Recent News
Social Connectedness can be seen as one of the pillars of recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs and a fundamental aspect of being a human being. Social Connectedness has been proposed as the primary determinant for youth adjustment (Guerra & Bradshaw, 2008). Many have touted benefits of Social Connectedness with individuals having both health and mental health conditions.
How can we now live in a world of “Social Distancing”? New language has been developed under the premise of the Novel Coronavirus 19 (COVID-19). Because this is a novel (new) virus, does this mean we need to create new words or phrases to protect the masses?
Language can be part of how individuals see themselves or the life they lead. Many spend much time contemplating the language they use to not be offensive or put individuals into “boxes.” Society and the individuals in the media have inadvertently done exactly that to the most vulnerable population, our people who have or live with underlying mental health conditions and/or substance use issues. Loneliness predicts depression (Nolen-Hoeksema & Ahrens, 2002) and we as professionals need to do our part to combat the current situation.
So, what if we asked people to “physically distance” themselves? Would this be viewed in another fashion? Is this not what we are asking people to do? Create space between you and the others around you to help “flatten the curve” and reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Where does “Social Connectedness” fall now? We need to recreate how our helping environments provide safety around gathering. Churches, social clubs, bars, and 12 step groups (important to our population), have created new ways for folks to connect socially. The use of social media platforms, such as Facebook, Zoom, Facetime, and many others are the norm to provide the connection people attempt to reach.
What about the physical touch of another human being? The social hug from a stranger whose culture believes in hugging is part of “Social Connectedness.” For the common good, hugging and proximity to others will have to wait.
We can work to change the language which seems to now be a part of our daily lives and think about how language can affect those around us.
Recovery requires a change in lifestyle; the rate of change for each individual and community varies. Community involvement may include family, peers, neighbors, or any other group.
We pursue opportunities that develop helpful and healthy relationships with communities and individuals. Relationships of support, assistance, and encouragement within the community create partnerships that benefit each person and the community as a whole.
We share information between individuals and communities. We challenge systemic conditions and social disparities which threaten a healthy environment. We encourage and facilitate the on-going collective effort of a dynamic staff, willing participants, and the community.
During the month of May, the Tobacco-Free Partnership Maywood/Montebello hosted a Youth Art Contest designed to allow them to demonstrate the dangers of smoking/vaping tobacco and their effect on family, friends, and the community. Virtual engagement opportunities are important to keep our young community members involved and informed. The entries exceeded our expectations and included an extraordinarily talented pool of youth participants. Special thanks to Maywood's Councilmember Heber Marquez. His donation allowed us to extend awards to two winners. We learned a lot from the youth and hope to spread their messages far and wide.
Our winners were Natalie Hernandez and Jocelyn Piceno:
All contest submissions:
