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Looking Beneath Behavior

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Rather, the life-changing results of CFD are realized by directly and indirectly addressing the neurological basis of the client’s condition.

Conditions such as ADHD and anxiety can have a huge impact on the quality of life of not only the person affected, but also of the family members who struggle to help their loved one achieve a measure of calm and emotional self-regulation in their lives. There are numerous factors that impact brain health and our ability to function optimally in our daily lives. The foods we eat, the amount of water we consume, and the quality of our sleep can have a profound impact on mood and overall health.

Our cognitive functioning is also affected by our environment, life experiences and genetics. Trauma has a significant impact on cognitive function, and according to the National Council for Behavioral Health, “Seventy percent of adults in the U.S. have experienced some type of traumatic event at least once in their lives.”

Polara Health’s Cognitive Function Development (CFD) therapists work one on one with clients to increase brain function and help clients improve their overall quality of life by identifying and targeting specific areas of the brain to strengthen. Whether clients need help improving their focus and attention, bolstering their memory systems or developing their executive functioning – which helps regulate decision-making and impulse control – CFD therapy can help clients achieve improved brain functioning.

Talking about client challenges, feelings and traumatic experiences is not the principal focus of cognitive function development therapy. Rather, the life-changing results of CFD are realized by directly and indirectly addressing the neurological basis of the client’s condition.

CFD therapy’s individualized approach to working with clients – by exercising the brain through a wide variety of activities – has shown to have had a profound, positive effect by helping clients address conditions such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD and substance use disorder.

Clients typically report an improved quality of life and a reduction of the symptoms that originally brought them to the CFD therapy program. An appreciative parent of a CFD therapy client writes, “Even though we had already tried many different types of therapy to support our son’s needs…we were intrigued by your cutting-edge approach to deal with the cognitive functioning of the brain. We were hopeful that by developing his cognitive functioning it would improve his ability to self-regulate his emotions, process old and new information, and appropriately interact with others. Now, here we are three months later, and…your program significantly changed our son. He’s now able to self-regulate, articulate his feelings and has had greater success in school, peer relationships and family life. Your program was a critical part of our son’s extraordinary progress.”

Interested in learning more about CFD therapy? Polara Health will be hosting a free informational webinar in August, date TBD. Watch our website for more information at polarahealth.com. This webinar will be geared toward parents of children with ADHD and anxiety; however, it will be enlightening to anyone interested learning more about improving cognitive function. QCBN

By Brian Beyst, MCFDT

Brian Beyst, MCFDT, is the executive director of the Cognitive Function Development Institute and a consultant for Polara Health.

Insurance Tips

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The goal is to transfer risk and protect your hard-earned wealth.

Why do you need insurance? Insurance is how you manage risk. Essentially, you transfer the risk to the insurance company.

When you buy insurance, you buy peace of mind against something bad happening.

Listed below are three types of insurance that will protect you and your family. We’ll also discuss how to save money.

Homeowners/Renters Insurance

This is essential, in that they both will protect you against loss. If there is a fire, you will be protected. If someone breaks into your place and steals your stuff, you will be protected. You will be reducing your risk. If you have a mortgage, the bank will require it. Some apartments are also requiring it as well. Make sure you shop, as rates will vary. It also pays to shop every couple of years. I just did this and saved around $500.

Life Insurance

Only buy term for a stated period of time, like 10 or 20 years. Whole life is not a bargain in that it includes an investment component that has a very poor rate of return. Life insurance is not an investment. It is insurance against the risk of loss of life and you want to make sure your family is provided for. Generally, you should look for 10 to 12 times your salary.

Auto Insurance

Every state requires anyone who owns a car to have insurance. There are different levels of insurance and you will need to purchase at least what your state requires. Anything above that is up to you. You do want to make sure you protect yourself and have the proper liability coverage. I will also tell you to shop around and review it every two years. I did this recently and increased my coverage and dropped my cost by about $500.

Umbrella Policy

An umbrella policy adds additional protection to limit your risk in personal liability. These policies add additional protection over both your auto and homeowners’ policies. These limits can be anywhere from $500,000 to over $1.5 million.

