Surprise encounter with a fox (photo courtesy of Dante Zanoni)
Happy Wednesday!
New this week:
Cancer Conference Date Changed to November 4
The Christine B. Foundation and Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center will be co-hosting their continued programming collaboration with the Maine Cancer Series: 15th Annual Washington County Cancer Conference. The event will be held this year on Friday, November 4, 2022, from 9 am – 1:30 pm at the Lee/Pellon Center in Machias, ME and will focus on Finding Peace In Planning for your cancer diagnosis, treatment and beyond.
- Keynote – Angela Fochesato & Barbara Sinclair, Finding Peace in Planning
- Featured Speakers – Patient Panel, Community Health and Counseling, HOSPICE & Palliative Care Team, Healthy Acadia Patient Navigator, Northern Light Cancer Care Social Worker and Advocates.
- Sessions on navigating healthcare decisions, hospice and palliative care, and learning to advocate for yourself will be a part of the program, among other cancer care planning topics.
The entire program will be interactive and leave attendees with tools and resources to use during their cancer journey or that of a loved one. We’re asking for people to pre-register for the conference. For more information about the conference, please contact sarah@chrisbfund.org or angela@bethwrightcancercenter.org, or call the Beth C. Wright Center at 207-664-0339.
Behavioral Health Needs Public Stakeholder Sessions
The Maine Department of Health and Human Services is pleased to invite you to provide input on a comprehensive statewide strategic plan to serve people in the State with behavioral health needs throughout their lifespans (LD 1262).
You are invited to participate in the development of this strategic plan by attending a virtual public stakeholder session on either October 28 and November 4, 2022. Both sessions will be identical. Please click the corresponding link below to register for one of the dates and feel free to share this invitation with other interested organizations who may wish to be represented.
You are invited to participate in the development of this strategic plan by attending a virtual public stakeholder session on either October 28 and November 4, 2022. Both sessions will be identical. Please click the corresponding link below to register for one of the dates and feel free to share this invitation with other interested organizations who may wish to be represented.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. In addition to these public webinars, we will also be circulating a survey to solicit input in the upcoming weeks. If you have questions, please email alison.gold@maine.gov.
WCFPN Fall Zoom Meeting
The Washington County Food Pantry Network (WCFPN) is having our Fall meeting by Zoom – Oct 27th at 1 pm. We would like to encourage both food pantry managers and those of you who are working with or are concerned about people who may be food insecure to join this meeting. In recognition of the time and resources that food pantry managers commit to attending these meetings, the Food and Fuel Alliance is offering a $100 incentive to food pantry managers for attending these quarterly meetings. Since this is the last meeting of 2022, F&FA will extend this offer to 2023 meetings while funding remains. Agenda items include a discussion on heating costs. Link to Agenda. Join Zoom Meeting. Meeting ID: 856 4785 3594.
Great Escape Auction
Wayfinder Schools is bringing back the Great Escape online auction! Last year’s auction was a huge success with packages showcasing escapes from all over the state. This year, the online auction will start on November 25th and close at the end of the day on New Year’s day. This will be a great opportunity to bid on or purchase escape packages for friends or family in time for the holidays. This year’s Great Escape auction will again feature some of the best escapes in Maine. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn for updates!
SAMHSA Tips for Disaster Responders
- This tipsheet is a revised/updated document discussing Historical trauma in Indian Country.
- This tipsheet is a revised/updated document discussing Cultural Awareness working post-disaster in Indian Country.
7 Tips to Navigate Mental Health Challenges in Your Family
(From: NAMI | Published: October 7, 2022) I am the parent of an adult child with serious mental health challenges. Over the last decade, since the onset of symptoms and multiple failed attempts at an accurate “diagnosis,” our family has learned a lot about teamwork, self-care, support and acceptance — none of which we knew at the outset of our journey. This is what I’ve learned about family involvement in a loved one’s healing and recovery. (read whole article)
New Proposed Rule on Independent Contractor Determination
(From Rudman Winchell) On October 13, 2022, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposed rule regarding the determination of who is considered an independent contractor under the FLSA. The rule replaces the prior rule from January 2021 and focuses more on a “totality-of-the-circumstances” standard than the current economic realities test. According to the DOL, the new test will be more helpful in “evaluating modern work arrangements.” Currently, under the January 2021 rule, there are five economic reality factors that are meant to guide the determination of independent contractor status. Two of those factors – the nature and degree of control over the work and the worker’s opportunity for profit or loss- were designated as the “core factors” that carry the most weight in the analysis. After that, there are three lesser factors to be considered: the amount of skill required for the work, the degree of permanence of the working relationship between the worker and the employer, and whether the worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business. The proposed rule instead focuses on a “totality-of-the-circumstances” analysis, in which…(read more).