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CCC Wednesday Communique – January 18, 2017

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!   

“Bird Kiss” Photo above Courtesy of Elin MacKinnon

Announcements

Certificate in Grandfamilies: The University of Maine Center on Aging is pleased to offer an online certificate program for professionals and volunteers who work with grandfamily caregivers. The online Certificate in Grandfamilies Leadership program provides core education, technical support, and leadership development for professionals delivering grandfamily and kinship programming across the country. The course will begin on Monday, February 27, 2017.  Participants will complete the 9 modules over a 12-week period ending May 22, 2017.  Learn more here.

Washington County Provider Meeting: Weather permitting, Child Behavioral Health Services is convening a meeting for all of their providers in Washington County on February 3, 2017, from 11 am to 12:30 pm at the Kay Parker Building in Machias. The agenda for this meeting is:

  • Welcome
  • Discussion and Brainstorming how to meet the needs of children waiting for HCT services in Hancock and Washington Counties
  • Discussion and Brainstorming how to meet the needs of children waiting for RCS services in Hancock and Washington Counties
  • Next Steps

If local schools or Bangor, Brewer, or Ellsworth Schools cancel due to weather, this meeting is cancelled as well without notice.

SCEC Open House: Sunrise County Economic Council invites you to visit their new offices at 7 Ames Way in Machias, next door to the Grange, for an open house tomorrow, January 19th, from 3 – 5 pm.  While you’re there, stop by the CCC’s new office on the 2nd floor to say hello!

New CCC Fax Number: Our new fax software is up and running, so please send your fax to us at 207-835-4500.  If you encounter any problems, please let us know asap!  You can also always email Hope Fund applications to Charley’s attention at cmartinberry@cccmaine.org.

Milbridge Play Group: Maine Families’ infant/toddler playgroup will resume on Wednesdays at the Women’s Health Resource Library (9:30 – 11 am) with an extended play time – now an hour and a half!  This is a great time for parents or caregivers to connect with one another while their littles are playing and exploring. For caregivers of children 0-3 years old, no registration required. (This playgroup is sponsored by Maine Families and the Women’s Health Resource Library)

Dementia Basics: Designed for all types of Direct Service Workers, this 4-hour training provides basic information needed for dementia care, the impact of changes to thinking skills and communication expressed through behavior. This course is one of the free online continuing education modules offered by the Maine Direct Service Worker Training Program.  Visit their website to learn about this and other courses.

Your announcement could go here: email the details to Christine by 5 pm Monday for inclusion in Wednesday’s Weekly Communiqué

Events

Cultural Competency Training:  Registration is now open for this free training on February 15th, presented by Elizabeth Neptune and sponsored by the CCC.  Held in the Assembly Room of Washington County Community College in Calais from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, this training is geared for FFD staff and partner agencies, medical providers, mental health and social service providers, school guidance counselors and more.  Learn more and register here.

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.
Donna Beegle Institutes in Augusta: Donna M. Beegle, EdD, is coming to Maine this summer to hold a Poverty and Coaching Institute in the Augusta area.  Registration for these 2 trainings is open – visit her website for more information.   

FASDs Webinars:  The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is offering a series of three 30-minute educational webinars focused on enhancing the education of pediatric primary care clinicians regarding Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs). The educational webinars will feature clinical practices including identification, diagnosis and care planning for children with FASDs. The webinars are open to all clinical personnel, with practicing primary care clinicians strongly encouraged to attend:

Needs & Offers

Binders Needed: Family Futures Downeast students are looking for 10-inch binders to organize photocopied class material this semester.  If you have an extra 10-inch binder or two taking up space, or maybe have a few training binders filled with outdated material you no longer need, please contact FFD Coach Lori Joy.

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.

Now Hiring – Volunteer Coordinator Position: WHCA is seeking  a full time volunteer coordinator for their transportation programs.  Some of the duties of the coordinator include:

  • Develops and administers an effective volunteer recruitment program using local media, service clubs, churches and other organizations
  • Coordinates volunteer training with the Transportation Division
  • Works with other WHCA staff to make the volunteer driver program sustainable through fund raising and grant writing

Visit WHCA’s website for a full description, application form and instruction.

Point in Time Count:  Jen Trowbridge of WHCA is looking for volunteers to help with the annual US  HUD PIT (Point in Time) Count on the night of January 24th to gain a more accurate picture of homelessness in Washington County (download the flyer). Pre-identifying individuals and families who are homeless is another huge way to help with this effort.  Email Jennifer or call her at 610-5903.

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

CCC Visioning Day: On November 9, 2016, CCC partners, service providers and community members gathered at the Cobscook Community Learning Center in Trescott to celebrate and envision a brighter future for Washington County.  Read notes from this event and view the participant contact list.

Work Group & Poverty Busters: Next meeting is on February 1st, 1-3:30 pm, with special guests Cheryl Robbins, WHCA’s transportation director, and Heather Biggar from Maine Behavioral Healthcare on DV resources for providers.  It’s not too early to sign up for this meeting, and don’t forget – we have moved to 7 Ames Way, the white house with the anchor next door to the Machias Grange, at the bottom of College Hill.

St Croix Community Connections: The next meeting of this group will be on January 24th from 3-5 pm at AMHC in Calais. Please contact organizer  Christine Morris if you’d like to join this meeting.