Long-Term Care

Long-term care is coverage you will want to consider as you begin to approach age 60. Generally, you want to get this in place by age 60. This coverage will provide for nursing home care. Many cover in-home care.

Other Potential Coverages

Health insurance

Long term disability

Identity Theft Protection

In conclusion, insurance is a necessary part of wealth building. As you build wealth, you will need to protect against loss. The cost is small compared to the potential that your hard-earned wealth could be wiped out with one loss.

Be aware of policies that you do not need. Do not over-buy insurance. Buy what you need. The goal is to transfer risk and protect your hard-earned wealth.

Remember to shop your coverage periodically. Savings can be had. QCBN

By Steven Calabrese, CPA

Other articles on home buying can be found here: bit.ly/3cNSC7G. Steven Calabrese, CPA, is the CFO of Polara Health. He also is the owner/operator of a website known as thebiweeklyadvisor.com, where such topics as budgeting, investing, paying off debt and goal setting are discussed.

Improving Your Mental Health

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Take some time and do a few small things in your daily routine that will increase your physical and mental health.

Each year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. Let us all join the national movement to raise awareness about mental health. Let’s help to fight stigma, provide support, learn to take time for ourselves, seek professional help when needed and check in on family, friends and neighbors.

This past year presented so many different challenges and obstacles that tested our strength and resiliency. The global pandemic forced us to cope with situations we never even imagined, and a lot of us struggled with our mental health as a result. Throughout the pandemic, many people who had never experienced mental health challenges found themselves struggling for the first time.

It’s important to remember that working on your mental health and finding tools that help takes time. Changes don’t happen overnight. By focusing on small changes, you can move through the stressors of the past year and develop long-term strategies to support yourself on an ongoing basis. A great starting point for anyone who is ready to start prioritizing their mental health is to take a mental health screening. There are several online resources available, including one with West Yavapai Guidance Clinic, wygc.org.

Taking time for yourself is another way to improve your mental health. Much like taking care of your physical health, we need to take care of our mental health. Self-care is proven to reduce stress and anxiety levels while increasing self-compassion. Here are a few tips for taking care of yourself:

Accept yourself as you are. Try your best to accept the person that you are and where you are in life right now.

Focus on the basics. Focus on steps to ensure you are living a healthy lifestyle. For example: showering, eating healthy foods, drinking water, moving your body, decreasing clutter in your life, keeping your living environment clean and orderly, getting good sleep, soaking up some sunshine (safely), taking five minutes to do some deep breathing and reaching out to have a conversation with a friend or family member.

Find what makes you happy. Find things you can do to make you feel accomplished and happy. For example: music, art, a good book, a walk outdoors, gardening, cooking or a little road trip.

Practice mindfulness. Take a few slow, deep breaths, focus on each of your senses and try to be fully present in whatever you are doing.

Make small goals. Be patient, focus on small daily tasks, set small goals that you want to accomplish for yourself.

Set boundaries. Sometimes the only way to increase self-care is to lessen the amount of time or energy that you are giving away to others.

Remember that you are not alone. Everyone struggles from time to time, try not to get down on yourself. Ask your friends or family to help when you need to take some time for your mental health.

Please remember that mental illnesses are real and recovery is possible. It is possible to find balance between life’s ups and downs and continue to cope with challenges brought on by life and the pandemic. Take some time and do a few small things in your daily routine that will increase your physical and mental health. QCBN

By Deanna Eder

Deanna Eder is the director of marketing and development at West Yavapai Guidance Clinic. For more information, visit wygc.org.

Are Target Date Funds Right for You?

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Target Date Funds are sometimes referred to as Life Cycle Funds.

Target Date Funds are all the rage! Do you have your investments in them? They can be used for retirement funds, HSAs and 529s. Is this the smart direction for your investing? Will you maximize your returns?

Let’s take a look at them and then you can decide if this is your best course of action.

What are Target Date Funds?  

Target Date Funds are sometimes referred to as Life Cycle Funds. These funds take an approach based on one’s potential life cycle. For example, if you plan on living to 95 and you are currently 20 years old, the life cycle is 75 years. This is 45 years until theoretical retirement age of 65 and then living another 30 years in retirement. So, if you began your retirement investing at age 20 in 2020, you would pick a target fund of 2095.

