“Opioid Overdose Deaths Shares Comparisons to Vietnam War”- The Sobering Truth this Headline Means for One Family September 21, 2017 | PRA Work | Pam Heine “Patrick was never at a loss to make people laugh and always had a big heart for the less fortunate. In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Patrick may be made to the New Hope Foundation of Marlboro.”- From Patrick’s obituary, March 22, 2016 “Our state faces a crisis which is more urgent to… Read More
An Essential Framework for Safe Suicide Prevention Messaging September 15, 2017 | PRA Work | Don Harris In 2016, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) completed a comprehensive study on the state of military Veteran suicide across the country. In this study, the researchers found that an average of 20 Veterans die by suicide each day, roughly twice the rate of civilian suicides nationwide 1. Although the VA acknowledged that there… Read More
Work Life Balance? Take a Break for Emotional Wellness September 6, 2017 | PRA Culture, PRA Work | Donna Aligata During deadlines and highly stressful periods it can be tempting to skip a meal, not get enough sleep, and push ourselves until we are exhausted. Sometimes we can get so involved in work or family demands that we ignore our basic needs. Preventing an emotional crisis is about practicing wellness and taking time to breathe… Read More
A Lifelong Love of Learning August 30, 2017 | PRA Work | Kristin Lupfer I have always really loved learning. My mom was an elementary school teacher and I grew up surrounded by ceiling-high shelves of books. I truly enjoyed college and graduate school, and the idea of going back for more is always in the back of my mind (raising two children and working full-time pushes that a… Read More
Occupational Wellness August 2, 2017 | PRA Culture, PRA Work | Terri Hay PRA’s focus on wellness is very exciting, and I jumped at the idea of writing a blog on wellness. I chose occupational wellness based on some recent experiences, but when sitting down to write couldn’t remember where it all started. Then it came to me as a sipped my tea from my favorite mug bearing… Read More
Prescription for Bad News: Meaningful Work July 19, 2017 | PRA Work | Nicole Vincent-Roller Photo by Jordan Whitfield on Unsplash One of my younger cousins called me recently to talk about her future, but she’s interested in a field I never seriously considered, so at first I couldn’t offer much first-hand information. Then she brought up something that I do experience every day. “I want to have a job where I know… Read More
Sometimes Our Body Has Its Own Way of Speaking To Us July 5, 2017 | PRA Culture, PRA Work | Mayleen Rivera Sometimes I think one’s body has a way of communicating its needs. On a recent morning, I woke up and felt the urge to meditate in my friend’s back yard. The yard has four garden beds with roses, tulips, green peppers, basil, cilantro, jalapeños, and a variety of tomatoes. The walkway is lined with thick… Read More
24 Newly Minted Trauma Trainers Emerge from PRA June 29, 2017 | PRA Work | Ashley Krider Since the inception of the How Being Trauma-Informed Improves Criminal Justice System Responses training in 2011, PRA and the GAINS Center staff have completed over 90 trauma training deliveries and train-the-trainer (TTT) events. Over 2,300 individuals have been trained by PRA/GAINS (and countless others through local deliveries following the TTTs), primarily through onsite training deliveries… Read More
Strategies from the Recovery Toolbox: Mindfulness June 7, 2017 | PRA Culture, PRA Work | Matt Canuteson I often write about being a person in long-term recovery from behavioral issues—issues which brought me to many of the common places people who have struggled with these issues face: jails, hospitals, and treatment programs. Recovery being possible for absolutely everyone, my life turned from one of sadness and pain to one of achievement, joy,… Read More
Military and Veteran Family Blog Week: Memorial Day Focus May 27, 2017 | PRA Culture, PRA Work | Amanda Rózsavölgyi, Angela Wright, Don Harris, Donna Aligata, Michelle Cleary Memorial Day is the day set aside for remembrance of those who have died in our nation’s service. When this long weekend comes each year, I always attend Marlborough’s Memorial Day ceremonies and participate in a race around our town lake, which makes donations to military families. This is also a time when I think… Read More
Military and Veteran Family Blog Week: Organization Focus May 26, 2017 | PRA Work | Donna Aligata As a military family member, a person in recovery, and a person who has had the privilege of working as a nurse in the behavioral health field for 44 years, I am most excited about my work over the past eight 8 years strengthening military and civilian behavioral health organizations through SAMHSA’s Service Members, Veterans,… Read More
Military and Veteran Family Blog Week: Community Focus May 25, 2017 | PRA Work | Michelle Cleary Having the good fortune to travel throughout the country working with states, territories, and the District of Columbia to support the enhancement of the systems that support service members, veterans, and their families (SMVF), I have seen many innovative initiatives in communities. All of these initiatives are being led by dedicated people who are committed… Read More
