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Each month, PEI shares a variety of information for professionals, families, parents and children to support strong and thriving families.
For more information about PEI and its programs visit us online.
Bell County
RaKaiyah Lighten, Mize Education Scholarship Recipient
Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas presented 13 scholarships to senior members, thanks to their donors, Mize Education Scholarship and Ashley Furniture Scholarship funds. The staff also provided a 'College Survival Basket' which included small essential items. By providing these supports to continuing education, the program is assisting 13 members with the cost of attending colleges all around Texas.
Congratulations to the scholarship recipients of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas!
Nueces County
Starting in 2023, Carroll High School’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) leadership program created an Instagram account to showcase and promote their various service-learning activities.
The students use Instagram to highlight their impactful work while also fostering a sense of ownership and pride. By allowing students to run the account, they can visually document outcomes of projects that benefit their school and community.
The 2024 Calendars are now available for order. This free family resource is filled with helpful tips for parents and caregivers of children of all ages. It’s available in English and Spanish, and endorsed by The Texas Pediatric Society.
Calendars can be ordered in multiples of 100 with a maximum order of 500.
Governor Abbott Launched the “One Pill Kills” Statewide campaign to combat the growing national fentanyl crisis. We are sharing the attached information to help you spread the word in your local communities about fentanyl and provide you with resources. According to the latest information:
- Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is the leading killer of Americans between the ages of 18-45.
- More than 2,000 lives were lost to fentanyl in Texas last year.
- Texas has experienced a 500% increase in fentanyl-related deaths since 2019 (according to provisional data from the Texas Department of State Health Services).
- Under Operation Lone Star, Texas law enforcement alone has seized over 380 million lethal doses of fentanyl since 2021—enough to kill every man, woman, and child in America.
Share the QR Code above to spread awareness of Narcan locations in your community, and click the link below to access additional resources for the "One Pill Kills" campaign.
Read about the New Tool to Understand Childhood Irritability
Research shows that irritability in children can be a warning sign for future mental health challenges. But how do you know when it’s a normal part of growing up or a sign of something more? Researchers funded by the National Institute of Mental Health created a tool to help tell the difference. It’s called the MAPS Temper Loss Scale (MAPS-TL). It helps families and providers know if a child’s irritability is outside the normal range for their age. Think of it as a way to tell the difference between typical “terrible twos” behavior and something that might need more attention. MAPS-TL works for kids from 12 months all the way up to 17 years.
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Register for the Promoting Family & Provider Mental Well-Being Webinar Series
Calling all PK-2nd grade Teachers and childcare providers!
Earn certificate hours and discover new tools to inspire young minds in the classroom for FREE with PBS KIDS Self-Paced Learning. Visit the robust catalog of learning paths at teach.pbskids.org to begin! Benefits found from other educators:
“This made me think of using media in new ways in the classroom (and with families).”
“Our teaching is meant to be interactive and engaging to students, so I think it helps from an adult perspective and from a teacher perspective to have the professional development that way as well.”
“The microlearning has helped give me new ideas for lessons and ways to incorporate media into those lessons. I find trying new things in my profession exciting.”
The new Self-Paced professional development program from Austin PBS highlights how to incorporate media for classrooms. Crafted to fit your schedule, this is a chance to expand your toolkit and fulfill Texas professional development hours at the same time! Seats are limited for the FREE, fully self-paced, TRS-approved program. When done, upload your certificate to TECPDS! Austin PBS is also a TEA CPE Approved Provider.
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Sign up for the Cannabis Webinar Series
Cannabis remains one of the world’s most widely consumed substances. We designed this webinar series especially for child welfare, dependency court, substance use disorder treatment, and health care professionals working with families. Both sessions feature expert panelists examining the effects of parental cannabis use during the prenatal period, in the home environment, and on adolescent development. Join us as they share practice considerations for family service systems when parental use is a factor.
A NEW four-part tip sheet series that highlights strategies and approaches that professionals can use when working with parents, caregivers, and family members amid parental cannabis use will be disseminated.
