Family Corner 3/28/18

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: John Greenman

Family health and wellbeing: Co-parenting

Key Discussion Points:
-Parents can work out ways to share parenting after divorce that are comfortable
-Co-parenting comes in many forms and approaches – no one size fits all
-Kids will do better if both parents are in their lives and it is important that we, as parents, try to make this happen
-It can be challenging – but well worth the effort!

Guest: Karen Kristjanson CO-PARENTING FROM THE INSIDE OUT: Voices of Moms and Dads

Family Corner 1/24/18

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: John Greenman

Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Recovery Coaches

Key Discussion Points:
a) Substance Use Disorder (SUD) touches all of our lives – directly or indirectly. We all know someone – or know of someone affected – by SUD. Some of us know many people, including family members, neighbors, friends and fellow employees.
b) Recovery coaching is a form of strengths-based support for persons with addictions or in recovery from alcohol, other drugs, codependency, or other addictive behaviors. Recovery coaches work with persons with active addictions as well as persons already in recovery.
c) Healthy Acadia is developing and implementing Recovery Coaches in Hancock, Washington and Penobscot County now – training over 105 people in 7 months with more on the way.
d) Recovery Coach volunteers are sorely needed!

Guest: Denise Black, Healthy Acadia

Family Corner 12/27/17

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: John Greenman

Poverty in Rural Maine: Community Compass

Key Discussion Points:
Community Compass is an excellent example of how many communities throughout Maine are working together to support their neighbors living in poverty
Poverty has increased significantly in rural Maine communities including Hancock County from 2011-16 with the percentage of Maine children living in deep poverty – less than $800/month for a family of 3 – has increased at a rate 8 times greater than the national average (MCEP)
Everyone has a role to play and a gift to give to their neighbors – it might be a ride to an appointment, or a cooked dinner …
Each contribution, no matter how large or small, financial or personal, makes the day brighter and let’s people know that they matter and gives them hope.

Guests by name and affiliation:
Bob Holmburg, MD retired – developer and president of Community Compass
Linda Shephard, Community Compass DIS Navigator
Tammie Cox, Community Compass Outreach, Sedgewick

Family Corner 11/22/17

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: John Greenman

Repairing/building relationships over the Thanksgiving Table

Program Topic: Happy Thanksgiving! Food and Family

Key Discussion Points:
a) The opportunities over the holidays to build relationships at the dinner table, and through our rituals and customs, is tremendous
b) The dialogue in our country now can be fractionalizing to family and personal relationships
c) We can manage the conversations in a respectful way, teaching one another and our children how to have constructive dialogue even when the topic is difficult
d) Building community is a daily opportunity!

Guests: Charlie Slaughter, MPH/RD

Family Corner 10/25/17

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: John Greenman

Volunteer Hospice Services

a) There is a difference between Volunteer Hospice Services and medical Hospice, which means that individuals with life limiting illnesses as well as those preparing for the end of life are both eligible for volunteer hospice services.
b) Volunteer services are provided free of charge by highly trained volunteers.
c) There aren’t enough volunteers to meet the current need for hospice services in Hancock, Piscataquis and northern Penobscot and Somerset counties.

Guests:
Jane Stitham, Executive Director – Pine Tree Hospice
Lori Johnson, Program Director – Hospice of Hancock County

Family Corner 9/29/17

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: Amy Browne
Issue: Women in Recovery

Women in Recovery: How Wellspring Supports Women and Their Children in Recovery

-The incidence of substance use disorder amongst women has risen more than 400% nationally in the past couple of years
-It is important to support women AND their children during their initial recovery treatment and afterward, to help them get on their feet and stay on their feet
-There is still considerable stigma to overcome with respect to individuals struggling with the disease of addiction; something we all need to work on.

Guest: Suzanne Farley, Executive Director – Wellspring

Family Corner 8/23/17

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: John Greenman

Issue: The Impact of our Childhood Experiences

Program Topic: Weathering Shame – overcoming the shame, stigma, and challenges of mental health issues, substance use and other significant challenges

Key Discussion Points:
ACEs – Adverse Childhood Experiences happen for more than 2/3 of our population and can affect our lifelong health and wellbeing if not addressed
These challenges happen to all of us – regardless of income, race, ethnicity. None of us are immune.
It takes at least one strong supportive relationship to help us to rebound – overcome our challenges.

Guest: Kevin Mannix, author – Weathering Shame

Family Corner 7/26/17

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: Joel Mann

Homeless Youth in Maine: Services and Supports Available for Northern Maine Counties

-Homeless youth are not kids who have “run away from home” – they have been rejected, thrown out or escape from dangerous home circumstances
-Many of these youth have mental health issues due to poverty, child abuse, living in a home where there is substance use, physical abuse, etc.
-Each of these kids needs time and support to develop trust, as they have been disappointed so many times before by adults in their lives
-Success happens for so many of these kids
-Important to provide food, address Maslow’s hierarchy in order to create a trusting relationship where you can then help the youth

Guests:
Sherrie House (Streetlight Outreach Coordinator
Nathaniel Coe (Streetlight Outreach Team)
Christopher Bowie (Streetlight Outreach Team)
Daniel Wendell (Streetlight Outreach Team)
Cody Webster (Streetlight Outreach Team)