The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, Inc.

The idea that a game of poker among teens or the gifting of a lottery ticket to a minor is harmless, simply because they are not smoking or drinking, is sending the wrong message that somehow gambling is acceptable for underage persons.

SANFORD, Fla. (PRWEB)
December 10, 2019

Today, the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling (FCCG) joined forces with the National Council on Problem Gambling and the International Center for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University, to urge parents and others to take the time to select meaningful holiday gifts and stocking stuffers for kids, versus buying unsuitable, quick-fix gifts, like lottery scratch off tickets, or other items not intended for children, which have the potential to cause harm.

According to Jennifer Kruse, FCCG’s Executive Director, “The idea that a game of poker among teens or the gifting of a lottery ticket to a minor is harmless, simply because they are not smoking or drinking, is sending the wrong message that somehow gambling is acceptable for underage persons. It is essential to remember that gambling is strictly prohibited for individuals under the age of 18 in the Sunshine State. Of equal importance, attaching a lottery ticket to a child’s gift or including a lottery ticket in a child’s holiday stocking can actually cause harm, with research findings on this very issue directly correlating the receipt of lottery tickets as gifts during childhood with risky, problematic gambling behavior later in life.”

While most people don’t have problems when they gamble, more young people today are developing problems with gambling than ever before, due to the availability, accessibility, and acceptability in our society. Many adults are unaware of the non-traditional ways that gambling is now popping up online, such as through video games – where casino gambling takes place within the game or players purchase upgrades that increase the likelihood of success or extend the game (extra chances or lives) – all of which are forms of gambling. Research findings from one study noted that those with problem gambling behaviors at age 30 were three times more likely to have engaged in a greater variety of gambling activities as youth. Thus, children receiving lottery tickets as holiday gifts have an increased risk for the development of later-life problem gambling, as this represents exposure to another type of gambling activity.

Youth between the ages of 13-17 are among the fastest growing groups of problem gamblers, with prevalence rates in some states twice that of the adult population. According to Kruse, “Data collected on the FCCG’s 888-ADMIT-IT HelpLine supports this assertion, as 36% of problem gamblers seeking help last year said they started gambling before the age of 25, and 10% stated they began gambling prior to reaching the legal age of 18. Further, more than one-third (34%) reported the onset of gambling-related problems began before the age of 30. Whether or not folks are comfortable with the idea, children can and do engage with gambling. The FCCG urges parents, educators, and others not to dismiss problem gambling from the long list of concerns regarding today’s youth.”

Additionally, Florida prevalence research among adolescents’ ages 13-17 reveal that at-risk, problem and compulsive gamblers acknowledge that the first person they gambled with was a family member, often identifying a grandparent, parent, sibling, or other relative. “Parents and other adults must remember that just as gifting a child a bottle of alcohol or a pack of cigarettes is inappropriate, so too is the gifting of lottery tickets to minors. We must create safeguards to help protect our youth and ensure they understand that gambling is a risky behavior, as is the consumption or use of alcohol, drugs, or tobacco,” Kruse concluded.

The Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, Inc. (FCCG) is a not-for-profit corporation under contract with Florida State government, serving as the designated state affiliate of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). In addition to operating the 24-hour Problem Gambling HelpLine (888-ADMIT-IT), the FCCG increases awareness of problem gambling through education and outreach efforts throughout the state of Florida, advocates on behalf of the public regarding issues relating to problem gambling, and provides programs, resources, and other population specific supports to those in need of assistance.

i. Kundu, Priya V eta l. “Gambling-Related Attitudes and Behaviors in Adolescents Having Received Instant (Scratch) Lottery Tickets as Gifts” Journal of Adolescent Health: Official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine vol. 52, 4 (2013): 456-64.

ii. Caribonneau, R., Viataro, F., Brendgen, M., Tremblay, RE., Variety of Gambling Activities from Adolescence to Age 30 and Association with Gambling Problems, December 2015.

iii. Shapira, N., Ferguson, M., Frost-Pineda, K., Gold, M., Gambling and Problem Gambling Among Adolescents in Florida, A Report to the Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling, February 2003.

Share article on social media or email:

BOSTON (PRWEB)
December 10, 2019

A significant number of Swet Studio’s members, who have regularly participated in the studio’s mind body practice, have reported improvements not only with physical health, but in reducing perceived stresses and as well as their overall happiness.

