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We hope to increase communication with our many diverse partners within Marion County and in the community. Each quarter we highlight selected programs, share information about events & resources, and share ways you can be involved in healthy local activities. Whether you are a business owner, parent, educator, advocate, provider, or just interested in your community, we know you will find something to inspire you.
What's in this Article
March 19th, 2019
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March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month. Marion County is trying to raise awareness on the consequences of problem gambling in our county. This March, we will be releasing factoids on Facebook every Friday, announcing the Middle School Problem Gambling Awareness Month Art Search finalists, and will also be hosting a free awareness lunch and panel discussion on March 19th with Bridgeway Recovery Services. We hope to see you at Broadway Commons for this informative event!
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April 11th & 16th, 2019
Screenagers- Growing up in the Digital Age is coming to Salem!
Parents and teens alike are struggling to find a balance for their families around technology use. With the average kid spending 6.5 hours a day looking at screens, the film uses poignant, and unexpectedly funny stories, along with surprising insights from authors, psychologists, and brain scientists to reveal how tech time impacts kids’ development and offers solutions on how adults can empower kids to best navigate the digital world and find balance.
In partnership with the Salem-Keizer School District and Willamette Education Service District, the Marion County Prevention team is excited to say that there will be several upcoming screenings in both Marion County.
April 11th at Chemeketa Community College
April 16th at the Salem Public Library
Follow us on Facebook for more information about this free event.
Learn more about Cyberbullying: see our final article at the bottom of the Newsletter.
Everyone deserves to live a long and healthy life in a safe environment. To make that possible, we need to address the causes of poor health and disease risk among individuals and within our communities. Where we live, learn, work, worship and play affects each of us and can determine our health and life expectancy. In the workplace, let’s partner across public and private sectors to make sure decisions are made with the public’s health in mind. Within our communities, let’s start new conversations with our neighbors and become advocates for positive change. Working together, we can build healthier communities and eventually, the healthiest nation.
During each day of National Public Health Week, Marion County Health & Human Services will highlight a particular public health topic on Facebook and identify ways each of us can make a difference on that topic. Join us in the conversation April 1st - 7th!
Want to learn more? See below the American Public Health Association's discussion topics, and find out ways to get involved!
Monday — Healthy Communities
Tuesday — Violence Prevention
Wednesday — Rural Health
Thursday — Technology and Public Health
Friday — Climate Change
Saturday and Sunday — Global Health
Add walking to part of your daily routine. No matter how long or short your walk, every step makes an impact on your health. By sitting less and moving more, you can meet the individual activity recommendations of 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. Wednesday, April 3, 2019, is National Walking Day. Celebrate in your community by working together to encourage neighbors to lace up and go for a walk!
Looking for companions to walk with, or places to walk in Marion County?
- Free Walking Groups with Just Walk Salem-Keizer
- Various Hiking, Walking, and Outdoor groups on www.Meetup.com
- Woodburn Walking Groups with the Woodburn Community Health Initiative
- Take advantage of Marion County Parks, and Oregon State Parks!
- Join a Silver Falls Owl Prowl!
- Walk to a Little Free Library!
- Do you know of other free walking resources? Let us know at MCHDPrevention@co.marion.or.us
It is important for us to de-stress and take a deep breath, relax, and laugh. We hope this helps brighten up your day!
Indoor Clean Air Act & Quitting Smoking
National Public Health Week is coming April 1st - 7th. Follow us on Facebook for a behind-the-scenes look at our work.
April 1st of National Public Health Week is “Healthy Communities." Public health systems and practices play a critical role in helping to create healthy communities. One of the smartest and best policies in Oregon that prioritizes a healthy community objective is the Indoor Clean Air Act (ICAA). The ICAA creates smoke free public places and places of employment with the intent of protecting the health of employees and the public. Tobacco remains the main cause of preventable death and disease in the United States, including in Oregon
For more information and resources on Oregon’s ICAA, go to: www.healthoregon.org/morefreshair
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E-Cigarettes information for Parents, Educators, and Health Care Providers
 Click hee for more information!
Mid-Valley Suicide Prevention Coalition
We’re excited to announce that Marion and Polk Counties have merged efforts to become a single regional Mid-Valley Suicide Prevention Coalition (MVSPC)! Recognizing that our residents work, live, play and worship across the boundary of our county lines, this combined effort will better meet the needs of both counties. Prior to merge, the Marion County coalition had 70 members representing 43 agencies, but as of January 1, the MVSPC has 132 members representing 72 agencies or communities.
Priorities for the group include coordinating and expanding training efforts in the region, promoting community awareness of resources, reducing mental health stigma, supporting school-based efforts, addressing suicide across the lifespan, and addressing trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences in our communities.
To learn more about the coalition, or if you would like to get involved, contact Michelle Bangen, MCHHS’s Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention Coordinator.
Aging & Disability Resource Connection of Oregon
If you are an older adult looking for a way to stay healthy, improve your health, or manage a health condition, Aging & Disability Resource Connection of Oregon invites you to find out about the free, evidence-based health and wellness programs they sponsor. Click here to find healthy living opportunities in your area!
How to Make a Difference
Delaney Ruston, MD
Definitions of cyberbullying vary, but usually, it’s defined as some form of intentional, repeated aggression, using electronic forms of contact, such as texting and social media.
I am not a big fan of the words “cyberbullying” and “bullying.” Pre-teens and teens have heard these words so many times they roll their eyes when they come up. Do the test —ask them if they feel they have been saturated with stuff about “bullying” and see how they respond. So, when I talk with them about such topics I often use the terms “online aggression” and “social cruelty.”
No matter what we call it, unkind and stressful human interactions are a part of life, and the sooner we give kids skills to practice working through conflict and cruelty, the better. Research shows that twenty percent of 8-year-olds and forty percent of 10-year-olds have phones (the majority of which are smartphones) and kids with phones, not surprisingly, are significantly more likely to be involved in cyberbullying.
Given a common aversion to the topic that teens can have, means that as adults we need to be more skillful in how we approach our conversations. Consider bringing up a news story of person bad-mouthing another person, and then from there, a good entry is the simple question about why—“Why might a person be acting a certain way?” There are always reasons behind a person’s behaviors and talking about this with our kids is a nice way to help build their insight and empathy. For bullying, maybe a person wants to gain power in a social structure because they feel powerless in another setting, such as at home.
For this week’s Tech Talk Tuesday, let’s talk to our kids about how people can help prevent cyberbullying, as well as effective ways to respond to social cruelty incidents and the subsequent harmful ramifications.
- Who have you seen in news reports vicious to someone else? What are some of the many reasons a person might be compelled to act so hurtfully?
- How does your school talk to you about cyberbullying? Is it successful at all, or not? If not, what would you do if you were running a school?
- What do you think of having a group at school that helps take down social media posts/ texts that are hurting someone?
- What would make you place an anonymous call to a service like Safe2tell?
This article is from the producer of Screenagers-Growing up in the Digital Age. More great resources like this can be found at www.screeagersmovie.com
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