Category: Health

Children & Youth Mental Wellness Fair, May 7

ChildStrive

 

If you spend any time out in public, you are sure to encounter at least one small child having a huge melt down of emotion.  Some parents feel confused by what is happening for their children in those moments. What is really going on?

Children experience the same emotions as adults do.  Unfortunately, their brains do not yet have the capability to keep those emotions under control or “regulated”.  Emotion regulation is a very complex function in the brain and requires being able to identify what we are feeling, what happened to make us feel that way, and what we can do to bring ourselves back to calm.

Out of all the important life skills parents teach their children, none may be more important than the skill of learning to manage emotions.  This is a skill that supports “school readiness” beyond any skill in reading or writing.  It is also a skill that research suggests can help reduce the onset of some mental health symptoms.

So you may be asking yourself, “How do adults teach this skill to a child?”  Research has shown that when an upset child is in the presence of a calm adult who is trying to understand what the child is feeling, children will be able to use the adult’s sense of calm to help themselves get calm.  Think back to a time when you were overwhelmed with a powerful emotion.  If someone near you was meeting the same intensity of emotion as yourself, you may have found it difficult to get calm.  Children have the same experience!  Only when a child gets to a calm state can they take in information and “learn” from a situation.

In honor of the National Children’s Mental Health Awareness week find out more information on a variety of topics that support children’s mental health by attending the “Youth Mental Wellness Fair” happening on May 7th from 10-4 at Evergreen Middle School in Everett.

ChildStrive (formerly known as Little Red School House) has been partnering with Tulalip families for more than 30 years. For information about your child’s childhood development contact Courtney Miller at ChildStrive at (425) 353-5656 x7145 or Courtney.Miller@ChildStrive.org. More information about ChildStrive can be found on our website at www.ChildStrive.org

 

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On the T.R.A.I.L. to diabetes prevention

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by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

On the evening of Thursday, April 14, Tulalip Boys & Girls Club held an open registration for its very own T.R.A.I.L. healthy choices program. Its mission? To teach children the necessary steps to prevent diabetes and pre-diabetes.

“We are super excited to offer the community a very special hands-on practical prevention program for the kids at the Boys & Girls Club,” stated Veronica “Roni” Leahy, Tulalip Diabetes Care and Prevention Program Coordinator. “This is the first time a large scale collaboration between health clinic staff and the Trails Program staff has occurred. Together, we are offering diabetes prevention education delivered in a cooking class format with nutrition education geared towards kids!”

From 1990 to 2009 the incidence of type 2 diabetes in Native American/Alaska Native youth increased by 110%, according to the Indian Health Service (IHS). Type 2 diabetes has been reported in Native American youth as young as four years of age, and IHS also reports that mortality rates for diabetes are 1.6 times higher for Native Americans compared to the U.S. general population.*

 

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In 2003, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), IHS, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), and Nike, Inc., initiated a prevention program aimed at reducing the onset of type 2 diabetes among Native youth. The program – On the T.R.A.I.L. (Together Raising Awareness for Indian Life) to Diabetes Prevention – is an innovative combination of physical, educational, and nutritional activities.

T.R.A.I.L. is a 12 chapter program that provides youth with a comprehensive understanding of healthy lifestyles in order to prevent type 2 diabetes. The program is presented with four themes: About Me, My Health, & Being Part of a Team; Healthy Eating; Making Smart Food Choices and My Healthy Community.

Woven throughout the program are self-esteem and prevention activities utilized by BGCA, including contributions from national evidence-based programs such as SMART Moves. Club members draw from Native traditions and history to learn about nutrition, food choices, media influences and the impact of type 2 diabetes.

 

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The program also emphasizes the importance of teamwork and community service. Participants apply decision-making and goal setting skills in the physical activity challenges, and engage in service projects to improve healthy lifestyles in their communities. Community and family members participate in activities with the elementary-aged club members. These motivate members to achieve their goals and promote physical activity. The club sites are implementing the SPARK Physical Education and Nike Let Me Play programs to foster club-wide participation in fun physical activities and games for 60 minutes every day.

T.R.A.I.L. is currently funded at 55 participating club sites located in 18 states. Each of the Native Boys & Girls Club sites received the following to implement the T.R.A.I.L. program:

  • A grant to fund program operations, including a part-time staff person and program training for one year.
  • Evaluated program curriculum, training, and on-going technical assistance.
  •  Access to the SPARK Afterschool Physical Activity Program.

