outgoing student-athletes achieve their academic goals and make the decision that’s best for them.

For now though, he’s thrilled that the likes of defensive end Jordan Ferguson found success in Murfreesboro and embraced the opportunity they had. And for Ferguson, he hopes future Blue Raiders will understand that the SAEC is ready to help them if they need it.

“I think a lot of students should know and a lot of parents should know that there’s a program or there’s a college-only facility for student-athletes,” Ferguson said. “They take really good care of you. Help them with books, provide tutors and extra help, they will have a specific time for you to come and have someone just for you. For every age group. They care about you, they help you, they help you find the best job and the best career to help you succeed in the future.”

Read previous articles from True Blue Give:

Donovan Sims “is Murfreesboro. He’s from Middle Tennessee.”