Such anecdotal evidence is supported by evolving discoveries in the medical literature. A recent study was undertaken by the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine and the Home Base Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, in collaboration with the Naval Medical Center San Diego. Participants in the study were primarily active duty members of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corp – people battling significant perceived stress or chronic pain. Results of the study suggested that a mind-body program may improve physical and psychological functioning. This is in in accord with what Swet Studio® has seen with its members.

Swet Studio welcomes newcomers to guide them on their journey. The Swet Studio® Method incorporates a holistic, “Mind Body” approach to health and fitness. Through a variety of small group classes, ranging from aerial yoga, indoor rowing, and floating mediation in a silk hammock, the Swet Studio® Method utilizes the concept mindfulness as a key element of its Practice. Swet Studio® trains the body and calms the mind.

Some of the Studio’s stanchest members are in their sixties and older, and the progress they have made is phenomenal. The first step of the journey, is leaving preconceptions at the door, signing up for a Beginner’s Class and simply getting started. It is time for a change.

Swet Studio®, http://www.swetstudio.com, (617) 670-0631, is located at 480 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116

Share article on social media or email:

Winners of Excellence in Technology Awards are at the forefront of technology innovation

BOSTON (PRWEB)
December 09, 2019

meQuilibrium, a leading Boston tech innovator, has been honored for their work in improving workforce performance with a Brandon Hall Technology Excellence Award in the Best Advances in Emerging Talent Management Technology category. The Excellence Awards recognize the best organizations that have successfully deployed tools and technologies that have achieved measurable results for learning, talent management, talent acquisition, HR and workforce management.

meQuilibrium was honored with a Gold Award for its “Mood Coach” innovation, which provides personalized emotional support and cognitive skill building recommendations that allow employees to recalibrate, re-focus and perform after a stressful situation in the flow of work. Mood Coach is the first AI/machine learning driven bot based on a clinically validated cognitive assessment, integrated with in the moment data. It delivers emotional and behavioral mentoring which is personalized in times of crisis and provides skill building activities designed to reinforce the new thinking and behaviors each employee needs. Mood Coach is a recently launched tool that is part of the meQuilibrium platform.

“This latest accolade for our application of machine learning and proprietary algorithms reinforces our mission to leverage the power of resilience and mitigate the negative impacts of change fatigue, stress and burnout in the workplace,” says Jan Bruce, CEO, meQuilibrium. “Our Mood Coach chatbot uses advanced technology to identify and address critical cognitive, emotional and behavioral skill gaps.”

“Winners of Excellence in Technology Awards are at the forefront of technology innovation. Our program evaluates not just the solution itself, but the benefit to the human capital management function, the business and the customer. That is the ultimate differentiator – whether the technology has a positive business impact. Technology Award winners pass that test with flying colors,” said Rachel Cooke, Chief Operating Officer of Brandon Hall Group and head of the awards program.

“An Excellence Award also validates the vision of the technology development team, the wisdom of the company’s investment in the solution, and the value the technology brings to the end-user,” said Mike Cooke, Chief Executive Officer of Brandon Hall Group.

About Mood Coach

meQuilibrium’s Mood Coach is a breakthrough innovation that uses advanced technology to create a personalized in the moment smart mentor, in the flow of work, that leverages 360 degrees of intelligence about each user, and is integrated with a customer’s HCM system of record and third-party API’s.

About meQuilibrium

meQuilibrium is the engagement, performance, and wellbeing solution that harnesses behavioral psychology, AI, predictive analytics and neuroscience to help innovative businesses build workforce potential. By unlocking the power of resilient people and teams, our customers more successfully navigate even the most turbulent of times. Powered by data-driven insights, our solution uses a clinically-validated assessment and robust benchmarking to measure resilience and create personalized upskilling programs, while providing employers with unique cognitive risk and behavioral health data about their workforce. Learn more at https://www.meQuilibrium.com.

About Brandon Hall Group, Inc.

Brandon Hall Group is the most well-known and established research organization in the performance improvement industry. We conduct research that drives performance and provides strategic insights for executives and practitioners responsible for growth and business results. http://www.brandonhall.com.

###

Media contact:

Beth Brody, BrodyPR

Beth(at)brodypr.com

908-295-0600

Share article on social media or email:

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (PRWEB)
December 04, 2019

While the holidays are a time for joy and sharing, they can also be a time of physical and mental stress, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service specialists.

“There are many behavioral and logistical changes you can make during the holidays to lower stress and benefit your overall wellness,” said Joyce Cavanagh, AgriLife Extension specialist in family economics, College Station.

Prioritize and plan to help reduce stress

Managing holiday stress requires setting priorities as well as avoiding or reducing as many stressors as possible, Cavanagh said.

