The Holiday Monster
Everyone who works in a congregate care program knows that there are more behavioral problems during the holidays. The escalation usually starts around Thanksgiving. We explain it to each other: “you know, it’s the holidays.” Yet have we taken the time to look at the components of the holiday experiences of our children, and from that understanding plan how to best support them during this time?
Memories are a central part of the holidays. For our children, both good and bad memories can hurt. If they have warm and caring memories, they feel sad and angry that they are no longer with their families. Many children also have painful holiday memories of fights, alcohol, abandonment and other types of pain. These become vivid as the holiday season approaches.
We are all surrounded with media images of what the holiday season is supposed to be. On Christmas or Hanukah you should be surrounded by loving family and friends, eating huge piles of delicious foods, and opening wonderful gifts that change your life forever. It’s not just that our children’s holidays do not fit this picture. It is the meaning they ascribe to that difference. What does it mean about me that I have no family, no feast, such a different holiday? There is an underlying message in the media that suggests that if you do not have these things you are a loser and it is somehow your own fault. Our kids are prone to thinking everything is their own fault anyway. So holidays are not just disappointing, they are one more source of shame: I must have done something terrible because I am the only child in America that is not having a happy day.
Then there are the gifts. Many places like ours are inundated with generous donations during the holiday season. We receive more presents than our children can possibly use, and we save some for distribution throughout the year. The kids get to ask for specific presents, and then get many more they do not choose. So they should be happy they are getting all this very nice stuff, right?
But what is this gift receiving experience like for our children? They know the gifts were not chosen by someone who knows and loves them. They know that people give gifts out of sorrow and caring about their plight. They may receive gifts from family; they may not. Often the donated gifts are more than their family could afford. What does all this feel like? It is wonderful that people donate gifts and it means a lot to the child that receives them. Yet, there is a hollowness, a disappointment, because the gifts are not the same as love.
A child may build up expectations around the holidays. Maybe my mother will finally come and visit. My father said he would send me a video game. Often, these are disappointed. Luckily, some children are able to spend time at home. In fact, we facilitate them going home if it is at all possible. Sometimes our wish that the child be at home for this one important day may even overcome our common sense. So a child who has not gone home in a long time does, and may or may not have a good visit. Either way, it evokes a lot of complex emotion.
Then there is the inevitable let-down. The holidays are over. Nothing has changed. My life is still the same and I still have no plans for my future.
So what can we do to help our kids with this holiday season? The most important thing is to validate, rather than try to cheer them up. It might be helpful to share that there are many people who do not have a picture perfect holiday. And to acknowledge that gifts from strangers feel different from gifts from families; and that it sucks to be stuck in a residential at Christmas or Hanukah. Give them an opportunity to talk about their memories of past holidays, good and bad. Talk about their feelings about their families, any contact they are going to have, anything they are going through. Don’t try to point out the good things- at least not at first.
Another thing to watch out for is over-stimulation. In our efforts to offer many treats to our kids we can ignore the fact that too much good stimulation can be overwhelming to them. Getting over tired reduces their already limited coping ability. Lots of noise and activity can wind them up and they do not know how to calm down. For some kids, a low key mellow celebration might be best. If there are parties, make sure to alternate them with down time, time to relax, talk about what you are feeling, and to engage in quiet activities with people you know. Remember that strangers are scary to some of our kids. It is easy to underestimate how stressful it may be for certain kids when members of the public attend agency events. Will my abuser be one of them?
Schedules and predicting what is going to happen, where it will be, who will be there, how long it will last is helpful. Also predict any stressors or issues that might come up. The child may dismiss what you say, but it can still be helpful when the event happens. Involve the child in planning for success. Is there a signal he can give you if he has had enough at a party? Will it help if he sits next to you, or brings his stuffed animal, or takes a nap before the party? Remember in doing this you are not only helping the child with this particular event, you are teaching him a method to anticipate and conquer stress which he can use throughout his life.
The adults caring for the children are also often stressed out by the special demands of the season and the pressure to do more, plan more, accomplish more. They may be experiencing their own holiday stress outside of work. And on the actual holidays themselves, the children may be cared for by part time staff they don’t know as well. Furthermore, we experience vicarious traumatization from participating in the childrens’ pain. It can feel especially sad to see children managing without their families through the holidays. Anything we can do to support each other and acknowledge the pain to each other will help us offer regulation to the kids.
Most importantly, watch and listen. Pick up early signs of stress. Give the child plenty of time close to regulated adults, when he can talk, be validated, and just be connected with someone who cares. After all, isn’t this really what we are all looking for during the holidays?
read more...
Memories are a central part of the holidays. For our children, both good and bad memories can hurt. If they have warm and caring memories, they feel sad and angry that they are no longer with their families. Many children also have painful holiday memories of fights, alcohol, abandonment and other types of pain. These become vivid as the holiday season approaches.
We are all surrounded with media images of what the holiday season is supposed to be. On Christmas or Hanukah you should be surrounded by loving family and friends, eating huge piles of delicious foods, and opening wonderful gifts that change your life forever. It’s not just that our children’s holidays do not fit this picture. It is the meaning they ascribe to that difference. What does it mean about me that I have no family, no feast, such a different holiday? There is an underlying message in the media that suggests that if you do not have these things you are a loser and it is somehow your own fault. Our kids are prone to thinking everything is their own fault anyway. So holidays are not just disappointing, they are one more source of shame: I must have done something terrible because I am the only child in America that is not having a happy day.
Then there are the gifts. Many places like ours are inundated with generous donations during the holiday season. We receive more presents than our children can possibly use, and we save some for distribution throughout the year. The kids get to ask for specific presents, and then get many more they do not choose. So they should be happy they are getting all this very nice stuff, right?
But what is this gift receiving experience like for our children? They know the gifts were not chosen by someone who knows and loves them. They know that people give gifts out of sorrow and caring about their plight. They may receive gifts from family; they may not. Often the donated gifts are more than their family could afford. What does all this feel like? It is wonderful that people donate gifts and it means a lot to the child that receives them. Yet, there is a hollowness, a disappointment, because the gifts are not the same as love.
A child may build up expectations around the holidays. Maybe my mother will finally come and visit. My father said he would send me a video game. Often, these are disappointed. Luckily, some children are able to spend time at home. In fact, we facilitate them going home if it is at all possible. Sometimes our wish that the child be at home for this one important day may even overcome our common sense. So a child who has not gone home in a long time does, and may or may not have a good visit. Either way, it evokes a lot of complex emotion.
Then there is the inevitable let-down. The holidays are over. Nothing has changed. My life is still the same and I still have no plans for my future.
So what can we do to help our kids with this holiday season? The most important thing is to validate, rather than try to cheer them up. It might be helpful to share that there are many people who do not have a picture perfect holiday. And to acknowledge that gifts from strangers feel different from gifts from families; and that it sucks to be stuck in a residential at Christmas or Hanukah. Give them an opportunity to talk about their memories of past holidays, good and bad. Talk about their feelings about their families, any contact they are going to have, anything they are going through. Don’t try to point out the good things- at least not at first.
Another thing to watch out for is over-stimulation. In our efforts to offer many treats to our kids we can ignore the fact that too much good stimulation can be overwhelming to them. Getting over tired reduces their already limited coping ability. Lots of noise and activity can wind them up and they do not know how to calm down. For some kids, a low key mellow celebration might be best. If there are parties, make sure to alternate them with down time, time to relax, talk about what you are feeling, and to engage in quiet activities with people you know. Remember that strangers are scary to some of our kids. It is easy to underestimate how stressful it may be for certain kids when members of the public attend agency events. Will my abuser be one of them?
Schedules and predicting what is going to happen, where it will be, who will be there, how long it will last is helpful. Also predict any stressors or issues that might come up. The child may dismiss what you say, but it can still be helpful when the event happens. Involve the child in planning for success. Is there a signal he can give you if he has had enough at a party? Will it help if he sits next to you, or brings his stuffed animal, or takes a nap before the party? Remember in doing this you are not only helping the child with this particular event, you are teaching him a method to anticipate and conquer stress which he can use throughout his life.
The adults caring for the children are also often stressed out by the special demands of the season and the pressure to do more, plan more, accomplish more. They may be experiencing their own holiday stress outside of work. And on the actual holidays themselves, the children may be cared for by part time staff they don’t know as well. Furthermore, we experience vicarious traumatization from participating in the childrens’ pain. It can feel especially sad to see children managing without their families through the holidays. Anything we can do to support each other and acknowledge the pain to each other will help us offer regulation to the kids.
Most importantly, watch and listen. Pick up early signs of stress. Give the child plenty of time close to regulated adults, when he can talk, be validated, and just be connected with someone who cares. After all, isn’t this really what we are all looking for during the holidays?
Beauty Shopping: Last Year Holiday Season Limited Edition Lip Gloss by Guerlain
You won’t believe it but I came across a 50% off sale and saw this gorgeous GOLDEN Guerlain lip gloss from last year’s holiday collection! I love golden sparkle so I couldn’t pass up such an opportunity to add another jewel to my golden makeup collection… Hmmm, here is a thought, or should I say a “golden” thought! Maybe I should really start to collect makeup in golden shades and with golden
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Beauty Shopping: John Frieda Sheer Blonde Collection
Inspired by what Sheer Blonde: Blonde Hair Repair Mask by John Frieda did to my damaged blonde hair I decided to get more products from the same line. So I got a Enhancing Shampoo and Conditioner. It says on the package that they are "Highlight activating... with Light Enhancers". These are made for darker and lighter blonde shades. I got the lighter one "platinum and champaigne". You can
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Beauty Tip: Eat Water
We all know how important it is to drink “8 glasses of water “ a day to keep the skin beautiful and hydrated. However according to the recent book by Dr.Howard Murad, the trick is to “eat water” not drink it. It appears if we just drink water by glasses it is quite easy for it “to escape” or get “wasted” and then we just run to the bathroom or get puffy eyes and ankles. However when we eat foods
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Working with Regulatory Agencies
Providing treatment for children in a congregate care setting is a complex job. There are so many parts to what we do, and we are constantly on the edge of disaster. Thank heavens most of the things that could go wrong don’t. But the behaviors are so dramatic and life threatening, the staffing so stretched, the tasks so many, and the stakes are so high. Every day includes many many interactions with the children, designed to help them get through the day, change and improve, have fun and relax, or just manage life. In addition we have all the physical care of our living spaces. We provide everything necessary to raise the children, from food, clothes, supplies and living space to medical care and education. We must document everything we do following regulations of various agencies and accreditation bodies. There is so much to do on a given shift!
