Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year to pause, to reflect and give appreciation for one’s many blessings. But gratitude doesn’t have to be reserved solely for holiday rhetoric; an attitude of gratitude is an important part of everyday living.

Psychological studies have demonstrated evidence that having gratitude actually improves health. These studies have found that this is even more so for children living with inter-generational trauma in the home. Whether the intergenerational trauma involves substance dependence, domestic violence, and/or poverty, children in these environments often grow up living in fear and grow to anticipate the worst. These children, vulnerable to irresolvable stress because of the day-to-day inconsistency in their home, often find gratitude difficult to come by.

These children, and the adults they later become, often feel it is impossible to see the positive in a given situation, or to have gratitude for their position in life. They may feel like the world is intent on sending them obstacles, that gratitude is out of reach, or pollyannaish.

By helping kids live an attitude of gratitude, it helps distract their attention from what challenges them, removes the need to fantasize about what they don’t have, and conditions them to focus on what gives them contentment and joy. It helps children balance out negative emotions and stress, find more energy, and increase overall contentment. This state actually reduces incessant complaining, helps boost the brain’s ability to learn, and improves a child’s ability to make better decisions.

More than a “well mannered thank you”, an attitude of gratitude for even small, everyday things, helps a person feel content, regardless of life circumstances. Current research provides evidence that gratitude is instrumental in achieving goals more fluidly, and in improving skills of empathy and resilience. A grateful attitude actually changes the perspective one has on life, raising awareness of everyday things that are special. Children and teens go through the day more relaxed and less stressed, and with a positive attitude that tends to make other people feel better as well. They also tend to sleep better.

How to Nurture an Attitude of Gratitude in Children

You can nurture individuals that have grown up in traumatic environments by showing care, modeling gratitude, engaging them in service work, and in how to keep a gratitude journal.

Show You Care. It only takes one caring adult to make a difference in the life of a child, whether you know the child professionally or personally. As a caring adult, share your feelings and explain age appropriately that you care about them. Do things together that show you care, however simple. Take part in activities you both enjoy or find meaningful. Here are some examples. Work on creative projects together. Do do chores together. Discuss their favorite books or films together. It’s the together part of engagement that makes a difference.

Model Gratitude. When spending time with kids and teens, model gratitude with a positive attitude. Give compliments, point out things to be appreciative of, say thank you to the child or teen and when they are in your presence. Then ask them what they are grateful for. Demonstrate what gratitude – and healthy thinking – looks like. In this way, you can help raise awareness of feelings, thought processes, and life skills that may not exist at home for them.

Engage them in Service Work. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that caring adults connect children with someone to serve. They say it works best when the person being served doesn’t technically “need charity”, as the child will feel more appreciated when thanked for service that wasn’t technically needed. Here are some examples. Arrange to have the child bring the trash cans in, or water plants, after school for a neighbor. Have a teen prepare a meal for a visiting relative, or someone who is ill. Serving others is a healthy practice that feeds one’s self confidence, improves one’s mood, and allows individuals to develop empathy. When a child or teen serves someone more intimately than helping out in a food kitchen or shelter, they additionally learn how good it feels to receive the appreciation of their service.

Keep a Gratitude Journal. In one study, after 10 weeks of writing about gratitude, individuals were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also had fewer visits to physicians than those who focused on sources of aggravation. There are a number of ways to introduce the practice of keeping a gratitude journal. We’ve created a downloadable .pdf of an article on tips for keeping a gratitude journal, that shares some techniques shown to be beneficial.

The National Association for Children of Alcoholics provides a summary and additional examples of How to help children develop an attitude of gratitude in a downloadable infographic. They’ve also written an article about on 7 Things you can be grateful for— for adult children of alcoholics and children of trauma.

You can find more resources related to child development and mental health by selecting the “child development” and/or “mental health” option from the dropdown tab on our Social Service “Utilization Library” page.

-AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYAUDIO-START- You can find links to the resources mentioned in this episode with the written version of this story on our website at cincinnati, dot, united resource connection, dot, org. You’ve been listening to the Hamilton County Ohio Social Service News, now available as a podcast on Amazon Music, Audible, Apple & Google Podcasts, iTunes, and Spotify. If you have social service news to submit to this podcast, visit cincinnati dot united resource connection dot org. Once there you can also subscribe to get a free summary of the past week’s local social service news stories emailed to you every Saturday morning. So subscribe to our e-newsletter and podcast, and visit us online to discover more social service news and resources. -AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYAUDIO-END-

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers an 8 page pdf that summarizes the benefits available to families of veterans. There are a number of programs available to families of veterans, including programs to serve these families even after the veteran has died. The pdf can help families identify and connect with these helpful programs.

