Health Bites - Fall 2007 -Summer 2008
Sponsored by
Strong Employee Assistance Program

We are pleased to announce an informal series of useful and timely health/wellness related topics beneficial to the community.

The series is comprised of talks that will each be offered at noon at Strong Memorial Hospital Medical Center. Health Bites updates are available on the Strong EAP website at: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/eap/index.cfm or by calling Strong EAP at 475-0432. Room location has been known to change with short notice, and at the time of this publication we have been unable to schedule all of the rooms, so we advise checking the website or calling our office to confirm the location when you register to attend. As a courtesy,we request that you please call to register the week before the talk is scheduled so that we may ensure a reasonable audience for our speakers. If pre-registration is not sufficient, the talk will be canceled and notification will be found on the website. You are welcome to bring your lunch.

The current national statistics suggest that there is a correlation between gang activity, juvenile delinquency behavior and drugs. Communities are searching for strategies to deal with juvenile delinquency from an intervention and prevention perspective. Enforcement and suppression of criminal street gangs cannot be the only solution to dealing with this problem. Officer Moses Robinson, a passionate educator about gang issues returns for part two of the discussion begun in May. He will discuss additional topics related to youth gang awareness, and why kids join gangs. He will also discuss intervention and prevention strategies when dealing with gang members, and gang mentality as an addictive behavior.

70%. This seminar was created to help you through the process of building your stepfamily while avoiding the most common pitfalls. Among the issues that will be addressed are how to keep your marriage alive and well in the midst of all the stress, how involved should stepparents be in the discipline of their stepchildren, how to divide the money, managing the "ex" the do's and don'ts of communication in a stepfamily and children's divided loyalties. With guidance and hard work, you can build a strong stepfamily capable of providing the children with security and love. Estalyn Walcoff, MA, RNP, is a psychotherapist and educator. She is the President and founder of the Stepfamily Association of Rochester, a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and support of stepfamilies. (www.stepfamilyrochester.org)

to be particularly attractive to today's youth. In fact, prevalence studies conducted in the United States and Canada have noted rising rates of youth involvement in both legal and illegal forms of gambling. While approximately 80% of High School students report having gambled for money during the past year, 4-8% of adolescents presently have a serious gambling problem with another 10-14% of adolescents at-risk for developing a serious gambling problem. Yet, for most parents and teens, gambling is viewed as an innocuous behavior with few negative consequences. David Young is the Problem Gambling Prevention Coordinator for DePaul's National Counsel on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence for the Rochester Area.

Life’s hardships can occur at any time. It can be devastating when something happens and you are not prepared for it. Many will needlessly suffer because they lack knowledge on aging issues. Why prepare now? Because no one is promised tomorrow! One million Americans are forced into poverty each year because they have no plan. There are complex issues we must deal with as we age: healthcare decisions, financial concerns, essential documents, legal matters, aging parents, to name a few. Ignoring these vitally important matters can create severe consequences for you and other family members. Mr. O'May is an independent planning specialist with 34 years experience in this field. He is an author, lecturer, and guest speaker on radio, former memorial counselor for the City of Rochester and Monroe County, and retired regional manager for a major insurance company. He provides practical information and guidance designed to save you money and avoid distress. Those attending this talk will receive a complimentary Healthcare proxy and Living Will.

Come join Louise Ong-Lee on this journey into the ancient practice and tradition of Classical Chinese Feng Shui. She will show you how feng shui is practiced to enhance your life, as well as give you "hot tips" on how to create and maintain abundance in your home through balance, harmony and enhancements in your environment. Louise Ong-Lee originated from Singapore where she has lived most of her life. She trained for many years with Master Chong Swan Lek, a 4th generation Classical Feng Shui Master, under a master-disciple relationship. She runs Feng Shui 8 providing Feng Shui consultancy services and talks to continue her master's work in the US, UK and Asia. She received her Bachelor's degree from Nazareth College of Rochester and her Master's degree in Communications from SUNY Brockport.

Theo Munson, MPH, is Manager of Caregiver and Bereavement services, Hospice of Rochester/Lifetime Care.  A popular Health Bites speaker, she will review the foundations of bereavement support plus the current literature.  Theo will discuss complicated grief, gender issues, the effects of trauma, sexuality and spirituality in the experience of grief.  This talk will be useful for anyone who has contact with grieving people in their work or personal life.

Learn how to spend less, save more and balance your personal budget. The current national statistics on personal bankruptcy filings and low savings rates demonstrate that many people lack the most basic money management skills. Here are some of the challenges people face daily:
• 35-40% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck
• Financial trouble is the #1 cause of divorce
• Workers rated personal finance as the #1 source of stress
• 4 of 10 Americans say they live beyond their means
Financial illiteracy has become a national epidemic. Come learn how to develop a spending plan, identify financial goals and tips for managing money. Come see how Advantage Credit Union works toward the betterment of their community by following the philosophy of "People Helping People" and learning how to deal with your financial problems to meet your family's needs and reach your financial goals. Marty Jacobson will show how to improve your financial situation by increasing case flow, reducing interest expense and creating saving objectives.

America's young adults and children are not learning about finances in their schools or at home. Learn how to teach your children how to save money when they are young and develop the skills and the knowledge they need to increased their financial literacy. A 2004 study by Jump$tart Coalition revealed that 90% of kids learn how to manage money at home. Ever wonder where kids get their poor money habits? This is likely a trait they're learning from their parents. Most young people don't understand the true cost of consumer credit, with its high interest rates and hidden fees, the difference between needs, wants and wishes, delayed gratification, how to save for anticipated expenses and how to resist the pressures of our competitive consumption society. Come learn tips for parents and become a role model in the financial development of your children.

Global warming, air pollution, water shortages, carbon emissions, world hunger. Our environment is under distress and the decisions we make today will impact the world we leave behind for our daily lifestyle choices. This presentation is for people who are interested in learning more about green living. The speaker will share valuable information on how you can improve your health, while improving the health of the planet. Learn the significance that recycling, composting, organic eating, car-pooling and much more, has on the planet. Hear about cool organic foods and products, green vacations, and how a green lifestyle adds to a deeper and more enjoyable life. Shaquana Divers is the Wellness Coordinator for the University of Rochester.

Our job is to guide and protect our children through the murky waters of adolescence. Their job is to develop relationships with their peers as they separate from us. Given that our objectives differ so extremely from theirs, what's a parent to do? This seminar will offer parents tips to disciplining their teens so that the whole family can run more smoothly. We will discuss such issues as getting teens to do chores, deciding what the house rules are and what consequences there will be if rules are broken, how to manage the internet, what to do about your child's driver's license and buying a car, summer jobs and school work. Estalyn Walcoff, MA, RNP, is a psychotherapist and educator. She is the President and founder of the Stepfamily Association of Rochester, a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and support of stepfamilies. (www.stepfamilyrochester.org)

One of the major triggers for much of our stress has to do with how we balance our priorities with the demands of others. An important part of stress management is to be able to communicate effectively with our boss(es), co-workers, and family members. This presentation will focus on bringing specific mindfulness based practices directly into live dialogue with these important persons in our lives. Handout information will include a bibliography and web resource list for those interested in pursuing further information. Peter Sullivan, LCSW, CGP is the Coordinator of the Group Therapy Service at Strong Behavioral Health. He completed DBT training in 2000, training in MBCT in 2003 and MBSR in 2004- forms of therapy that use mindfulness as a core practice.