Helping Communities Support Their Loved Ones

The holidays are fast approaching. And so is the time we'll spend with family and friends. This is an important opportunity for us to consider how we can support and encourage our loved ones through the many challenges that may surface during this time.

On Nov. 12, we will host an educational webinar to help everyone consider how to support and encourage families who experiencing mental illness through the holiday season.
On Nov. 14 and Nov. 21, we will host webinars on caring for the seriously ill and providing trauma-informed bereavement services. Join us to learn how your community can engage with palliative care and hospice providers, creating greater access to these services that balances healthcare with hope and dignity.

Please share these educational webinars with your community! And consider watching them as a group and then offering a post-webinar discussion.

Finally, we'd be remise if we didn't acknowledge that the holiday season may also require the need of specialized services. In 2018 alone, over 19.3 millions adults had a substance use disorder. That's why the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) launched Findtreatment.gov , a site where you can help connect anyone looking for substance abuse treatment to approximately 13,000 locations across the United States.

If you have questions about any of our resources, work, or how we can assist you further, please contact us at Partnerships@HHS.gov.

Naviating the Holdiay Season: A Road Map for Supporting Familiies Experiencing Mental Illness

Navigating the Holiday Season: Supporting Families Experiencing Mental Illness

The holiday season can present multiple challenges for families experiencing mental illness. We want to help you navigate this time well! This insightful webinar will increase your awareness of challenges many families face. We will also consider tangible ways friends and family, as well as faith and community leaders, can provide support and encouragement for these families — through the holiday season and beyond.

NOTE: Please feel free to use any of the images in this newsletter to help promote the webinars to your audiences. You can also cross promote our Twitter and Facebook posts on the events. Please contact us at Partnerships@HHS.Gov for further assistance.

Palliative Care and Hospice 101: Demystifying Services for the Seriously Ill

Demystifying Services for the Seriously Ill: Palliative Care and Hospice 101

Join the HHS Partnership Center and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organizations for the first of two webinars that will provide an overview of health care services for the seriously ill, as well as for their families, and discuss the essential differences between palliative and hospice care. We will also focus on how communities and congregations can connect their members to these person-centered services that address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient with respect and dignity -- and share real world examples.

Nov. 21 Webinar: Community Partnerships: Improving Access to Palliative Care, Hospice, and Bereavement Services

Community Partnerships Improve Access to Palliative Care, Hospice, and Bereavement Services

Our second webinar will focus on the ways local faith and community-based organizations can help to educate their members and create greater access to hospice and palliative care services. We will also address myths and potential barriers to accessing care through the promotion of advance-care conversations, as well as engaging communities with programs, such as We Honor Veterans, The Conversation Project, trauma-informed care, community bereavement programs, and much more!