Cyberbullying: A Whole New World

Author : CareSource

Mar 27th, 2012 | by CareSource

Bullies and mean girls have been on playgrounds and schools forever, but the Internet and cell phones have opened up a whole new world. Kids use technology different than their parents. Many spend a lot of time on social networking sites like Facebook and send hundreds of text messages and instant messages (IMs) to their friends. Their knowledge of technology can be intimidating, but they still need parental supervision.

What Is It?
Cyberbullying is the use of technology – e-mail, text messages and social media sites – to harass, threaten, embarrass or target another person. In a 2006 poll from the national organization Fight Crime: Invest in Kids found that 1 in 3 teens and 1 in 6 preteens have been the victims of cyberbullying. Severe cyberbullying can leave victims at greater risk for anxiety, depression and other stress-related disorders. Some kids have even turned to suicide.
 

Know the Signs 
Kids who are cyberbullied are often reluctant to tell a teacher or parent because they feel ashamed or are afraid their computer and cell phone privileges may be taken away. The signs that a child is being cyberbullied vary, but a few things to look for are:

1. Emotional distress during or after using the Internet
2. Withdrawal from friends and activities
3. Avoidance of school or group gatherings
4. Slipping grades and “acting out” in anger at home
5. Changes in mood, behavior, sleep or appetite
6. Wanting to stop using the computer or cell phone
7. Appearing nervous or jumpy when getting an instant message, text message or e-mail
8. Avoiding discussions about computer or cell phone activities

What You Should Do
Here are some suggestions on what to do if online bullying has become part of your child’s life.

1. Talk to your child. Listen to how they feel about being bullied and talk about ways you can approach the situation.
2. Know your kids’ online world. Check their postings and the websites they visit. Be aware of how they spend their time online. Talk to them about the importance of privacy and why it’s a bad idea to share personal information online, even with friends.
3. Limit access. Keep the computer in a public place in the house and limit the use of cell phones and games.
   Block the bully. Most devices have settings that allow you to electronically block e-mails, instant messages (IMs), or text messages from specific people.
4. Get involved. Talk to your child’s school counselor, principal or teacher about what is going on. However, before you do that, tell your child what your plan is. He or she may think you are “tattling” and prefer the situation be handled at home.
5. Keep record. Threatening messages, pictures and texts can be used as evidence with the bully’s parents, school, employer or even the police.

Cyberbulling should be taken seriously. Talk to your kids about respecting others even through technology.  It’s a lot easier to send a hateful text message than to say it to someone’s face.

Source: KidsHealth.org

A “Pin” is Worth a Thousand Words

Author : CareSource

Mar 16th, 2012 | by CareSource

By Silvia Llacera, Associate Learning Consultant, CareSource University

I joined Pinterest earlier this year because I wanted to find out what everyone was talking about. I was instantly taken by the visual appeal of the site and the endless opportunities for inspiration and idea sharing. Pinterest is a social network – a virtual pinboard that helps you organize the things you find online that interest you. It’s different from other social sites because it is richly visual, while others are text heavy.

Pinterest is a great tool in so many aspects. I am always looking for inspirational quotes, recipes, craft ideas, DIY projects and of course a few fashion tips. My 13 year old daughter has even created her own board in my account and pins her favorite things. She finds it fun and has even put some ideas to work.

My 7 year old son enjoys helping me with recipes we find. He helps me gather the ingredients, and more than once, he got his hands dirty in the kitchen. I have even encouraged my husband to get involved since I’ve found a few DIY home improvement projects for us to work on now that spring is here. I also started purposefully taking pictures of the things I do to share on Pinterest so that I can also contribute my ideas. 

I even use Pinterest for my job. As a Learning Consultant at CareSource University, I always search for things that are worth sharing in the classroom. My job is to train our employees and help them increase their passion for our mission and our company culture. I also help my co-workers apply concepts of what they learn to their professional and personal lives.  I created a board titled “Do What You Love” where I pin anything that I think is relevant for the training room. The most impactful thing I found so far was a flow chart that starts with the question, “Are you happy?” Another image I found is called “The Cup is Always Full”. I am always looking for new ways to bring inspiration and a positive outlook into my classes. 

