Happy Wednesday!
This is the Community Caring Collaborative Weekly Communiqué where we share announcements about trainings, meetings and other events, including announcements from our collaborative partners. Look for links to meeting minutes and agendas in the Meetings section, training registration forms and flyers in the Events section, and job postings and other items of interest in the Announcements section. Subscribe here to get the Communiqué. Gmail users, make sure to add Community Caring Collaborative to your contacts so this newsletter doesn’t end up in Promotions. This mailing goes out every Wednesday, so if you have announcements, please send them to Christine by 5 pm Monday to be included. Thanks!
Photo above Courtesy of Charley Martin-Berry
Announcements
Meetings Cancelled today: Please be advised that due to snow, the Mentor/Neighbor Design and the Work Group/Poverty Buster meetings scheduled for today have been cancelled.
Sexual Assault Helpline: the sexual assault helpline is moving to the Statewide Answering Service effective February 1st. Same great service, same number – just a different process for folks to reach us. We are STILL part of AMHC. For all of you awesome people that have been with us for years – it’s the same process we had years ago when we were Downeast Sexual Assault Services:
- When calls are made to 1-800-871-7741 – it will be answered by the On Call Answering service – asking for a name & number and county for which you need an advocate. (i.e. Hancock & Washington). Also identify what hospital, police dept. etc.
The AMHC Helpline will still be our back-up, as well as have access to our schedulebase for on call. We are combining with Aroostook Co Advocates for support calls, and staying separate for response calls.
Washington County Leadership Institute: The 21st class of the Washington County Leadership Institute (WCLI) begins February 17th! Have you thought about attending, but you’re just not sure? According to Sigma class participant Crystal Hitchings, Washington County Council of Governments and DownEast Acadia Regional Tourism, “My life will never be the same. There is nowhere to go from here except forward.” This could be your year! If you have questions or would like more information, call Jen at Sunrise County Economic Council: 255-0983. Applications and a course brochure are available online at www.washingtoncountyleadership.org, as well as SCEC’s Calais office at Washington County Community College and Machias office at 7 Ames Way (beside the Machias Grange).
CHCS wins award: Community Health & Counseling Services is excited to announce a $20,000 award from the Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund-General Fund, Bank of America, N.A. Trustee to support socialization and wellness activities for its clients with mental illness in Washington County. CHCS will provide wellness groups, and fitness activities, and assist with transportation to these activities for those who need it. Through participation in these wellness activities, clients will improve mental and physical health, and decrease their level of loneliness and isolation. Research demonstrates a strong link between loneliness, a lack of social connections, and, morbidity, mortality and chronic disease rates. If you are a client of CHCS and would like more information about this grant or about CHCS services, please contact Debbie Dodge in the Machias office at 207-263-2002, or by email at Ddodge@chcs-me.org.
Washington County Provider Meeting: Weather permitting, Cheryl Hathaway from Child Behavioral Health Services is convening a meeting of Washington County providers of children’s services on February 3, 2017, from 11 am to 12:30 pm at the Kay Parker Building in Machias. What are the real needs of children? What are the gaps in service requests for children? Cheryl wants to hear from you! Come join the discussion on how to meet the needs of children waiting for HCT & RCS services. Note: this meeting will be cancelled if local schools or schools in the Bangor, Brewer or Ellsworth area are closed due to weather.
Your announcement could go here: email the details to Christine by 5 pm Monday for inclusion in Wednesday’s Weekly Communiqué.
Events
Social Work Weekend: Learn about the Weekend 3-Year MSW Program – Belfast-Machias-Presque Isle — on Saturday, February 4th, 10-11:30 am in Torrey Hall #103 at UMM. Read more here.
Winter Kids: Looking for ways to keep your students healthy, active and engaged in learning? sign up for Winter Kids on February 9th at Machias Memorial High School. Teacher training 3 – 4:30 pm & Child Care Provider training 6-7:30 pm. Read the flyer for more information and Register here.