Each club member who registered to participate in the T.R.A.I.L. program received a box of fresh food from Klesick Farms and Haggen Grocery store, and their choice of an apple tree or blueberry bush. These boxes were valued at approximately $50.00 per box.

“The kids will learn how to grow, harvest and preserve fruit, berries & vegetables and we will use them in the meals we prepare together. Plus, they will personalize and develop their own cookbooks with the recipes,” added Roni. “Our collaborative prevention team looks forward to working with your kids and sharing our knowledge and skills with them.”

The T.R.A.I.L. program will hold sessions Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Fridays from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Boys & Girls Club community room.

 

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*source: https://www.naclubs.org

 

Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov 

Healthy Garden Gathering, April 23

Garden Gathering Saturday, April 23 in collaboration with Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources Department and the Snohomish County Conservation District. Events begins at 10am at the Karen I Fryberg Tulalip Health Clinic  and includes a brief discussion on rain barrels and master gardeners will be on hand to answer questions about your own gardens. There will be a giving away of vegetable starts from the greenhouse.

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Healthy Hearts, Healthy Minds

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

Amongst Native peoples, few things in life are as scary as diabetes. And then, after being clinically diagnosed with diabetes, a person must take many steps to resume a normal life, and in most cases, a more healthy lifestyle. What can be just as surprising as the diabetes itself are the unexpected, nonphysical effects, which are equally threatening to one’s quality of life. Although these effects might make the road to diabetes management somewhat bumpy, experts from the Healthy Hearts team from the University of Washington’s Indigenous Wellness Research Institute are demonstrating that life with diabetes not only goes on, but can get better.

The Healthy Hearts team has been working to understand and address cardiovascular disease in the Tulalip community since 2008. The first study, Healthy Hearts Across Generations, collected surveys from 284 randomly selected participants from the Tulalip tribal membership to examine cardiovascular disease risks and look at what coping strategies were most productive. From 2010 to 2012, Healthy Hearts Across Generations also provided 135 community parents and guardians with culturally influenced classes to promote health in their families.

In 2012, planning began for the second Healthy Hearts study called Healthy Hearts, Healthy Minds. This was launched in 2013 for Natives in the Tulalip area whose diabetes/prediabetes put them at greater risk for heart disease. Healthy Hearts, Healthy Minds provided those who were eligible and wanted to participate with one-on-one wellness counseling to take control of their diabetes self-care. This study came to a close in late February.

Local community resources and input from tribal members were used to develop study materials and programs, which were culturally-adapted and designed to promote sticking with positive, healthy behaviors even when it can be tough in the face of busy schedules and other challenges.

Just as exercise strengthens the mind as well as the body, awareness and education play an important role in nonphysical healing. Optimal diabetes management is more likely when people understand the nature and persistence of diabetes, and the fact that it is treatable. It’s more than just sharing facts; people also must be taught how to return to healthier lifestyles and avoid the habits that likely contributed to their health issues in the first place. This is yet another way in which wellness counselors are beneficial, providing an evidence-based intervention strategy to help participants succeed with diabetes management.

“Our focus was the wellness mental state. With diabetes, one of the challenges is that you are asked to do so many things to take care of it yourself. You have to change how you eat, you have to exercise, and check your blood sugar, you have to take your medicine, and don’t forget about getting your eyes and feet checked. It becomes very overwhelming for people,” says Rachelle McCarty, Project Manager of Healthy Hearts, Healthy Minds. “If you are really stressed out, then it’s hard to take care of yourself. That’s where our program aimed to help out. We provided participants with one-on-one coaching and very useful tools and information, so they could minimize their stress level to better manage their diabetes.”

Participants were asked to meet with a wellness coach for 10 sessions over a three-month period. Throughout the sessions, participants worked with their wellness coach to identify individual goals they wished to focus on regarding their pre-diabetes or diabetes and stress. They also worked with their coach to complete the Healthy Hearts, Healthy Minds curriculums, which covered a range of topics and skills like problem-solving, adherence, motivation and relaxation training.

Wellness coach Michelle Tiedeman, who has been with Healthy Hearts since 2009, says “What I enjoyed the most was working one-on-one with individuals and seeing them make one small, positive change at a time that added up to better overall wellness. It has been an honor to work with the Tulalip community the past several years. I have had the pleasure to work with some amazing individuals and see them accomplish great things.”

