ISSAQUAH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Self-Care For Special Education Parents (Or Any Parent) If There’s No Time To Care For Yourself BY BETSY GRANT ISD PTSA Special Education Network Chairperson special-education@issaquahptsa.org
Parents are just trying to get it all done. Finding the time to focus on your personal well-being can be difficult. For caretakers of children with disabilities or other medical issues, it is especially challenging to step away from their daily responsibilities. Taking an afternoon or a day off is often an impossibility. However, we all still need to find ways to destress and relax, if only for a stolen moment here and there, so we can continue to care for our loved ones. When I was a student at Northwestern University in the early 1990s, there was a wonderful tradition called the Primal Scream. At 9 pm on the Sunday before every finals week, students open their windows or go outside and scream into the night at the top of their lungs. That momentary release of stress and pressure allowed me to clear my head and push
The Equity, Belonging, and Family Partnership department has exciting news to share about a collaboration we have formed with a mental health and substance abuse care coordination service called Care Solace. Why is this exciting news? Well, in our most recent survey to families, the number one basic need families identified wanting help with is accessing mental health care therapists and/or programs. Care Solace will find therapists and programs, navigate insurance (even no insurance), and set up appointments. This service will be offered free of charge to students, families, staff, and staff’s immediate families. Care Solace is a central service that connects students, staff, and their families to care free of charge. Care Solace will quickly and confidentially find available mental health and substance use providers matched to your needs. Care Solace helps school districts provide care coordination for every student, staff member, and family member in need. The Care Solace team is always available — including nights, weekends, and holidays — in 200+ languages. Our school counselors, Swedish counselors, and administrators will have the ability to use the Care Solace online portal (or phone number) to provide a referral to a care coordinator that will handle the entire process of setting your student up to receive mental health or substance abuse services. Families also have access to this online portal (or phone number) to provide a referral to a care coordinator to set up mental health or substance abuse services for their student or any other member of their family, including themselves. We know that sometimes, our families need comprehensive support to address mental health or substance abuse.
16
forward with my responsibilities for the week ahead. I enjoyed the practice of taking a minute or two out of a particularly stressful time. I know parents are not able to scream at the top of their lungs at any given moment, so I’ve compiled a short list of ideas that will each allow for 5 minutes or less of self-care. ǧ ǧ ǧ ǧ ǧ ǧ ǧ ǧ ǧ
Listen to a favorite song Stand up and stretch Put lotion on your hands or your face Eat a little something sweet (a piece of fruit or a small candy) Send a gratitude text to someone Put on lip balm Pet your dog or cat Light a scented candle Walk outside and take three deep breaths
But if you can safely scream for a few seconds, try it. Maybe even stomp your feet a little. I think you’ll like it.
Below is a high-level summary of what Care Solace does: • Navigation help available in any language 24/7/365 by phone, email, text, or video chat in any language • With a network of over 350,000 providers and services, Care Solace will help you find the right help at the right time — at no cost to you. They will connect you with providers accepting all medical insurances, including Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding scale options for those without insurance. • A dedicated Care Coordinator who will support students, families, staff, and staff’s immediate family members through the entire process, calling providers on their behalf to determine fit and availability • Help with private insurance, government insurance, and no insurance • Care Solace services come at no cost to staff, students, or families • Completely confidential support; Care Solace will not share your information without your permission • In-person, online, or teletherapy (Video Chat) options • Appointment coordination for students, staff, and their families Visit our ISD Care Solace site to learn more. For immediate help finding a provider: call or text (888) 515-0595, or visit the site (http://www.caresolace.com/issaquah) to start a “Video Chat” or to begin your own guided provider search.
