As the Holidays of harvest and light approach with the opportunity for friends and families to gather, the question arises of how to spend the holidays. So let us each take a pause now and reflect on what we most value about the coming weeks and months. Is it most important to connect with others? To catch up on rest and relaxation? To have an adventure somewhere new or return to a tradition? To share gifts, food, songs, connect with familiar religious practices?
Preventing Alcohol, Drug and Behavioral Health Problems in the Youth of our Community
Mothers and fathers everywhere – and all of us who care about the well-being of children – are concerned about the use of alcohol and other drugs (including tobacco) in our communities, particularly by children, teens, and young adults. Sadly, these concerns are even more warranted here in New Mexico. According to the NM Department of Health, alcohol-related death rates in our state have been the highest in the entire country for more than two decades, and in 2019 we had the twelfth-highest drug overdose death rate in the nation. Just as alarming, the suicide rate in New Mexico has been regularly among the highest in the nation since 1981.
Do you know any Angry Men?
Maybe you are one yourself? Here is good news. Clinician Steve Moser at Taos Behavioral Health (TBH) will be starting a new educational group for men focusing on avoiding and reducing anger and learning nonviolent conflict resolution. The group will be using the curriculum developed over a 16-year period for the Nonviolence Awareness Classes (NAC) at TBH.
Self-Care in this Period of Covid
“If you have been balancing on a surfboard for a year, your body and brain need some powerful self-care” declared Eric Mares, the Clinical Director of Taos Behavioral Health (TBH). Parents, teachers, social services professionals, and students are all exhausted by the repeated changes in health advice and the changing availability of interventions to save our lives.
How are you Dealing with Grief?
I’m longing for the day when I can look at the headlines online and no longer feel grief well up in my core. “The world is too much with us” and it is full of sorrow and anger and fear and disbelief.
It Takes a Village…
-A very special and diverse village to nurture our young people—especially after our COVID year. As students return to on site education, Taos Behavioral Health (TBH) is deeply grateful for the relationships with our educational systems and communities (Taos, Questa and Penasco)
Life Lessons from the Olympics
Probably the most noteworthy news from the Olympic games in Japan was a verbal announcement. “No, I will not perform” from Simon Byles.
Social Skills take Center Stage in Summer!
Summer programs have started at Toas Behavioral Health (TBH) and these 5 weeks will emphasize those behaviors that impact us life-long but are often not highlighted. The academic year is over—with all its frustrations and challenges and students can look forward to a fall with friends and teachers in their presence.
[Read more…] about Social Skills take Center Stage in Summer!
Coming Together!
“They showed deep caring, creativity and collaboration!” declared Erica Mares—Clinical Director of Taos Behavioral Health (TBH). Mares was referring to the large number of individuals and organizations that came together to create a new summer program for 250 Taos students.
Saluting the Strength of our Youth!
On Wednesday, June 23 the Taos Behavioral Health (TBH) SUCCESS program organized a special salute to the youth we have worked with over the past 17 months. From 9 to 11 a.m. the staff and students in the SUCCESS program passed out free burritos to students we have worked with, and additional ones recommended by their schools.
