A recent story on NBC10 Boston featured Michelle Jackson, a Recovery Coach Supervisor at BHN. The story highlights the important role Mass drug courts play in helping individuals dealing with mental health and substance abuse disorders, which can often lead to persistent criminal behavior.
The winter months are upon us, and with that can bring changes not just in the weather, but in mood as well. Martha Klaczak LMHC, LADC I, Adult Program Director at BHN WellBeing in Westfield, and Frank Shea, LMHC, Program Director at Agawam Counseling Center, discuss Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and its effects.
SAD is a form of depression linked to seasonal changes that typically starts and ends around the same time every year. Most people with SAD experience symptoms that begin in the fall and continue into the winter months. When the days get shorter, less sunlight means less vitamin D intake, which reduces serotonin. The further north you go, the shorter the winter days are. Conversely, says Shea, “If you were to live in a place such as Mexico or Central America, the odds of having SAD would be much less because the sunlight [there] doesn’t fluctuate as much.”
For many, the holidays are a time of tremendous joy, getting together with family and friends. However, for some the holidays can be a time of anxiety and stress. Managing these emotions can be difficult, but there are healthy ways to cope with less-than-ideal situations.
Behavioral Health Network, Inc. (BHN) has announced that Senior Vice President Rose Evans is the recipient of the Association for Behavioral Healthcare’s (ABH) Salute to Excellence, Scott M. Boch Force for Change Award. Evans accepted her award on October 20 at ABH’s annual Salute to Excellence event in Framingham.
The Scott M. Boch Force for Change Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated devotion to the behavioral health and human services fields, persistent advocacy on behalf of the workforce and individuals served, and successful consensus building among stakeholders.
A recent story on NBC10 Boston featured Michelle Jackson, a Recovery Coach Supervisor at BHN. The story highlights the important role Mass drug courts play in helping individuals dealing with mental health and substance abuse disorders, which can often lead to persistent criminal behavior.
The winter months are upon us, and with that can bring changes not just in the weather, but in mood as well. Martha Klaczak LMHC, LADC I, Adult Program Director at BHN WellBeing in Westfield, and Frank Shea, LMHC, Program Director at Agawam Counseling Center, discuss Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and its effects.
SAD is a form of depression linked to seasonal changes that typically starts and ends around the same time every year. Most people with SAD experience symptoms that begin in the fall and continue into the winter months. When the days get shorter, less sunlight means less vitamin D intake, which reduces serotonin. The further north you go, the shorter the winter days are. Conversely, says Shea, “If you were to live in a place such as Mexico or Central America, the odds of having SAD would be much less because the sunlight [there] doesn’t fluctuate as much.”
For many, the holidays are a time of tremendous joy, getting together with family and friends. However, for some the holidays can be a time of anxiety and stress. Managing these emotions can be difficult, but there are healthy ways to cope with less-than-ideal situations.
A recent story on NBC10 Boston featured Michelle Jackson, a Recovery Coach Supervisor at BHN. The story highlights the important role Mass drug courts play in helping individuals dealing with mental health and substance abuse disorders, which can often lead to persistent criminal behavior.
The winter months are upon us, and with that can bring changes not just in the weather, but in mood as well. Martha Klaczak LMHC, LADC I, Adult Program Director at BHN WellBeing in Westfield, and Frank Shea, LMHC, Program Director at Agawam Counseling Center, discuss Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and its effects.
SAD is a form of depression linked to seasonal changes that typically starts and ends around the same time every year. Most people with SAD experience symptoms that begin in the fall and continue into the winter months. When the days get shorter, less sunlight means less vitamin D intake, which reduces serotonin. The further north you go, the shorter the winter days are. Conversely, says Shea, “If you were to live in a place such as Mexico or Central America, the odds of having SAD would be much less because the sunlight [there] doesn’t fluctuate as much.”
A recent story on NBC10 Boston featured Michelle Jackson, a Recovery Coach Supervisor at BHN. The story highlights the important role Mass drug courts play in helping individuals dealing with mental health and substance abuse disorders, which can often lead to persistent criminal behavior.
The winter months are upon us, and with that can bring changes not just in the weather, but in mood as well. Martha Klaczak LMHC, LADC I, Adult Program Director at BHN WellBeing in Westfield, and Frank Shea, LMHC, Program Director at Agawam Counseling Center, discuss Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and its effects.
SAD is a form of depression linked to seasonal changes that typically starts and ends around the same time every year. Most people with SAD experience symptoms that begin in the fall and continue into the winter months. When the days get shorter, less sunlight means less vitamin D intake, which reduces serotonin. The further north you go, the shorter the winter days are. Conversely, says Shea, “If you were to live in a place such as Mexico or Central America, the odds of having SAD would be much less because the sunlight [there] doesn’t fluctuate as much.”
For many, the holidays are a time of tremendous joy, getting together with family and friends. However, for some the holidays can be a time of anxiety and stress. Managing these emotions can be difficult, but there are healthy ways to cope with less-than-ideal situations.
Behavioral Health Network, Inc. (BHN) has announced that Senior Vice President Rose Evans is the recipient of the Association for Behavioral Healthcare’s (ABH) Salute to Excellence, Scott M. Boch Force for Change Award. Evans accepted her award on October 20 at ABH’s annual Salute to Excellence event in Framingham.
The Scott M. Boch Force for Change Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated devotion to the behavioral health and human services fields, persistent advocacy on behalf of the workforce and individuals served, and successful consensus building among stakeholders.
Everything that is new about the beginning of a school year — new teacher, classroom, schedule, subjects, friends, bus route, lunch and recess routine — can be exciting for some children, but for others, it can all just be a source of anxiety.
“Anxiety is a normal response to life stressors. We need anxiety to help us focus on important things; to keep us safe in the face of danger, to help us focus and accomplish critical tasks,” explained Jean A. Fater, program director for Children and Youth Outpatient Services at BHN WellBeing Center for Community Behavioral Health in Westfield. “It becomes a serious concern when we cannot control it and it becomes excessive, interfering with our normal functioning.”
How can people continue to support their mental health and find ways to engage in life as they age? Leona LaFleur, a Behavioral Health Clinician, and mental health consultant for elder services at Behavioral Health Network, has been finding those answers through the people she works with. Their wealth of life experience is key, she says. “I am constantly learning from my clients. They have a good degree of resilience, and so I try to help them identify what their strengths are.”