Session 1: Cannabis Use During Pregnancy and While Breastfeeding: What Have We Learned?
Presented by: Sean Couch (BS), Hanh Dao (MSW), Torri Metz (MD, MS)
Examine prenatal and postpartum cannabis use as well as its effects on neonatal outcomes. Learn:
• How prevalent is cannabis use during pregnancy and what are the reported reasons for use?
• What does current research say about the risks of cannabis use during pregnancy and breastfeeding?
• What strategies can professionals use when working with pregnant people and family members to mitigate the risks of cannabis use during pregnancy?
Thursday | July 18 | 10–11am (PT) / 1-2pm (ET)
Session 2: Understanding Safety and Risk Concerns for Infants, Children, and Adolescents When Parents Use Cannabis
Presented by: Lindsay Barron (MA), Sean Couch (BS), Hanh Dao (MSW), Vickie Ives (MA), Edward Liao (MD), Michelle Shepard (MD, PhD)
Focus on the effects of parental use on infants, children, and adolescents. Learn:
• How are states and other jurisdictions serving infants, children, and adolescents affected by parental cannabis use?
• What are the environmental safety and risk concerns when parents use cannabis?
• What are some practice approaches and strategies for professionals working with parents, caregivers, and family members using cannabis?
Thursday | July 25 | 10–11:30am (PT) / 1–2:30 pm (ET)
Register for the Texas Suicide Prevention Symposium 2024
LOCATION: Hampton Inn Mesquite 1700 Rodeo Drive, Mesquite, Texas 75149
September 18, 2024: General Sessions (7:45am - 5:30pm)
September 19, 2024: Texas LOSS Team Conference (7:45am-Noon)
Call in 972 -329-3100 and Reference Group Name or Code
GROUP NAME: Texas Suicide Prevention Coll.
GROUP CODE: 913
Attend the NAMI Texas 2024 Conference
Every year, NAMI Texas hosts an Annual Conference and Awards Celebration. These events bring together individuals and families affected by mental illness, service providers, and the broader mental health community. Conference events highlight innovations in the mental health field and provide opportunities for networking and celebration. With exciting keynotes, informative workshops, a lively exhibit hall, Continuing Education Credit, networking opportunities, and surprises, the Conference has something for everyone.
This year, NAMI is celebrating 40 Years of Hope and Healing.
November 7-9, 2024
El Paso, TX
El Paso Convention Center / Doubletree by Hilton Hotel El Paso Downtown
Water is a great way to beat the heat, but summer is also when children are most likely to drown. Unfortunately, per the Department of Family and Protective Services, there has been a spike this year in kid drownings in Texas. Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death for kids under the age of five and toddlers are especially at risk. And, drowning can happen in almost any amount of water, indoors or outdoors.
By taking part in water safety activities and knowing how to spot dangers before they happen, you can help keep everyone safe around water by following the recommended water safety tips and tricks below.
Water Safety Articles
7 Water Safety Tips for Parents
Water is a great source of family fun, from swimming, fishing, canoeing, boating, and skiing to even just floating in a tube. If your family is spending time in or even near water, it's important for everyone to practice water safety. One of the best things you can do to is to learn and follow the recommended seven water safety tips.
Water Safety for Kids
As a parent, it's up to you to keep your eyes on your children when they are in or near water. Water safety for kids starts with paying attention to even the smallest amounts of water. By learning to recognize common drowning dangers in and around your home, you can help keep all kids safe.
Water Safety Toolkit
We encourage you to promote water safety awareness with your networks year-round. Our goal is to reach as many individuals as possible to equip families with knowledge and resources to support water safety practices in Texas.
This toolkit includes daily messages to use in promoting water safety awareness, water safety resources, and sample water safety imagery to share and post.
New Water Safety Videos
Bathtime – How to Keep Your Kids Safe
Bathtime can be fun, but also dangerous. Children should never be left alone, not even for a second.
