Dear Health Ministries Network Community,
Happy May! It looks like spring-summer has sprung in the Pacific Northwest. We are grateful that you choose to take time, amidst good weather and outdoor activities, family and faith community activities, travel and enjoying the moment, to read and share the information in our newsletter.
There are many good opportunities coming up. First and foremost, the 2023 Fall HMN Foundations in Health Ministry (for prospective Faith Community Nurses (FCNs) and Health Ministers(HMs) and Community Health Advocates (CHAs) is scheduled! Please share, ask questions and sign up through the links below or at our website!
Our HMN May May meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 15th, 12-1:30pm. We will receive an update on the Advance Directive from Hilary Walker and Lindsey Boldrin at PeaceHealth! They delivered a wonderful class to our friends at Eleanor Apartments this past month, and you, too, can get caught up on Advance Directive options and changes! You can even schedule a class for your faith community or local community!
As we say goodbye to Sarah Lane as ED, we are excited to share that we are hiring! Please see job posting for the HMN Executive Director and Assistant Director below--and share! The Board hosted a lovely farewell dinner/board meeting for Sarah, and we wished her the very best on her journey--from all of us at HMN. Saying goodbye becomes a little easier when we're welcoming a new HMN Board Member, Anita Busby, LPN! She is about Ask a Nurse at Goodwill and looks forward to serving on the board!
During this time of transition, we will be taking a two-week "spring break," tending only to those things that are most pressing and hosting our Ask a Nurse events. Thank you for your patience and understanding!
Please check out all of the good information and the many opportunities for learning below. HMN wishes you you peace, love and good community connections today and each day!
With gratitude,
The HMN Board of Directors:
Joni Hensley
Kate Massey
Mike Massanari
Charles (Chaz) Nelson
Melanie Cool
Sunny Garza
Rebecca Cavanaugh
Bill Lonneman
Anita Busby
We were so happy to connect Lindsey Boldrin, PeaceHealth Advance Care Planning Facilitator and Community Liaison, with Cole Kiser of Mercy Housing to share a very well-attended Advance Directive class with Eleanor Apartments residents. They requested this class last month, and PeaceHealth and Mercy Housing made it happen! In May, we look forward to Cole teaching us.
HMN May Meeting: Updates on the Advance Directive, hosted by PeaceHealth!
According to the PeaceHealth website: "An Advance Directive (AD) is a legal document which can direct the care of the medical team in an unexpected medical situation. Advance Directives are recommended for anyone over the age of 18. It reflects your wishes regarding medical care in the event of an unexpected illness or injury. Advance Directives include both a Living Will, or Heath Care Directive and the Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care (DPOAH). The DPOAH allows you to choose someone you trust as your healthcare agent. The agent is the person/s you choose to speak for you if you can’t speak for yourself."
Enough said. Each of us should learn about and complete an Advance Directive. This month, we welcome the experts, Hilary Walker and Lindsey Boldrin of PeaceHealth. Please contact Lindsey Boldrin for the Zoom link at: lboldrin1@peacehealth.org
Please join us on the May 15th! All are welcome!
HMN April Meeting Video! Using Telemedicine Well
Thank you to Dr. Emily Gibson for sharing her time and talents with us in April. We are so grateful that she shared her expertise in telemedicine, which she practiced extensively in WWU Student Health Services through much of the pandemic.
Have you registered to view your health records online? Had a telehealth appointment recently? Connected friends and family with online appointments with healthcare professionals?
Like all new activities, there is a learning curve in participating in telemedicine. If you missed this informative session, you can watch the replay. Click here.
We are hiring! HMN is seeking a new Executive Director and Assistant Director!
Click below for the position description and instructions. Please share!
Registration is OPEN for the Fall 2023 HMN Foundations Course
FCLs: Does Your Faith Community Need Mental Health First Aid Training?
Rather than offer faith communities a luncheon or another meeting, Health Ministries Network would like to know whether offering Mental Health First Aid to Faith Community Leaders and FCNs/HMs/CHAs would be welcome in this season. We simply do not have enough mental health resources available across communities. However, we have each other--loving and able to learn and practice the skills of caring for each other in a mental health crisis.
Please send a quick email to director@healthministriesnetwork.net, and if there is good interest in this, HMN can pursue this in upcoming months. If we request this training, we will have room for up to 30 participants, and these individuals must complete a simple registration with us.
Here is some additional information for you to share and consider from the AHEC website:
Why Mental Health First Aid?
Enroll in a Mental Health First Aid course to learn a five-step action plan to help loved ones, colleagues, neighbors and others cope with mental health or substance use problems.