Sometimes things do go wrong. These can range from egregious, deliberate wrong doing, to mistakes of omission by a harried staff, to errors in judgment, to just plain accidents. When something goes wrong, we are often visited by representatives of regulatory agencies. It is their job to investigate what happened, make sure that the care being provided meets acceptable standards, and make suggestions for improvement. It is essential that such agencies exist and that we maintain oversight of the care that is being provided to children.
However, I wonder if it would ever be possible to apply what we know about how people change to the relationship between regulators and service providers. I believe that care would be improved by maintaining a RICH© relationship between the regulators and the agency staff. RICH means treating each other with respect, sharing information, establishing and maintaining connection, and creating hope.
In the situation in which a basically sound agency did something wrong such as inadequate documentation or imperfect handling of an incident, and therefore needs to improve in some way, what actions on the part of the regulators would make improvement most likely to happen? I think that if the agency felt understood and respected, had information about better ways to do things, had a relationship with the regulators and felt hopeful about the possibility of change they would be most motivated to strive for excellence.
Both the treatment agency and the regulating agency have a common goal: providing excellent treatment and care for children. One essential component of the agency’s ability to do this is retaining committed, enthusiastic, hopeful staff. The work itself makes this difficult, as staff working with these children and families experience significant vicarious traumatization from the pain they share with the clients. If the staff feels constantly criticized; if they feel that nothing they do is ever good enough; if their good work is not noticed or appreciated; if they have to spend large parts of their time in meetings explaining what they have done; and if they feel that there is no way to win this vicarious traumatization is compounded.
In our training we stress that there are two sides to a relationship. If we feel that the relationship is our main tool of healing, we must pay attention to both sides. The staff cannot offer a caring relationship to the children if they themselves do not feel cared about and well treated. Just as it is crucial how agencies treat their staff, it is equally important how the staff is treated by the surrounding community. If the staff begin to feel that there is no way they can succeed within the child welfare system; if they experience constant criticism and no recognition, they will feel hopeless. And hope is a crucial component of our work with the children, who are often hopeless themselves.
So how could this be different? First, it would help if outside agencies instituted a method of praising and recognizing the hard work of treatment staff, and called meetings to convey positive impressions at the least often as those for negative issues. Another important factor is the attitude of inspectors when they are in the agency. They, too can mention good things they see and want to encourages, as well as acknowledging the hard work of individuals. They can express appreciation for extraordinary efforts, and display understanding of the complexity of the work.
Agency staff expects correction and suggestion, and is usually eager to improve. This can be offered in a spirit of respect and mutual desire to improve the lives of the children. And when changes are made, they can be acknowledged and celebrated by both agency and regulatory staff.
In short, it would be great if we adults treated each other in the way that we are advocating treating the clients.
What are your experiences with regulatory agencies? Has anyone had good, mutually respectful relationships you can share? Click “comment”.
read more...
Sometimes things do go wrong. These can range from egregious, deliberate wrong doing, to mistakes of omission by a harried staff, to errors in judgment, to just plain accidents. When something goes wrong, we are often visited by representatives of regulatory agencies. It is their job to investigate what happened, make sure that the care being provided meets acceptable standards, and make suggestions for improvement. It is essential that such agencies exist and that we maintain oversight of the care that is being provided to children.
However, I wonder if it would ever be possible to apply what we know about how people change to the relationship between regulators and service providers. I believe that care would be improved by maintaining a RICH© relationship between the regulators and the agency staff. RICH means treating each other with respect, sharing information, establishing and maintaining connection, and creating hope.
In the situation in which a basically sound agency did something wrong such as inadequate documentation or imperfect handling of an incident, and therefore needs to improve in some way, what actions on the part of the regulators would make improvement most likely to happen? I think that if the agency felt understood and respected, had information about better ways to do things, had a relationship with the regulators and felt hopeful about the possibility of change they would be most motivated to strive for excellence.
Both the treatment agency and the regulating agency have a common goal: providing excellent treatment and care for children. One essential component of the agency’s ability to do this is retaining committed, enthusiastic, hopeful staff. The work itself makes this difficult, as staff working with these children and families experience significant vicarious traumatization from the pain they share with the clients. If the staff feels constantly criticized; if they feel that nothing they do is ever good enough; if their good work is not noticed or appreciated; if they have to spend large parts of their time in meetings explaining what they have done; and if they feel that there is no way to win this vicarious traumatization is compounded.
In our training we stress that there are two sides to a relationship. If we feel that the relationship is our main tool of healing, we must pay attention to both sides. The staff cannot offer a caring relationship to the children if they themselves do not feel cared about and well treated. Just as it is crucial how agencies treat their staff, it is equally important how the staff is treated by the surrounding community. If the staff begin to feel that there is no way they can succeed within the child welfare system; if they experience constant criticism and no recognition, they will feel hopeless. And hope is a crucial component of our work with the children, who are often hopeless themselves.
So how could this be different? First, it would help if outside agencies instituted a method of praising and recognizing the hard work of treatment staff, and called meetings to convey positive impressions at the least often as those for negative issues. Another important factor is the attitude of inspectors when they are in the agency. They, too can mention good things they see and want to encourages, as well as acknowledging the hard work of individuals. They can express appreciation for extraordinary efforts, and display understanding of the complexity of the work.
Agency staff expects correction and suggestion, and is usually eager to improve. This can be offered in a spirit of respect and mutual desire to improve the lives of the children. And when changes are made, they can be acknowledged and celebrated by both agency and regulatory staff.
In short, it would be great if we adults treated each other in the way that we are advocating treating the clients.
What are your experiences with regulatory agencies? Has anyone had good, mutually respectful relationships you can share? Click “comment”.
Beauty Review: Flirty Dermastase Soap, Ageless Ultimate Anti-Aging Bar Soap, Eau Flirt Body Wash Liquid Loofah
As soon as I opened the new soaps and put them into my bathroom a heavenly smell filled the whole room and every time I would pass by, if the door was open, I would pause and take a sniff… and go Yum! It was amazing! And this intense scent lasted for a couple weeks! So here is what I think about Harvey Prince’s new scented soaps and washing gel. First of all the soaps are just as the Harvey
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Beauty Shopping: John Frieda Blonde Hair Repair
In desperate need of some magical treatment for my mistreated blond-dyed hair I first asked my friends to give me as a present for birthday something nutritious and conditioning and got Yves Roche Nutrition Nourishing Conditioner. I was not very happy about the results… So I started looking into other options. Here is something I just bought to try out. Sheer Blonde: Blonde Hair Repair by John
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Beauty Review: Nourishment by Beauty From Flowers
Recently I had a chance to try out an anti-aging moisturizer Nourishment by Beauty From Flowers. Here is my review.Promise:...especially beneficial for sun damaged skin. Softens lines and slows agingProduct Profile in Short:Penetrates deeply, repairs signs of aging, active ingredients prevent moisture loss, soy and papaya extracts provide deep nourishment and healing, concentrated - only a few
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Thoughts on Developing Resiliency
As I begin to write about resiliency, I have to mention what Geoffrey Canada said when I heard him speak at a National Council conference. He said he was not that interesting in studying what helped people succeed despite bad situations; he was interested in creating fewer bad situations.
Still, when I heard Mark Katz, PhD speak at the Joint Commission Behavioral Management Conference I was struck by the overlap between his presentation and our training. Dr. Katz is the Director of Learning Development Services, a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist in San Diego, California, and author of the book On Playing a Poor Hand Well, published by W.W. Norton and Company (1997). In the book, Mark explores the lessons learned from those who've overcome adverse childhood experiences, and discusses ways of incorporating these lessons into our existing system of care. http://www.learningdevelopmentservices.com/
In his presentation, Dr. Katz emphasized that the meaning people attribute to misfortune is a key factor in their ability to overcome it. He stated that: “The meaning we attach to adverse experiences can determine whether we view ourselves as resilient and courageous, or helpless and hopeless.”
Dr. Katz reported on a study that identified beliefs that interfere with the ability to overcome adversity. These are perceiving adversities to be permanent, pervasive and personal. (Seligman, 1992)
• Permanent – the perception that things will never change
• Pervasive – problems are evident not just in one life area, they’re pervasive
• Personal – It’s all your fault.
Seeing our adversities in these ways increases the likelihood of psychological problems; it may also weaken our immune system. Developing these beliefs when young may be especially impairing.
On the other hand, perceptions that foster resilience (Seligman, 1998; 1992) are that:
• Adversities are temporary – the perception that things will get better
• Adversities are limited – Things may not be going well in one area but they are going well in others areas
• Not personal – The person sees that he is doing the best he can under the circumstances and that it is not all his fault.
Dr. Katz identifies a key factor is resilience is fostering a sense of mastery. This includes highlighting, nurturing and expressing strengths and talents, and things you feel passionate about, feeling you’re making a contribution, and the belief that our actions can alter our destiny. So, people are able to rebound from a difficult past by learning to attach new meaning to adversities past and present, aided in large part by their ability to:
• Re-shape personal identities around longstanding strengths and talents,
• Re-frame personal limitations and vulnerabilities within the context of these strengths and talents, and
• Find or create social contexts where they felt valued for their contribution.
It is interesting to note that the three attitudes that Dr. Katz identifies as particularly harmful are exactly those that are created through trauma. His work highlights the importance of treatment programs deliberately organizing interventions to change these beliefs. The child who is experiencing abuse from his or her family does not see any hope, and thinks that their current situation is permanent. Because the neglect and abuse is so pervasive and repetitive, it affects every aspect of the child’s existence. And in our training we emphasize the role of shame. This child feels that the abuse is his fault, partly because that gives him some possibility of control, as well as to preserve his connection to his parents, and because he is told it is his fault.
What can we do in our programs to convey hope and to show the child that adversity is temporary? First and foremost we must create experiences in which the child is successful, is happy, and experiences joy. We must offer opportunities for the child to explore his strengths. We must coax the child to play. And then we must take care of ourselves and each other so that we can maintain our hope, and thus be able to show hope to the child.
If the child has these experiences of play and success, she can gradually experience that while some areas of her life may be troubled, other parts are not. The pain can be compartmentalized in an adaptive way.
Help a child to emerge from shame is a slow and meticulous process. We must be careful not to rush to reassure the child that whatever happened was not his fault. Instead, we must provide space for him to explore his thoughts and feelings, and share his secret fears and concerns. The antidote to shame is sharing and receiving and empathetic response.
It is important to note that Dr. Katz emphasized a sense of mastery as a key to resiliency. In our training we explore the concept of effective action. The essence of trauma is not being able to change it, control it, or have any power to influence what happens. In our treatment programs we must make sure we do not replicate a sense of powerlessness. Instead, we must offer children lots of ways to take effective action in their own lives. These can include having choices in activities, food and unit functioning; being involved in planning meetings for their lives and advocating for their own wishes; and participating in helping others, volunteer work, helping causes they care about, etc.
