The December health topic will be Fostering Resilience during COVID-19. Specifically, we are hoping to discuss ways to bring about spaces of resiliency during these times. The New Pittsburgh Courier will print this Take Charge of Your Health topic in their December 9th newspaper edition.

An excerpt from the Pittsburgh Courier piece:

As 2020 closes, and we are still mired down by the COVID-19 pandemic, it is time to reflect. It has been a difficult year for most of us and our families. People have been forced to find ways to bounce back from hardship, to be resilient. We have provided support and searched for support from each other in order to protect ourselves and our families. Some people’s difficulties have been made worse by the pandemic. Fortunately, Allegheny County is an area with many resources that can help people and families be resilient in these times.

“We’re very lucky in Allegheny County to have a lot of prevention, family-strengthening and community support services,” says Amy Malen, assistant deputy director of the Office of Community Services in Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services (DHS). “But when we look at who’s participating in services, we’re not reaching everyone. People aren’t always aware of what services are available to them, and it can be overwhelming to navigate services.”

The Pittsburgh Study is a resource for families and a community-partnered study to find out what works to help children thrive. The study follows children in Allegheny County from birth through high school in order to find out the best ways to give children the support they need to graduate from high school on time, be healthy, and thrive. This is the largest community-partnered, intervention study to follow children over time. People who are pregnant, parents, babies, toddlers, preschoolers and children in elementary, middle and high school can participate in the study. Children can enroll at different ages.

Presenters

Amy Malen, assistant deputy director of the Office of Community Services in Allegheny County’s Department of Human Services (DHS)

Daniel S. Shaw, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and lead of the Early Childhood Collaborative with The Pittsburgh Study.

The Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Pittsburgh partners with the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and UPMC and puts together the Take Charge of Your Health page in the New Pittsburgh Courier monthly. Our goal with the lunch and learn series is to lift up the community voice alongside the academics presenting their work in the space. We hope to create opportunities to co-create and co-learn around a health topic that is relevant.

Dial-In Information

Pre-register for this free event and the Zoom information will follow: https://bit.ly/3nChYb