For All Seasons - Centreville Spy

For All Seasons Partners with Plein Air Easton to Address Mental Health at This Year’s Festival

July 19, 2023 by For All Seasons, Inc. Leave a Comment

L-R: Beth Anne Dorman, President and CEO of For All Seasons, and Jessica Bellis, CFO and COO of the Avalon Foundation.

It always starts on the hottest day of the year. Plein Air Easton 2023, one of the most prestigious and largest Plein Air festivals in the U.S. today, welcomed fifty-eight artists to enter a grueling 10-day competition filled with challenging landscapes, climate, and stress. This year, the festival will add an additional benefit for artists, visitors, staff, and volunteers at this year’s events. While the Avalon Foundation has always focused on the physical health of its participants in the heat of summer, this year, through a partnership with For All Seasons, the organization will focus on the stress of the competition and the importance of mental health and wellness.

“For 20 years, we have been providing our competing artists with all kinds of information, instruction, and access to medical professionals around heat and hydration and around Lyme disease and ticks. While we’ve been focused on their health, not once have we stopped and thought about their mental health,” comments Jessica Bellis, CFO and COO of the Avalon Foundation.

“Plein Air Easton is the like the Masters in golf. There is a lot of money and fame that is connected to your performance during the 10 days. We remove these artists from all of their support networks and systems and drop them in really harsh conditions. If we’re creating a situation that is going to be high stress, then it should be our responsibility to provide additional supports. And you know, this is how we both eliminate the stigma associated with a mental health crisis.”

For All Seasons, the region’s behavioral health and rape crisis center, and the Avalon have partnered a lot over the last 18 months for several events providing educational programming for the community on a variety of mental health topics, from anxiety and emotional burnout to suicide prevention.

“This partnership with the Avalon Foundation is the way that grassroots community outreach should be working. We aren’t just presenting these programs to the community, we are presenting these programs to the Avalon staff, so they by nature are also getting the mental wellness messages. Having us present programming about how mental health affects us all gave them an opportunity to think about the mental health component in this huge Plein Air ‘Olympics’ so to speak,” comments Beth Anne Dorman, President and CEO of For All Seasons.

“We’ve had a lot of conversations about better self-care practices, how can we reset our organizational culture to think about mental health more. And as we started kind of getting ready for Plein Air Easton, we were talking about different educational content that we have provided,” adds Bellis.

“We started looking back on Plein Air Easton and we have had people drop out of the competition midway from stress. We’ve had artists give up their positions because they are having a high-stress time in their lives. We have lost artists to drug addiction, suicide, and major health issues. We have had people who participated in our competition while undergoing cancer treatments. And we’re not talking about mental health. Shame on us. People don’t talk about it and we’ve got to change that.”

In addition to the mental health messages presented by Beth Anne Dorman, President and CEO of For All Seasons, during the Plein Air Easton orientation for artists, For All Seasons will offer artists, staff, volunteers, and visitors a variety of tools to help with the stress of the festival. Free materials will include a fan and a handout on box breathing, a technique useful to help calm anxiety and nervousness. There will also be short online videos in English and Spanish available on the web page

https://bit.ly/FASMentalHealthMinute, featuring For All Seasons Mental Health Minutes and other relaxation techniques.

For All Seasons will also offer Open Access walk-in crisis appointments both in person in Easton and through telehealth during the festival – a service they have been phasing in for the public over the last nine months. For All Seasons staff will be ready to assist any artist who needs to be seen during the festival.

At its Tilghman Island site, For All Seasons staff is also providing wellness resources and cookies and lemonade for any artist, staff, volunteer, or visitor who wants to stop by. Jane Gordon, one of the For All Seasons’ art therapists, will be at Plein Air Easton’s Kid’s Corner with her coloring book, “Color Me Closer,” designed for people to color in pairs. This coloring book, produced and funded by For All Seasons, is a resource for supporting children who have experienced trauma, or for anyone who wants to improve relationships or just relax and have fun together. After the fact, the Avalon Foundation is going to do a recap podcast with Dorman and another one of the For All Seasons art therapists to continue the dialogue on mental health.

“By providing this support, we are saying, ‘We see you. We are here for you. And the organization that is hosting you, the Avalon Foundation, thinks that your mental health is as important as the beautiful work that you’re creating,’” explains Dorman.

“The other thing that’s important in terms of this partnership is that we have a real opportunity for every single person who visits the Plein Air Festival to share the importance of mental health in a much different way. And the fact that the Avalon Foundation and For All Seasons can work together to create that path is very exciting.”

For All Seasons started reaching out to its community in a whole different way before COVID but offered more outreach during COVID. The organization is continuing to ensure that mental health is intersecting with the region’s business and nonprofit professionals, making sure that people have access to and an understanding of how mental health truly does affect us all.