Depending on your current age, subtract it from 65 and add 30 years to pick the Target Date Fund. If you are 50 today, that would be 15 years until retirement, plus another 30 years in retirement. You would pick a target date of 2066.

Once you have decided on the target date, you can set it and forget it. This is the concept behind these funds.

Why 85% of Retirement Funds are Using THEM

Target Date Funds are popular primarily because they are the default in many, if not all, retirement plans. What usually happens is employees are signed up for the 401k (or some similar employer sponsored plan) and contributions are made for the employees. If the employee does not select an investment for these funds, they are defaulted to a Target Date Fund based upon their date of birth.

Many folks do not know what to invest in and they just follow the herd and allow their retirement funds to be invested in this manner. Most do not know about investing and many have not spent any time learning about investing. So, they end up in Target Date Funds.

We could actually build a case that these funds were invented for these unsophisticated investors. Are they the right choice? The answer actually depends on what you may be comfortable with doing with your retirement funds.

There are pros and cons. We will discuss those later.

How do Target Date Funds Work?

These funds are managed based on the retirement date picked. Most are defaulted to a particular date based on your date of birth. The overall concept is that the further away from retirement, the more risk one can take on.

In other words, equities (stocks) are perceived to be a higher risk. The portfolio mix will be weighted more to stocks the further away you are from retirement. As you get closer to retirement, the portfolio begins to take on more fixed income.

As you begin your journey saving for retirement, your investments will be a much higher percent in stocks. The thinking is that you have more time to recover from an adverse market correction or crash.

When you begin to approach retirement, you should move to a more defensive portfolio, preserving capital moving to more fixed income such as corporate bonds or U.S. government bonds.

Should You Use Them?

The short answer is: it is up to you. There are definite pros and cons. The best defense is to educate yourself on investing. You do not need to become a trader or an expert, but you need to understand the various markets. The use of an investment advisor may also be an alternative.

Target Date Funds Pros

Create a passively managed portfolio that automatically rebalances based upon your retirement date.

Create a set-it-and-forget-it situation. Once you pick the fund, all contributions will go into that fund and you will not need to do anything else.

Don’t require a lot of knowledge about investing.

Target Date Funds Cons

Can have costly fees, which reduce your overall return.

Can be too conservative, reducing your returns and not keeping pace with inflation.

Are based on a one-size-fits-all methodology.

In conclusion, it is your money and your retirement. The choice is yours. My recommendation is: Do your homework and pick wisely. Target Date Funds are not the only choice, but they seem to be the most popular. Are they the best choice for you? QCBN

By Steven Calabrese, CPA

Other articles on home buying can be found here: bit.ly/3cNSC7G. Steven Calabrese, CPA, is the CFO of West Yavapai Guidance Clinic. He also is the owner/operator of a website known as thebiweeklyadvisor.com, where such topics as budgeting, investing, paying off debt and goal setting are discussed.

Home Buying: How Much Can You Afford?

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Yes, owning a home is exciting, but there are a number of things you need to do to make sure you are successful.

Many people want to live the dream of owning their own home. Paying rent is a waste of money, they say. What you don’t want to happen is to overbuy or overextend and turn that dream into a nightmare. How much can you afford?

Owning a home is special, and you must prepare accordingly. We will discuss the safeguards you need to put into place to eliminate a nightmare scenario.

Often, the concept is, “I am paying rent now so if I pay the same amount for a mortgage then I will be all right.” Well, the answer is maybe, maybe not. That all depends on a number of factors.

Our discussion will keep you out of trouble and put you on solid footing for home ownership.

Preparing for the Largest Purchase in Your Life

Yes, owning a home is exciting, but there are a number of things you need to do to make sure you are successful. What must be top of mind is to make sure you have enough money to buy food and other essential life needs.

How large should the down payment be? The goal should be at least 20%. Putting 20% down will eliminate the cost of PMI (private mortgage insurance). PMI will add a couple hundred dollars to your monthly payment. It is about 1% of the amount borrowed per year. This insurance does not protect you; it protects the bank, but you pay. Stay away from zero down and certainly don’t do anything less than 10%!

