The `Ohana Observer Exceptional Family Member Program BLDG 219 MCB Hawaii

June 2020

@efmphawaii

Contact EFMP

Program Manager

(808) 257-7773

Training, Education, &

Outreach Specialist

(808) 257-0290

Family Case Worker

(808) 257-8894

Family Case Worker

(808) 257-7782

In this issue:

Coping With Stress

Self-Care and Three Part

Breathing

Father’s Day Recipe–

Rosemary Chicken

EFMP Learning Corner–

Military One Source

Lending Library Pick of the

Month: Early Intervention

Games

Events and Resources

www.facebook.com/efmphawaii

Coping with Stress The outbreak of COVID-19 is stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, and the people you care about stronger. Stress during an infectious disease outbreak can include: Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones Changes in sleep or eating patterns Difficulty sleeping or concentrating Interpersonal problems Worsening of chronic health problems Worsening of mental health conditions Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. We all react differently to stress, and the way we respond to the stress of an outbreak depends on your background, your personality, and the community you live in. People may respond more strongly to the stress of a crisis for different reasons. Older people may worry because they are at higher risk. Children and teens may worry about school, and not being able to connect with friends. People who have mental health conditions, including problems with substance use may lose themselves with the changes in routine, and forget to take care of themselves. There are lots of different reasons why some people respond more strongly to the stress of a crisis. Taking care of yourself, your friends, and your family can help you cope with stress. Helping others cope with their stress can also make your community stronger. Some ways to cope is to take breaks form the news and social media. Although, knowing the facts can help to reduce stress, too much information can cause more stress. Remember to take care of your body through deep breathing exercises and meditation. Eating well-balanced healthy meals and exercising regularly will help you to cope with stress. Also, doing activities you enjoy can help you relax. Make an appointment with yourself! We are always showing up for appointments that we make with others on time, all the time. Take some time to make an appointment with yourself and during this time commit to doing something you enjoy. Don’t forget to connect with others. Call, text, video chat, and mailing letters and cards to others can help you to feel good. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling. If you feel you need a little more help with talking about your concerns or how you are feeling you can contact FOCUS at 257-7774 or email at hawaii@foucusporject.org Call your healthcare provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row. Remember that children and teens react, in part, on what they see from the adults around them. When parents and caregivers deal with the COVID-19 calmly and confidently, they can provide the best support for their children. Let them know it is ok if they feel upset. Share with them how you deal with your own stress, so that they can learn how to cope from you.

Having a self-care plan will help you to reduce stress , deal with difficult situations, and help you to be better equipped to help others.

1. Spend some quiet time alone. Learning mindfulness meditation is an excellent way to ground yourself in the moment and keep

your thoughts from pulling you in different directions. The ability to reconnect with a spiritual source will also help you achieve inner

balance and can produce an almost miraculous turnaround, even when your world seems its blackest. Even if it’s just for 5 minutes.

2. Recharge your batteries daily. Something as simple as committing to eat better and stopping all other activities while eating can

have an exponential benefit on both your psyche and your physical body. Be mindful of the food you are eating, and give your body

time to digest the food. Also, a regular exercise regimen can reduce stress, help you achieve outer balance and re-energize you for

time with family and friends.

3. Hold one focused, connected and meaningful conversation each day. This will jump start even the most depleted batteries. Time

with family and close friends feeds the soul like nothing else. Stay connected through FaceTime or Zoom. Make a an appointment with

a trusted close friend or family member to have coffee and communicate your concerns or stress you are feeling.

If possible, dim or shut off the lights. Set an alarm for the amount of time you will be able to do the breathing exercise.

Sit comfortably in a chair, feet resting on the ground, or sit on the ground. Relax the shoulders (letting them drop)

Focus on only breathing in and out of the nose. Initially you may place your hands on your belly to feel the proper

technique.

3 part Breathing

The breath should be broken up into three parts

Once the alarm sounds, allow yourself for just a minute or so to adjust to having your eyes open and then turn on the lights.

Even if you can only do this for 3 to 5 minutes, sitting silently breathing and decreasing the busyness of your brain is a simple,

yet highly beneficial, tool for your health!

On the inhale:

Fill the belly with air

Then fill the chest

The fill the throat

On the exhale

Empty the air from the throat

Then the chest

Then the belly

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup ranch dressing

3 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon minced fresh

rosemary

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or

to taste

1 Tablespoon white sugar, or to taste

(optional)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing,

Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper,

and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to

coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and

discard marinade.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the

chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear.