The VA also provides a supplemental toolkit for families to use for burial planning and beyond, called the Survivors and Burial Benefits Kit. This supplemental toolkit provides direction for pre-need planning and record storage. The toolkit can help families begin to collect and record all the information needed to connect with VA services.

You can find more veteran resources by selecting the “veteran resources” option from the dropdown tab on our Social Service “Utilization Library” page.

-AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYAUDIO-START- You can find links to the resources mentioned in this episode with the written version of this story on our website at cincinnati, dot, united resource connection, dot, org. You’ve been listening to the Hamilton County Ohio Social Service News, now available as a podcast on Amazon Music, Audible, Apple & Google Podcasts, iTunes, and Spotify. If you have social service news to submit to this podcast, visit cincinnati dot united resource connection dot org. Once there you can also subscribe to get a free summary of the past week’s local social service news stories emailed to you every Saturday morning. So subscribe to our e-newsletter and podcast, and visit us online to discover more social service news and resources. -AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYAUDIO-END-

Two federal courts have ruled that the federal student debt relief program may not have proper authorization. Consequently, the processing of applications that have already been received by the program will be be delayed until the federal court cases are resolved favorably.

Even though the processing of applications had stopped last month, (as we updated in our October 17th article titled, “Application for Federal Student Debt Relief”), one could still technically submit an application through the portal, and receive a confirmation that the application was received. This past weekend, however, the application portal stopped accepting applications.

The U.S. Department of Education has stated they will quickly process the student debt relief applications once the federal court cases are resolved favorably. Legal experts expect that these court cases will likely be sent to the Supreme Court for resolution. About 26 million people have applied, and 16 million applications have been approved to date. The Education Department said on its website that it would hold on to the applications for those who have already applied until the legal challenges play out.

Student Debt Payments May Resume in January

People with student loan debt have not been required to make payments during the pandemic. But payments are set to resume, and interest to accrue again, starting in January, 2023. The U.S. Department of Education has said that the payment pause would not be extended again, but that was before these recent court rulings about the Student Debt Forgiveness program. Some advocates are petitioning that the pause be continued WHILE the legal challenges to the loan forgiveness program play out, but there has been no update to date on this possibility.

We will continue to follow the story, and report if there is another extension on student debt payment due dates. We’ll also report if the application portal for federal student debt relief is reopened.

You can find more resources related to financial assistance by selecting the “Financial Resources” option from the dropdown tab on our Social Service “Utilization Library” page.

-AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYAUDIO-START- You can find links to the resources mentioned in this episode with the written version of this story on our website at cincinnati, dot, united resource connection, dot, org. You’ve been listening to the Hamilton County Ohio Social Service News, now available as a podcast on Amazon Music, Audible, Apple & Google Podcasts, iTunes, and Spotify. If you have social service news to submit to this podcast, visit cincinnati dot united resource connection dot org. Once there you can also subscribe to get a free summary of the past week’s social service news stories emailed to you every Saturday morning. So subscribe to our podcast, and visit us online to discover more social service news and resources. -AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYAUDIO-END-

UPDATE: A federal appeals court has ruled that the federal student debt relief program may not have proper authorization, and has requested a review which will delay processing of your application. You can still complete an application online, receive an automated email confirming your application was received, but the processing of the application will not occur until the federal court case is resolved favorably.

Individuals with student loans making less than $125,000 can apply for up to $10,000 of debt relief, or as much as $20,000 if they were also Pell Grant recipients, by completing the federal online application form. No documents are required to upload, just basic information like your name, email address, and Social Security number. You should receive a confirmation email once the application is submitted, and your student-loan company will notify you once the relief is processed. The application is available online in English and Spanish.

A preview of the application was released as a pdf earlier in the month, which you can still download, and use to practice completing the online form.

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You can find more resources related to financial assistance by selecting the “Financial Resources” option from the dropdown tab on our Social Service “Utilization Library” page.

-AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYAUDIO-START- You can find links to the resources mentioned in this episode with the written version of this story on our website at cincinnati, dot, united resource connection, dot, org. You’ve been listening to the Hamilton County Ohio Social Service News, now available as a podcast on Amazon Music, Audible, and iTunes. If you have social service news to submit to this podcast, visit cincinnati dot united resource connection dot org. Once there you can also subscribe to get a free summary of the past week’s social service news stories emailed to you every Saturday morning. So visit us online to discover more social service news and resources. -AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYAUDIO-END-

Drugsite Trust publishes an informational website about medications, which is designed for both consumers and health professionals, in partnership with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration. It has a number of FREE online tools that can help with common medication issues. The tools include a pill identification tool, a drug interactions checker, and a medication side effect database. They also provide free, peer-reviewed, independent data on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines & natural products. All of these tools are available on the website and mobile app, drugs.com, allowing you to lookup drug information, identify pills, check interactions and set up your own personal medication records, free of charge.

Need help to identify that pill?

Worried about some capsules found in your teenager’s room? Not sure about those leftover pills still in the bathroom cabinet? There’s a good chance that their Pill Identification Wizard, can help you match the imprint, size, shape, or color, and lead you to a detailed description in their drug database.

Are you at risk for drug interactions?

Anytime you take more than one medication, or even mix it with certain foods, beverages, or over-the-counter medicines, you are at risk of having a drug interaction. Most drug interactions are not serious, but because a few are, it is important to check. The Drug Interactions Checker Tool allows you to enter a drug name and select the best match from the list of suggestions, and repeat the process to add multiple drugs. The tool allows you to save your list to add additional medications that may be prescribed in the future. It also allows you to email these resulting drug interaction reports to a client, colleague, friend or family member.

There are several types of interactions. There drug-to-drug interactions, such as when a pain medication like Vicodin, has a greater sedative effect when mixed with over-the-counter antihistamines, such as Benadryl. There are drug-to-food-and-beverage interactions, such as how grapefruit juice can lower the levels of enzymes in your liver responsible for breaking down medications, leading to higher levels of the medication in your blood, and thereby greater toxicity. There are also drug-to-disease interactions such as when high blood pressure is worsened by over-the-counter decongestants like Sudafed.

While the Drug Interactions Checker tool allows you to check for interactions between medications, vitamins, and a number of illicit drugs, it does not provide a way to search for food and beverage interactions, or interactions that may occur due to age or disease. You’ll need to consult elsewhere for information on those possible interactions. Contact your doctor or pharmacist if you discover you’re at risk for a possible drug interaction. They will be able to recommend the next best steps you should take.

Need information about drug side effects?

A side effect is usually regarded as an undesirable secondary effect, which occurs in addition to the desired therapeutic effect, of a drug or medication. Side effects may vary for each individual, depending on the person’s disease state, age, weight, gender, ethnicity and general health.

Side effects can occur when commencing, decreasing/increasing dosages, or ending a drug or medication regimen. Side effects may also lead to non-compliance with prescribed treatment. When side effects of a drug or medication are severe, the dosage may be adjusted or a second medication may be prescribed. Lifestyle or dietary changes may also help to minimize side effects.

You can search drug side effects using the Drug Side Effects Checker Tool. Simply enter the name of your medication, and information about any known side effects will be presented. Again, these results are placed into a report that can be freely sent to a client, colleague, friend or family member. Note that often many side effects of medications are not reported. If you believe you are having side effects that are not listed, you can report this to the FDA online, or call the FDA at 1-800-332-1088.

This article was written by Stefan C. Densmore for United Resource Connection. You can find more resources related to medication and primary care by selecting the “medications” and/or “primary care” option from the dropdown tab on our Social Service “Utilization Library” page.

-AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYAUDIO-START- You can find links to the resources mentioned in this episode with the written version of this story on our website at cincinnati, dot, united resource connection, dot, org. You’ve been listening to the Hamilton County Ohio Social Service News on Apple Podcasts. If you have social service news to submit to this podcast, visit cincinnati dot united resource connection dot org. Once there you can also subscribe to get a free summary of the past week’s social service news stories emailed to you every Saturday morning. So visit us online to discover more social service news and resources. -AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYAUDIO-END-

UPDATED 2/12/23 TO REFLECT CHANGES IN PRICING. As an Amazon Prime member, you receive Free Two-Day Delivery on over 100 million items, exclusive shopping deals, and discounts on diapers and baby food. With Prime, you also get access to thousands of movies, TV shows, and music to stream online or download for offline, plus unlimited access to over a thousand top Kindle books, and more! Customers who qualify with a valid EBT or Medicaid card receive access to these Prime benefits, for the discounted price of just $6.99 per month.