There will be other costs that you will need to pay, such as closing costs, inspection fees, perhaps legal fees. All these will need to figure into your costs to purchase. It may be possible to get the sellers to pay some, but that is not likely to happen in a seller’s market.

Get your Financial House in Order

Eliminate all other debt. Pay off those credit cards, student loans, car payments and personal loans. When you pay these off, you will free up money to use for other things.

Be absolutely certain to have an emergency fund. I cannot stress how important this will be. When you rented, the landlord fixed anything that broke. Well, now you are the landlord and you will have to fix anything that may break. Trust me on this, something will break. To learn more, visit “Emergency Fund: Six Reasons Why Having One is Important!” here: https://bit.ly/2R4D7zL.  

Create a fund to fix up your new dream home. That old furniture may not look so good and may need to be replaced. There will be other fix-up things like blinds, shades or curtains for those windows, landscaping and maybe painting. These projects can add up quickly, so have a budget and put the cash aside. If you don’t, you will run up those credit cards and create new debt, taking important dollars away from your much-needed items to live.

The Foundation is in Place; Now What?

All debt has been eliminated, an emergency fund is in place, a fix-up fund is in hand and the all-important down payment is covered. What is your next step?

How much can you afford? What should be your monthly payment? The goal is to not spend more than 25% of your take-home pay on your mortgage payment. In addition, you don’t want to have a mortgage for more than 15 years. With a shorter period to pay down your mortgage, you will actually own your home instead of the bank owning it.

What would it be like to not have a mortgage or rent payment? Now you will truly be able to build wealth. Yes, you will need homeowner’s insurance and to pay property tax but these two expenses will be small compared to your income.

What is Included in the Mortgage Payment?

Included in the mortgage payment are a number of costs. The actual amount you borrow to purchase is part of the payment. This will be the repayment of principal and the payment of interest (P&I). Then you will need homeowners insurance. Property tax and any HOA (Home Owners Association) fees will be included.

When shopping for a new home, you need to take these costs into consideration. The higher they are, the less will be available for the principal and interest and the less house you will be able to afford.

For example, if we assume that your take-home pay is $5,000 per month, 25% would be about $1,250 per month for your mortgage payment. Now, if property tax is $200 per month, homeowners insurance is $100 per month. If there is an HOA (homeowners association) fee, you would reduce that amount as well. For our example, we will only take property tax and insurance into consideration. $1,250 less $200 less $100 will leave $950 for principal and interest.

Interest rates are low right now – around 3% – so let’s use that for our example. Our mortgage payment cannot exceed $950 for principal and interest. This means you can borrow about $137,000. Add in a 20% down payment of $34,250, and you can afford a home valued at $171,250.

To buy a home of higher value, you will need to have a larger down payment or increase your income to be able to afford a larger mortgage payment.

Other Factors

In many markets, the ability to buy a home is very competitive. Get yourself preapproved for a mortgage. Know what you can afford. Stay away from any variable rate mortgage. Rates are only likely to increase from where they are now.

Work with a knowledgeable real estate broker. A good broker will know the market and what it will take to be successful once you have found your dream home. Make this a happy process and enjoy it!

One last thought: your forever house does not exist. We bought ours three houses ago. The average time spent in one home is seven years.

Good luck! And thank you for reading. QCBN

By Steven Calabrese

Other articles on home buying can be found here: https://bit.ly/3cNSC7G . Steven Calabrese, CPA, is the CFO of West Yavapai Guidance Clinic. He also is the owner/operator of a website known as thebiweeklyadvisor.com, where such topics as budgeting, investing, paying off debt and goal setting are discussed.

Beneficiaries: Why are They Important?

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If you don’t do this, the state will decide.

A task often overlooked by many is making certain that a beneficiary is named for important financial assets. If you love your loved one, do it now. Get your affairs in order.

It makes no difference how old you are. This must be done for a number of reasons. The No. 1 reason is to make sure that you have provided for your loved ones. A second reason is that your wishes will be followed.

If you don’t do this, the state will decide. Your loved ones will need to show proof that they have a right to claim the property.

This is a process that many do not want to encounter, but I can guarantee you that you will not be around forever, so make your departure a little easier on your loved ones. Set things up for them.