Cultural Competency Training: February 15th from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. CEUs will be available from Washington County Community College. Read more about this training. Download a flyer to post in your office. Registration deadline is February 8th – don’t delay!
Parent-Peer Leadership Institute: The G.E.A.R. Parent Network is currently accepting applications for
the next scheduled Parent-peer training being held on March 10, 24, and 31st in Augusta. Read the flyer and download the application. Do you have 4 or more parent –peers requiring certification? If so, please contact me to schedule this training at your organization.This Parent-Peer Provider training has been approved by DHHS.
Lobbying and Advocacy 101: The National Alliance for Caregiving invites you to join them for the Lobbying and Advocacy 101: Legal Tips for Aging/ Disability Nonprofit Advocates webinar next Thursday, February 9, at 2 PM ET. The webinar will offer comprehensive training on what lobbying is and why it’s so important, how federal tax laws permits lobbying for nonprofits, and more. Register for the webinar here.
Play Therapy Workshop: By The Sea Seminars will be hosting a Roundtable workshop, Play Therapy 
Interventions to Teach Coping Skills (on a shoestring budget) March 31, 2017, 9 AM to 4 PM at the Harrington Family Health Center. Robyn Greene, LCPC, will be the presenter. Space is limited to 16. CEU’s will be offered. For more details and to register, visit By the Sea Seminars website.
Recovery Coach Training: Healthy Acadia invites community members to enroll in a 4-day Recovery Coach course to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to guide and mentor others through their own recovery process. This training will be held at the DHHS offices in Machias, 8 am to 5 pm, February 13, 14, 15 & 16. Pre-registration is required. Registration fee is $100, but scholarships are available. Download the flyer for more information.
New G.E.A.R. Workshops: The G.E.A.R. Parent network has scheduled 2 new workshops that are free to all parents/guardians/caregivers of children with emotional and behavioral health needs:
- Do You Speak Teen? “mnE Ps dnt bleev der is a gNR8N d/c b/t em n thr teen” on February 15th
- How Difficult Can This Be? The F.A.T. City Workshop on March 15th
Both workshops will be facilitated by Cynthia Cullinane from 9 – 11 am at Downeast Horizons, 77 Union Street, Ellsworth. To register, email Cynthia or call her at 1-800-264-9224 or 266-9523.
Needs & Offers
Dream Fund Open: Are you working with a young person (ages 5-18) whose opportunity to pursue their dreams is limited by family financial circumstances? The CCC is thrilled to announce that the Dream Fund is now open and ready to help create access to those opportunities! Read more about this legacy of CCC founding director, Marjorie Withers, and how to apply.
Fuel & Utility Assistance – don’t pass this up! Energy benefits like LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) exist to help people get through our rugged winters, but the majority of residents in Washington County who qualify never apply. Did you know that the average benefit in our area between fuel and electric is $920? Here are some facts about eligibility you may not know:
- If you or your spouse is 60 or older, you can earn up to a total of $2270 monthly and still qualify.
- A single parent with a child less than 2 years old can earn up to $27,234 annually and qualify.
- A family of four can make up to $36,450 annually.
For more information on this program, call WHCA at 664-2424 or visit their website.
Prescription Assistance: MedHelp Maine is a non-profit organization that works with medical providers to enhance Mainers’ access to affordable prescription medicines. At no charge to patients, physicians, or institutions, MedHelp Maine coordinators guide the development of hospital-managed prescription assistance programs to identify the best sources of free or low-cost drugs and then manage the access process on behalf of both patient and prescriber. Visit their website for more information.
Meetings
Work Group & Poverty Busters: Read the notes from our meeting on January 4th. Today’s meeting, February 1st from 1-3:30 pm, has been cancelled due to snowy conditions. Cheryl Robbins, WHCA’s transportation director, will meet with us next month (March 1st).
St Croix Community Connections: This is Poverty Buster’s sister group in Calais, organized by Christine Morris. This group meets monthly on the 4th Tuesday from 3-5 pm. Next meeting is February 28th. New members welcome!