The overlap between the literature about beliefs that support resiliency and the evidence about healing from trauma strengthens our understanding of the importance of addressing these areas directly and planfully.
read more...
In his presentation, Dr. Katz emphasized that the meaning people attribute to misfortune is a key factor in their ability to overcome it. He stated that: “The meaning we attach to adverse experiences can determine whether we view ourselves as resilient and courageous, or helpless and hopeless.”
Dr. Katz reported on a study that identified beliefs that interfere with the ability to overcome adversity. These are perceiving adversities to be permanent, pervasive and personal. (Seligman, 1992)
• Permanent – the perception that things will never change
• Pervasive – problems are evident not just in one life area, they’re pervasive
• Personal – It’s all your fault.
Seeing our adversities in these ways increases the likelihood of psychological problems; it may also weaken our immune system. Developing these beliefs when young may be especially impairing.
On the other hand, perceptions that foster resilience (Seligman, 1998; 1992) are that:
• Adversities are temporary – the perception that things will get better
• Adversities are limited – Things may not be going well in one area but they are going well in others areas
• Not personal – The person sees that he is doing the best he can under the circumstances and that it is not all his fault.
Dr. Katz identifies a key factor is resilience is fostering a sense of mastery. This includes highlighting, nurturing and expressing strengths and talents, and things you feel passionate about, feeling you’re making a contribution, and the belief that our actions can alter our destiny. So, people are able to rebound from a difficult past by learning to attach new meaning to adversities past and present, aided in large part by their ability to:
• Re-shape personal identities around longstanding strengths and talents,
• Re-frame personal limitations and vulnerabilities within the context of these strengths and talents, and
• Find or create social contexts where they felt valued for their contribution.
It is interesting to note that the three attitudes that Dr. Katz identifies as particularly harmful are exactly those that are created through trauma. His work highlights the importance of treatment programs deliberately organizing interventions to change these beliefs. The child who is experiencing abuse from his or her family does not see any hope, and thinks that their current situation is permanent. Because the neglect and abuse is so pervasive and repetitive, it affects every aspect of the child’s existence. And in our training we emphasize the role of shame. This child feels that the abuse is his fault, partly because that gives him some possibility of control, as well as to preserve his connection to his parents, and because he is told it is his fault.
What can we do in our programs to convey hope and to show the child that adversity is temporary? First and foremost we must create experiences in which the child is successful, is happy, and experiences joy. We must offer opportunities for the child to explore his strengths. We must coax the child to play. And then we must take care of ourselves and each other so that we can maintain our hope, and thus be able to show hope to the child.
If the child has these experiences of play and success, she can gradually experience that while some areas of her life may be troubled, other parts are not. The pain can be compartmentalized in an adaptive way.
Help a child to emerge from shame is a slow and meticulous process. We must be careful not to rush to reassure the child that whatever happened was not his fault. Instead, we must provide space for him to explore his thoughts and feelings, and share his secret fears and concerns. The antidote to shame is sharing and receiving and empathetic response.
It is important to note that Dr. Katz emphasized a sense of mastery as a key to resiliency. In our training we explore the concept of effective action. The essence of trauma is not being able to change it, control it, or have any power to influence what happens. In our treatment programs we must make sure we do not replicate a sense of powerlessness. Instead, we must offer children lots of ways to take effective action in their own lives. These can include having choices in activities, food and unit functioning; being involved in planning meetings for their lives and advocating for their own wishes; and participating in helping others, volunteer work, helping causes they care about, etc.
The overlap between the literature about beliefs that support resiliency and the evidence about healing from trauma strengthens our understanding of the importance of addressing these areas directly and planfully.
Update on My Travels
In October, my colleague Steve Brown and I taught both Risking Connection© and the Restorative Approach© to Child and Family Service of Hawaii. This excellent agency is especially interested in improving the services in their group homes for girls. They also have an array of other programs which will benefit from being trauma informed, such as domestic violence shelters and in home services. The staff was eager to learn and felt that this approach was exactly what they had been looking for. And this was the first training in which I was given two leis, one at the beginning and one at the end of the training.
I also did a Risking Connection© training with Dr. Kay Saakvitne in at Elmcrest Children’s Center in Syracuse, New York. I appreciated the staff there who had the courage to embrace change in their methods and appreciate the possibilities within trauma informed care. It was also a treat to teach with Kay, one of the original authors of Risking Connection©. I always learn a lot from her. One highlight of this training was the flock of wild turkeys outside the window of the room in which we were teaching. I guess they were also seeking some knowledge!
Two weeks ago I was an invited speaker at the Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources Annual Behavioral Health Care Conference in Chicago. I was proud to share the stage with such notables as Pamela S. Hyde, JD, Administrator, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; Amy Dworsky, PhD, Senior Researcher, Chapin Hall – University of Chicago; Paul Schyve, MD, Senior Vice President, The Joint Commission; David A. Litts, OD, Director, Science and Policy, Suicide Prevention Resource Center; Mark Katz, PhD, Director, Learning Development Services, Clinical and Consulting Psychologist; Kim Masters, MD, Medical Director, Three Rivers Midlands Campus Residential Treatment Center and Mary Cesare-Murphy, PhD, Executive Director, Behavioral Health Care, The Joint Commission. There was some very interesting information about the future directions of SAMHSA, the ramifications of health care reform for mental health. It was fascinating to hear the latest research and prevention efforts regarding suicide. The discussion of resiliency had some intriguing ramifications for treating trauma- the subject of another blog post.
I received many compliments on my presentation and had some good conversations with folks about what they are doing. And, the Joint Commission staff treated me so well!
Then last week Steve Brown and I travelled to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. We taught both Risking Connection© and the Restorative Approach© to the Child Assessment and Treatment Services of the Yukon government. Included in this group were staff from Residential Youth Treatment Services and Child Abuse Treatment Services (C.A.T.S.). Also participating were staff from Alcohol and Drug Services. First let me say that it is a long way from Connecticut to the Yukon Territory. And lost bags, delayed flights and phones that stop working do not help. But it was most certainly worth it all to work with these excellent treaters. Providers working in the Yukon deal with situations of multi-generational abuse, extreme poverty, long standing drug and alcohol use, and lack of resources. I was extremely impressed with their compassion for and commitment to their clients. Two social workers we have come to know each spent over a year living in (different) remote First Nation communities for over a year to get to know the people and their culture. In the residential programs, they never eject a child. If the child runs away, gets drunk, does anything, they are still welcome back. No one was focused on consequences and they did not use points and levels. All staff seemed immersed in understanding the adaptive nature of the behaviors, and could see clearly the pain beneath the behavior. We had many wonderful discussions within the training, and the staff eagerly soaked up our framework and methods as a way to organize their thinking and their work. Through the kindness of everyone towards us, we were able to explore some of the beautiful area surrounding the town, and even go cross country skiing. I look forward to our return in April for the Train the Trainer.
I am extremely fortunate that my work brings me to such diverse and beautiful places and introduces me to so many committed, caring and intelligent people.
read more...
I also did a Risking Connection© training with Dr. Kay Saakvitne in at Elmcrest Children’s Center in Syracuse, New York. I appreciated the staff there who had the courage to embrace change in their methods and appreciate the possibilities within trauma informed care. It was also a treat to teach with Kay, one of the original authors of Risking Connection©. I always learn a lot from her. One highlight of this training was the flock of wild turkeys outside the window of the room in which we were teaching. I guess they were also seeking some knowledge!
I am extremely fortunate that my work brings me to such diverse and beautiful places and introduces me to so many committed, caring and intelligent people.
Beauty Review: Nightshift by Harvey Prince
Close your eyes and imagine: the sun is down… it’s a warm summer night and you are in the garden with cicadas chirping, fool moon glistening high above, light warm breeze stroking your hair, dancing with leaves and flowers… the wind brings the seductive scent of Jasmine … and then you feel the sweet honey, almond and vanilla of the Night Phlox caressing your senses… intoxicated, you feel another
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Beauty Find: Skin Care Line By Francesco Clark
I came across information about a new skin care line called Clark’s Botanicals in July’s issue of Harper’s Bazar. Clark’s Botanicals skin care line was created by a son and a father and was, in fact, born out of tragedy. Francesco Clark, a wheelchair user, was the inspirational force behind it, his father, a doctor trained in homeopathic therapy, did everything to help his son treat his own skin
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TGIF: Relax, Take it Easy
I am listening to Mika a lot these days.. So, common let's relax and take it easy... Going to a hens party today! wow!
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Beauty Review: Submariner by Harvey Prince
Submariner is the first fragrance by Harvey Prince for men. Unlike his previous creations for women backed by clinical trials and developed not only to make a woman smell deliciously but also to attract the opposite sex, Submariner does not have the scientific side to it. But Submariner does promise to attract women with intoxicating, fresh and spicy aroma. Submariner combines “punchy” Caribbean
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Explanation of the Restorative Approach for Parents
I am trying to create an explanation of the Restorative Approach for parents, to be given to them at admission. This is what I have so far. Any suggestions?
Welcome to Klingberg Family Centers! We appreciate the opportunity to work with you and your child. We hope the following explanation of our approach will be helpful to you in understanding how we do things at Klingberg.
We believe that all healing takes place within relationships. We will do anything we can to create a strong relationship with your child and with you.
We understand that children and adults do things to try to meet their needs in the best way they know how at the time.
Many of the children and families that we work with have experienced bad things in the past. These difficulties have changed them.
If people have been hurt by other people, they stop trusting. They do not believe that relationships can be a source of help and can be counted on. Instead they have come to see relationships as unreliable and painful. So, it is important that we try to show the children and families we treat that relationships can be trusted and that other people can help.
When bad things happen to people, they start seeing the world as a dangerous place. It feels important to always be alert and looking out for danger. This makes it hard to relax, have fun and sleep. We hope to offer our children and families as safe place where they can learn to relax and learn ways to stay calm.
Many of the youth we treat have not learned the feelings skills that we all need to get through the hard things in life. It is very important that we teach them these skills. Often, the children cannot remember that anyone loves them or is on their side. They have a hard time thinking about people who care when those people are not near them. So we hope to strengthen their relationships with people who care (especially you and your family) and teach them ways to keep those people with them in their hearts.
The children we work with have often come to believe that they are no good and that everything that has happened to them is their fault. We work with them in many ways to develop a strong and healthy sense of their strengths and abilities.
A lot of the children in our programs do not know how to deal with their feelings. They cannot notice their feelings when they are small, name them, or get through them without making things worse. We will ask you to join us in teaching the child how to understand and react to feelings, including teaching them some skills to calm down and get through bad times.
