C&A'S BLOG
Let Your Light Shine – Southern Nights: Illuminating Hope and Mental Health Awareness for the Younger Generation
For the last few months, C&A has been diligently preparing for the 18th Annual Let Your Light Shine – Southern Nights presented by The Repository by organizing auction items, printing tickets and using their creativity to make sure that eventgoers feel as though they are walking into an evening in the south, with barrels and lanterns to boot. The committee, led by chair Jen Frey and co-chair Molly Sperling and auction chair Stacy Remark are hard at work, it’s crucial to remember that this event raises awareness and … Continued
Growing with your child as a parent
I have grown up as a parent for the last four and half years! As luck would have it, a little more than four and a half years ago, I started at Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A) in the mission advancement department with my responsibilities being the marketing and development coordinator. Some might say, I did a good job of raising my two kids, who were teenagers at the time. But, boy, if I had known of the services C&A offered and even some of the parenting … Continued
What did YOU did this summer?
This summer I attended a Marijuana Prevention conference near Denver, Colorado. I was curious to know what the locals were saying after 10 years of legalization. The speakers included a Denver Police Commander, school resource officer, medical doctor, residential treatment program CEO, deputy from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), Executive Director of the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association and others related to educating the community and defending children’s rights. In the audience were parents, professionals and advocates for children from all over the United States. … Continued
From Darkness to Discovery: My College Journey of Self-Transformation
When I arrived on campus, I tried to immerse myself in college culture. I joined a sorority, the speech and debate team, and two other clubs which were extensive time commitments, factoring in no time to relax or focus on bettering my mental health. This lack of attention to my mentality, combined with my low self-esteem that prevented me from making friends led me down a dark hole in which some days I thought it would be better if I wasn’t here. About four weeks into school … Continued
This is Why We Celebate
This time of year there are a lot of celebrations happening in our communities – Memorial Day, Pride Festivals, Juneteenth celebrations, 4th of July and many more. These events aren’t just frivolous excuses to have parties, backyard barbecues or festivals. They are important cultural and civic events we need these celebrations. Researchers from John’s Hopkins University identified 7 categories of positive childhood experiences that are associated with happiness and success in adulthood despite facing adversity early in life. One of those categories is the ability to enjoy participating … Continued
Why would a straight person go to Pride? The importance of allyship
Recently, when I was making plans with a friend, I said that I would not be available on the afternoon of June 10 because I will be at the Stark Pride festival. My friend looked confused and replied, “But you’re straight! Why are you going to a Pride festival?” In a way, she’s right. I am a heterosexual, cisgender female, and because of that I’ve never needed to advocate to openly express my gender identity, felt unsafe expressing affection for my romantic partners, or had to fight for … Continued
Make a date in May to set goals to improve your mental health
Every day you should make your mental health a priority. During the month of May, National Mental Health Awareness Month, this is a great time to take inventory of your mental health and look to establish positive habit-forming strategies. When the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31, many of us vow to make a New Year’s resolution for our physical health. Think of this month as Dec. 31 and make some healthy changes for your mind. Soon, you may recognize taking care of your mental health also helps … Continued
Stark Schools celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week
Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A’s) and its community partners are celebrating a milestone fifth anniversary of Stark County Schools Mental Health Awareness Week, May 1-5. This year, C&A and its community partners are using this opportunity to bring positive mental health awareness to more than 53,000 students and more than 6,000 teachers, administrators, cooks and bus drivers all across Stark County. Each year, the program continues to grow, bringing more Stark County school districts and students together to celebrate and remind the students important tips for positive … Continued
What is mental health stigma?
Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A) held multiple training sessions during President’s Day for clinical staff. One of the presentations covered the topic of Mental Health Stigma. Dan Sager, a C&A doctoral intern who gave the presentation, used a definition provided by the Western Australia Department of Health. “Stigma is a mark of disgrace that sets a person apart from others. When a person is labelled by their illness they are no longer seen as an individual but as part of a stereotyped group. Negative attitudes and beliefs … Continued
Reverse Raffle to benefit Mike Flood Endowment
Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A) is fortunate to be the recipient of the Mike Flood Endowment established in 1999. Mike Flood, a former board member for C&A and Stark County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery, retired from The Timken Co., he asked in lieu of gifts, donations be made to the newly established endowment fund. The original endowment fund started with $25,000. Over the years, with the generosity of Mike and Kay Flood, their friends and community supporters, the endowment fund had grown to more than $350,000, … Continued