“Holiday stress can come about from interpersonal relationships, financial pressures, time management issues, lack of sleep and a variety of other stressors,” she said. “Financial pressure and time restrictions are often the top stressors during the holidays, so be sure to adequately plan your holiday shopping and family time.”

Cavanagh said be sure to budget for gifts to be purchased during holiday shopping pay using cash or a debit card whenever possible. Be realistic when creating a budget by using real prices, not ballpark figures. And don’t forget to include extra travel, food and entertaining costs into your holiday budget.

“If you must buy with credit, act as if you have far less than your actual credit limit,” she said. “And remember your credit card interest rate to remind you to be more frugal about using credit.”

Cavanagh said stress also occurs as a result of not adequately keeping track of purchases.

“Make note of what you’ve bought, how much you’ve spent and who you’ve bought for,” she said. “Jot down items and prices on a note pad or electronic device.”

Count your calories — and blessings

Cavanagh said holiday stress can lead to overeating, which is one of the biggest challenges to individual wellness during this time of year.

“Try not to eat during periods of high stress,” she said. “Be aware of what and when you eat, but don’t think you have to starve yourself to make room for holiday meals.”

Remember to focus on your blessings instead of trying to keep up with the Smiths or Joneses, said Angela McCorkle, AgriLife Extension program specialist.

“Basing expectations or experiences on what we see on social media or in the lives of others can cause stress,” McCorkle said. “We can cause ourselves undue pressure to create share-worthy memories rather than enjoying the time with loved ones. Don’t worry about what others are doing and just focus on the positive things you have instead of concerning yourself with what others have or what you might be missing.”

Consider thrifty gifting

McCorkle added there are ways to honor special holidays that cut stress and need little or no spending.

“If gifts are part of the holiday celebration, don’t let the pressure of giving gifts surpass your ability to pay for them,” she said, “Consider exchanging hand-made gifts such as soaps, baked goods or framed family photos.”

Make time for rest, exercise and recreation

Cavanagh said a lot of time-management-related stress can be alleviated by allowing additional time when scheduling visits or entertaining others, and by asking for help with holiday activities.

“Try to avoid multiple visits and pad your time to provide flexibility and accommodate any unforeseen circumstances,” she said. “Prioritize what’s really important to you and your family, then plan your holiday activities accordingly.”

McCorkle stressed the importance of getting adequate sleep and finding a way to incorporate some sort of physical activity into your holiday schedule.

She also noted while some people draw energy from being around people, others may find it stressful or draining.

“Whether you draw or discharge energy from being around others, it’s always wise to schedule in some relaxation time,” she said. “Take a short nap or a walk or do some reading – whatever you’d normally do to get some private time to recharge your mind and body.”

Contact: Joyce Cavanagh, 979-845-3859, jacavanagh@ag.tamu.edu

Share article on social media or email:

MINEOLA, N.Y. (PRWEB)
December 04, 2019

The Huguette Clark Foundation announced today that it has awarded a $32,000 grant to the Family and Children’s Association (FCA) to support its Strong Observant Seniors (SOS) program, an innovative and proven project that is addressing the problem of elder exploitation in Nassau County.

The SOS program is a unique public-private partnership that brings together law enforcement personnel and case management specialists to help elderly victims of exploitation with counseling and restitution, while prosecuting those responsible.

In its pilot phase in 2018, the SOS program showed measurable and meaningful success, educating more than 800 care providers, law enforcement personnel and seniors about elder exploitation and providing direct assistance to more than 80 seniors who were victimized. In addition, the program identified 10 prosecutable cases of elder abuse. The grant from the Huguette Clark Foundation will enable the SOS program to build on this success and strengthen and expand its services.

Ian Clark Devine, president of the Huguette Clark Foundation, said: “From its inception, the Huguette Clark Foundation has supported advocacy, training and education programs to combat elder abuse, as well as efforts aimed at strengthening the civil and criminal justice processes to hold perpetrators responsible. The SOS program combines all these elements and has had a significant impact in its first year. We are pleased to support its innovative approach, which we hope can serve as a model for other communities.”

Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds, President and CEO of FCA, said: “We are grateful for the support of the Huguette Clark Foundation, which has developed a reputation for funding innovative programs to address elder abuse, using relatively small, targeted grants to achieve outsized results. We look forward to working with them as the SOS program continues its growth.”