When something goes wrong for one of our youth, they do not trust that others can help them with it. They are already feeling hyped up and anxious. They do not know what to do with all the feelings they are having. So they start to feel very bad, hopeless, and scared. They do something that makes them feel better in the moment, like yell, hit someone, hurt themselves or run away. They feel better at the time but then they have made things worse.
We have to help the child learn better ways to meet their needs, ways that do not hurt them and others.
When one of our children does something that hurts others, we try to figure out why they did it. What need were they trying to meet? Then we think about what they would have to know in order to handle this situation differently next time.
We give them a restorative task that offers them a chance to learn or practice a skill that will help them next time.
Also, we believe that the children need to learn how to make up for damage that you cause. So, when a child hurts others we expect them to make amends, to do something good for the person or people they hurt. So the child will receive or create a restorative task to make life better for the people they hurt. We will help you use this approach within your family if you would like.
Sometimes it may seem that the learning and making amends tasks are not enough when the child does something hurtful. You may wonder if the child should also have a punishment or a restriction. We believe that punishments do not help the child change very much. Instead, what will help them change is to learn skills so that they can meet their needs in a better way.
We urge you to talk these ideas over with your therapist, and let them know any concerns that you have.
We look forward to being part of the healing journey for your child and you.
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Welcome to Klingberg Family Centers! We appreciate the opportunity to work with you and your child. We hope the following explanation of our approach will be helpful to you in understanding how we do things at Klingberg.
We believe that all healing takes place within relationships. We will do anything we can to create a strong relationship with your child and with you.
We understand that children and adults do things to try to meet their needs in the best way they know how at the time.
Many of the children and families that we work with have experienced bad things in the past. These difficulties have changed them.
If people have been hurt by other people, they stop trusting. They do not believe that relationships can be a source of help and can be counted on. Instead they have come to see relationships as unreliable and painful. So, it is important that we try to show the children and families we treat that relationships can be trusted and that other people can help.
When bad things happen to people, they start seeing the world as a dangerous place. It feels important to always be alert and looking out for danger. This makes it hard to relax, have fun and sleep. We hope to offer our children and families as safe place where they can learn to relax and learn ways to stay calm.
Many of the youth we treat have not learned the feelings skills that we all need to get through the hard things in life. It is very important that we teach them these skills. Often, the children cannot remember that anyone loves them or is on their side. They have a hard time thinking about people who care when those people are not near them. So we hope to strengthen their relationships with people who care (especially you and your family) and teach them ways to keep those people with them in their hearts.
The children we work with have often come to believe that they are no good and that everything that has happened to them is their fault. We work with them in many ways to develop a strong and healthy sense of their strengths and abilities.
A lot of the children in our programs do not know how to deal with their feelings. They cannot notice their feelings when they are small, name them, or get through them without making things worse. We will ask you to join us in teaching the child how to understand and react to feelings, including teaching them some skills to calm down and get through bad times.
When something goes wrong for one of our youth, they do not trust that others can help them with it. They are already feeling hyped up and anxious. They do not know what to do with all the feelings they are having. So they start to feel very bad, hopeless, and scared. They do something that makes them feel better in the moment, like yell, hit someone, hurt themselves or run away. They feel better at the time but then they have made things worse.
We have to help the child learn better ways to meet their needs, ways that do not hurt them and others.
When one of our children does something that hurts others, we try to figure out why they did it. What need were they trying to meet? Then we think about what they would have to know in order to handle this situation differently next time.
We give them a restorative task that offers them a chance to learn or practice a skill that will help them next time.
Also, we believe that the children need to learn how to make up for damage that you cause. So, when a child hurts others we expect them to make amends, to do something good for the person or people they hurt. So the child will receive or create a restorative task to make life better for the people they hurt. We will help you use this approach within your family if you would like.
Sometimes it may seem that the learning and making amends tasks are not enough when the child does something hurtful. You may wonder if the child should also have a punishment or a restriction. We believe that punishments do not help the child change very much. Instead, what will help them change is to learn skills so that they can meet their needs in a better way.
We urge you to talk these ideas over with your therapist, and let them know any concerns that you have.
We look forward to being part of the healing journey for your child and you.
Acne Treatment method, Finally Pimples Loses the Fight
When you have blemishes, there are many selections for acne treatment or therapy; acne is often cured during outbreaks. Some acne treatments can even prevent you from acquiring pimples. You are going to need to be consistent when utilizing these options for cure; acne can come back easily depending on your lead to for outbreaks.Explanation behind OutbreaksIf your outbreaks tend to appear during
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Credibility of Herpes Testing
With all of the perplexity contiguous std testing and herpes testing, it’s not excessively hard to recognize why it’s so hard to find an precise, dependable, private herpes test that you can pay for and get results back on quickly. Following are two kinds of Herpes testing available in USA and all over the world
1. Blood Testing:
The only confirmed, perfect way to make a decision if you are infected with Herpes is by taking a blood test at a licensed laboratory. At the same time as the results may take 1 to 4 days to come in, you can rest guaranteed that those results will be precise providing the essential time window has expired (typically 6 weeks). The IgG test is a kind precise test that will point out if you have whichever Herpes 1 or Herpes 2. One more test, the IgM test, can be carrying out much sooner than the IgG, but it does have a disadvantage. The test will only point out if you have freshly been exposed to the Herpes virus, and cannot decide between type 1 and 2. At the same time as not perfect, this is still an essential test to think about if you require taking special precautions right away rather than waiting 6 weeks.
Swab Testing:
At the same time as this technique of testing is the quickest, the results are not always perfect. Swab testing let your health care source to take a swab (like a Qtip) and taster your sore to see if it might have been caused by the Herpes virus. The results can return rapidly (within 15 – 20 minutes), but a lot of problems exists. Primary, you have to have an eruption at the time of this test in order for it even to be likely. Second, this kind of test is not as precise as a blood test and can cause both sham positives and negatives.
3 Simple Steps for Getting STD Testing
STD testing is an obligation if you are sexually dynamic. If you have had sex, you might have been uncovered to an STD and not even know it. STD symptoms can differ from slight to clear, so the only way to be really sure you have not been infected is to be timely evaluated.
STD Testing Services leads the health industry by having the most experienced, expert, and tactful team of counselors who will hike you through the three simple steps for getting STD testing.
1. Be Examined:
You will be linked to live, experienced STD counselor who will inquire you some questions to evaluate if you are at risk. The therapist will then help you make a decision what type of STD testing is appropriate.
2. Discover the STD Lab Closest to You:
Your STD testing counselor then trace an STD testing center suitable for you with similar day appointments in the majority of cases. You must be in and out of the lab in as small as fifteen minutes. You have no details to be anxious about. We take care of that. You just have to show up.
3. Get Your Results:
The majority of STD Testing results are returned within 24 hours. When you call back for your results, there might be post counseling for patients who have any positive results. Counselors will assist direct you to the best way of looking for treatment. You can also take delivery of a hard copy of your results via e-mail, fax, or postal mail.
5 Ways To Keep Away From STDs
It’s not just about getting Gonorrhea and other STD Testing, it’s about what to keep away from them also.
The bulk of us have learned to emphasize the positives and get rid of the negatives in our lives to the extent that we can. Just visualize! If we could do away with ALL the negatives then we would only have positives left! Anyhow, occasionally we have to concentrate to what to desist from doing, on what to keep away from, so as to avoid or reduce the negatives…
There is a correct way and an incorrect approach to decrease the possibilities of you catching an STD. This piece of writing is about the negative, problem avoiding side of things; talking about 5 things you really ought to keep away from if your goal could be to limit your chances of catching an STD. While we all know the importance of STD testing, here are the 5 things you should avoid:
1. Never imagine that your partner does not have an STD infection for the reason that he/she is looking quite healthy. The most excellent reason for this is that virtually all STDs have the capability to infect without signs or symptoms. As a substitute, you would be better off if you just ask your colleague to get a monthly STD test together with their normal bodily.
2. By no means have intercourse without a condom. The clarification you ought not to do this is that the less of your body bare to your partner, the less your possibility of you catching an STD. as an alternative, you should use a latex condom each time.
3. Never presume that no symptoms for you mean any STDs for you. It is apparent that this can be an error and similar to point number 1. HIV, Chlamydia, and Syphilis are just a handful of STDs that can be there in your own system for years devoid of showing any signs. What you require to be doing instead is getting tested by your physician or at any one of the thousands of widely obtainable STD testing clinics.
4. On no account presume that your physician is previously checking for STDs. The cause is evidently medical testing is very precise, and except your physician knows that you are sexually vigorous and are reliant on STD screening, they will not unavoidably test you for them. And so you must talk about this with your doctor, or setup your own confidential STD testing at a laboratory near you.
5. Never assume that not knowing is improved. Don’t ever do this for long for the reason that the longer that you have an STD and it goes unprocessed, the more serious the complications. Keep in mind that STDs are serious medical conditions that need rapid attention so as to decrease the chances for serious complications down the road.
Cautiously and conscientiously avoid these 5 common errors, embrace the alternatives offered instead, and your earnings and wealth will be much the greater for the reason that of it.
Free STD Testing in Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, Thirteen clinics providing free of charge testing and treatment for STD or sexually transmitted diseases are controlled by Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. Free and private HIV testing is furthermore obtainable at these clinics. Appointments are not full and all services are secret. Anyone no less than 12 years old can take delivery of STD care devoid of parental permission. Days and hours of process fluctuate from clinic to clinic. Make a call the STD clinic close to you to confirm their working days and hours, and get there as early as likely to improve the possibility of being seen and treated if required.
No examination or treatment fees are charged for services in county STD clinics. For the clinic adjacent you and for current schedules, call the L.A. County STD Hotline at 1 (800) 758-0880. The hotline furthermore provides 24-hour recorded information amid 7 A.M. and 5 P.M., Monday through Friday. You can also visit http://phps.dhs.co.la.ca.us/std/index.htm for more information.
Antelope Valley
335-B East Avenue K-6
Lancaster 93535
(661) 723-4511
Glendale
501 N. Glendale Ave.
Glendale 91206
(818) 500-5762
Advertisement Central L.A.
241 N. Figueroa St.
L.A. 90012
(213) 240-8225
Inglewood Curtis Tucker Health Center
123 W. Manchester Blvd.
Inglewood 90301
(310) 419-5362
Hollywood-Wilshire
5205 Melrose Ave.
L.A. 90038
(323) 769-7932
Monrovia
330 W. Maple Ave.
Monrovia 91016
(626) 256-1600
Santa Monica
(Yvonne Burke Center)
2509 Pico Blvd., 2nd floor
Santa Monica 90405
(310) 998-3203
Pacoima
13300 Van Nuys Blvd.
Pacoima 91331
(818) 896-1903
Pomona
750 S. Park Ave.
Pomona 91766
(909) 868-0235
Torrance
2300 W. Carson St.
Torrance 90501
(310) 222-6571
Whittier
7643 S. Painter Ave.
Whittier 90602
(562) 464-5350
South L.A.