Valid EBT cards qualify if they are connected to any of the following programs: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); and/or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). You can not use your EBT card to pay for your Prime membership, however — you’ll need to find a different way to pay the discounted price. You can also quality if you have a valid Medicaid card. California’s version of Medicaid (Medi-Cal) is also accepted, but Medicare recipients aren’t eligible for this offer. Join now at amazon.com/qualify

If you are approved, you can receive the discounted price for up to 48 months (2 years) but will still need to (re)qualify every 12 months. This offer only applies for a single amazon account, not linked accounts. If you currently have linked accounts, prime benefits will stop being granted on the connected accounts, and will only be available on the discounted account.

A permanent link to the application for this discount has been added to our resource library. You can find more resources related to food security and financial assistance by visiting our Social Service “Utilization Library” page.

-AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYAUDIO-START- You can find links to the resources mentioned in this episode with the written version of this story on our website at cincinnati, dot, united resource connection, dot, org. You’ve been listening to the Hamilton County Ohio Social Service News, now available as a podcast on Amazon Music, Audible, Apple & Google Podcasts, iTunes, and Spotify. If you have social service news to submit to this podcast, visit cincinnati dot united resource connection dot org. Once there you can also subscribe to get a free summary of the past week’s local social service news stories emailed to you every Saturday morning. So subscribe to our e-newsletter and podcast, and visit us online to discover more social service news and resources. -AMAZONPOLLY-ONLYAUDIO-END-

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This is only a test:

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I’m proud to announce that we’ve added a new link to the standard resources included in the Resource Library of all our products. The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) is a great resource for those with disabilities (and their service providers) to find recreational activities that promote increased physical activity and health. One of the things that caught my eye was the 5k training programs.

Here’s the information they provide about themselves:

The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) is positioned to effect change in health promotion/obesity management among people with disabilities through its existing 13-year history of providing advocacy, services and programs to numerous organizations and people throughout the country. The primary focus of the Center’s approach is to collaborate with the nation’s leading health advocacy and disability organizations in linking them to the hundreds of program initiatives ongoing across the nation, and using this framework to build inclusion and integration into these existing programs. The Center is focusing on five key goal areas: (a) Developing Leadership through the formation of localInclusive Health Coalitions (IHCs) that support community health inclusion for children, adults and seniors with disabilities across community sectors (schools, fitness centers, workplaces, health care facilities, and community-at-large); (b) Providing individualizedInformation, Referral and Consultation services to people with disabilities, families, caregivers, policymakers, organizations, community members, health care practitioners and public health professionals through an expansive array of web-based materials customized to end users; (c) Promoting community and individual behavior change through a Health Communications network that channels social media between and within disability and non-disability service providers and organizations; (d) Developing a set of guidelines/criteria to promote inclusive Policies in physical activity, nutrition and lifestyle weight management and establishingPartnerships with major leaders in the disability and public health communities to ensure inclusion into various community transformation programs; and (e) Developing a comprehensiveTraining initiative that educates disability and non-disability service providers in community health inclusion. The expected results of the Center’s activities include 1) greater support for promoting inclusivepolicies, systems and environments that support the needs of people with disabilities; and 2) improved health behaviors (i.e., physical activity and nutrition) and better weight management strategies for addressing obesity in children and adults with disabilities.

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Check them out and let us know what you think!

Effective immediately all FULL SERVICE local chapters of United Resource Connection have been equipped with a widget to easily post YouTube videos in the sidebars of their webpages. It should now be easier to add and administer video blogs on your area website. Using your administrative account, log in and visit your chapter’s widget page in the Appearance section of your dashboard. Open the widget named “YouTube” and add the html address of the video you wish to display. Then, drag and drop the widget to position the video wherever you like on the sidebar. Enjoy!

 

Edited 9/29/12 to reflect changes in tiers of service.