So, let’s dig in and talk about beneficiaries.

What or Who is a Beneficiary?

A beneficiary is the person named on the financial document who will inherit the property, such as a bank account or a life insurance policy. This will be the person or persons who will receive the proceeds. Sometimes this can be a corporation rather than a person. It can also be a trust.

Naming a beneficiary will automatically ensure that the property is passed along to the person or persons you want it to pass on to.

Primary and Secondary Beneficiaries

In many cases, the primary beneficiary will be your spouse. This is very common. What many folks neglect to provide is what is known a secondary beneficiary. A secondary beneficiary would be the person next in line to receive the proceeds.

For example, I have named my wife as the primary beneficiary, but should I survive her, I have named my kids as the secondary beneficiary.

When your life situation changes through events such as a marriage or divorce, it is important to update your beneficiaries. Keep them current.

Identifying Assets

Start at the beginning. Make a list of all your financial assets, including bank accounts, retirement accounts, life insurance policies, health savings accounts, your will and any trust you may set up.

Once you have this list, then it is time to begin. Trust me, your list will be incomplete. Every time I think I have it all taken care of, some other account that I have forgotten about appears. Stay diligent and get the beneficiaries on them all.

Once you have named beneficiaries, these assets will basically automatically pass on to your loved ones exactly as you have directed.

This may not be the most pleasant task, but I assure you, it is a necessary one. Doing this will make things a bit easier for those you leave behind.

Other Considerations

Create a will. This is important so that your wishes can be carried out. A will directs how you want your final affairs settled. If you don’t have a will, the state will decide.

Having a will is extremely important if you have minor children.  A will directs how the kids will be cared for should you and your spouse perish together. Don’t let the state decide.

How about all those electronic files and passwords? Will your beneficiaries have access to them? How will they access these accounts?

I have created an electronic file of all my accounts and passwords. On a periodic basis, about twice a year, I give copies to my kids because these are constantly changing. They include such things as emails, professional organizations and other sites of that nature, along with accounts that have been set up for automatic payment like cell phones or Netflix.

Provide the Roadmap

It will be difficult enough for those you leave behind when you are gone, so make it a little bit easier for them. Don’t make it a treasure hunt. Lay it all out for them. Tell them where everything is and how to access it. You can also give them specific instructions.

It could also be a good idea to have a formal meeting once a year to review everything with them. Things do change over time and it is always good to keep it fresh.

Final Thoughts

While this may not be the most pleasant of tasks, it could very well be one of the most important. We all work hard for what we have and I, for one, want to make sure those I leave behind will find it all and benefit from it.

I have personally dealt with both a treasure hunt and a well-laid out plan. While neither one was pleasant, the treasure hunt was more painful. QCBN

By Steve Calabrese

Steven Calabrese, CPA, is the CFO of West Yavapai Guidance Clinic. He also is the owner operator of a website known as thebiweeklyadvisor.com, where such topics as budgeting, investing, paying off debt and goal setting are discussed.

The Debt Epidemic: Cure it Forever

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Now it is time to get into the details and get started attacking this debt.

America is drowning in debt. The average debt in America increased by $601 billion in the last quarter compared to the previous year. Mortgage debt rose by $120 billion. Student loan debt increased to $1.51 billion. Auto loans increased $16 billion. Credit card debt increased by $46 billion. A train wreck is in the making!

Not only has the outstanding amount of borrowing been steadily increasing, but the delinquencies have grown as well. Credit card delinquencies stand at 8.36%. Student loan delinquencies are at 11%. Auto loans are 5% delinquent. Credit card debt rose to a record $930 billion in the fourth quarter of 2019. According to Yahoo Finance, the total outstanding debt stands at $14 trillion.

If you have one of these loans (or perhaps all of these loans) that are making the banks rich, you are certainly not alone. There is another way. The alternative is to take the bull by the horns and get this debt paid off. Once you have gotten this debt eliminated, you can then enjoy the finer things in life.

What would being free from debt feel like? How does it feel now? Are you going to work every day to be broke at the end of the week? Is there nothing left over, so you must pull out that nasty credit card and charge expenses? The cycle continues because you only have enough to pay the debt and then when you need something, you charge it. Round and round you go, like a rat on wheel.

Are you dizzy? I am, just from writing that!

Have you had enough? If so, then I can help, and you will find yourself on the path to financial independence.

The Cure: Eliminate Debt Forever

The time has come to make some changes! Turn this into a game and get motivated! Be intense and get on the winning path.

Step One

Get all of your debt pulled together. List who you make payments to, account numbers, amounts owed, minimum balances due, due dates and interest rates. Include all your debt credit cards, auto loan(s), student loans, personal loans, maybe a payday loan. If you owe someone money then it is a debt; get it listed.

Once you have all that information compiled, add them all up. Most folks have no idea how much they owe. Add up all the monthly payments as well; this is important. Take a hard look at it. What could you do with that money if you did not need to give it to the banks or lenders you owe?

Step Two

Now it is time to get into the details and get started attacking this debt. Do you have a budget? My guess is you do not or you would not be reading this. Prepare your budget. I have been doing budgets for most of my life and have never had a perfect one. They are a plan! Remember, plans can and should be adjusted as new information become available. Without a plan, you are just wondering.

When you do your budget, make certain you include all your debt payments. Do you have enough income to make all your payments? If not, then we have more work to do. The goal is to have your income higher than your payments. We will need extra income to begin to pay down the debt.

Is there something you do not need in your budget? How about cable or some membership? Tighten those expenses. Remember, this is short-term until you get you finances under control.

If you have an income issue, you need to make more money. Get a second job, start a side hustle, do whatever it takes to get that debt paid off.

If you need help in building your budget you can find it here: https://thebiweeklyadvisor.com/10-easy-steps-to-creating-a-budget-that-will-put-you-on-the-path-to-financial-independence/.

Step Three

Get the scissors, get the credit cards and CUT THEM UP! Credit card debt is too easy to fall back into. So, time to break clean.

But, what if I have an emergency? How will I pay for it? Cash!

As quick as you can, save $1,000. This will be your short-term emergency fund to get you off of credit cards. Once you have all your debts paid, you will want to come back and create a three- to six- month emergency fund.

You can read about Emergency Funds here: https://thebiweeklyadvisor.com/six-reasons-why-having-an-emergency-fund-is-a-good-idea/.

How do you get the money for an emergency fund? Have a garage sale. Sell anything not nailed down. You want to have this in place within the first month of your journey.

We are now going to construct your plan to become debt-free.

Debt Avalanche

List your debt from the highest interest rate to the lowest. Begin to attack the first one on the list, making extra principal payments to get it paid off as quickly as you can. Continue to make minimum payments on everything else. Then, once the first one is paid off, use whatever you were paying to attack the next debt. Continue doing this until you have paid off all your debt.

Debt Snowball

Similar to the avalanche, with one exception: attack the smallest debt to the largest. Pay off the smallest then use that payment and pay off the next smallest until all have been paid. The last one will be the largest and the most difficult because it will take the longest.

Largest Payment to Smallest

This method I found to be the most interesting concept. Begin with the highest payment, adding extra and getting it paid off. Place no importance on the amount of the debt or the interest rate. With it being the largest payment the theory is once paid off, you now have this large payment plus some extra to attack the next largest payment. Your debts will quickly be paid and you will be on your way to financial success.

The Angry Attack Mode

This is one of the more interesting strategies. Pick the debt you hate the most. Zero in on it, attack it and get it paid off. Rank each debt from the most hated to the least hated. Get them out of your life!

Start with your credit card debt, student loans, car loans and any other loan you may have, then tackle the big one: your mortgage! It can be done.

Anything is possible with the right amount of focus and determination.

Good luck and let me know how your journey is going. QCBN

By Steven Calabrese, CPA

Steven Calabrese, CPA is the CFO of West Yavapai Guidance Clinic. He also is the owner operator of a website known as thebiweeklyadvisor.com, where such topics as budgeting, investing, paying off debt and goal setting is discussed.