1522 E. 102nd St.
L.A. 90002
(323) 563-4112
South L.A.
(Dr. Ruth Temple Health Center)
3834 S. Western Ave.
L.A. 90062
(323) 730-3507
L.A. County STD Hotline: (800) 758-0880
STD Facts in Los Angeles:
◦5,161 Annual HIV Cases (CA)
◦822 Annual Syphilis Cases were recorded (Los Angeles County)
◦46,707 Annual Chlamydia Cases (Los Angeles County)
◦8,959 Annual Gonorrhea Cases (Los Angeles County)
Beauty Shopping: Clarins Renew-PlusBody Serum
Look what I got onsale! (50% damn percent off! - sorry for that!) I am very excited to try this Renew-Plus body serum by Clarins. Clarins describes this product as Intensive Renewing Beauty Treatment. It combines Water Lily extract with Pre-Retinol to "eliminate dead skin cells, enhance cellular renewal and tone skin" I mean the description is sooo good, I wonder what it will deliver :-)
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What Should Be Earned?
In creating our traditional behavior management systems, we operated from the premise that earning rewards and privileges would be the principle motivator for the children in treatment to change. We expected the children to change their behaviors so that they could earn more points and go up in the levels. In order to interest them in doing this, we had to have as many aspects of daily living as possible be contingent. Because we couldn’t actually neglect or abuse the children, we were already limited in what parts of life we could make the children earn. We were not allowed to use food, for example. So, we looked through the day and considered what could be part of the level system. We asked the children. And each system ended up with lots of things that the children could not have unless they were on a certain level. These ranged from extra TV and Nintendo time, to later bedtimes, to posters on their walls, to trips and special events, to lining up first in lines, to contact and visits with their families. The theory was that the more important the privilege was to the child, the harder he or she would try to control their behaviors and earn the higher level.
However, we have now learned that this formulation ignores many aspects of what we know about trauma, how it affects people and how they heal. Points and levels approaches assume that the main problem for these children is motivation. Rewards and punishments increase motivation to do well. But these children are already motivated to do better, they just can’t. They do not have the skills. When you do not have skills, increasing rewards and punishments actually makes behavior worse, as you feel pressure and resentment at being rewarded and punished for something you cannot control. Imagine if some part of your paycheck was based on your flying from office to office. You might make a few tries, but quickly you would give up and be angry and resentful.
Another factors ignored by level systems is the role of shame. If a person has experienced significant trauma, they are often shame based, which means that they feel that they are no good, different and worse from others, and totally unlovable. Being on a low level reinforces this familiar shame, especially when the levels are posted on a public board. Since success seems so impossible, why even try.
What if we actually believe that children act better when they feel better? If children are safe, happy, enjoying life, feel cared about, and are surrounded by trustworthy relationships, they will in time be able to be kinder, calmer and more trustworthy themselves. This assumption would lead us to give the children everything we could as soon as they were admitted. We would make their rooms warm and welcoming and allow them to personalize them. We would offer them many fun activities and warm relationships. We would give them support so they can experience success. Our goal would be to make our units places where the child learns that life can be good, safe, warm, and happy.
More specifically:
Children’s contact with their families should never have to be earned. The greatest predictor of success after residential treatment is how often the child connects with his family during treatment. There are already so many barriers, both practical and psychological, between the child and his family. Our job should be to facilitate as much contact as possible. We should not have visiting hours, the families should be welcome at any time. We must try to provide whatever practical help we can in areas such as transportation and child care. And we must make sure the family feels welcomed and not shamed when they visit. If the child or family is unsafe, we can provide visits at our facilities, supervised if necessary. But contact should be a right, not an earned privilege.
Also, we must keep in mind that children need fun, leisure activities, and play for many reasons. It is through play that children learn and grow, experience success, develop friendships, and experience joy. Many activities such as music, electronic games, dance, art and crafts can also be ways to self soothe and to get through difficult periods without making things worse. How are children going to learn to use coping skills if we tell them that they can’t have coping activities until they show us through their behaviors that they have already mastered coping?
The only time it makes sense to have a privilege be earned is when a child needs skills to be able to use that privilege safely. For example, a child who is repeatedly running away should not be given the privilege of going on walks alone. More autonomy and less supervision should be a result of responsible behavior. As children achieve their treatment goals, and as they show increasing ability to let adults know when something goes wrong or is bothering them, they can be supervised at increased distances. If a program wants a formal system for this kind of earning, it is best handled through a long term phase system linked to treatment goals. Advancement through the phases should be a team and child decision reached after discussion, and not based on point totals. Children should not go down in these phases.
It is certainly a good idea to suspend a given activity in response to a child’s behavior. For example, a child just hit a staff, then wants to go to the mall. The staff should reply: “Of course we are not taking you to the mall today. I do not trust that you will be responsive and not have a meltdown like just happened. However, work on your restorative tasks, let’s figure out together what just happened, and I’m sure we will go to the mall together in the future.” How long this suspension lasts should not be based on a pre-set time period. It should be determined by the child completing his restorative tasks and his attitude.
People worry that without many things to be earned the child will have no incentive to get through the day. Why should he finish his dinner, do his chores, go to bed if there are no points to be earned by doing so? Well, he should finish his dinner because it tastes good and he is hungry, or, it should be fine that he does not finish his dinner. He should do his chores and go to bed because he is asked to and is part of the community, because he gets help and encouragement from those around him and because he will not be able to do the next fun thing until he does so.
Look over your own system. What is currently earned? Do those things need to be earned? What do you think would happen if we gave the children every joy we possibly could for free just because they are alive?
Click comment to let me know your reactions to these thoughts.
read more...
However, we have now learned that this formulation ignores many aspects of what we know about trauma, how it affects people and how they heal. Points and levels approaches assume that the main problem for these children is motivation. Rewards and punishments increase motivation to do well. But these children are already motivated to do better, they just can’t. They do not have the skills. When you do not have skills, increasing rewards and punishments actually makes behavior worse, as you feel pressure and resentment at being rewarded and punished for something you cannot control. Imagine if some part of your paycheck was based on your flying from office to office. You might make a few tries, but quickly you would give up and be angry and resentful.
Another factors ignored by level systems is the role of shame. If a person has experienced significant trauma, they are often shame based, which means that they feel that they are no good, different and worse from others, and totally unlovable. Being on a low level reinforces this familiar shame, especially when the levels are posted on a public board. Since success seems so impossible, why even try.
What if we actually believe that children act better when they feel better? If children are safe, happy, enjoying life, feel cared about, and are surrounded by trustworthy relationships, they will in time be able to be kinder, calmer and more trustworthy themselves. This assumption would lead us to give the children everything we could as soon as they were admitted. We would make their rooms warm and welcoming and allow them to personalize them. We would offer them many fun activities and warm relationships. We would give them support so they can experience success. Our goal would be to make our units places where the child learns that life can be good, safe, warm, and happy.
More specifically:
Children’s contact with their families should never have to be earned. The greatest predictor of success after residential treatment is how often the child connects with his family during treatment. There are already so many barriers, both practical and psychological, between the child and his family. Our job should be to facilitate as much contact as possible. We should not have visiting hours, the families should be welcome at any time. We must try to provide whatever practical help we can in areas such as transportation and child care. And we must make sure the family feels welcomed and not shamed when they visit. If the child or family is unsafe, we can provide visits at our facilities, supervised if necessary. But contact should be a right, not an earned privilege.
Also, we must keep in mind that children need fun, leisure activities, and play for many reasons. It is through play that children learn and grow, experience success, develop friendships, and experience joy. Many activities such as music, electronic games, dance, art and crafts can also be ways to self soothe and to get through difficult periods without making things worse. How are children going to learn to use coping skills if we tell them that they can’t have coping activities until they show us through their behaviors that they have already mastered coping?
The only time it makes sense to have a privilege be earned is when a child needs skills to be able to use that privilege safely. For example, a child who is repeatedly running away should not be given the privilege of going on walks alone. More autonomy and less supervision should be a result of responsible behavior. As children achieve their treatment goals, and as they show increasing ability to let adults know when something goes wrong or is bothering them, they can be supervised at increased distances. If a program wants a formal system for this kind of earning, it is best handled through a long term phase system linked to treatment goals. Advancement through the phases should be a team and child decision reached after discussion, and not based on point totals. Children should not go down in these phases.
It is certainly a good idea to suspend a given activity in response to a child’s behavior. For example, a child just hit a staff, then wants to go to the mall. The staff should reply: “Of course we are not taking you to the mall today. I do not trust that you will be responsive and not have a meltdown like just happened. However, work on your restorative tasks, let’s figure out together what just happened, and I’m sure we will go to the mall together in the future.” How long this suspension lasts should not be based on a pre-set time period. It should be determined by the child completing his restorative tasks and his attitude.
People worry that without many things to be earned the child will have no incentive to get through the day. Why should he finish his dinner, do his chores, go to bed if there are no points to be earned by doing so? Well, he should finish his dinner because it tastes good and he is hungry, or, it should be fine that he does not finish his dinner. He should do his chores and go to bed because he is asked to and is part of the community, because he gets help and encouragement from those around him and because he will not be able to do the next fun thing until he does so.
Look over your own system. What is currently earned? Do those things need to be earned? What do you think would happen if we gave the children every joy we possibly could for free just because they are alive?
Click comment to let me know your reactions to these thoughts.
Acne Therapy Solution, Acne Gone Forever
When searching for a solution, zits/acne could be tough to get rid of. You will find numerous acne therapy on the market these days that it really is hard to determine exactly which was is the ideal. You may have to try many unique ones prior to you come across the finest 1 for your skin type.Understanding the Acne Remedy, Pimples is usually HandledThe biggest hurdle in having zits is identifying
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Breaking Out!
There was a prison breakout in the USA this past weekend of historic proportion. And like most escapes that require patience and tenacity, this one took 10 long months of preparation. But when the time came, the escapee acted almost without thinking, and ran with freedom in his eyes, and hope burning in his heart. No, this isn't the story of a convicted felon escaping from the County jail. Although it did have to do with a guy escaping from his incarcerated state.
This is the story of me, doing something absolutely insane this past weekend. Something that was seminal to my progress, critical to my healing process, and something I felt I just had to do. After 10 long months being "stuck" in this place, last Thursday, I made a run for it. I escaped!
