YouthCare HealthChoice Illinois’ Post

Why Is Knowing Our Neighbors A Strategy? One of our three strategies is We Care Neighbors. It is a way to connect neighbors to each other and neighborhoods to one another. It helps us remember that we share this space (this building or block) and that we share this city, town or village. That we live in a shared world and that our relationships to each other create the quality of that lived experience. Here is a story that was recently shared that I think we will all relate to. A couple moved into a new neighborhood at the top of the cul de sac up on the hill. A few weeks go by and they see no one. Not one neighbor. They decide to invite everyone to come over. "Next Saturday, bring a hot plate, our doors are open." Saturday comes and every single person living in that cul de sac - about 15 homes - walks up the hill with a hot dish and meets their neighbors. Many of them didn't know one another. They demonstrated a human truth .... we want to connect. Two weeks later, one of the neighbors down the hill encountered threatening young men at her driveway. Where did she go? Up the street to her new friends' home. She banged on their door at 11:30pm looking for safety and they gave it to her. That is why actively connecting our neighbors and neighborhoods is a strategy. It binds us together in relationship. It allows us to activate the possibility for friendship, and to reach out when we need help. It heals our world by healing our street or our building complex. It is a strategy to heal a city or town block by block. Because a city or town that is really one big neighborhood is more resilient, creative and capable of addressing opportunities and challenges .... together. #WeCare #Neighborhoods #Community #PotLuck

Giving people a glimmer of hope is what we exist to do, and we hope to be able to keep on giving hope in the months to come, because: When we help with school uniform: it shows someone cares. Chats with new friends at our coffee morning: I’m not alone. A bed for my child: one less thing to worry and feel guilty about. Tickets to the theatre: Horizons expanded. A trip to a football game: once a dream, now a reality. Help to fill out that complicated form: finally we are moving forward. A Family Support Worker advocating for me with the social worker: Someone believes in me. Time spent with one of our coaches: A new strength to believe I can have a life that i’m proud of.

For people needing complex care, it’s about so much more than just care—it’s about preventing the crises that disrupt their lives, keeping them out of hospitals, and giving them the chance to live again truly. Our Community Transition Services (CTS) are committed to helping autistic people and people with learning disabilities find their way back home, where they can feel safe, supported, and part of their community once more. It’s about restoring their dignity, independence, and the sense of belonging they deserve when they need it most. Read more here ➡ https://lnkd.in/d8rSCxXF

So excited for this next step for Licking County! Today myself and others from the Licking County Reentry Coalition Steering Committee completed our training to begin hosting a Citizen Circle monthly for Licking County. 🙌🙌🙌 Taken directly from ODRC: “Citizen Circles create partnerships that promote positive interactions, social support, and accountability for justice-involved individuals. Together, justice-involved individuals and Citizen Circle members embark on a journey of transformation to create fundamental changes in people, relationships, and communities. Citizen Circles provide a holistic and collective approach to individuals at any stage of their reentry. Many need assistance immediately upon release; however, at times others who have been released for a period of time may need specific assistance from the Circle, such as obtaining employment. Goals of Citizen Circles include: Reintegration: To support individuals with a seamless transition back to Ohio communities. Community Partnerships: Community members take an active role in developing partnerships to assist individuals. Accountability: Justice-involved individual’s responsibility and commitment to positive change.”

What are your thoughts on mums who work for free? 🤔 Yep you heard me correctly. The other day I recorded a podcast with Henry Cooper for CEOs for Gender Equity and mentioned that 99% of mums actually want to work. Very few however do bc they can’t find a suitable role, or it makes zero financial sense to them. 😔 Seva Mozhaev who was recording picked up on this and was asking me after about it and it made me realise that I’m now coming up to 3 years of working for absolutely NO financial gain. 🙅♀️ And I seriously mean None. I work to cover the costs of daycare so I can work. 😬 Why??? Bc it gives me purpose, drive, and it makes me happy. 😍 The first year back after I had the twins meant I had 3 children in daycare 3 days a week, and I think it worked out that I made about $60 profit a month after we covered daycare fees. 😂 I didn’t return to work to make money (thankfully as that wasn’t really an option haha). I returned to work for my own #mentalhealth and #wellbeing. I put myself and my own needs first which so many mums don’t do. I was happier which meant I was a better mother, my kids all loved daycare, I know it’s developmentally great for them (90%of a child’s brain develops between 3-5 so being in an education setting is amazing for them). 🧠 When mums return to work if they are also paying for daycare the chances are they are actually earning very little. Throw on that to work #PartTime most take a junior position which pays much less too. 😩 If you are an organisation, please read this twice. And then ask yourself what you are doing to make working for a mum worthwhile- if she’s potentially working to pay for daycare. 💡 The #community I am about to launch is not a want for many mums it’s a need. We want to work, we want to be a great mum and are often running around trying to make both work and to excel without feeling burnt out overwhelmed, guilty and stressed. 🙁 The community I am building provides #support and #solutions for your #workingmums and is seriously something you need to be implementing across your organisations if you don’t already have support for mums in place. Many mums like myself work because they love it but if we don’t have the tools to be smart about how we operate, the awareness of what we want and need to make it work and consistent, ongoing support as our situation continues changing we are not going to thrive. 💛 🎉 I’m so excited to provide something that I know is going to make a huge difference to the world of working mums. 🎉 If you want to find out click on the link below and be the first to get updates- this is not something you want to miss out on! https://lnkd.in/gphwD7-R