I was excited to find CareSource on Pinterest. We have several boards of interest – some are inspiring and educational, others are funny. Overall, there are a lot of great tips on health and wellness and things to do with the family. I encourage you to follow our boards and tell us what you would like to see.

Now it’s time for you to build your own collection of resources, share your ideas, follow those in your own community or around the world. You’ll definitely learn about others through what they pin – a picture is worth a thousand words.

How are you using Pinterest?

7 Steps to a Healthier Heart

Author : CareSource

Feb 13th, 2012 | by CareSource

What’s called the “silent killer,” the number one risk for heart disease and one in three adults have it?

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

Surprised?

Even more disturbing – most people don’t even know they have high blood pressure which is why it’s called the “silent killer.” It can lead to stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and even heart failure. 

The American Heart Association has introduced Life’s Simple 7™ – seven steps to a healthier heart.

1. Mange your blood pressure.  Know your numbers – normal blood pressure is less than 120 over 80 (120/80). Keep your blood pressure down by eating a heart-healthy diet which includes reducing salt, enjoying regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress, limiting alcohol and avoiding tobacco smoke.

2. Eat better. A healthy diet and lifestyle are your best methods to fight heart disease. Choose foods like:

• Vegetables and fruits – high in vitamins, minerals and fiber; low in calories
• Whole grains – wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, popcorn or whole wheat pasta. Whole grains help lower your cholesterol and help you feel full, which may help manage your weight.
• Lean meat and fish – salmon, trout and herring have omega-3 fatty acids that may help lower your risk of heart disease.
• Low-fat dairy products – skim milk, low-fat cheese and yogurt are great sources of calcium, protein and Vitamin D which help build stronger bones, lower blood pressure and maintain weight. 

3. Get active. By exercising for as little as 30 minutes a day you can reduce your risk of heart disease. Without regular physical activity, the body slowly loses its strength and ability to function well.

To increase physical activity try:

• Parking farther away from your destination
• Take short walks throughout the workday
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator
• Participate in active-play video games with your friends and family like Wii Fit Plus™

The simplest, positive change you can make to improve your heart health is to start walking.

4. Control cholesterol. Cholesterol comes from two sources: your body and food. Your liver and other cells in your body make about 75% of blood cholesterol. The other 25% comes from the foods you eat. LDL cholesterol is the “bad” cholesterol. When too much of it circulates in the blood, it can clog arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke. To keep your cholesterol under control The American Heart Association recommends that you:

• Schedule a cholesterol screening
• Eat foods low in cholesterol and saturated fat and free of trans fat
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Stay active

5. Lose weight. Obesity is now recognized as a major risk factor for heart disease. If you have too much fat — especially a lot around your waist — you’re at higher risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Eating healthy and being active is the key to managing a healthy weight.

6. Reduce blood sugar. The American Heart Association considers diabetes one of the six major controllable risk factors for heart disease. In fact, adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or a stroke than adults without diabetes. When diabetes is diagnosed, a doctor may prescribe changes in eating habits, weight control, exercise programs and medication to keep it in check. It’s very important for people with diabetes to have regular check-ups. Work closely with your doctor to manage your diabetes.

7. Stop smoking. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, but when it is combined with other factors like being overweight and having diabetes for example, it can double or triple your risk of heart disease. You don’t have to quit alone. Ask your family, friends, and doctor to help you. Quitting is hard, but it can be done.

• Get ready. If you’re ready to quit right now, go ahead. But if you want to plan ahead, set a date to quit. Pick a time when you won’t have a lot of stress in your life. Get rid of ashtrays and lighters before you quit. Don’t let people smoke in your house.
• Change your routine. For example, if you smoke after eating, take a walk instead.
• Use medicine. It can help with cravings and stress, and it doubles your chances of quitting smoking. You can buy nicotine gum, lozenges, or patches without a prescription. Your doctor may also prescribe medicine.
• Get support. Seek help from the national tobacco Quit Line (1-800-784-8669), stop-smoking programs like the American Lung Association’s Freedom from Smoking program or contact your doctor.

