Harford County Special Education Citizen s Advisory Committee (HC-SECAC): MEETING MINUTES. September 4th, :30 8:15 PM

Transcription

1 Harford County Special Education Citizen s Advisory Committee (HC-SECAC): MEETING MINUTES September 4th, :30 8:15 PM Members Present: 24 community members representing parents, community and school personnel were in attendance. A sign-in sheet of meeting participants is on file. Meeting Summary: Lorette Vetusi, HC-SECAC Chairperson, welcomed everyone back to HC-SECAC after summer vacation. She then introduced Dr. Harriette Wimms, the guest speaker for the evening. Dr. Wimms presently serves as the Child, Adolescent and Family Behavioral Health Program Manager at Chase Brexton Health Services in Baltimore. During her presentation to HC-SECAC, Dr. Wimms discussed the importance of self-care for parents and caregivers, noting that by caring for ourselves we will be better able to care for others. Dr. Wimms demonstrated and then had participants practice multiple mindfulness techniques. She suggested ways to easily incorporate simple mindfulness and self-care activities into our daily lives to improve well-being. Please refer to Dr. Wimms power point presentation for further information. Dr. Wimms presentation ended at about 8:10PM. Lorette Vetusi took a few minutes to conclude the meeting and discuss next month s HC-SECAC Parent Forum, which is to be held at the McFaul Activities Center, our new meeting location, on Thursday, October 4 th, from 6:30-8:30PM. Please see the Parent Forum flyer for further information. With no other business to share the meeting was concluded at 8:20 PM.

2 Harford County SECAC Meeting Dates for the School Year Thursday, September 4, 2014 Thursday, October 2, 2014 Thursday, November 6, 2014 Thursday, January 8, 2015 Thursday, February 5, 2015 Thursday, March 5, 2015 Thursday, March 26, 2015 Thursday, May 7, 2015 Thursday, June 4, 2015 Unless otherwise noted, beginning in October, 2014, Harford County SECAC meetings will now be held from 6:30-8:30PM in Room 5 at the McFaul Activities Center, 525 West MacPhail Road, Bel Air, MD

3 ANNOUNCING THE 2014 HARFORD COUNTY SECAC PARENT FORUM Break out sessions will be conducted in a round table format in small groups where discussions will be facilitated and notes will be gathered resulting in a list of concerns and suggestions. This information will be shared with the HCPS Special Education Department, and will be included in SECAC s annual presentation to the HCPS Board of Education, in order to help better serve the special education community in Harford County. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD! There will be opportunities for participants to provide input orally during the group discussions and/or in writing on index cards, which can be submitted at the end of each session. Sample thoughts and questions for each topic area include: o Preschool/Elementary/Middle/High School students o What is working well? o What are your concerns? o What suggestions do you have? Please RSVP for this event by ing HarfordSECAC@comcast.net by 9/29/14. Thursday, October 2, :30-8:30 PM McFaul Activities Center 525 West MacPhail Road Bel Air, MD First Break Out Session Successful Inclusion 6:45-7:30 PM Assistive Technology (High & Low Tech) Early Intervention - Birth to Five Transition to Middle School, High School, and Beyond Ten Minute Break Second Break Out Session 7:40-8:25 PM Transportation Behavioral Interventions/Supports Addressing Medical Issues and Physical Disabilities at School Speech/Language/Communication

4 Making a Time for Us... The Importance of Self-Care and Stress Management for Parents and Caregivers Harriette E. Wimms, Ph.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist Child, Adolescent, and Family Behavioral Health Program Manager Chase Brexton Health Services Harford County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee September 4, 2014

5 Overview Introduction and Objectives A Day in Your Life... Providing Care: Life in the Balance The Relationship between Stress and Well-Being Parenting and Stress Mindfulness and Stress Management Mindfulness Practices Audience Participation Conclusion and Discussion

6 Objectives Discuss the importance of developing a self-care regimen Explore stress management techniques Review how mindfulness meditation can be used to effectively manage stress and help families cope and thrive. Learn how to easily incorporate mindfulness into daily routines to enhance well-being while enhancing the outcomes for the whole family.

7 Compassion The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water without getting wet. (Remen) Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. (Plato)

8 So... What do you do? Why is it the Toughest Job? You are Parent/Care Provider Pediatrician Nurse Psychologist Social worker Advocate Referee Chef Personal trainer Personal assistant Concierge and Advocate and Judge and Coach Chauffer Task master Educational consultant Dental Hygienist Gastroenterologist Others? Oh, and our children also carry our hearts around in their little bodies.