**Recipe borrowed from www.allrecipes.com**

Vestibular, proprioceptive, and tactile stimulation

Body awareness

Joint attention

Young babies are swaddled because it can remind them of the time when

they were snug in the womb. This game can bring similar pleasure to kids of

all ages.

Lay the cloth down on a rug. Have one child lie on one end of the cloth. The

other children to help roll the child from one end of the cloth to the other

so he ends up rolled nice and snug inside the cloth (keeping child’s head

uncovered). Sing a song while rolling, such as this one, to the tune of “Row,

Row, Row Your Boat”:

Roll, roll, roll you up

Roll and roll you up

Roll and roll and roll and roll

Into a delicious sausage [or sushi or burrito…]

Then, if you think the child will be amused (as opposed to scared!), have

others pretend to eat them up, with adults modeling movements. “Yum

yum!” Next ask the child, “Ready to be unrolled?” When ready, gently lift

one end of the cloth so the child slowly rolls out onto the rug.

Sturdy piece of cloth or blanket

For the child with vestibular issues who may not be sufficiently aware

of her head position to adjust it accordingly, take care that her head

doesn't get hurt when unrolling.

If a child is at first hesitant with this game, try rolling him in a cloth

while standing so he can see if he wants the feeling of snugness.

Try to wrap two children together

If you pretend they are hot dogs, pretend to rub them with a variety of

condiments, such as mustard and ketchup, using different ways of

rubbing for each kind. A sushi roll might have soy sauce and wasabi;

burritos, hot sauce and grated cheese.

One of our main goals here at EFMP is to empower

the families that we serve. The most powerful tool

we can provide to reach this goal is knowledge.

We have decided to dedicate a section in our

monthly newsletter to learning resources that you

can access at home.

This month’s online learning resource is Military

OneSource. Military OneSource offers a ton of fact

sheets on a plethora of different topics as well as

webinars & podcasts. Register for upcoming webi-

nars or browse archives of recorded webinars on a

variety of important topics, including spouse edu-

cation and career opportunities, non-medical

counseling, legal information, relationship health

and family wellness, TRICARE, money management

and more.

Check out https://www.militaryonesource.mil/

training-resources/webinars

Early Intervention Games is a resource of fun

games for parents or teachers to help young

children learn social and motor skills. These

games are great to play with young children who

have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or other

sensory processing disorders (SPD). The games

are designed to help children feel comfortable in

social situations and teach other basic lessons

including beginning and end, spatial relationships,

hand-eye coordination, and more. The activity,

Just Roll with It”, was taken from the book. Try it

with the kids today!

BLDG 219, MCBH (Library/theater Complex)

808-257-0290

Hours of Operation M-F 0730—1630

http://mccshawaii.com/efmp

RESOURCES

Story Time with the MCBH Library— Visit the MCBH Library’s Facebook page to view vir-tual story time! During the Library’s closure due to COVID-19, you can reach them by call-ing 254-7624 to leave a message, or email them at mcbhawaii.baselibrary@usmc-mccs.org.

FOCUS Hawaii Team—The virtual TeleFOCUS program allows families and couples to meet with a provider through video teleconference. Call 808 257-7774 or email hawaii@focusproject.org

Hawaii Association of School Psychologists—https://hasp.wildapricot.org/ Click the COVID-19 tab for informative bulletins full of activity ideas. Find links to other resources on service delivery and special education, crisis and mental health, advocacy and more!

LDAH Parent Training & Parent Cafe—Leadership in Disabilities and Achievement of Ha-waii is providing training and support via their Parent Café group. Visit their Facebook page (LDA Hawaii & Pacific Island PTI) to see upcoming watch parties.

Hawaii Autism Foundation— http://www.hawaiiautismfoundation.org/ offers a plethora of resources, and has a video library of their weekly Q&A sessions.

EFMP VIRTUAL TRAINING

We offer trainings on a variety of topics throughout the year. In an effort to maintain social distancing, we are offering training virtually, via Zoom! Just RSVP to mcbh.efmp@usmc.mil, or to 808-257-0290, and we’ll send you the meeting and access codes.

**These times/dates don’t work? No problem! We can connect with you on Zoom at a time that’s convenient. Email us for full list of training topics.

June 12, 10AM—Recreation Inclusion— Learn about the concept and benefits of

inclusion.

June 23, 10AM— Early Intervention Overview—Lean about early intervention services

for children under 3 who have developmental delays.

June 26, 10AM— Managing Deployments— Lean about steps to prepare for deployment, communicating, creating a routine, adjusting to emotional lifecycle of deployment, and recognize resources and supports.

***No federal endorsements intended***