On a whim, after my Ampligen infusion last Thursday I went to the airport, bought a ticket for a 4 hour non-stop flight, and flew to Denver, Colorado! By myself! I then rented a car, drove an hour North, and spent the weekend in beautiful Ft. Collins, enjoying the crisp clean air underneath the majestic Rocky mountains.Yes, this means that I had enough energy and cognitive ability to follow a map to a place I'd never been, check into a hotel, and live at mile-high altitude. Yes, this means that the Ampligen is working better than advertised, and that my health is actually being restored. But it also meant something else of equal importance. Let me explain.
To say I have felt like a horse cooped up in a corral for the past 10 months would not be an exaggeration. As you know, when I moved here to begin the twice-weekly Ampligen infusion protocol, I could barely walk. Because my wife couldn't stay with me full time in this new town, we hired a cook and a maid to help me. That I needed this level of assistance when I started was not over-kill; I literally could not stand long enough to fry myself an egg ten months ago. Apart from going to the clinic every Monday and Thursday to get pricked by Gwen, for the first six months I was pretty much a one-trick pony. Week after week I would live on the couch, leaving my "pen" only to go to the clinic, and occasionally to church on Sunday. Having the helpers was awesome, but I still felt like I was in a modern prison.
As I've written about previously, after 6 months, something changed. The side effects started to abate. Energy slowly returned. I initiated a very slow program of exercise, walking and going to the gym near my apartment. I stopped the services of my cook, and began shopping and cooking for myself (bachelor-style). I let my maid go, and have lived without help for over 6 weeks now. In short, I started to experience a taste of "normal" life - a free life - for the first time in a very long time! But that small taste of freedom presented me with a problem.
You see, although I was actually starting to take baby steps toward living a healed life, as clearly evidenced in my actions and in my body, my mind was still 'stuck' in protective mode; "sick" mode. Call it habit or fear or both, even though I could see myself making lots of progress, I was still scared.
- Scared that the healing would be short-lived;
- Scared that if I did just one more thing, I would crash;
- Scared that after all this time, I wouldn't remember how to live!
That fear and self-protection habit was like a chain around my heart. If faith is the evidence of things not yet seen, then fear is the doubt of things already known. And I clearly was still acting like a sick person, imprisoned by my limitations. Even though the evidence said otherwise.
It came to a head last week when a social activity was presented to me and I turned it down immediately...out of habit! Despite all my test scores and charts* showing amazing progress, despite 6 full weeks of living independently and going to the gym everyday with energy, despite aching for friends and social interaction, when they asked if I could go, I said as I had so many times in the past, "no, I better not."
Ten seconds later it hit me. "What was I thinking????" I had gotten so good at living "within" my limitations, I couldn't break out of my limitations. I was an expert at living like a sick person! And it infuriated me.
Here I was at Week 40 on the Ampligen protocol, with 20 years of published research telling me that people were healed on Ampligen by Week 40, yet I still was on guard. Here I was with six full weeks of independent living, yet I was still playing it "safe." Like the men released from prison who still sleep on the floor after being released from incarceration, even though they now have a bed, I was trapped by the habits learned over years of sickness. Those habits protected me at the time, clearly. They probably kept me alive. But now, they were like quicksand, keeping me "stuck" in a place I should no longer be.
Years ago, long before I got sick, I was trapped in quicksand once. Well, more accurately, my horse Gypsy was trapped in quicksand, with me on her back. Both the horse and I knew the serious trouble we were in, as we sank immediately up to the top of my boots, and then kept sinking about an inch per second. Gypsy thrashed at first, but that only made things worse. Thankfully, I was with an experienced equestrian, my best friend Ed, who as a cowboy in Arizona knew exactly what to do.
Dismounting and coming over to me while still on dry land, he leaned carefully over, grabbed the reins from the bit, stood slightly to the right in front of Gypsy's good eye, and smiled at her. By this time the quicksand was inching close to my knees, and both the horse, and I, were getting nervous.
Then Ed said something I thought at the time was the most ridiculous thing I could have heard at that moment.
"We have to get her mind off the sinking, and on to the running." Ed said seriously. "She's a racer at heart" he continued, "so we have to get her brain out of that there quicksand, and her body will follow."
Because Ed was my only hope, I decided against vocalizing either my doubts about his idea, or asking him why he said "that there" when as a Scottsdale native his English was normally otherwise perfect. Instead I just asked "How do we do that?"
"Well, on the count of tree" Ed said smiling, clearly enjoying this cowboy twang he decided to adopt at this moment, "I'll fire off my pistola here, and you give her a good kick in the hindquarter with your spurs, and she'll think she's in a race, and just run right out!"
Ignoring the fact that I wasn't wearing spurs, and only because I had no other bright idea, I did what Ed said. Pulling my legs out of the muck slowly and positioning my boots backwards, when Ed reached the count of "tree", I gave Gypsy the hardest kick I could muster, just in time for her to hear Ed's .357 "crack" like an explosion.
Amazingly, Gypsy did exactly as Ed had predicted. In one giant thrust, she jumped or hoisted her front legs violently out of the muck up onto the dry land, leveraged her remaining 2000 pound rear out of the quicksand, got her back legs grounded, and took off running! With me grabbing her mane and holding on for dear life, we ran around that bog in a giant circle at least three times - Gypsy so thrilled with her freedom and the thought of racing that she simply carved her own curved track in the desert!
Leaving the clinic this past Thursday, the thought of facing another long weekend alone in my apartment, combined with the recollection of my stupid knee-jerk rejection of a social invitation, was enough to make me say to myself, "enough!" I had to break out of this place I was stuck in. I had to get my mind out of the muck.
I didn't have the sound of a gun going off to snap me out of it. But I did give myself a giant kick in the butt - and when I boarded that plane to Denver, I started to feel my legs find solid ground. When I got off the plane with no luggage whatsoever, and entered that gorgeous DIA terminal, you couldn't stop me. I jogged down the ramp grinning from ear to ear, passing the people mover like I was Gypsy, out of the sinkhole, racing again.
Until this past weekend, I was sort of stuck in a quicksand of my own making. And I needed something to get "my mind off the sinking, and on to the running." Because just like Gypsy, before I got sick, I too was a runner at heart.
This short spontaneous trip to Denver did it for me, and it was glorious. I had a super three day vacation, with no pain, no loss of energy, no feelings of being stuck. When you compare my life to where I was 10 months ago, it's almost miraculous! Yet of all the tests I've taken, this was the test that really confirmed for me this amazing drug Ampligen is really working!
Now for these final 3 months of treatment, I know what my job is. As long as I can keep my brain out of that there quicksand, my body will follow.
*Below is my personal comparison chart that shows my progress over the past ten months, comparing when I arrived and started Ampligen in January, and today. The clinic keeps detailed records and measures all Ampligen patient's progress through a number of empirical tests, regular blood work, EKGs, a running Karnofsky Score, and other physical exams and tests. However that information under the terms of the "trial protocol" cannot be revealed here. My guess is that the chart below would simply confirm that which the clinic has in their records about my progress.
Beauty Find: Annmarie Organic Skin Care
Recently I had a chance to learn and even test a new completely organic and 100% chemical-free skin care line from the sunny California. This line has been just recently launched in the US and is not yet available in Europe. It is named after its creator Annmarie. The idea behind Annmarie Skin Care is to offer completely natural skin care products that do not have synthetic preservatives or any
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The Characteristics of a Good Trauma Informed Residential Therapist
The most essential characteristic of a therapist that will succeed in a trauma informed congregate care treatment program is that he or she likes the children and their families. This probably cannot be taught. These children can be difficult, demanding, and try anyone’s patience. If the therapist does not find them delightful, cannot see their goodness, does not look forward to being with them, she will have nothing to help her get through the bad parts. The children generally feel hopeless. They do not see their own worth and cannot imagine a positive future for themselves. If the therapist cannot do that, who will? And at times the therapist holds the hope for the whole team. One role of the therapist is to see a picture of how this particular child would be if he were at his best, even while remaining aware of the child’s current reality. The therapist who genuinely cares about and appreciates the children and their families can do this.
A therapist in a congregate care setting must be flexible. The day never turns out as one expects. Things rarely go as planned. It is time for an important family meeting and the child is at the park. An individual session is scheduled but another child is threatening suicide. The therapist is going to do her paperwork and the licensing inspector drops in for an unscheduled visit. Roles shift between people. The child needs to talk with her now. A person who needs a predictable day would not be happy in this setting.
Working with a therapeutic team is a particular experience. For some, it feels wonderful to have so much help and support. For others, it is difficult to have to share everything, discuss everything and make decisions within a group. The therapist who enjoys teamwork will be the most successful in congregate care. Often the teamwork is frustrating. There are factions, problems, disagreements. The therapist tells twenty six people about something and the twenty seventh complains that she wasn’t told. Decisions are made and then not carried out. Interpersonal issues between team members can be intense. Yet the treatment team can be the most powerful intervention possible in helping a child to change. And as the therapist struggles with the pain and difficulty with the work, it can be sustaining to have a team to share with. The team can laugh together, cry together and care together about the clients. The therapist that flourishes working in this complex environment will have the ability to form relationships with other staff, will assume good intensions in fellow workers, will give and accept feedback, will handle disputes openly, and will notice and praise the positive efforts of others.
At this level of care, a therapist must be able to tolerate chaos and intensity. The symptoms that the children display are frightening and are often life-threatening. There is usually more than one child in crisis at once. The families too can be angry, demanding, sad and scary. The systems around the child are often inadequate and frustrating. The therapist must know how to stay calm herself in the face of the agitation of others. She must prioritize and respond to the problems step by step. She must also be able to tolerate strong emotions in the clients, and stay with the client as they experience their pain, longing, anger and sadness.
In order to do this the therapist must have or develop good self care skills. All therapists will experience vicarious traumatization. The therapist must use their team to help them through difficult times. Outside of work the therapist needs strong supports and connections in order to maintain a work/ life balance.
A sense of humor is crucial for surviving and thriving in these jobs. Self awareness is also essential. The therapist needs to notice her responses to individual children and families, and use these responses to deepen her work. She should accept seek out and accept help in this area from her supervisor and her team. She should monitor her vicarious traumatization and know when she needs a break.
There are many skills and much knowledge that a therapist should have, but these can be taught in supervision or through workshops and training. If the therapist is eager to learn and grow, the agency must only provide the opportunity. In addition, the therapist must know or learn writing skills and have the ability to document and do treatment planning. Of course, the therapist must be responsible, come in on time, and be self motivated in completing her job requirements. Often, some on call duties will be part of the job.
It would be wonderful if agencies had the ability to pay this paragon what she is worth!
