Posts by Helpdesk@chris180.org
Is my teen ‘on something?’ Teen Substance misuse during COVID-19
It’s not news the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about changes to all our lives, and teens are no exception. All at once they were ripped away from their friends, sports, church groups, school clubs, jobs and other social supports. Although school has resumed, life is massively different. With these new challenges, some teens have turned…
Read MoreChaplains bring calm during times of uncertainty
Recognizing that healing from trauma and facing difficulties sometimes has a powerful spiritual component, at the beginning of 2020 CHRIS 180 expanded its services to form the Institute for Spiritual Health and Wellness. In addition to placing Clinical Pastoral Education residents in local hospitals the Institute can periodically assign chaplain interns to different community programs…
Read MoreThe Pandemic P.A.R.E.N.T. – Virtual School Edition
Parenting school-aged children, circa 2020, has required parents to juggle (in new ways) their profession with their parenting responsibilities, and to strike the right balance between their kids’ happiness and their health. Now that virtual school has started across metro Atlanta, pandemic parents are encountering additional and entirely new challenges. In many ways, parenting during…
Read MoreTo Connect or Disconnect: Steps to Connect and Change
My African American mother, aunts and uncle lived through the Jim Crow laws and experienced racial violence throughout much of their childhood. My Congolese father and aunts experienced the trauma of war in DRC. The recent killings have touched trauma wounds in some members of my family. I imagine that many survivors of intergenerational trauma…
Read MoreTo Connect or Disconnect: Part 1
“We’re hardwired for connection.” This is one of my favorite quotes from a shero in our field, Brené Brown. Through her work on shame and vulnerability, we are able to get a closer look at aspects of the human condition that are often overlooked. Her quote reminds me that an authentic connection with others is…
Read MoreUncertainty
My client said, “I’m bored and agitated. It isn’t a good combination because it makes me reckless.” His thoughtful insight rings true: The country’s foundation is defined by COVID-19 with recommendations for social and physical distancing, combined with little sense of a communal endgame (the political polarization and fragmentation is staggering). We are living in…
Read MoreWorking through a pandemic as a mental health professional
Working as a mental health professional can be described as rewarding, exuberating, encouraging and self-satisfying. It can be described as mind-blowing as the picture above illustrates, but also tedious, exhausting and overwhelming. I wanted to write this blog post to share tips with my colleagues and those in our industry so that we can take…
Read MoreFinding Balance
Around the age of 12, I lifted my hands from the handlebars of my bike for the first time and rode down the street behind my friends who also rode with “no hands”. It was quite the accomplishment at that time. We rode everywhere on our bikes — to friends’ houses, the pond, the pool,…
Read MoreHistory Is Watching
It’s times like this when I miss morning coffee with friends the most. We all feel so stressed from working during a pandemic, worrying about the health of our families and the people we serve. We fear for our health, our finances, and our lives – worst of all we feel we are alone without…
Read MoreSupporting Our Scholars
Back to School. Usually this likely makes you think of picking out an outfit for your first day or packing your backpack with supplies. This year, depending on where you live, it looks more like checking Zoom to make sure you have the latest updates installed and a good desk area prepared. Just like everything…
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