Similar to traditional First Aid and CPR, Mental Health First Aid is help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or experiencing a crisis until professional treatment is obtained or the crisis resolves.
Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based public education and prevention tool – it improves the public’s knowledge of mental health and substance use problems and connects people with care for their mental health or substance use problems.
Mental Health First Aid is a project of the National Council for Behavioral Health
Why mental health first aid? Mental Health First Aid was originally created in Australia in 2001 under the auspices of the University of Melbourne, and is now international with programs in countries such as the United Kingdom, China, Canada, Finland and Singapore.
The National Council for Behavioral Health – a national trade group with more than 2,500 member organizations serving millions of Americans nationwide – helped bring Mental Health First Aid to the United States in 2008 with the goal of making it as common as traditional First Aid and CPR are today.
Continuing Education Credits
Participants who complete the MHFA course may be eligible to receive continuing education credits (CEs) for Mental Health First Aid courses. After completion of a MHFA course, participants will receive a certificate of completion which they can submit to their board of choice.
If you believe that your community of 20-30 individuals could use this training, you can also inquire specifically for your community. In this case, contact AHECWW@whatcom.edu
From NSACH: Upcoming Learning Opportunities
Join WithinReach for a weeklong virtual series of Community Conversations from May 8-12!
WithinReach is excited to host Early Support is Community Care, where you will hear from community leaders about parent mentoring; promoting positive mental health in infants, toddlers, and their caregivers; the health disparities Black, Indigenous and families of color face and supportive community programs; developmental milestones and questions to ask your provider; and school readiness. This is a virtual event that is free to attend and open to all community members! Learn more and find the registration links here.
NAMI Whatcom is hosting an event on May 3 in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. There will be a screening of the film "Hiding in Plain Sight," a panel discussion, and a resource fair at Whatcom Community College. For more information and to register for the event, click here.
Basic Mediation Skills for Recovery Residence Staff and Peer Leaders, May 17-19.
The Washington Association for Infant Mental Health is offering free comprehensive Clinical Training on DC:0-5™ Diagnostic Classification of Mental Health and Developmental Disorders of Infancy and Early Childhood is designed for advanced practitioners such as mental health clinicians, psychiatrists, pediatricians, nurse practitioners, and early intervention specialists whose work with infants, young children, and their families involves assessment, diagnosis, and case formulation. For more information, and to register for this webinar, click here
You are invited! Northwest Health Career Path Summit
Summit Objectives:
Clarify and align initiatives and resources for under-represented community members and students in healthcare education programs.
Discuss how programs can link together to form equitable health career pathways.
Identify workforce education gaps and bridge them gaining a clearer view of services and programs across the state.
Hear student stories from those under-represented in the health workforce.
Achieve success by coming together to collaborate, develop community and solutions.
Agenda details coming soon for the 2023 Summit - Stay tuned!
Community Events & Info
In an effort to connect our volunteers with relevant resources, we publish community events and information in our monthly newsletter and on our website. Email director@healthministriesnetwork.net to add your own.
Women's Health Week is Coming up!
"National Women’s Health Week is celebrated each year, beginning on Mother’s Day, to encourage women and girls to make their health a priority. The theme for this year is, “Women’s Health, Whole Health: Prevention, Care and Wellbeing.” -The CDC
Learn steps you can take for better health
To improve your physical and mental health, you can:
Get regular checkups, including a yearly well-woman exam. Talk to a healthcare provider about any health concerns you have.
Get active.
Eat a healthy and balanced diet.
Prioritize your mental health and learn how to cope with stress.
Practice healthy behaviors. Daily decisions influence your overall health.
Eating for Health!
It isn't easy, but these resources can help!
Apply here
And continue to learn about diabetes prevention, blood pressure and chronic kidney disease:
Learn:
Resources from the Mount Baker Foundation
More resources from the Mount Baker Foundation
Check:
Change:
More resources from the Mount Baker Foundation:
and
NephU Kidney Kitchen Creations Cookbook from NephU
"Old Friends Clubs are designed to give care providers worry-free time to be at home, run errands, catch up with a friend, or relax and recharge in order to protect and maintain their own physical and mental health. A typical five-hour program at the Old Friends Club includes:
Low-impact social time to encourage group engagement and support
Light physical activities
Art and other creative projects
Group-oriented games and other forms of cognitive stimulation
Lunch, snacks, and light refreshments throughout the day
All about 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline from SAMSHA
f you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org
Creative Offering
This creative moment is brought to you by Dementia Support Northwest! Learn about all of their great Support Programs by clicking here
Support HMN
Help us support the invaluable work of faith community nurses and health ministers in northwest Washington by donating today!
And thank you to our fiscal sponsor,
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