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A therapist in a congregate care setting must be flexible. The day never turns out as one expects. Things rarely go as planned. It is time for an important family meeting and the child is at the park. An individual session is scheduled but another child is threatening suicide. The therapist is going to do her paperwork and the licensing inspector drops in for an unscheduled visit. Roles shift between people. The child needs to talk with her now. A person who needs a predictable day would not be happy in this setting.
Working with a therapeutic team is a particular experience. For some, it feels wonderful to have so much help and support. For others, it is difficult to have to share everything, discuss everything and make decisions within a group. The therapist who enjoys teamwork will be the most successful in congregate care. Often the teamwork is frustrating. There are factions, problems, disagreements. The therapist tells twenty six people about something and the twenty seventh complains that she wasn’t told. Decisions are made and then not carried out. Interpersonal issues between team members can be intense. Yet the treatment team can be the most powerful intervention possible in helping a child to change. And as the therapist struggles with the pain and difficulty with the work, it can be sustaining to have a team to share with. The team can laugh together, cry together and care together about the clients. The therapist that flourishes working in this complex environment will have the ability to form relationships with other staff, will assume good intensions in fellow workers, will give and accept feedback, will handle disputes openly, and will notice and praise the positive efforts of others.
At this level of care, a therapist must be able to tolerate chaos and intensity. The symptoms that the children display are frightening and are often life-threatening. There is usually more than one child in crisis at once. The families too can be angry, demanding, sad and scary. The systems around the child are often inadequate and frustrating. The therapist must know how to stay calm herself in the face of the agitation of others. She must prioritize and respond to the problems step by step. She must also be able to tolerate strong emotions in the clients, and stay with the client as they experience their pain, longing, anger and sadness.
In order to do this the therapist must have or develop good self care skills. All therapists will experience vicarious traumatization. The therapist must use their team to help them through difficult times. Outside of work the therapist needs strong supports and connections in order to maintain a work/ life balance.
A sense of humor is crucial for surviving and thriving in these jobs. Self awareness is also essential. The therapist needs to notice her responses to individual children and families, and use these responses to deepen her work. She should accept seek out and accept help in this area from her supervisor and her team. She should monitor her vicarious traumatization and know when she needs a break.
There are many skills and much knowledge that a therapist should have, but these can be taught in supervision or through workshops and training. If the therapist is eager to learn and grow, the agency must only provide the opportunity. In addition, the therapist must know or learn writing skills and have the ability to document and do treatment planning. Of course, the therapist must be responsible, come in on time, and be self motivated in completing her job requirements. Often, some on call duties will be part of the job.
It would be wonderful if agencies had the ability to pay this paragon what she is worth!
How to obtain Rid of Acne Finally For Excellent
A lot of men and women struggle with how to acquire rid of acne. It is generally a hassle and something that millions struggle with daily. How to have rid of acne breakout can be a two step method. You must lay the foundation or clear pores and skin by way of a great pores and skin care regimen and then it's important to treat already existing zits.Defining Pimples/AcneTo be able to learn how to
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My Beautiful Presents
At the beginning of this month I had a birthday! And just now I got around to bragging to you about my presents :-) Yep, among the maaaany presents I got were the following beauty related presents:Nourishing Shampoo (dry Hair)Nutrition Nourishing Conditioner (Dry Hair)Arnica Night Repair BalmArnica Hands and Nail Smoothing Fortifying CreamAll of the above is by Yves Rocher. I actually requested
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Beauty Review: Eau Fling Perfume by Harvey Prince
I had a wonderful opportunity to test one more genius creation by Harvey Prince- Eau Fling. Backed by science, this fragrance makes you irresistible, fills him with passion and makes him crazy about you :-)So what is in this magic potion? In fact Eau Fling is a sweeter and lighter version of Harvey Prince’s previous creation Eau Flirt. The same notes of pumpkin pie and lavender used in Eau Flirt
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Coping with Serious Pimples
Extreme zits could be typical for adolescence but it occurs in adults as well. Acne can make you are feeling embarrassed and you might isolate your self so that you do not should show anyone your deal with. The biggest issue with acne is that it isn't a thing you are able to manage.If you have pimples you probably have been operating with a dermatologist for a although attempting to make it go
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Recent Travels
On the first of October I presented a Keynote speech and a workshop to the Midwest Regional Conference of the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs. It has been interesting and rewarding to get to know these programs, which include both therapeutic residential school and Wilderness Adventure programs. They are beginning to utilize trauma informed care in their treatment approaches in unique ways.
I then travelled to Hawaii with my colleague Steve Brown to provide Risking Connection and Restorative Approach training to an agency there, Child and Family Service. It was a wonderful experience. It is certainly the only training at which I have been presented with two leis, one at the beginning and one at the end. I loved the Aloha spirit of the people in our training- they were so welcoming and helpful. The emphasis on multi cultural awareness was very moving. We can all learn from the way Hawaii incorporates all cultures into daily life. We had both agency personnel and representatives of the State Department of Mental Health in attendance. With four separate trauma related national grants, Hawaii is working hard to change their practice and offer more trauma informed services. We look forward to our ongoing work there. And of course exploring the island was wonderful- those beaches, turquoise water and waves! I snorkeled with bright colored fish and sea turtles.
This week I will be presenting two guest lectures: one at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA and one at St. Joseph’s College in West Hartford, CT. I am looking forward to the interaction with the students. It is encouraging to see information about trauma being included in college curricula.
Then I move on to upcoming trips to Chicago, Syracuse and the Yukon territory of Canada.
It’s a busy fall!
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This week I will be presenting two guest lectures: one at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA and one at St. Joseph’s College in West Hartford, CT. I am looking forward to the interaction with the students. It is encouraging to see information about trauma being included in college curricula.
Then I move on to upcoming trips to Chicago, Syracuse and the Yukon territory of Canada.
It’s a busy fall!
TGIF: Sunshine!
Rap is not really my thing but this video by Rye-Rye has a nice sunny energy :-) Enjoy and have a nice weekend!
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Beauty Tip: Brighten Up Dull Locks
I think yellow hue or brassiness is the beauty headache of almost every dyed blonde. Recently I came across this interesting beauty tip in Marie Clare which promises to help fix this problem. It sounds a bit extreme though… Would you do the following to your hair to make it brighter blonde?? Mix 1 cup baby shampoo with 2 tablespoons of baking soda, comb through hair, cover with a shower cap,
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Helpful Residence Cures for Pimples
Zits might be embarrassing and you might want to come across some home treatments for acne which will work just too as medication you buy from the store. There are lots of choices for residence solutions for acne breakouts. When attempting a single, be certain to give it an adequate quantity of time before you give up. Some of these dwelling treatments for pimples consider time to work.Cool
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Beauty Preview: Harvey Prince – Beauty Products With a Concept
I love beauty products with a concept. I do appreciate a product with a cool idea behind it! I also love multi-tasking products. Won’t you agree with me - multi-tasking is the style of life nowadays. Today living at the speed of light, we need products that help us to achieve several goals at a time! And Harvey Prince is the company that offers both: a cool concept and multi-tasking products.
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Taking the Worry Out of Cystic Pimples
Cystic Acne breakouts may be the harshest form of acne breakout. It's so painful and extreme and there is no surprise why so several are afraid of developing it. After someone has cystic acne the process of clearing it up may be lengthy and difficult. Nonetheless, as soon as someone understands cystic acne they will probably be better ready to fight it. With knowledge the fear of cystic acne
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Interview with Dr. Lapp - A Pioneer and Patriarch
To give you an idea how long Chuck Lapp has been serving the CFS/ME community, think about this - Before Steve Jobs invented the Macintosh Computer, Dr. Charles Lapp was contacting the CDS about a mysterious new illness. Dr. Lapp has been treating and specializing in CFS patients for over 25 years. He was one of the founders of the CFIDS Association in Charlotte, and continues to be one of the leading physicians in the field, always on the cutting edge of new therapies and drug trials. In the USA today, only 2 physicians are administering the drug Ampligen, Dr. Lapp in Charlotte, and Dr. Peterson in Reno. We caught up with Chuck Lapp as he was on his way to a speaking engagement in Atlanta.
Kelvin: Dr. Lapp, you have been specializing in this disease for over two decades, and moved to Charlotte in the early 1990's to team up with Dr. Cheney to launch the first group of physicians who took this infirmity seriously. Tell us about those days.
Dr. Lapp: I saw my first patients with this disease in 1983, and began researching CFS in earnest in 1985. I made contact with Paul Cheney at that time and we started seeing patients together around 1988. Although at that time I was commuting back and forth between Raleigh and Charlotte, where I ran a large family practice. In late 1991 I moved full time to Charlotte, where the Ampligen studies had just begun, and I was placed in charge of the Ampligen patients. Dave Bell joined us for 2 years as I recall between 1989 and 1991. Dr. Myra Preston also shared office space with us. When Marc Iverson's CFS support group started growing, we used it as the base for launching what today is known as CAA or the CFIDS Association.
Kelvin: You mentioned in the past that in those early days, you and Cheney were trying everything you could think of to help CFS/ME patients. Like Edison with his light bulb, you had many things that did NOT work, and some that did. Tell us about some of those.
Dr. Lapp: I counted it up and there were over 120 "ideas" we tested or researched, based on what we read in journals, or heard at meetings with other physicians. As you know, in those days, very little was known about the disease, so we were trying everything we could just to help patients. For example some of the treatments we discovered that did help included:
- B12- helped
- Dietary changes- helped
- CoQ10 and Krebs Cycle intermediates such as malate and magnesium-helped
- Aquatherapy-usually helped a lot!
- Of course beginning with the trials in 1991, Ampligen showed great promise
Some of the things that did not work out well included:
- Oral Interferon- some patients got worse
- Ambotrose/Mannatech- no help
- Heparin for presumed excess histamine and coag problems - no help
- Ocytocin- minimal help
- Treating oxidation radicals- no help
I should tell you that there were loads of "theories" floating around as well, many of them we put to the test. For example, NONE of these theories panned out:
- "AIDS Minor" or idiopathic C4 Lymphophenia
- Sedimentation rate as a marker for CFS
- Urine pH as a marker for CFS
- Stealth (foamy) virus
Kelvin: With almost 20 years experience treating patients with Ampligen, in general what results have you seen?
Dr. Lapp: You know that FDA regulations limit what I can say publicly- during a trial period we are restricted as to what we can reveal about any drug before it receives approval, so I have to be careful here. On our site at the Hunter Hopkins Center we quote the Medical Director of Hemispherx Biopharma who said based on their research "Ampligen may be the first drug to demonstrate safety and effectiveness in the treatment of CFS." But I would tell you that our overall experience with Ampligen has been good. We have patients who have made remarkable improvements; patients who have made modest improvements, and patients who have made no improvement at all. Overall the drug has been well tolerated. I cannot recall anyone who got worse on Ampligen. It is interesting to note that with the latest news whirlwind regarding CFS and the XMRV virus, that in early September 2010 Hemispherx posted a study where test subjects receiving Ampligen who were XMRV antibody positive performed better on exercise tests than the others. We're still waiting for more data on that, but readers can see all the details on the CFIDS Association website.