Remember, Life’s Simple 7™-  it’s the small steps that make a big difference.

 Resources: American Heart Association, WebMD

The Fight Against Hunger

Author : CareSource

Dec 19th, 2011 | by CareSource

Hunger is a growing issue nationwide. For one in six Americans, hunger is a reality. Those in the most need may be the people we know - our members, our neighbors and our friends.  The average food bank in the Midwest has seen requests for food assistance almost double in the last five years.  

We decided to join the fight against hunger. For the past few weeks, our employees in all four of our offices (Dayton, Columbus, Cleveland and Lansing) have been collecting food for local food banks. We call it our holiday Giving Tree. Our goal was to donate at least 10,000 pounds of food.

One department in the Dayton office took this challenge a step further and collected money to buy peanut butter – the most needed item on the  food bank’s list. They collected $1,500 and purchased 900 pounds of peanut butter!

The final numbers are in… (drum roll, please!)

We are excited to report that we exceeded our goal and donated over two tons of food which will go to 80 food banks in Ohio and Michigan.

Our employees are truly amazing and are always willing to help others. Find your local food bank and join us in the fight against hunger.

Employee Learning Week

Author : CareSource

Dec 5th, 2011 | by CareSource

This year, December 5 – 9, we celebrate Employee Learning Week. Employee Learning Week is an awareness campaign highlighting the important connection between learning and achieving organizational results. Because CareSource proudly places a high value on individual learning and growth, CSU and our employees find success by working together. Last year alone, CSU invested thousands of learning hours into employee development. CareSource University is ranked #10 in Training Magazine’s Top 125. Here are two employee’s experiences.

 

Gone Fishing
By Marc Quick, Senior Business Analyst, Information Technology

Since I have a passion for fishing and learning, it seemed appropriate that I begin with a Chinese Proverb that states “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

In essence, our CareSource University (CSU) department has done a great job of teaching us to “fish” for ourselves as well as the members and providers we serve. To take the analogy a step further, the CSU instructors not only teach us how to “fish” but help us fill our tackle box with skills we can apply either on or off the job, such as managing stress or playing to our strengths. Two of the more satisfying classes I have had at CareSource opened my eyes to the challenges that our members face on a daily basis – Walk in My Shoes: Poverty Simulation – and challenged me to understand and better myself – Emotional Intelligence.

The only way that I would state CSU is unlike fishing is that fishing can be very relaxing whereas all of my CSU classes are always exciting and fun. There is nothing laid back about our instructors. They manage to guide you through each class in a way that makes you want to come back for more. Over the years I have had the privilege of working for several large Fortune 500 companies, but none of them had a training program as relevant and accessible as CareSource’s.

I am grateful for CSU’s “fishing hole” to sharpen my personal and professionals skills.

Is Formal Leadership for Me?
By Heather Boehmer, Grievance and Appeals Specialist

CareSource University (CSU) provides an excellent, supportive framework for the busy professional.  Whether seeking to develop skills in a current position, to gain insight into personal behaviors or communication patterns, or to expand beyond a current skill set toward a new role or promotion, there are a multitude of classes designed to help every employee reach his or her goals.

 Over the past year, I have had the opportunity to engage with CSU in a variety of different ways. Once class, Effective Communication: Dialogue, afforded me critical insight into the mechanics of successful verbal interaction, providing tools to avoid the nonproductive pitfalls of “raw debate” and “polite” discussion. When one learns to actively listen and engage with conversation partners, to acknowledge and adapt to one another’s communication style, greater clarity is achieved and far greater successes are obtained. 

The Delivering Feedback course built further upon the skills I gained through Effective Communication. I learned how to communicate effectively through a variety of styles and to give and receive feedback with greater competence and professionalism.  

Navigating Change provided me with clear, real-life strategies for adapting to and dealing effectively with the one constant in life – change. The skills gained in this class are applicable to any personal or professional situation, and have been incredibly easy to understand and implement. 

