June 2005 Edition

In this issue:

Welcome New Members!

Sharon Hill – ValueOptions, RTP
Patrick Williams – ValueOptions, RTP

LEAP Update

The next scheduled LEAP Board meetings are September 13th and December 13th. Applications for licensure should be postmarked by August 31st and November 30th. Send them to NC Division of MH/DD/SAS, Attention: Jo Yarbrough, MSC 3007, Raleigh, NC 27699-3007. If you have any questions or concerns contact Jo Yarbrough at 919-733-4670 or Roy Sonovick, Chair NC BLEAP, at 336-227-8923.

Technology Committee

A Reminder... if you have moved or changed your e-mail address recently AND have not been receiving listserve messages, please contact Andy Silberman (andrew.silberman@duke.edu) to provide your current e-mail address.

Upcoming Chapter Training Events

Mark your calendars for Thursday August 4, 2005 from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. for our next chapter meeting in Chapel Hill. We will be learning about Dialectic Behavioral Therapy with Alicia Gonzalez presenting.

Following this presentation we will understand the theoretical foundations and components of DBT and will learn skills that are applicable to this brief treatment model for use in an employee assistance setting.

Alicia Gonzalez, MSN, RN, CS is a Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist who works in private practice and with the Duke AHEC Program. In 1995 she completed the DBT Intensive Training with Marsha Linehan, Ph. D. She has led DBT skills groups for in-patient, out-patient, research and private practice settings.

Both the board and chapter meetings will be held at the new Hampton Inn located at I-40 and Hwy. 54 in Chapel Hill. Sleeping rooms are available at this hotel for $78.00 plus tax single or double. We also have an agreement with the Holiday Inn Express, next door, with a room rate of $62.50 plus tax single or double. As always, lunch is included in the registration fee. Please use "EAPA" when making your reservation and reserve early because our contract is based upon room availability.

On October 6, 2005 First Health of the Carolinas in Pinehurst has been gracious enough to host our chapter meeting once again. The title of this training is The Threat Assessment Process and New Workplace Security Laws presented by Johnny Lee.

On December 1, 2005 the Diversity Committee has been fortunate to enlist Carol Coleran to educate attendees about Elder Substance Abuse. This training will be hosted by The Haven, an assisted living facility in Charlotte.

For more information, please visit our Calendar page.

EAP-Related Merchandise Deals!

Have you been thinking of ways to promote the EAP profession or your own services? Why not do what so many do and promote with items to remind people of what you do? We have various items available through the Outreach Committee. Contact Eileen Hodiak before that next marketing presentation or management training for more information and deals at 910-215-3435.

Useful Website

www.livingwithadd.com: Information on ADD and resources.

Pearls of Wisdom

Pearls of wisdom I (Christine Jones) found from the book, The Daily Drucker: 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker with Joseph A. Maciariello, arperBusiness, New York 2004

"Never stop asking yourself, 'What is our business?'"
— from Innovation and Entrepreneurship Driving Change (Corpedia Online Program) p.217

"The most effective way to manage change successfully is to create it.
Action point: Anticipate the future and be a change leader."
— from Management Challenges for the 21st Century: Managing the Next Society p. 69

"The right answer to the wrong problem is very difficult to fix."
— from The Effective Executive: The Elements of Decision Making (Corpedia Online Program) p.310

"No organization can do better than the people it has."
— from Managing the Non-Profit Organization p.117

"Innovative ideas are like frogs' eggs: of a thousand hatched, only one or two survive to maturity.
Action point: Make a list of your three best ideas. Then make a list of the key pieces of information you need to know and the major work that needs to be done before these ideas can blossom into a new business. Now pursue the best idea, or if none is practical, start again."
— from The Frontiers of Management p.72

"The question 'What should I contribute?' gives freedom because it gives responsibility.
Action Point: Maintain a constant focus on the contribution you can and should make to your organization."
— from The Effective Executive: Management Challenges for the 21st Century p.273

In the News

A nonprofit group in Sarasota funds medical research on methylene-dioxymethamphetamine, also known as ecstasy. Researchers believe that ecstasy, which acts on the same brain chemicals as popular antidepressants, will make psychotherapy more productive for victims of violence whose emotional scars have not healed with other types of treatment. The South Carolina project is part of a new wave of research that focuses on the possible medicinal benefits of illegal drugs – ecstasy, psychedelic mushrooms, LSD and marijuana. (From the St. Petersburg Times article by Janet Zink)

A British study has shown that workers distracted by phone calls, emails, and text messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than a person smoking marijuana. The constant interruptions reduce productivity and leave people feeling tired and lethargic, according to a survey carried out by TNS Research and commissioned by Hewlett Packard.

A survey of 1,100 Britons showed:

• Almost two of three people check their electronic messages out of office hours and when on holiday
• Half of all workers respond to an e-mail within 60 minutes of receiving one
• One in five will break off from a business or social engagement to respond to a message.
• Nine out of 10 people thought colleagues who answered messages during face-to-face meetings were rude, while three out of 10 believed it was not only acceptable, but a sign of diligence and efficiency.

In 80 clinical trials, Dr. Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist at King's College London University, monitored the IQ of workers throughout the day. He found the IQ of those who tried to juggle messages and work fell by 10 points – the equivalent to missing a whole night's sleep and more than double the 4-point fall seen after smoking marijuana.

"This is a very real and widespread phenomenon," Wilson said. "We have found that this obsession with looking at messages, if unchecked, will damage a worker's performance by reducing their mental sharpness. Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working." Wilson said the IQ drop was even more significant in the men who took part in the tests.

"The research suggests that we are in danger of being caught up in a 24-hour 'always on' society," said David Smith of Hewlett Packard. "This is more worrying when you consider the potential impairment on performance and concentration for workers, and the consequent impact on businesses."

The Correct Way to Forward Emails

Do you really know how to forward E-mails? 50% of us do; 50% do NOT. Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail? Do you hate it? Every time you forward an e-mail there is information left over from the people that got the message before you, namely their e-mail addresses. As the messages get forwarded along the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for someone to get a virus and his computer can send that virus to every e-mail address that has come across his computer. Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will make five cents. That's right, all of that inconvenience over a nickel! How do you stop it?

Well, there are two easy steps:

1. When you forward an e-mail DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message. That's right, DELETE THEM. Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do. It only takes a second.
2. Whenever you send an e-mail don't use the To: or Cc: columns for adding e-mail address. Always use the BCC: (blind carbon copy) column for listing the e-mail addresses. This way the people that you send to only see their own e-mail address. If you don't see your BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear. Highlight the address and choose BCC and that's it, it's that easy. Then send it to undisclosed recipients.

(From the editor: Keeping in mind that effective communication is approximately 55% body language, 33% tone-of-voice, and less than 10% words, do we really want so much of our communication to be by email? The opportunity for miscommunication is significant.)

Laugh!

A linguist was giving a talk at a conference and made the point that English is one of the few languages without a double-positive (yes, yes) that actually means a negative (no). While pausing to let his statement sink in, someone from the audience sarcastically exclaimed, "Yeah, right."

Co-Occurring Center for Excellence
Problem Drinkers Turning to the Web For Help

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration(SAMHSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has identified as one of its highest priorities the improvement of treatment and services for individuals with co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders.

In 2003, SAMHSA created the Co-Occurring Center for Excellence(COCE) as a vital link between the agency and States, communities, and providers. COCE provides the technical, informational, and training resources needed for the dissemination of knowledge and the adoption of evidence- and consensus-based practices in systems and programs that serve persons with co-occurring disorders.

SAMHSA is pleased to announce the launch of the COCE Web site, which is designed to provide information and resources on co-occurring disorders and support the COCE's technical assistance efforts primarily targeted to States, sub-State entities, and other social and behavioral health entities. This new web site is available at: http://coce.samhsa.gov.

Caregiving and Your Health

Are you so committed to caregiving tasks that you've neglected your own physical, mental, and emotional well-being? The following questions may help you determine if you are putting your health at risk:

Do you visit your physician annually? The best thing you can do for the person with Alzheimer's disease is to stay healthy. Respect what your body is telling you. Take exhaustion, stress, sleeplessness, and changes in your appetite or behavior seriously. Ignoring these symptoms can cause your physical and mental health to decline.

Do you accept assistance from others? You can't do everything. Attempting to handle everything yourself will only lead to burnout, depression, and resentment toward the person you care for. You are not failing as a caregiver by asking others for assistance. When friends and family offer help, accept it. Also look into community resources that offer respite from caregiving responsibilities.

Do you talk to others about your feelings? You may think that no one understands what you are going through. Holding in your feelings, however, will only make you feel isolated and emotionally neglected. Sharing your experiences with others may help you put things into perspective. Take care!

There are six simple steps you can take to ensure that you are a healthy caregiver:

• See your physician regularly.
• Get screened for stress and depression.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Eat well-balanced meals.
• Exercise regularly.
• Accept help from others.

From Beyond Indigo - Monday April 18th, 2005

Reproduced with the permission of the Alzheimer's Association.
Copyright 2004 Alzheimer's Association, www.alz.org, 800.272.3900

May Workshop Photos

Eileen Hodiak closing the deal. Who's next?	Presenter Jeff Christie from the Houston Chapter.	And they just keep coming back!
The Ray and Jay show. Congrats on recruiting the most new members.	Mike, Mike, he's our man! Thank you, Mike Whaley and Fellowship Hall for sponsoring the May Chapter Meeting.

Please see our Businesses & Services page for Supporting Companies found in the OnLiner!

For information about our CONFERENCES available, visit the Conferences & Events page.

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