Kelvin: What makes Ampligen different than all the other treatments you've used over the years?
Dr. Lapp: It is not clear how Ampligen actually works, but the drug is known to have antiviral and immune modulating properties. Preliminary studies ahve shown activity against retroviruses (like HIV) as well. Ampligen also modulates interferon-induced RNaseL and PKR antiviral systems of the body, which have been closely associated with CFS. Most importantly, Ampligen is the only medication that has undergone rigorous study for the treatment of CFS, not just treatment of CFS symptoms.
Kelvin: You don't accept all patients who want Ampligen. What makes for a good Ampligen candidate?
Dr. Lapp: The only way to obtain Ampligen today is to enter an FDA-approved research study known as AMP-511. This is a cost recovery program, which means that researchers are required to recover the cost of treatment from the patient. Previously this program was known as "compassionate care." This type of program requires patients be very ill and have not responded to reasonable previous treatments. specific exclusionary and inclusion criteria are specified by the FDA, and can be viewed by going to www.clinicaltrials.gov and search on Trial NCT00125813.
Kelvin: Dr. Lapp, you are one of the few Doctors who has not only met Dr. Carter and the rest of the lead staff at Hemispherx Biopharma, but have had a relationship with them for almost 2 decades. What in your opinion is the future of Ampligen? Can you give us any hope that it will be approved, and finally made available to patients beyond the "cost recovery" program?
Dr. Lapp: Yes, I can. Again, I am limited by regulation as to how much I can say, but let me say this... Last December the FDA responded to Hemispherx's New Drug Application with a "Complete Response Letter." This letter provided recommendations for improving the application, which implies that the drug is ultimately approvable. The Complete Response Letter suggested that Hemispherx perform one more study and clear up some questions about drug safety - specifically effects on immune activation and carcinogenicity. Dr. Carter, Dr. strayer, and senior members in the company all indicated that Hemispherx wants to pursue approval and has the wherewithal to do that.
Kelvin: When I search "Google Scholar" I see there are a number of published, journal articles on the efficacy of Ampligen in combination with other drugs. For example, last year during the swine flu scare, Ampligen was shown to augment flu medications, and make them work faster. In the future, if Ampligen is approved, could you see patients using Ampligen in combination with other treatments?
Dr. Lapp: Oh yes, absolutely. In the early days of CFS research, all the CFS guys and all the HIV guys would meet together, because Ampligen could potentiate so many of the AIDS medications. We've known this for years. So once approved, combination therapy with Ampligen would be a natural, a given.
Kelvin: OK, Dr. Lapp, last question. You are known for your compassion for patients with CFS/ME. You often absorb your own incidental costs related to Ampligen infusions, you have been known to let out of town patients stay at your home, you have resisted raising your prices for years, and you even have made house calls. What is the root of that generosity?
Dr. Lapp: Well, you know I have great empathy for CFS sufferers. I don't know that "generosity" is the right word though. More appropriately it is a desire to find a cure for this heinous illness and to make promising therapies available and affordable. The cost of receiving Ampligen in our clinic is $2000/month and many insurers will cover a large part of that cost. All medicine is expensive these days, but when you consider that the costs for treating rheumatoid arthritis, MS, cancer and other disorders are many times more expensive, it puts it into a different perspective I guess. We do all we can here to make treatment as affordable and available to our patients as possible. We have had patients come here to Charlotte, move here in fact, from all over the world, to get Ampligen. One of the things I love telling potential patients who are considering Ampligen is how compassionate our entire staff is. As hundreds of her followers and patients know, Dr. Black, who also administrates our Facebook site has a special empathy for our patients. And all of our Ampligen patients know and love Wendy, who they see twice a week for infusions. She is literally sticking them with needles every Monday and Thursday, and yet they all smile when they see her! I think that's what sets our office here at Hunter Hopkins Center apart from others.
Kelvin: Thank you Dr. Lapp.
Blemish Proper care, Acne breakouts Treatment Offered
Whether you've got 1 pimple or a lot of in your face, you need to have blemish treatment. Acne treatment plans have hit the market like wildfire and there's a lot to choose from inside skincare isle. You may perhaps become overwhelmed when see all of the bottles with promise that it will clear your skin in a specific quantity of days. It helps to understand precisely what care pimples needs.Whom
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Beauty Shopping: Mani-Pedi Essentials
I usually go for a mani-pedi to a local beauty salon. However recently I have been wondering how much I would be able to save if I started doing at-home mani-pedi from time to time... So I decided I needed to get some essentials. I am not completely mani-pedi oblivious, of course. I do take care of my feet and hands and I do have certain tools like nail files, scissors, cuticle softener and
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Should I see a Dermatologist for Acne breakout Remedy
Do you may have a favorite acne treatment method that’s stopped working? Are you currently unsure what acne breakout treatment to try? Are you currently astounded by the high price of your newest pimples treatments on the market and hesitant to spend the funds when you’re not certain if they will work? Should you answered yes to any of those questions it may be time to consult a dermatologist.I
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Succession Planning
This was the last week for Klingberg Family Center’s President of eighteen years, Rosemarie Burton. Rosemarie has retired to spend more time with her twin granddaughters, as well as to develop her executive consultation business, By Your Side Consulting (www.byyoursidenc.com).
Rosemarie has been an exemplary president for Klingberg. When she started eighteen years ago, Klingberg had 95 staff, two programs and one location. As she leaves now, we have over 400 staff, around 15 programs and seven locations. In addition, the agency has grown in skill, sophistication and expertise.
Rosemarie has set the tone for the agency by her unswerving commitment to the children and their families. Rosemarie has taken each of the children in our programs to lunch on their birthdays and other special occasions. She enjoys the children and is deeply committed to their quality of life. Therefore in addition to focusing on securing the latest Federal earmark for the agency, Rosemarie arranges for the kids to have baseball uniforms, or for a talented girl to obtain an acting scholarship, or for a boy who is interested in architecture to tour the office of an architect friend of hers. She has demonstrated daily that the children and their families take precedence over anything else.
Rosemarie models the fact that high ethical standards and a sharp, practical business sense are not incompatible; in fact they support each other. Financial integrity and a commitment to excellence reinforce each other.
Several years ago Rosemarie began to talk about her retirement. Although none of us wanted to hear about it, her long and careful process has resulted in an excellent transition for the agency. Our new president, Dr. Steven Girelli, was chosen after a careful national search, and he has been amply prepared to assume his new role. All the many people, from staff to Board members to kids and families to donors to legislators who will miss Rosemarie have had many opportunities and ceremonies to say good bye. Rosemarie’s retirement party is next week and should be a major event with people from all eras of her life. Everyone is of course anxious about a major transition and this process has helped with that anxiety.
But for Rosemarie, succession planning has not been limited to finding and preparing her own replacement. Throughout her tenure at Klingberg one of Rosemarie’s strongest commitments has been fostering the growth of her staff. She has paid attention to staff at all levels and offered them opportunities to grow, be promoted and meet their profession al and personal goals. She has done this by offering conferences, training, taking people with her as she participated in national forums, and by spending time with people, encouraging and guiding them. She has especially focused on the women and minorities on the staff. At every level of the organization people have been identified who are doing a good job and showing promise, and experiences they need to grow toward the next step have been offered to them. So not only has the Presidential transition been smooth, the growth of the organization has been facilitated. Another benefit is that if staff feel they have opportunities, they stay with the organization.
I am certainly one of the people who has benefitted by Rosemarie’s encouragement. Much of who I am and what I am doing professionally has been made possible by Rosemarie’s ability to embrace new ideas and find the resources to move towards the future. Knowing Rosemarie as a person and a friend has taught and inspired me. I will miss her in so many ways. I am also confident in Klingberg’s future as we move forward under the skillful leadership of my friend Steve Girelli.
This multi-facetted succession planning is one important source of strength for a non-profit agency.
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Rosemarie has been an exemplary president for Klingberg. When she started eighteen years ago, Klingberg had 95 staff, two programs and one location. As she leaves now, we have over 400 staff, around 15 programs and seven locations. In addition, the agency has grown in skill, sophistication and expertise.
Rosemarie has set the tone for the agency by her unswerving commitment to the children and their families. Rosemarie has taken each of the children in our programs to lunch on their birthdays and other special occasions. She enjoys the children and is deeply committed to their quality of life. Therefore in addition to focusing on securing the latest Federal earmark for the agency, Rosemarie arranges for the kids to have baseball uniforms, or for a talented girl to obtain an acting scholarship, or for a boy who is interested in architecture to tour the office of an architect friend of hers. She has demonstrated daily that the children and their families take precedence over anything else.
Rosemarie models the fact that high ethical standards and a sharp, practical business sense are not incompatible; in fact they support each other. Financial integrity and a commitment to excellence reinforce each other.
Several years ago Rosemarie began to talk about her retirement. Although none of us wanted to hear about it, her long and careful process has resulted in an excellent transition for the agency. Our new president, Dr. Steven Girelli, was chosen after a careful national search, and he has been amply prepared to assume his new role. All the many people, from staff to Board members to kids and families to donors to legislators who will miss Rosemarie have had many opportunities and ceremonies to say good bye. Rosemarie’s retirement party is next week and should be a major event with people from all eras of her life. Everyone is of course anxious about a major transition and this process has helped with that anxiety.
But for Rosemarie, succession planning has not been limited to finding and preparing her own replacement. Throughout her tenure at Klingberg one of Rosemarie’s strongest commitments has been fostering the growth of her staff. She has paid attention to staff at all levels and offered them opportunities to grow, be promoted and meet their profession al and personal goals. She has done this by offering conferences, training, taking people with her as she participated in national forums, and by spending time with people, encouraging and guiding them. She has especially focused on the women and minorities on the staff. At every level of the organization people have been identified who are doing a good job and showing promise, and experiences they need to grow toward the next step have been offered to them. So not only has the Presidential transition been smooth, the growth of the organization has been facilitated. Another benefit is that if staff feel they have opportunities, they stay with the organization.
I am certainly one of the people who has benefitted by Rosemarie’s encouragement. Much of who I am and what I am doing professionally has been made possible by Rosemarie’s ability to embrace new ideas and find the resources to move towards the future. Knowing Rosemarie as a person and a friend has taught and inspired me. I will miss her in so many ways. I am also confident in Klingberg’s future as we move forward under the skillful leadership of my friend Steve Girelli.
This multi-facetted succession planning is one important source of strength for a non-profit agency.
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