9 Parenting on the Good Days: Compassion Satisfaction Pleasure felt as a result of doing a job well Homework help Caught up with laundry Watching them walk off to a new class, school, job, life Positive feelings about: Who you are Your effectiveness Making a difference Warm fuzzies

10 And then there are those days: Stress Balancing Time Money Energy Relationship Multiple needs Work Tangible needs And what about what We need???

11 Life in the Balance... When there is imbalance between the energy that goes out and the energy that comes in Fatigue, Stress, and Mindlessness

12 Mindlessness and Compassion Fatigue Being on autopilot Ever drive somewhere and not know how you got there Eaten a bag of chips without realizing or tasting them

13 Hyper-stress This stress can lead to physical and emotional distress Headaches Worry and anxiety Anger, irritability, and temper flare ups Hopelessness Depression Substance and alcohol abuse. Caregivers and clinicians alike need stress management techniques to cope and thrive.

14 Self Care and Resilience to the Rescue Resilience and Self Care The ability to bounce back Social Support!!! Compassion with detachment Balance between assets and deficits Self care Humor Optimism Hope Stress management Flexibility Mindfulness Healthy Self Esteem and Sense of Personal Power Cognitive Coping

15 The Key to Promoting Resilience: Self Care Awareness Balance Connection

16 Resilience Plan: A Self-Care Way to Recharge and Build Energy Reserves Time off Daily stress relief Mindfulness: be where you are Use 5 senses Eat well Sleep Exercise Have sex Limit alcohol, caffeine, and drugs Massage Yoga Read Set limits Listen to music Journal Laugh Ask for help Lower your standards for yourself Personal self-talk Maintain boundaries Recognize fatigue Practice doing nothing

17 Resilience Plan Connect with people Play Enjoy pets Volunteer Choose to spend time with friends who rejuvenate you Find a support group Pray or meditate Read spiritual material Practice forgiveness Have an attitude of gratitude Seek counsel

18 Mindfulness to the Rescue Stress: Mind-based reaction to threat Mindfulness and Meditation Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally (Kabat-Zinn, 1994, p.4) Being present and nonjudgmental even in the most painful moments The process of slowing down, seeing things exactly as they are, moment to moment

19 Mindfulness: Why Would I Need It? Don t I have enough on my mind! Adults must take care of themselves to care for others. Parents and caregivers undergo significant stress under intense time constraints=chaos. This leads to Limbic System Hijacking Limbic System: Fight or Flight Frontal Lobe: Executive Functioning Mindfulness, even a few minutes, can bring us back to calm.

20 The Mind-Body Connection Recognizing how your mind and body are connected can give information about your stress

21 Trungpa Rinpoche "Just sit and let your mind open and rest let yourself be completely open with an open mind, and whenever you get distracted and find yourself thinking in other words when you are no longer fully in the present and are carried away simply just come back again to resting your mind in an open state."

22 Mindfulness: How Do I Do It? Videos Books Audio Podcast

23 Mindfulness Practice Formal Practice Informal Practice

24 Formal Practice Mindfulness Meditation Breathing meditation Body Scan Eating Sitting Walking Yoga Tai Chi

25 Informal Practice Mindfulness of Daily Activities Brushing teeth, taking shower, driving Mindfulness of Pleasant Events Petting dog, greeting loved one Mindfulness of Unpleasant Events Bringing nonjudgmental awareness to thoughts and feelings about unpleasant experiences Often we want to avoid negative feelings or events Noticing you are having a bad day without adding more thought or emotion to it will make it just a bad day, nothing more

26 Mindfulness Exercises Guided Meditation Mindful Breathing Mindful Eating

27 Self Care vs. Being Selfish Taking care of yourself is different than being selfish When you take care of your mind and body you are helping yourself function happily and successfully in daily life By caring for yourself, it becomes possible to care for others

28 Promoting Resilience In Context

29 Self Care Web Identify Stressors/Adversity Identify Support Interventions at the Following Levels: Self and Family/Agency (microsystem) Friends/Community (meso and exosystem) Values and Beliefs (macrosystem) mottos, mantras, and meaning

30 Conclusion A lack of balance leads to stress Mindfulness is an effective way to manage stress and improve effectiveness and life satisfaction. It is defined as purposeful awareness. It is a practice, not an exercise. Even a few minutes a day can make a difference.

31 Peace It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.