How Service Dogs Help People with Disabilities

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Service animals, as defined by Title II and Title III of the American Disabilities Act (ADA), are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. This disability can include a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability. Titles II and III of the ADA make it clear that service animals are allowed in public facilities. A service animal must be allowed to accompany the handler to any place in the building or facility where members of the public, program participants, customers or clients are allowed. Even if the business or public program has a “no pets” policy, it may not deny entry to a person with a service animal. Service animals are not pets. So, although a “no pets” policy is perfectly legal, it does not allow a business to exclude service animals.

West Yavapai Guidance Clinic has two service animals, Annie and DJ Piddles, who work to provide support to our clients.

DJ Piddles is specifically trained to support a person living with autism spectrum disorder or an anxiety disorder working with her handler.

She is trained in the following tasks:

Repetitive Behavior/Stimming Interruption

Assistance with Meltdowns/Overstimulation

Deep Pressure Stimulation

Kinetic Engagement

Tactile Grounding

Crowd control/personal space

Many times, DJ Piddles has been asked to support one of our clients when he or she is having a hard day and often will be called to assist in a crisis assessment to help keep an individual grounded. There is one client who would work toward his goals to earn time to walk DJ once a week and through the course of two years, the client was able to stay out of an inpatient setting after many years of needing higher levels of care.

Annie is a service dog whose job is to task for her handler/owner. However, Annie also adds enrichment to the lives of the children in our services. She recently had a success story that the client would like to share. He wishes to be called Oscar for the sake of this telling. Oscar is a young man who has begun to experience psychosis that has taken a quick, frightening downturn. He was in offices when he began to have a command hallucination directing him to hurt a staff member and to hurt himself. As a result, he was taken to Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC) for assessment to go to a psychiatric hospital where he could get immediate treatment for his needs. At the hospital, Oscar was very frightened to go inside, stating that the voice was telling him that “something very bad” was going to happen to him if he were to enter. The hospital staff members were kind enough to triage him outside and to gain permission for Annie and her handler to go into the hospital room with Oscar and his grandmother.

While waiting for a room, Oscar continued to hallucinate and Annie would not go far from him, sitting with him and letting him pet her head and ears. He was able to calm enough to go into the Emergency Department room and have the social worker assess him. While in the room, Annie jumped up on the bed with Oscar and let him hold her. When this happened, Oscar’s blood pressure dropped 20 points. He was able to stay calm and the voice subsided without medication intervention. Oscar then had a successful transfer to a psychiatric hospital, where his needs were met. He has reintegrated to his home and continues in services with West Yavapai Guidance Center (WYGC).

Service animals can be something other than a dog that can be trained to perform tasks, but they are not pets. They are allowed 100% access with their handler. Under the ADA, there are a limited number of questions that can be asked regarding the animal’s services to protect one’s privacy.

Service animals are different from working animals, therapy animals and emotional support animals. Working animals support law enforcement, detect cancer, are involved in search and rescue efforts, etc. These working animals do not have full access and are not covered under the ADA. Therapy animals are trained animals that go into situations and provide comfort to others. They are not protected under the ADA and do not have full access. Emotional support animals provide their specific owner with comfort but are not trained to provide a specific task or duty for a disability.

WYGC is fortunate to have these service dogs to help, aid and soothe people in their daily lives – and offer companionship to boot. QCBN

By Obsidian DeLeau, MA and Heidi Ackzen, BHT

Obsidian DeLeau, MA, is a child and family therapist. Heidi Ackzen, BHT, is a DDD liaison and case manager. Both work at West Yavapai Guidance Center.

Making ‘Brain Change’ a New Year’s Resolution

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London,United Kingdom – May 3, 2011: London Taxi in a row,at The Mall, London, United Kingdom

The start of a new year often inspires a flurry of resolutions related to things we plan to change or improve. Many people jump on the fitness wagon and sign up for a gym membership to help them shed the holiday pounds. Others resolve to tackle debt or save money. Some people resolve to change jobs or start volunteering to fulfill their desire to help others. Few people consider optimizing brain function, however, because they do not realize the remarkable changeability of the brain and they have not experienced the rewarding fun they can have while doing it! Brain (cognitive) function development is an excellent addition to the list of goals for 2021.

An internet search on brain plasticity (neuroplasticity) returns millions of results these days. Researchers have shown how our brain structures can change in many studies. For example, a prominent one involves a longitudinal study of the changes in the brains of London taxi drivers. These are elite cabbies who navigate the city without GPS or maps but rather rely on their memories to whisk passengers to and from their destinations using the shortest, fastest route while considering the traffic patterns. The studies showed that these cabbies entered the training program with average brain function overall, but the hippocampus (key to memory storage and recall) underwent a noticeable size increase as cabbies completed the training. This and many other studies give us hope and assurance that brain change is possible. The key to change is knowing what to do and following through.

Attention and memory are foundational brain functions that can be strengthened through intentional, targeted activities done right in the comfort of one’s home. Of course, improving brain function involves a commitment much like that of improving physical fitness. Adding short daily sessions most days of the week can add up to noticeable change, provided the fun activities stretch brain functioning and produce a little “mental sweat.”

One good activity easily done at home involves a deck of playing cards and a timer. Sort the cards into either two piles (black/red) or four piles (suits – hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades). Time the activity using a stopwatch or timer. The goal is to record the time and repeat the activity while striving for a faster time. To increase the challenge level, say what the card is aloud before setting it on its pile or add a constant to each card before laying it down (for example: add five. As the two of hearts is laid down, say “seven”). Turn on a compelling show and complete the activity while deliberately blocking out the show to improve the attention system. Sometimes people enjoy working with a partner. In this instance, use two decks of cards and see who can correctly sort the deck into four suits the fastest while reciting the ABCs. Fun but challenging is the key to helping the brain retain and improve its function.

As we look to this new year, why not add changing brain function to the list? QCBN

By Jen Beyst, MCFDT

For more information call West Yavapai Guidance Clinic 928-445-5211 x3157

 

Jen Beyst, MCFDT, is the executive director of the Cognitive Function Development Institute and a consultant for West Yavapai Guidance Clinic.

 

Coping with the Holiday Blues

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Many of us may approach the holiday season with pleasure. It is, however, often a difficult and stressful time, too. The pandemic is making it necessary to miss some treasured holiday traditions. We are cautioned to avoid travel and to only gather with people in our “bubble.” Many families in our country have been affected by conflict relating to differing political opinions and differing ideas of health and safety protocols. We are grieving the loss of loved ones for any reason, but the deaths associated with the pandemic have significantly increased the likelihood that many more people have had recent losses. Older adults may already feel isolated and lonely and the pandemic can increase those feelings, often leading to depression. We are called upon to accept many disappointments now and it is that acceptance that can lead us to a better, albeit different, holiday season.

Here are some thoughts to help us find joy and meaning during the holiday season.

A top priority is our ability to respect differing opinions among our loved ones. We are all more than a single opinion. It is a good time to “agree to disagree” and focus ourselves on what we love and admire about each other. Reaching out to our elders and helping them to connect with you virtually could be the best gift to give them. People who are grieving need to know that you love and support them. Listen to them when they need to talk and accept that there is no time limit or right way to process our grief. Most people, although sad, would like to talk about the person they miss and be reminded of their importance to the family. Perhaps ask everyone to share a favorite story about him/her so that in their absence you can keep them present in your hearts and minds.

Get creative with gifts that help people be resilient in this time. Offer to be an exercise buddy, helping each of you to be accountable to a regular practice. Share favorite family recipes and spend some time interacting on Zoom for the traditional family dinner. Many people have developed new hobbies and interests or are still searching for something to do. The right gift can get them started.

It helps to cultivate an attitude of gratefulness, and research supports the positive difference we can make in our lives with that practice. Helping others goes a long way toward having a meaningful holiday. Consider a gift that your family can give to any number of the organizations, health care and food banks, toy collections and many more you can find in your community. Help children write a note to go along with the gift so they can participate.

Giving to others goes a long way toward reducing our own disappointments.

Finally, sit down with family members and get creative about new ways to celebrate the holiday. Have some safe fun and then share those ideas with friends and family. You are apt to be pleasantly surprised with the outcome and it could end up being one of the most meaningful holidays you have experienced! QCBN

By Connie Boston

Connie Boston is the senior peer program manager at West Yavapai Guidance Clinic.