Category: Family Corner

Family Corner 5/25/16

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: John Greenman

Issue: Making a Difference in our Communities

Program Topic: Talking with our Kids about Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs and other Substances

Key Discussion Points:
a) Important to start talking with kids as early as toddler-age about what’s going on in our world, environment
b) Take advantage of the teachable moment – e.g., the cigarette butt on the ground, or seeing someone who is smoking
c) Learn with your child – go on websites, read, learn and talk together

Guest: Tata Young, Community Health Program Coordinator with Healthy Acadia

FMI:

http://www.maineparents.net/Talking/index.htm

http://www.drugfree.org/MJTalkKit/

Home

http://www.samhsa.gov/underage-drinking/mobile-application

http://healthyacadia.org/

Family Corner 4/27/16

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Information about Opiates, Heroin, Marijuana and Addiction

Program Topic: Prevention and Education about Addiction

Key Discussion Points:
a) The origin of heroin dates back hundreds of years – originally available without a prescription at any drug store
b) Increased availability and use of opiates bolstered by addition of the 5th vital sign – pain, something that hospitals and providers are routinely evaluated about still today
c) Contact your physician and talk about a prescription for a NARCAN kit if you are living with/know someone who is taking large dosages of pain medications, or is confronted with substance use disorder. This is legal in Maine.

Guest: Heath Myers, Bangor City Public Health and Community Services

Family Corner 3/23/16

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: John Greenman

Issue:Foster parents in Maine

Program Topic: A Family for ME

Key Discussion Points:
a) Maine has a significant need for foster parents
b) three particular populations – drug affected infants, siblings and adolescents in transition
c) there are lots of ways beyond being given a foster parent for people to be involved

Guests:
Linda Brigitte DHHS OCFS
Brandy Clapper A Family for MEE

Family Corner 1/27/16

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: John Greenman

Issue: Leading and contributing to your local community

Program Topic: Making a Difference

Key Discussion Points:

a) We all bring gifts and talents to our local community which, together, combine to enrich our neighbor’s lives, our communities and our own lives
b) There are many ways that we can make a difference, both in terms of focus and level of influence (being a Selectman, for example)
c) Our ideas and actions are “portable” to other communities with similar needs and to neighbors with similar interests and talents

Guest: Cynthia Donaldson, retired and member of the Lamoine community

Family Corner 11/25/15

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: John Greenman

Issue: Happy Thanksgiving! From the family perspective

Program Topic: Creating Family Traditions and Enjoying Them!

Key Discussion Points:
a) We all come to holidays with our own “family of origin” experiences, memories both good and bad which frame our approach and perspective to our own holidays as adults and parents
b) We have to allow for successes and failures and learn from them!
c) There are three important/key things to promote – connection, delight in others, and being “good enough” (as compared to perfect!)
d) Shared community meal options for listeners and encouraged attendance, volunteer

Guest: Charlie Slaughter, MPH, RN

Family Corner 10/28/15

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: John Greenman

Issue: Child Development and Well-Being

Program Topic: Supporting our Kids Through the Challenges of Life – Tips for Parents and Caregivers

Key Discussion Points:
a) Dealing with challenges is a normal part of life
b) Significant adults – parents, teachers, others – are key to helping kids see their strengths and survive trauma through their love, their relationship, their understanding and their non-judgmental caring
c) A good majority of us have experienced some sort of trauma in our lives – we need to make it more “normal” to have these discussions rather than making people feel badly about the struggles that they sometimes have.
d) We can all be there for our youth!

Guest: Hector Sapien, Clinical Child & Youth Care Worker

Family Corner 9/23/15

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews
Engineer: John Greenman

Issue: Parents and Primary Care Partnership: Ensuring the health and well-being of your child

Program Topic: Creating and maintaining productive relationships with your child’s primary care doctor, communicating, problem solving and partnership

Key Discussion Points:
a) Creating a good, open and honest relationship with your child’s primary care physician is essential to ensuring your child’s health and well-being
b) Developmental screening is a key component of each well child visit
c) Parents know their child best and should always be listened to – and their concerns tended to in a timely, comprehensive manner

Guests:
Amy Belisle, MD – Quality Counts for Kids
Bob Holmburg, MD – retired/Maine Children’s Growth Council/Maine AAP/Healthy Peninsula
Nan Simpson, Program Manager – Development Screening Initiative, Quality Counts for Kids

Family Corner 8/26/15

Producer/Host: Sue Mackey Andrews

Issue: From Adversity to Resilience – Part III

Program Topic: Brain Development in Infancy

Key Discussion Points:

a) Brain development starts in utero and all the child’s experiences and relationships throughout their life influence how the brain developments, how the child thrives
b) Relationships are central to healthy child development – trust, safety and security are three basic tenets that all children need to have
c) We discussed brain development and the importance of understanding and being realistic about what infants and your children are capable of doing vs. their brain ability at the time depending upon their age.
d) We reviewed how parents teach, promote brain development every day in their relationships with their children

Guests:
Katherine Endy, LCSW
Sarah MacLaughlin, LSW