“We have created a conversation acknowledging it’s okay if you’re struggling, and you don’t always have to have the answers for someone who is struggling. We recognized as an agency eight or nine years ago that being a mental health agency isn’t always about people coming to us and that the only way that we can truly blanket our community with mental health services and mental wellness is to go to our community and serve them,” Dorman adds.

“We’ve created an outreach and event programming that says For All Seasons is your community behavioral health and rape crisis center. This is a perfect example of how partnerships can be formed in a grassroots way because we’re both thinking outside of the box, and both saying how can we make this community healthier and make it a safe space for everyone to talk about mental health and mental wellness. We do it better together.”

“We have a real desire to begin to weave the mental health conversation into everything that the Avalon does. This is a micro example of what I hope to be a much larger partnership with For All Seasons. There are so many occasions when any business needs additional help dealing with mental health crises. With For All Seasons, our shared desire is to incorporate mental health support in all of the Avalon Foundation programming, whether it’s messaging in the Green Room or making sure that we are working on reducing stigma and providing access to everyone who uses our facilities. We serve a lot of children and a lot of community members, and we need more help,” adds Bellis.

For All Seasons provides the highest quality mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotlines, outreach, and community education. For information about For All Seasons walk-in hours, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit ForAllSeasonsInc.org.

Founded in 1994, the Avalon Foundation is a 501 (c)3 charitable organization that began as a community theatre and has grown into the largest arts organization on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. The Foundation’s mission is to Inspire, enrich, and connect diverse audiences through arts, educational, and cultural experiences inside the historic Avalon Theatre and throughout Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Plein Air Easton is the largest and most prestigious juried plein air painting competition in the United States. It is a project of the Avalon Foundation, Inc. and is held in Easton, Maryland each July.

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For All Seasons’ Center for Learning Prepares Easton Elementary School Students for Mental Health Safety

June 13, 2023 by For All Seasons, Inc. Leave a Comment

For All Seasons’ Center for Learning recently sponsored outreach at Easton Elementary School in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month. Staff provided teachers at the school with engaging classroom activities, developed for grades one through five, focused on “Being Kind to Your Mind” – helping students learn how to care for their mental health, as well as how to make smart choices online and reduce online stress.

According to Lauren Weber, Vice President for Philanthropy and Education at For All Seasons, there are several important reasons why the Center is sharing these lessons with local schools. She comments, “The out-of-school summer months can be a fun and relaxing time for many children and their families. For many children, though, summertime means less structure and fewer social interactions in-person with peers, which can lead to a feeling of disconnection. We also know kids tend to spend more time on various screens and devices and want to encourage responsible use of gaming, social media, and the Internet – to help reduce the stress that we know excessive hours online causes kids. Their mental health is often affected in the summer by these factors and more.”

Easton Elementary School students wearing “Be Kind to Your Mind” bracelets.

In addition, For All Seasons is part of the Maryland Regional Navigator Program, providing support to human trafficking survivors and their families, as well as community outreach and awareness. Weber adds, “Our program has us looking more carefully at risk factors for kids when it comes to trafficking. Online predators are skilled at hiding their identities. We know that kids often share personal photos and private information and/or connect with people they do not know, so we want to start at the ground level helping parents and kids make smart choices online and enjoy their time online safely.”

For All Seasons, as well as local law enforcement, are continuing to see local cases of adolescents who are sharing personal information online and meeting up with child predators.

Among the activities shared with Easton Elementary School students, included a lesson and an interactive activity for grades one through three which focused on “Be Kind to Your Mind,” aimed at helping students learn the basics of mental health and identify which trusted adults in their lives they can turn to for help. For All Seasons also provided two activities for online safety – one activity for students in the first through third grades and one activity for students in the fourth through fifth grades. Both lessons were age-appropriate and taught the importance of safely engaging with others online, considering what information is public versus private, and reinforcing the importance of only communicating with others they already know in real life. Each lesson also emphasized the role of turning to trusted adults for guidance and support when young people feel confused or anxious. Lesson materials were provided to both teachers and students. A bi-lingual (English/Spanish) letter was also sent to parents so that they could extend the learning at home.

“The partnership between Easton Elementary School and For All Seasons helps fill a critical need for mental health support for our students and families. For All Seasons’ commitment to understanding the needs of the community is instrumental in creating a safe space for our families. The bracelets are a great physical reminder for students to help use the tools they learn daily at school to help them with their self-regulation. The bracelet’s message ‘Be Kind to Your Mind’ helps normalize the importance for students to take care of their mental health in a fun, age-appropriate way,” states Katie Fox, Community School Program Manager, Easton Elementary School.