Lisa Stern, Assistant Vice President for Senior and Adult Services at FCA, said: “From our many years of experience, we have learned that elderly victims have a long journey to recovery. Ending the abuse and pursuing criminal prosecutions is only the beginning. The SOS program was designed to give counseling, support and guidance to seniors who have suffered abuse, and it made a strong impact in its first year. With this new funding, we can continue to work with our partners in law enforcement social services to serve vulnerable seniors in our community.”

The elderly and disabled are significantly at risk for a range of crimes. On Long Island, the self-reported rates for financial abuse were 44.9 per 1000 and 38 per 1000 for non-financial abuse, according to a study on elder abuse prevalence in New York State. Financial exploitation was the type of exploitation most commonly reported by respondents, and nearly half of the abusers were the victims’ adult children.

About the Huguette Clark Foundation

The Huguette Clark Foundation for Protection of Elders was created by members of the Clark family to honor their late aunt, Huguette Clark, who was victimized by her caregivers and advisors for more than two decades. The Foundation (huguetteclarkfoundation.org) supports innovative organizations and programs to fight the financial abuse of elders, addressing needs often overlooked by traditional programs. The Foundation’s strategy is to make targeted early-stage grants to develop programs that later can be scaled or replicated for broad impact. Grants are related to the abuse that Huguette Clark herself suffered, specifically the prevention of undue influence, manipulation and financial exploitation by institutions and professionals.

The Huguette Clark Foundation, a tax-exempt public charity, has awarded grants since 2013 to support innovative education and advocacy programs to combat elder exploitation. Earlier grants provided financial support for programs to train Adult Protective Service workers; help banks implement federal guidelines for sharing customer information with investigatory agencies in cases of suspected elder financial exploitation; and develop model civil statutes to help victims of financial exploitation seek justice, recover assets and rebuild their lives.

About FCA

FCA is a not-for-profit agency helping more than 30,000 Long Islanders each year. For more than 130 years, the organization has worked to protect and strengthen vulnerable children, seniors, families and communities on Long Island.

FCA believes in the potential of Long Island – a place where no child, senior, family or community is left to struggle alone with barriers to health care, education, employment or economic prosperity. Long Island continues to be one of the greatest place in the world to live and raise a family for many; FCA exists to ensure that be the case for all.

Share article on social media or email:

AMERICUS, Ga. (PRWEB)
December 03, 2019

America, Atlanta, Americus and all over are at a crisis point when it comes to taking care of a loved one with dementia. Almost 7 million people in America have dementia and many families cannot afford the $7 to $15,000 a month for care in an assisted living facility, nor can they afford to pay hourly caretakers. Many families (mostly women) must end their careers to take care of aging and affected parents.

The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) has created a free workshop that will teach caregivers how to care for their loved ones and themselves. The workshop will be held in Americus, Ga., on Dec. 4, 2019 and additional workshops will take place throughout the rest of the country in 2020.

To paraphrase Mrs. Carter, all of us will either give it or receive care in our lifetime. Below is more information about the workshop.

WHAT: The four-hour workshop provides caregivers with basic information on dementia; insights into the caregiving journey; how to develop a dementia-friendly environment; dementia behavior management; caregiver self-care; and how to select the best services and resources. Each participant will receive a book that helps them continue their education and implement best-practices following the workshop.

WHEN: Wednesday, Dec. 4 from 1 to 5 p.m.

WHERE: RCI office at 800 Georgia Southwestern State University Drive, Americus, GA 31709

WHY: All family and professional caregivers are welcome to attend this free four-hour workshop. All attendees will receive a free Dealing with Dementia Guide and a better understanding on what dementia is, how to handle stress, finding time for themselves, and techniques on managing problem behaviors.

About the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving

Located in Americus, Ga., the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving is a division of Georgia Southwestern State University. The RCI was established in 1987 in honor of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, a GSW alumna who serves as president of the Institute’s Board of Advisors. RCI establishes local, state, national, and international partnerships committed to building quality, long-term, home and community-based services. It advocates for evidence-based research to address the strain and burdens associated with family, volunteer, and professional caregiving.

For additional information about the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, visit http://www.rosalynncarter.org.

About Georgia Southwestern State University

Georgia Southwestern State University, located in Americus, Ga., is a public, four-year unit of the University System of Georgia with more than 3,000 students. Georgia Southwestern offers outstanding professional programs of study as well as degrees in the arts, humanities, sciences and graduate programs in business, computer science, education, English, and nursing. Founded in 1906, Georgia Southwestern is recognized as one of the best value colleges in the South.

For more information about Georgia Southwestern State University, visit http://www.gsw.edu.

Share article on social media or email: