Friday, October 29, 2021
Friday, October 22, 2021
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
October is domestic violence awareness month. This month was first instated as domestic violence awareness month in 1989. It is important to spread awareness of domestic violence and educate everyone on this topic in hopes to aid in its eventual elimination.
The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence defines domestic violence as "...the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, threats, economic, and emotional/psychological abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence varies dramatically."
Here is a domestic violence awareness month toolkit from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence for 2021.
OACHC hosted "Project Catalyst Domestic Violence Health Center Training" in July of this year. Be sure to check out our blog post covering the event as well as the additional handouts included in the training blog. In addition, be sure to check out OACHC's webpage on Project Catalyst here.
Here are some key points that our staff at OACHC would like to highlight:
- 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9
men have experienced severe intimate partner violence in their lifetime,
including physical violence, sexual violence, and/or stalking.
- The CUES
Intervention (Confidentiality, Universal Education
and Empowerment, and Support) helps to educate all patients
on the health risks of intimate partner violence. OACHC has developed an example workflow for health centers to model and standardize universal
education outreach to patients.
- Survivors of domestic
violence are eligible for Special
Enrollment of Medicaid
- Be sure to use this toolkit to implement
confidentiality policies protecting patients and staff who have survived
violence, to provide universal education on the health risks of DV, and to
refer patients who need support to DV advocates.
It is important this month as well as every month to help spread awareness about domestic violence. Please see the additional attachments below for more resources on this topic.
Additional Attachments
Friday, October 15, 2021
October is Mental Health Awareness Month
Every October is Mental Health Awareness Month. An important part of Mental Health Awareness is workplace mental health. According to Mental Health America, before the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of mental illness among adults was on the rise. In 2017-2018, 19% of adults experienced a mental illness, an increase of 1.5 million people over last year’s dataset. According to Harvard Business Review, almost 60% of employees have never spoken to anyone at work about their mental health status. Mental Health conversations are becoming more normalized in the workplace and spreading awareness will help eliminate the mental health stigma.
According to this CDC Mental Health and Stress in the Workplace Information Toolkit, Poor mental health and stress can negatively affect employee:
• Job performance and productivity.
• Engagement with one’s work.
• Communication with coworkers.
• Physical capability and daily functioning
Here is a link filled with resources for employees that help normalizes the mental health conversation in the workplace. If you would like spread awareness via social media, here is a link to graphics to post on your platform!
See below for the mental health information we put in our 2021 October ENews:
Mental Health Awareness Week (First week of October)- Started in 1990 by The United States Congress and observed the first week of every October, this week is dedicated to spreading awareness and education on mental illness. Mental health is a huge part of overall health and should be a priority for everyone, whether you have a mental health condition or not. 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year. 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year. 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year. With numbers like these, it is imperative that we continue to spread awareness & to let each person know of the help available.
World Mental Health Day (October 10)- Since 1992, World Mental Health Day is a day celebrated in over 150 countries worldwide to educate, advocate against stigma, and bring awareness of mental health education and available resources for help in communities. Many online events and resources are available, including the This Is My Brave Virtual Live Stream with poetry, music, storytelling, and more from people living with mental health conditions or who have been affected by a loved one’s mental health condition.
Please be sure to check out the additional information listed below to continue your awareness on mental health.
Additional Information
- Mental Illness Awareness Week Information by NAMI
- World Mental Health Day Information by WOH
- It’s a New Era for Mental Health at Work
- Free Mental Health Awareness Summit
- Free Webinar: Creating a Mental Health Strategy
- Working Adults: Care for yourself one small way each day
- Clinicians: Care for yourself one small way each day
- Warning signs of Mental Illness
Thursday, October 7, 2021
Health Literacy Needs to be Heard
Health Literacy is an important issue nation wide. Here is an interactive Health Literacy Data map that allows you to view health literacy scores all over the United States.