Students also participated in For All Seasons “Spread Joy Confetti Challenge” – a fun outdoor challenge to kick off the mental health awareness activities.

“We know that acts of silliness boost our mental health. And the ‘Confetti Challenge’ serves as a visual reminder to have fun and spread joy. After gathering outdoors at the school, our staff provided confetti for the students and teachers. On the count of three, everyone threw their handfuls of confetti up in the air and committed to taking care of their mental health and spreading joy this summer,” Weber explains.

Easton Elementary School students throwing confetti during For All Seasons “Spread Joy Confetti Challenge”

For All Seasons offered the “Confetti Challenge” to teachers and students across the Mid-Shore. In addition, this year, For All Seasons provided wristbands for everyone at Easton Elementary School with the words “Be Kind to Your Mind” that were distributed after the lessons as a reminder for students to take care of their mental health this summer and beyond.

For further information about For All Seasons Center for Learning and its educational programs, contact Lauren Weber, Vice President for Philanthropy and Education at For All Seasons at [email protected] or call 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org.

For All Seasons provides the highest quality mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotlines, outreach, and community education. For further information, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

For All Seasons and Mid Shore Behavioral Health Offer Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Training

June 6, 2023 by For All Seasons, Inc. Leave a Comment

Children who have been hurt and/or neglected within their families in their early years of development can be traumatized by these experiences and find it difficult to feel safe and secure within their families. This is sometimes called developmental trauma. To help local therapists have the tools they need to deal with this trauma, For All Seasons’ Center for Learning, in partnership with Mid Shore Behavioral Health, Inc., recently offered a training program in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP), taught by the founder of the DDP modality, Daniel A. Hughes, Ph.D. on May 17-20, 2023. Twenty participating clinicians from across the Shore participated in four days of experiential training, which will increase the region’s capacity to serve and support youth and families affected by early childhood trauma.

The training was implemented by For All Seasons, Inc. with generous lead funding from the Talbot Family Network, Talbot County’s Local Management Board. Additional supportive funding came from Mid Shore Behavioral Health, the George B. Todd and Reynolds/Cristiano Funds of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, and Worcester County’s Initiative to Preserve Families.

Clinicians who participated in a training program recently held in Easton in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP).

Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP) is a treatment approach to trauma, loss, and/or other dysregulating experiences. DDP is based on principles derived from the theories and research of attachment, attunement, and the knowledge of trauma and interpersonal neurobiology. Dr. Hughes, a clinical psychologist from South Portland, Maine, founded and developed DDP. This psychotherapy treatment occurs in a family setting, with caregivers and youth working side-by-side to form healthy attachments.

According to Beth Anne Dorman, President and CEO of For All Seasons, studies have shown that COVID’s isolation measures negatively impacted healthy attachments, especially for lesser-skilled, under-resourced parents.

“Children who were already at risk for the effects of insecure attachment were negatively impacted during the lockdown because they were unable to sustain the healthy attachments they had with adult figures at school and in the community. This was particularly true for adolescents who experienced social disconnection from peers during COVID, even if they had secure/healthy attachments to parents, because of the critical developmental need for peer attachment during this age range,” she explains.

Three participants in the DDP training program role-playing to help practice skills learned during the training.

“DDP is conversational and involves both the child and the parent. It’s based on attachment principles whereas many other therapies are not. These principles, I think, are basic to human nature. Children who are successful in life have secure attachments to their parents. If a child has been traumatized by parents early in life, they have to learn how to trust parents who are now taking care of them,” Dr. Hughes comments.

“A child may struggle with attachments, not necessarily because they experienced child abuse, for example, but because of stresses in the family. These could be related to family moves, changes in employment, or a divorce. There may also have been intense relationship stresses the child has had to deal with which have undermined their ability to feel safe.”

Participants of the training learned from recorded therapy sessions Dr. Hughes had done in the past with families. He also shared case studies of families who he worked with and described some of the interventions, responses, and dialogues had with families. For nearly 40 years, this model has been used by therapists throughout the United States and Canada, as well as countries in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand to help children and youth reach their full potential and reconnect with others in their lives.

“I developed the model because I didn’t think the therapy models being used at the time were very effective in treating real traumatized kids. I then developed a model based on attachment research and theory because the other models were not based on this,” Dr. Hughes states.

“For All Seasons Center for Learning is delighted to offer this training program to reach youth-serving mental health clinicians across the Eastern Shore, with a focus on Talbot County, who can make an impact on bettering the lives of youth and families in our communities. The youth and families affected by attachment disorders and trauma have had very few options for mental health clinicians trained in treating attachment and trauma disorders. This training program aims to remedy that problem by building a robust network of mental health clinicians who are equipped to provide attachment-focused care,” adds Lauren Weber, Vice President for Philanthropy and Education at For All Seasons.

“While the four-day training took place over four days in May, this cohort of participants will continue to meet monthly over the next six months to continue their DDP learning journey and ensure that each is fully supported in applying what they learned from Dr. Hughes. During this time and after, our partners Mid Shore Behavioral Health will continue coordinating referrals for care to this new broader network of attachment-informed mental health providers.”

For All Seasons provides the highest quality mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotlines, outreach, and community education. For further information, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

For All Seasons Joins Maryland Regional Navigator Program for Human Trafficking

May 26, 2023 by For All Seasons, Inc. Leave a Comment

For All Seasons, is proud to be a part of the Governor’s initiative – the Maryland Regional Navigator Program – serving human trafficking victims under the age of 24 on the Mid-Shore of Maryland. Although For All Seasons has been working with victims of human trafficking for years, this program connects our Regional Navigator with experts across the state to better support human trafficking victims on the Mid-Shore.

Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or threats to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act against a person’s will, often for little or no pay, or for something of value such as food, shelter, clothes, or drugs. It is a crime whereby traffickers exploit and profit at the expense of adults or children. All persons under age 18 who exchange sex for something of value are human-trafficking victims regardless of the presence of force, lies, or threats. A child cannot legally consent to commercial sex.

“Our Open Your Eyes. Get Informed. campaign provides the opportunity to raise awareness and start a conversation with your children, family, and friends about exploitation and Human Trafficking. Trafficking is happening here in our community, and the public needs to be informed about the signs, risk factors, and resources available for victims,” comments Kristy Mirando, Director of Victim Services at For All Seasons.

The Eastern Shore is an attractive place for trafficking because of its geographic location in proximity to transportation routes by land, air, and sea that offer opportunities for human traffickers to go undetected. Major highways like I-95, Routes 40, 50, 301, and 13 all make transporting victims and meeting buyers easy. In addition, three major international, inexpensive bus transportation, train service, and a high rate of seasonal work make Maryland attractive to human traffickers.

Susan Ahlstrom, For All Seasons’ new Human Trafficking Navigator comments, “I hope to help mitigate the upward trend in Human Trafficking by expanding For All Seasons Rape Crisis Center’s outreach and strengthening the medical, legal, social service, and mental health collaboration that has already been established to support survivors. I believe my counseling and education background, along with the strong communication and networking skills that I bring to the position of Human Trafficking Navigator, will help facilitate the most effective trauma-informed response to serve victims and their families in the Mid-shore region and beyond.”

Human trafficking does not discriminate based on age, class, gender, race, education, sexual orientation, or geographical location. It can occur in rural, suburban, and urban communities. Targeted victims may have an unstable home life, a history of sexual or physical abuse, nowhere to live, be runaway youth, a substance user, have a lack of employment opportunities, or simply be a person who needs belonging and acceptance. The most vulnerable individuals may have experienced sexual violence and trauma in the past, homelessness, involvement in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, experienced substance abuse themselves or within their families, or be immigrants, LGBTQ youth, or developmentally or intellectually delayed individuals.

On the Mid-Shore, For All Seasons Rape Crisis Center has seen an uptick in trafficking victims through online sexual exploitation. Greater amounts of time online during the Covid epidemic and beyond have put youth at greater risk of being lured by online predators. These imposters often give the impression they are younger and romantically interested in the minor being targeted to earn their trust to gain illicit photographs or videos of the minor. Youth sometimes end up meeting up in person with perpetrators they befriended online and this often leads to trafficking situations.

Parents and caregivers are highly encouraged to talk to their children about the risks of sharing personal information online and educate them on why they should not communicate with anyone they do not know, even if it appears to be another youth.

Parents must monitor their children’s use of all digital devices including laptops, tablets, desktop computers, gaming consoles, and smartphones. Traffickers tend to target marginalized and vulnerable individuals who may have experienced trauma or abuse, but any child can be at risk of being groomed by a predator.

If you are a parent or a caregiver, know whom your child is talking to online. Talk to them about the risks of predators, remind them not to friend someone they do not know, never send photos and other personal information, and never meet up with people they do not know. Parents and caregivers can learn more about keeping kids safe online at: bit.ly/tips_onlinesafety.

To learn about how to identify possible human trafficking victims, the industries where human trafficking most likely occurs, and how to help, visit WeSupportSurvivors.org. If you want to stay updated on anti-human trafficking community events or presentations, email Susan Ahlstrom at [email protected].

For All Seasons provides the highest quality mental health and victim services to children, adults, and families across Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Services are offered in both English and Spanish and include therapy, psychiatry, victim advocacy, 24-hour crisis hotlines, outreach, and community education. For further information, contact For All Seasons at 410-822-1018 or visit forallseasonsinc.org

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

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