Latest news with #Townes
Business Journals
09-05-2025
- Health
- Business Journals
Recognizing and addressing youth mental health and substance use recovery
expand For working professionals, the boundary between personal life and work life is often blurred. When a young person in their family struggles with mental health challenges or substance use, it inevitably affects their professional life as well. The stress, emotional burden and uncertainty can lead to decreased productivity, difficulty concentrating and increased absenteeism. While these issues may not be directly work-related, they can't help but spill into the workplace. According to a survey by child advocacy group On Our Sleeves®, 53% of working parents reported missing work at least once per month to address their children's mental health needs, and 54% experienced workday interruptions due to these concerns. So what are some early warning signs of mental health challenges or substance use issues parents or caregivers need to be aware of? What resources are available? And how can employers provide support during these difficult times? Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, children's mental health struggles significantly increased, with a notable rise in anxiety, depression and behavioral issues — primarily due to prolonged social isolation, disrupted routines and increased stress at home, along with limited access to usual support systems like school and friends. While life has somewhat returned to normal in recent years, many of these mental health struggles have persisted. 'For many children and young adults, the pandemic was a source of trauma. Some may have experienced the death of a loved one, others might have dealt with homelessness or a health issue — and nearly all of them experienced a form of isolation that they are still processing,' explains Mona Townes, a licensed clinical social worker and addiction specialist and mobile crisis director at Integrated Family Services. 'So while we may have thought these mental health struggles would have leveled off to pre-pandemic norms, that's not what has happened.' Identifying warning signs Recognizing the early signs of mental health struggles and substance use in teens and young adults can be challenging, as many symptoms can mimic normal adolescent behavior. However, according to Townes, potential warning signs may include: Behavioral changes: Withdrawal from family and friends, loss of interest in activities (without replacing them with a new one) or sudden shifts in mood. Academic or work struggles: Declining performance, frequent absences or loss of motivation. Physical symptoms: Unexplained weight loss or gain, frequent illness or neglected personal hygiene. Secretive behavior: Hiding phone use, lying about whereabouts or unexplained financial problems. Substance-related clues: Smell of alcohol or drugs, possession of paraphernalia or evidence of intoxication. If you notice any of these signs, Townes recommends starting by asking questions. 'I'm a mental health first aid instructor, and we spend a lot of time teaching observation and listening skills. If, as a parent, you are concerned about your child, ask open-ended questions. Don't be argumentative or accusatory; simply provide a safe space to talk,' Townes suggests. 'And while you can and should set appropriate boundaries and expectations, threats aren't helpful in these situations.' A common thing Townes sees in her work is parents who want to address concerning behavior by taking away their child's cell phone or device — and she cautions against it. 'I've dealt with many calls where parents taking a child's cell phone has triggered suicidal thoughts or ideation because, for a lot of youth, that is their lifeline and source of connection,' she explains. 'Instead of removing that connection from them, consider a compromise where the child can use the device for a set amount of time. And encourage them to use their device to access resources or apps that support their mental health.' One of the most important things parents can do to improve outcomes, Townes says, is to create a safe, supportive and non-judgmental home environment — and model appropriate behaviors you want to see your child mirror. Steps include: Open communication: Encourage honest discussions about feelings and experiences without fear of punishment or judgment. Education and awareness: Learn about mental health conditions and substance use to better understand what your loved one is going through. Setting boundaries: While support is crucial, it's also important to set clear and healthy boundaries to encourage responsibility and accountability. Modeling healthy coping strategies: Demonstrate positive stress management techniques, such as exercise, mindfulness and healthy social interactions. Managing workplace stress: Professionals should also seek support for themselves, whether through employee assistance programs, therapy or peer groups, to ensure they are equipped to provide meaningful help without burning out themselves. expand Seeking professional help While family support is an important first step to addressing youth mental health challenges and substance use issues, there may be a time when professional help is needed. Reaching out to your pediatrician or family doctor, or your child's school social worker or counselor, are both good options to access resources and support, Townes explains. Another important thing to consider is normalizing mental health within the family before something becomes an issue. 'I'm a parent myself and I make a point a couple of times a year to have conversations with my children to check in and see how they're doing. I also ask if they feel like they'd like to talk with someone outside our home about things they may be struggling with,' Townes says. 'By having those conversations, my children know getting mental health support is not something to be embarrassed about.' And if your child is struggling and refusing to get help, getting therapy for yourself is extremely beneficial, Townes continues. 'The fact is, we cannot come to work and be at our best when things are going on at home. There is a direct correlation between financial, spousal, family and health stressors and our ability to be productive in the workplace,' she says. 'If you have an HR director at work, make sure to check and see what EAP (employee assistance programs) options are available to you. And I'd encourage all employers to create the type of work environment that prioritizes mental health and support. It's in your business's best interest to have healthy, productive and present employees.' Mental health training for employees at every level A survey of U.S. workers showed that 1 in 5 rate their mental health as fair or poor, resulting in four times more unplanned absences. When employees feel that their employers care about their overall well-being, they are three times more likely to be engaged at work. Create healthier, more engaged employees with the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) at Work program.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Soar over SLO County in aerial photos of coast from more than 40 years ago
