ACMB Cares Spotlight: Rise Recovery

Throughout 2019, Alamo City Moms Blog will be spotlighting one local nonprofit each month as part of its ACMB Cares campaign. Our goal is to familiarize readers with nonprofit organizations that are making an impact in San Antonio through their connection with moms and/or children. This month, we are featuring Rise Recovery. 

“As a mom, I am often led to believe that if I provide a loving home, a caring environment, and the financial resources to afford the best education, my child will thrive and overcome any adversity. I soon realized that sometimes even the best-resourced children face the same complex inner battles as the disenfranchised ones. Why is that? Caregivers without the proper support to approach their child may ignore, hide, or simply be blind to the red flags that indicate their child is in trouble, until it’s too late. Luckily, there are tools we can teach, they don’t cost a dime, and caregivers can be empowered to address the hard stuff with grace. By facing those challenging conversations on solid ground, by having those honest conversations with our families, we can dismantle the shame and confusion our children often face, and help them grow from the inside.” —Evita Morin, CEO of Rise Recovery

According to the CDC’s latest report, people are dying earlier than previous generations. This isn’t the impact of our elders, but rather the impact of more young people succumbing to suicide and overdose. What can parents do to address this alarming trend, and how will they know if their child is at risk?

There is no handbook on how to be the “perfect parent,” but reading these alarming statistics tells us we must do something. We need to have some serious conversations. But when is the time ever “right” to talk to children about bullying, body image, drugs and alcohol, anxiety, and depression—and where do we begin without scaring them?

Time and time again, these are the exact thoughts and anxieties we share, as parents and caregivers. We often feel as though there are “lots of questions, no answers, and minimal resources.” This is why Rise Recovery and Jewish Family Service have partnered up to help the community start this much-needed conversation.

On Wednesday, February 27, from 6:00–8:30 P.M., 11 respected mental and behavioral health organizations will come together to present “Well, MY Kid is Resilient, Right?” | Conversations and Mental Health Resources for Today’s Parent at the Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community.

The free event, co-hosted by Jewish Family Service and Rise Recovery, will connect parents of tweens and teens and begin the conversations that can be difficult to start. By introducing the dialogue and offering resources to help, we hope to better help San Antonio parents address the challenges young people face.

A moderated panel discussion will kick off the evening, featuring leaders in the mental health community. Leading the discussion will be Dr. Melissa Stennett Deuter, founder of Sigma Mental Health Urgent Care and a board-certified psychiatrist here in San Antonio. Joining the panel will be Talli Dolge, M.S., CEO of Jewish Family Service; Evita Morin, CEO of Rise Recovery; Michelli Ramon, LCSW; and Dr. Sarah Gellman of the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. Each panelist will unveil her unique exposure to childhood adversity and discuss how “conversations” and destigmatizing these issues played a critical role in their journey to the women and leaders they are today.

Following the panel discussion, participants can learn how to approach specific challenging topics in breakout sessions led by a variety of partner organizations. Caregivers will have an opportunity to dive deep into three different topics in 20-minute sessions. This is the time to take extensive notes, ask questions, and gather a toolbox of resources to aid in your own conversations at home.

Here is a list of the evening’s breakout session topics and the agencies that will be presenting them:

  1. AnxietyJewish Family Service
  2. The Hard Stuff (substance use)—Rise Recovery
  3. BullyingAlamo Heights ISD
  4. Grief and LossChildren’s Bereavement Center of South Texas
  5. Be SMART: Gun SafetyChildren’s Hospital of San Antonio
  6. Warning Signs of Mental Illness in Children & AdolescentsClarity Child Guidance Center
  7. Eating Disorder Awareness in Children & AdolescentsEating Recovery Center
  8. How Parents Can Ensure That Their Children Have the Necessary Assets to Be Resilient in Life—Family Service Association
  9. Teen SuicideNAMI San Antonio (National Alliance for Mental Illness)
  10. Navigating the Public School System & Advocating for Your ChildNorthside ISD
  11. Resiliency: What Every Parent Needs to Know. The End.Michelli Ramon, LCSW

Stay after the breakout sessions to continue collecting resources, meet presenters, and connect with other parents while enjoying light appetizers catered by Tim the Girl Catering.

The hosts would like to thank a few organizations for their help in organizing the evening: The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community, Tim the Girl Catering, Dr. Melissa Stennett Deuter, and Alamo City Moms Blog.

Follow the Facebook event for more upcoming details by marking yourself as “Interested.”

When: Wednesday, February 27, 6:00–8:30 P.M.

Where: The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus of the San Antonio Jewish Community (12500 NW Military Hwy., San Antonio, TX 78231). The event is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are required by visiting www.jfs-sa.org/partnerevents. Space is incredibly limited, so reserve your spot today.

ACMB Cares Spotlights the work of various groups, nonprofits, and advocates in the Alamo City. To have your organization considered for a spotlight, please contact: [email protected]
Celina
Celina is a “professional volunteer” serving on multiple nonprofit boards and advisory groups. In her former life she started a nonprofit, which she left last year in the most capable of hands where it continues to thrive. In another past life she was a host and reporter for Texas Public Radio. She’s a “native” Texan and life-long San Antonio Girl. She attended school in Chicago where all she did was talk about how great Texas is. Her husband, Luke, is her high school sweetheart and the most supportive spouse you’ll ever meet. They have two children whom words can’t currently describe, but keep reading and you’ll get a pretty good idea who they are becoming.