Keep Your Kids Safe In and Around Water
Kids love playing in water. The pool, lake, river, and ocean can be a fun adventure. But there are dangers to look out for.
As parents we want the best for our kids. GetParentingTips.com is here to support you with tips from infants to teens.
Create a Firecracker Toilet Paper Roll Craft
Celebrate July 4th with this fun craft!
Many countries celebrate the day that they became independent. In the United States that day is the Fourth of July, which is also called Independence Day. Independence Day marks the birth of the United States as a new country.
Materials
- 1 square of red felt
- 1 square of white felt
- 1 square of blue felt
- 1 silver pipe cleaner
- Red, white, and blue star garland
- Toilet paper roll
- Cardboard (You can use the back of a paper tablet.)
- Scissors, tacky glue, pencil, ruler
- Gold star sticker(s) (Optional variation)
- 1 Cotton swab (optional for printable firecracker; see bottom of page)
Instructions
- Cut out the blue strip of felt (about 1 ½ by 5 ½ inches). You might need to adjust the length to wrap all the way around the tube. Glue the strip onto the lower part of the toilet paper roll. The ends should meet at the back of the firecracker.
- Cut out a rectangle of red felt (about 3 by 5 ½ inches). Make sure this will cover the rest of the tube above the blue strip by checking the measurements. Adjust as needed. Glue and wrap the red piece above the blue piece with the ends meeting at the back.
- Cut out five white stripes (about ½ inch by 3 inches). Adjust the size of these if needed, and glue these evenly around the tube on the red felt.
- Cut out a blue felt circle the size of the end of the tube by tracing around the tube. Also cut out a cardboard circle the same size. Glue them together, and carefully poke a hole through the center of the circle, through the cardboard and felt, with the end of a nail. Young children will need help with this. This makes the top of the firecracker.
- Make a little loop with a silver pipe cleaner, and thread the “wick” through the hole (see photo of finished craft). Then glue the top of the firecracker onto the rest of the tube.
- Wrap garland twice around the blue felt strip and twist to attach at the back.
VARIATION NOTE: If preferred, add gold star stickers around the blue strip instead of the garland.
Fun Water Activities for All
Below are fun and safe water activities for you and your children to do throughout this month!
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Water Balloon Toss - A Splashy Challenge: Kids pair up and stand facing each other in the pool or grass, with a certain distance between them. They toss a water balloon back and forth, taking a step back after each successful catch. The goal is to see which team can toss the balloon the farthest without it bursting. Not only is this game a playful way to beat the heat, but it also enhances kids’ hand-eye coordination and teamwork.
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Waterfall Relay - A Drenching Water Bucket Challenge: The waterfall relay is a thrilling and refreshing team race. Line up the kids into teams and have them stand in a line with buckets. The first player fills their bucket with water and then quickly dumps it over their head to soak themselves. They then pass the empty bucket to the next player, who repeats the process. The relay continues until all team members have soaked themselves. The first team to finish the relay wins.
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Treasure Hunt: Organize a treasure hunt where kids have to safely navigate through a “water-filled” space using their safety skills.
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Splash Tag - A Wet and Wild Version of Tag: In this water-filled version of tag, the “it” player carries a water balloon while trying to tag other players. Once tagged, the tagged player becomes the new “it.” Kids will enjoy the extra challenge of trying to dodge the water shots and getting soaked in the process.
The Fatherhood EFFECT
(left to right) Aubrey, Carter, Donald
Being a dad can be an amazing experience but can feel daunting at times. However, having a support system of other fathers to help through the highs and lows of fatherhood can assist in creating stronger bonds with your children and other family members.
Fatherhood EFFECT (Educating Fathers for Empowering Children Tomorrow) is a parenting education program designed to help dads and father figures. After being laid off, Donald didn't expect he'd ever have to ask for help, but with a chance meeting at a food bank, he met Bobby, a program manager for Fatherhood EFFECT. Donald now has the tools to better connect with his young son.
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