President's Fatherhood Team / Teach-In Invitation / Stress Reduction - 6/20/09

Sat Jun 20 22:18:38 EDT 2009

- ROLAND WARREN ON PRESIDENT'S FATHERHOOD TASK FORCE
- HEALTH CARE TEACH-IN: INVITING ALL CONFERENCE ATTENDEES
- STRESS AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT

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- ROLAND WARREN ON PRESIDENT'S FATHERHOOD TASK FORCE

Diane,

I had the opportunity to be at the White House this afternoon.  I
accompanied U.S. Navy Chief Quartermaster John Lehnen, who last week
received NFI's Military Fatherhood Award.  John was part of a five-member
panel of fathers who participated in a Town Hall discussion about
Responsible Fatherhood with President Obama.  (Learn more about John at
http://www.fatherhood.org/mfa/.)

I also wanted to let you know that I have been selected to serve on
President Obama's Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Families Taskforce.  As
you know, NFI has had strong bi-partisan support through our taskforces in
the Senate and House and worked closely with the Bush Administration on this
issue.  In fact, in our role as the contractor for the federal government's
National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse, we have been able to work
with the President to release this new Public Service Announcement just in
time for Father's Day.  (Watch the President's PSA at
http://www.fatherhood.org/.)  It reflects the fact that Responsible
Fatherhood is a national priority.  It's been a pleasure to be a part of
making this happen.  Pretty powerful stuff indeed!

Roland C. Warren 
President 
National Fatherhood Initiative
Gaithersburg, MD 
www.fatherhood.org 

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HEALTH CARE TEACH-IN: INVITING ALL CONFERENCE ATTENDEES

Dear Diane,
Please send this to the list:

Even if you don't plan to attend the Marriage Education & Health Care Reform
Workshop (#320, Thurs afternoon), please join us for an open forum on
Health Care and the role of Marriage & Couples Education as a
preventive public health intervention, Thursday, July 9, at 5:15 [AFTER the
Prayer Plenary] in Gatlin E1.

The Teach-In will be much broader than its title ³Medical Settings²-- we'll
cover some of the changes looming at the Federal level, new state and
local initiatives, the importance of delivering a prevention-oriented
approach to increasing the number of stable families. Bring your ideas,
questions, success stories.

However, you might want to consider attending the workshop - it will provide
a wonderful prep for the Teach-In.  Diane tells me you don't have to change
your badge, that we'll have room in this session:

> 320 Marriage Education & Health Care Reform
> Jana Staton, PhD, Patty Howell, EdM, Lara Rezzarday, MPA
> Thurs, 2pm - Wekiwa #4
> Marriage Education is the missing link in Health Care reform. Make the case
> to national and local leaders with programs, resources, and research about
> what can work in a health care setting.

The workshop will give you arguments, research support, and identify the new
³open doors² to working with health care systems and community agencies. You
can take home the fabulous "Healthy Marriages, Healthy Lives" brochures from
the California Healthy Marriages Coalition,  the NMSS "Relationship Matters"
program for couples with MS  a model for all chronic diseases affecting
couples & family life, and the hot-off-the-press  Research Brief ³Making the
Connection Between Healthy Marriage & Health Outcomes², which I¹ve just
finished for the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center. We¹re going to
make powerful arguments & data available to everyone who attends ‹ and you
can take home a ready-made PowerPoint presentation to use.

Also, check out this workshop on Saturday afternoon on and innovative
intervention for use in any marriage program. It¹s NEW, and filling up fast!

> #718 Heart Rhythm Practice
> Jana Staton, PhD, Dan McMannis, MEd.
> Saturday 2:30 - Gatlin #E4
> Teach couples a new way to reduce stress, heal old wounds, increase trust,
> optimism and connection by synchronizing heart, body & brain in a positive,
> energetic state. 

This workshop uses methods from the Institute for Applied Meditation to
teach individuals and couples to increase heart rate variability (HRV).  HRV
is considered a key marker of heart health, emotional balance and
resilience. HRV is now the focus of programs for couples in situations of
partner abuse, and is used in training both police and military to withstand
chronic stress. You can learn how to do it and.  

I hope to see you at one of these sessions. If you have
questions/suggestions,
email me ASAP at <jstaton montana.com <http://montana.com/> >

Jana Staton
Senior Consultant
National Healthy Marriage Resource Center (NHMRC)
Marriage Works Learning Center
Missoula, Montana

I strongly urge as many of you that can to accept Jana's invitation to do so
- the Couples Education/Health Care connection is one of our most promising
and compelling paths. And, Jana is right.  If you need to switch between
workshop sessions, you do not need to get your badge changed. Just go to the
sessions you'd like to switch to, and ask the door monitors if they have
space. It's a huge hotel, and 95% chance you'll get in.  For pre or
post-conference Training Institutes, you do, however, need to change your
badge.   - diane 

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- STRESS AND HEALTH MANAGEMENT

When I read Jana's invitation I was reminded of this stress-management
ditty.  Maybe it's because I'm stressing.  Or, maybe because I believe that
all marriage education helps with stress reduction  the skills help us
communicate about whatever is bothering us, and just talking about things -
instead of trying to hold them  reduces the burden.  -  diane

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a
glass of water and asked,

"How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter.

It depends on how long you try to hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the
heavier it becomes."

He continued, 

"And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,
as the burden becomes increasingly heavy,
we won't be able to carry on.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.
So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down.
Don't carry it home.
You can pick it up tomorrow.

Or, if you can, talk about it .....

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