In a world where time flies, and priorities shift, remember the profound truth underpinning thriving communities: caring. Anthony J. D'Angelo said it best, "Without a sense of CARING, there would be no COMMUNITY." At Right at Home, we cherish this truth. Caring isn't just a feeling; it's a force that enriches lives and forges connections. It's the backbone of compassion that echoes through our streets. When we care for each other, we ignite a ripple effect of kindness. Every vibrant community thrives on genuine concern for each other's well-being. Whether it's a friendly check-in or rallying behind local causes, these acts of care weave the tapestry of togetherness. In our work at Right at Home Wayne County, we witness the power of caring firsthand. From assisting with daily tasks to offering companionship, our caregivers embody this spirit. But caring doesn't stop there – it extends to our entire community. Caring isn't just a virtue; it's the cornerstone of community. It binds us and empowers us to build a better world together. Join us in nurturing a culture of caring, kindness, and empathy. Together, we create communities where everyone thrives. 💙 #CaringCommunity #CommunityMatters #RightAtHome #KindnessMatters

My family made plans to attend a tree lighting event over the Thanksgiving holiday. As the parent of young children, I work hard to create holiday magic. I work hard to find fun community events and give my kids the opportunity to join in different types of experiences. As a parent of young children, I love doing it all. I want to do it all. However, at the same time, as a caregiving family with a medically-complex child, I also experience how deeply challenging it is to do it all. It is extremely hard work to bring our child to community events. It is difficult to foresee and attempt to plan for the unknown variables that arise when venturing into the public domain Lack of physical accessibility is often a challenge. Lack of accommodations that support our kids with disabilities is another. The risk of exposure to cold and flu viruses, which will surely land our child in the hospital, if not in a critical state, leaves caregivers constantly balancing between giving their kids the experience of childhood while protecting them from the common seasonal illnesses that present exceptional risk. So, while other families happily pile out of cars and crowd around Christmas trees, their kids gleefully waiting Santa's arrival, we stand apart from the crowd, along the edges of the public events, present but still outsiders in our own communities. Because we want to be there, but it is complicated.... So, what can we all do? • Ensure accessible routes to holiday events and get-togethers • Consider the venue set up, keeping in mind that some families must be extra vigilant during cold and flu season • If you are planning a community event, seek input from caregiving families during the planning phase • If possible, move some of your activities outdoors to engage families unable to comfortably participate indoors • Make an effort to reach out to the families standing at the edge of your events. Make room for them to participate, both physically and in spirit. All kids deserve to experience as much holiday joy as we can muster, and we can all play a part in cultivating that within our communities. #caregiving #holidays #inclusion #parenting #community https://lnkd.in/g9ZeF6CX

Caring isn't just a feeling; it's a force that enriches lives and forges connections. It's the backbone of compassion that echoes through our streets. When we care for each other, we ignite a ripple effect of kindness. Every vibrant community thrives on genuine concern for each other's well-being. Whether it's a friendly check-in or rallying behind local causes, these acts of care weave the tapestry of togetherness. In our work at Right at Home of Broward County, we witness the power of caring firsthand. From assisting with daily tasks to offering companionship, our caregivers embody this spirit. But #caring doesn't stop there – it extends to our entire #community. 🧡 Caring isn't just a virtue; it's the cornerstone of community. It binds us and empowers us to build a better world together. Join us in nurturing a culture of caring, kindness, and empathy. Together, we create communities where everyone thrives. #CaringCommunity #CommunityMatters #RightAtHome

A great leader and great organization.

A picture at times is certainly worth a hundred words. Immerse Training Solutions in recent weeks have delivered Trauma Informed Care to IDEM Living and its great to see services lead the way to support their teams. #traumainformedpractice #traumainformedcare #childrensservices #traumainformedcoaching #traumaawareness