The Dream Manager course was, perhaps, the most empowering of the classes I experienced this year. Building upon the principles of Matthew Kelly’s The Dream Manager as well as incorporating ideas from other Kelly books including The Seven Levels of Intimacy: The Art of Loving and the Joy of Being Loved and The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day With Passion, this class allowed me to lay claim to the previously obscure, unspoken desires of my heart. By naming my dreams, I began to create a plan to achieve them. I learned, it is impossible to achieve goals without first identifying them. Through creation of a dream journal, and a series of introspective exercises, I gained a great deal of clarity as to what I am really looking for in my life, what is missing, and that many of my dreams are far more achievable than I had first thought.  

Exploring Leadership was the most eye-opening offering I took advantage of this year. I approached the class with resolve. I knew that I possessed the desire to better myself, the ambition to be the best I could possibly be. However, what I had not realized was that success and management are not necessarily interchangeable. Prior to this experience, I believed the next logical step in my career would be management. I knew that I wanted to be influential, to be a credible source of knowledge and guidance.  What I did not know was that I can be influential without a formal title or managerial distinction.  When I really took the time to analyze my personality, my goals and my desires, I realized formal leadership is not for me at this time in my life. I excel in a support role and, for the time being, I choose to utilize these skills in an informal, yet no less important, position of influence.  This class shifted my career focus and I am pleased with the outcome of my decision. 

I am grateful for the opportunities I have been afforded to learn and grow at CareSource. The skills I have gained have not only helped me to earn a promotion and grow professionally, but have led me to take a far more active role in my own destiny.

Under 45 Minutes

Author : CareSource

Nov 2nd, 2011 | by CareSource

Employee Wellness: Toshika Howard-Patterson, Medical Management
By Erin Prokes, Internal Communications
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For many, the wellness journey begins with an ‘A-Ha!’ moment, but not Toshika. For a ‘military kid’ and the daughter of a model, wellness, health and activity have always played a part in her life in one way or another.  Her latest adventure began in May when she joined The Unit, at Riverscape MetroPark.  Comprised of mostly young professionals who came to the area for college and remained post-graduation, The Unit is an open social group centered around health, fitness, education and new experiences.

“I had to tap out of my first bootcamp class,” admitted Toshika, a former collegiate basketball player. With a little persistence, by the end of the summer she and her 15-year-old son were regulars in the advanced class.

As a former home care nurse, Toshika finds her inspiration in her diabetes education work. “I don’t want to be the patient I used to look after. My father is African American and my mother is Hispanic – both cultures have a predisposition to diabetes.” According to the American Diabetes Association, 3.7 million, or 14.7 percent of all African Americans aged 20 years or older have diabetes.  Per the Minority Health report, 11 percent of Hispanics over 18 years old are living with diabetes. 

It was at a bootcamp session where she learned about the Stilettos to Sneakers 5K for Women at RiverScape and made the choice to try it.
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“I’ve had five knee surgeries, with the last on July 28, 2010; I never thought I would be able to really run again,” said Toshika. “My bucket list has complete a 5K, 10K and half marathon penciled in.”
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With the support of her family along the race route and three other members of The Unit at the starting line, on September 23, 2011 Toshika crossed her first race off her bucket list. In running the “Stilettos to Sneakers 5K run for Women”, Toshika ran for herself, and for Oasis House, an outreach organization for women victimized by the sex industry and human trafficking.
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“I’d walked 5K’s before, but this was the first that I ran and there really was nothing bad about it. I didn’t go into this with any pessimism or nervous energy.
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“I even turned around the next morning and walked the Dayton Heart Walk the next morning.”
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Though her main goal was to simply finish the race, she had her sights set on doing it in less than 45 minutes. To help her accomplish this goal, her husband pre-loaded her iPod with exactly 45 minutes of music and encouraged her to finish before the last track so that she did not have to run in silence. The playlist – filled with songs at 120 beats per minute – did the trick, Toshika finished in 31 minutes and 12 seconds. Her son even finished out the last leg next to her; he thought he was encouraging her, she recalls it a little differently: “It was a distraction.” A photo of that distraction is now proudly framed in the family’s home.