Healthy Hearts sponsored an informational lunch to share results from Healthy Hearts Across Generations in August 2014, and hosted a community celebration on February 2, 2016 to honor Tulalip’s commitment to health and share results from Healthy Hearts, Healthy Minds. You may have also seen them giving out results flyers and booklets at public events, health fairs, and the semi-annual General Council meeting last year.

 

Here is a sample of some of the findings:

  • 42% of tribal members who responded to the health survey said they do participate in traditional activities like culture night, canoe journey, salmon ceremony, talking circles, and others.
  • 40% of tribal members who responded to the health survey reported that they had high blood pressure, 50% of the men and 32% of the women.
  • 27% of parents reported that they often use their own behavior as an example to encourage their child(ren) to be physically active.
  • 77% shared that they have one or more blood (biological) relatives with diabetes.
  • Those who enrolled in Healthy Hearts, Healthy Minds significantly lowered their depressive symptoms.
  • Healthy Heart, Healthy Minds participants rated themselves significantly better at sticking with their goals at the end of the program compared to the beginning.
  • 70% agreed with the statement, “I have a responsibility to walk in a good way for future generations.”

 

For help with your diabetes, contact the Diabetes Care and Preventions Program at 360-716-5642. For more information on the projects or results available to date, email the Healthy Hearts, Healthy Minds study at iwri@uw.edu. The projects were funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.

 

Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

 

Healthy food and healthy community are key to diabetes prevention

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By Niki Cleary, Tulalip News 

Exercise, laughter and hugs, fresh air and a sense of accomplishment were some of the gifts about 50 community members gave themselves on Saturday, February 20.  The Healthy Gardening Gathering, hosted by the Karen I. Fryberg Health Clinic’s Diabetes Care and Prevention Program, was much bigger than a seminar on gardening and preparing healthy meals; it was a reminder that peer pressure can be a good thing. The effort, which involved preparing new garden beds for the Clinic gardens, more importantly provided a place to build fellowship and support for wholesome living.

Members of the WSU Master Gardeners program were onsite to offer their knowledge and enthusiasm about gardening. Many of the volunteers who joined in have worked with each other before, some have helped out at the Hibulb gardens, some are part of the Diabetes Prevention Program, others participate in the Wisdom Warriors program. Their common ground (pun intended) is a desire to live well and enjoy life.

 

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Toddlers, elders and all ages in between joined the fun. If you are interested in learning to garden, if you want to eat healthier and exercise more, or if you’re just looking for some fun people to hang out with email Veronica Leahy for more information vleahy@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov.

Coming up, the Diabetes Program has two field trips, one for a Padilla Bay nature walk on March 11, and one for a Heronswood nature walk and plant sale, April 2. Upcoming classes and education include Diabetes Day March 3, a set of Diabetes comprehensive classes March 9, 16, 23 and 30. Additional gardening opportunities will be available at the Clinic gardens April 16 and June 11, and at the Hibulb Gardens March 5 and 12.

 

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CERT is Offered Again at Tulalip

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by Sandy Evans, RN, MPH, Tulalip Tribes Preparedness/MRC/CERT Volunteer Coordinator

Disasters can strike at any time and being prepared for these and other unexpected events is critical to saving lives. Each one of us has a responsibility to understand the risk natural and man-made disasters pose to our communities, and to recognize we each have a role in preparing for these events. We have a duty to build a Culture of Preparedness in which our neighbors, families and friends are ready for any disaster event, and to make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept was developed and implemented by the City of Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985. They recognized that people will likely be on their own during the early stages of an emergency or disaster. Accordingly, the fire department decided that some basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills would improve the ability of people to survive until responders or other assistance could arrive. For 30 years CERT trainings have taken place across the U.S., even here on the Tulalip Reservation several years ago. Our pilot program in 2015 successfully graduated 9 participants and finished on November 19th, during a storm-caused power outage! Recognizing the value of this program the Tulalip Tribes Office of Emergency Management and Volunteer Preparedness Team is again offering CERT classes to our community.

CERT Basic Training is a free, instructor-led course consisting of over 20 hours of instruction on topics such as Personal and Family Preparedness, Earthquake Preparation, Team Organization, Medical Operations and Triage, Damage Assessment, Fire Suppression, Utility Control and Light Search & Rescue that can provide you will the skills you will need to stay safe and resilient during a disaster or emergency.

Our next CERT training will be held at the Administration building in the mornings from eight to noon for five sessions over 2 weeks. Each class will last 4 hours. The dates are Tuesday & Thursday March 15 and 17, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday March 22, 24 & 25. Because this is during usual work hours, supervisor permission is required and participants will be expected to attend all 5 sessions, establish a three (3) day home survival kit, obtain personal safety equipment, and be a willing team participant. CERT is about people helping people.

If you are interested in taking this course, ask your supervisor if you can get this time off and request an application/release form at Tulalip CERT (tulalipcert@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov).

What Is Whooping Cough And How Can I Take Care Of My Child?

 

Whooping Cough (Pertussis)

 

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough is a lung infection. It is called whooping cough because of the whooping sound of your child’s breathing after a coughing spell. It is also called pertussis.

Adults can usually recover from whooping cough, but it is a very dangerous disease for babies. Complications of whooping cough can include pneumonia, seizures, and death.

What is the cause?

Whooping cough is caused by bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. Children can get infected by breathing in the bacteria from someone who is sneezing or coughing. When teens or adults have whooping cough, it’s usually a mild cold-like illness, so they don’t know they are carrying the bacteria and able to pass it on to babies and children.

What are the symptoms?

The first symptoms are usually a runny nose, mild cough, and pink eyes. The cough may last for a few weeks. The younger your child is, the more severe the infection is likely to be. The cough can get worse and worse. It may cause vomiting. Your child’s face may turn red or blue. Coughing spells are usually worse at night. Babies may have spells of not breathing.

How is it diagnosed?

Your healthcare provider will ask about your child’s symptoms and medical history and examine your child. Your provider may get a sample of mucus from your child’s nose to test for bacteria.

How is it treated?

Your child’s healthcare provider will prescribe antibiotic medicine. The medicine may decrease the severity of the illness, but will not cure it immediately. Because whooping cough is a very serious illness for babies, they may need to stay at the hospital for treatment.

Everyone in close contact with your child will be asked to take an antibiotic to keep them from getting sick or passing the bacteria to others. This includes the people your child lives with and child care providers.

How can I take care of my child?

  • If the air in your child’s bedroom is dry, a cool-mist humidifier can moisten the air and help make breathing easier. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning the humidifier often so that bacteria and mold cannot grow. You can also try running hot water in the shower or bathtub to steam up the bathroom. If your child is coughing hard or having trouble breathing, have your child sit in the steamy bathroom for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Gentle suction with a bulb syringe may be used to remove mucus. Saline water may help thin mucus in the nose and throat so it is easier to remove.
  • Do not give cough medicines to children under the age of 4. If your child is between the ages of 4 and 6, ask your healthcare provider before giving cough medicine. For children over the age of 6, you can give cough medicines, but they have not been proven to be helpful.
  • Honey has been shown to help coughs but should not be given to children under 1 year because of the risk of botulism.
  • Encourage your child to drink lots of plenty of liquids to help loosen mucus and make it easier to cough it up. Fluids can also help your child breathe easier.
  • Make sure your child gets plenty of rest.
  • Keep your child away from things that trigger coughing, such as smoke, perfumes, or pollutants.
  • Follow your child’s healthcare provider’s instructions. Ask your provider:Make sure you know when your child should come back for a checkup. Keep all appointments for provider visits or tests.
    • How and when you will hear your child’s test results
    • How long it will take for your child to recover
    • If there are activities your child should avoid and when your child can return to normal activities
    • How to take care of your child at home
    • What symptoms or problems you should watch for and what to do if your child has them

How can I help prevent whooping cough?

The pertussis vaccine protects against whooping cough and is included in children’s DTaP shots, starting at 2 months of age. Babies should get 3 DTaP shots during their first year of life, followed by booster shots as they get older.

Whooping cough is a very dangerous disease, and can cause death for babies. The DTaP vaccine is very safe and effective in preventing this disease. The risk of having problems or long-term damage from the pertussis vaccine is very low. Your child’s healthcare provider will discuss any possible side effects with you.

A tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis booster called a Tdap shot should be given at age 11 or 12. Adults or teens who did not get a booster shot at this age should get a Tdap shot one time, especially if the family is expecting a baby. Anyone in close contact with babies should be up-to-date with whooping cough vaccination.

 

Developed by RelayHealth.

Published by RelayHealth.

This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

 

 

For any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to call your provider at the Karen I Fryberg Tulalip Health Clinic at 360-716-4511.