Sometimes I don't find the negative I'm looking for but run across something too good to put away before scanning. In February 1984, reporter Brooks Townes took a flight over the coast from Morro Bay to Port San Luis. Townes primarily covered Morro Bay and he took a series of photos of the coast that now 41 years later have historical interest. The Morro Bay photos show a power plant still owned by PG&E and with a large tank farm adjacent to the power plant. Though the plant had the ability to run on fuel oil, natural gas was found to be more efficient and cleaner burning and was the fuel most often used. In another view looking south along the coast there is a big undeveloped section of the coastline. The Cloister's property had been the location of the Morro Beach Inn, built by Atascadero developer E.G. Lewis in 1925-27. The Great Depression brought legal and tax trouble to Lewis but the once-luxury hotel stayed open until World War II. It can be seen in the 1938 San Luis Obispo County Chamber of Commerce film, 'Recreation Unlimited.'. During the war it was regularly captured by the Army, Navy and Marines during invasion training exercises at Morro Bay. The building was later scavenged for materials and finally burned down. The property remained undeveloped until the late 1990s. Another photo shows the harbor mouth of Morro Bay with waves breaking on a sand bar inside the jeties. A year earlier, in February 1983, the 44-foot whale watching boat, San Mateo, was flipped in the harbor mouth, putting 23 school children and their adult caretakers in mortal peril. None were wearing life jackets. Heroic efforts by the Morro Bay Harbor Patrol and others saved lives. Two deaths were attributed to the incident, both adults, including the captain of the San Mateo. The harbor mouth was once called by The Tribune, 'death's doormat.' The harbor has had regularly scheduled dredging now as part of the federal budget since the harbor was designed by the federal government. They efforts reduce the hazard of what can be one of the roughest harbors on the West Coast. Townes also took pictures of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. PG&E had received a license to operate both units that year after 14 years of construction, reconstruction, hearings, lawsuits and protests. Unit 1 would begin operations on May 7, 1985, so the frothing water in Diablo Cove must be from testing as operations ramped up. The administration complex, warehouse and extended training facilities had not yet been built and perhaps power plant historians have other observations to share. Two images show Los Osos with Sea Pines Golf Resort and eucalyptus groves squared off where development has pushed up to the edges. Los Osos Valley Road makes a turn and continues as Pecho Valley Road on the way to Montana de Oro State Park. Monarch Grove Elementary School has not been built yet. The last frame shows Port San Luis and Harford Pier. The pier was built in 1869 and became the terminus of the Pacific Coast Railway. The narrow gauge railroad would connect steam ships at the port to San Luis Obispo in 1876 and later beyond to Los Olivos. Whaler's Island is at the top of the frame, a part of the breakwater. Whaling operations began at the port in 1868 according to a column by Mark Hall-Patton. The island used to be a center for whalers at Port San Luis, as did San Simeon which began whale hunting in 1864. After a visit to Port San Luis, the Jan. 21, 1887 weekly San Luis Obispo Tribune said the smell of rotting whale blubber filled the air with the 'rankest compound of villainous smells that ever offended human nostrils.' Whale oil, before it was replaced by petroleum, was used for illumination and lubrication. Hall-Patton said whale oil was an ingredient in typewriter oils as late as the 1920s.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Yahoo
Sumner County Sheriff's Office uses AI to make suspect's photo appear to speak
SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — In a since-updated social media post, the Sumner County Sheriff's Office used artificial intelligence to make a wanted suspect's photo appear to speak. Nicholas Townes of Westmoreland was wanted for felony evading arrest. Additionally, Townes' criminal record dates back to 2020 and has previously been charged with domestic assault, reckless driving and more. Using AI, the SCSO made a photo of Townes appear to talk and share ways for the public to report Townes to law enforcement. VIDEO: Sumner County student performs CPR, saves man's life The video quickly gained traction on Facebook and was shared more than 100 times. Many comments applauded the SCSO for their creativity while others took issue with the use of AI in that context. In the eyes of defense lawyer David Raybin with Raybin & Weissman, P.C. in Nashville, the post set a poor precedent. 'You're creating a terrible danger there of putting innocent people at risk by putting things up on the internet that are not correct,' Raybin said. '…It may be attention-grabbing, but if the point is to apprehend the individual, you're doing exactly the wrong thing.' Raybin said as of publication, there are no set guidelines for law enforcement agencies when it comes to how they use AI other than 'the rule of common sense.' Raybin said it could be utilized for investigative purposes. 'There are some purposes for AI and that would be for age-enhancement, for example,' Raybin explained. '…But to take someone like this and add their voices to it and animate it is ridiculous.' Raybin said a disclaimer — something that communicates the use of AI in the video — should have been displayed across the SCSO's original post. But could Townes file a lawsuit against the SCSO for their video? Raybin said no. 'He can't sue at all because, what's happened is — if he's a wanted individual and they've made this animation of him — there's no right of privacy in that kind of thing,' said Raybin. ⏩ News 2 spoke over the phone with the SCSO Thursday morning. Chief deputy Tommy Greer said the post was the agency's way of engaging with the public in a different, more interactive way; one that generates more interest, as the post did. Greer pointed out that the SCSO took Townes into custody hours after the post was published. However, the original post has since been changed to a static photo of Townes. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Essential Turbines Adds Steve Townes to Board of Directors
MONTREAL and MESA, Ariz., March 11, 2025 /CNW/ -- Essential Turbines Inc. ("ETI"), a leading provider of maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for aircraft engines, has appointed Steve Townes to its Board of Directors. The Board also includes Mike Guntner Jr., ETI's Founder, plus leaders from Swift Anchor Holdings and Balance Point Capital Partners ("Balance Point"). Steve Townes is the CEO of Ranger Aerospace LLC ("Ranger"), which he founded in 1997. Ranger has a proven track record of success in similar ventures, including Keystone Helicopter. During Townes' tenure as CEO of Keystone, that leadership team tripled the business, built out all of its technical services, and added new certifications for MRO on multiple rotorcraft and engine types. Keystone also enhanced engineering and avionics capabilities, all while achieving transformational improvements in facilities, market share, branding, and shareholder value-creation. "I am enthused about helping with the strategic growth of Essential Turbines," said Townes. "Essential has over three decades of outstanding work, and their customer service ethos is exemplary. ETI now has more robust resources for expansion." Townes has partnered with Balance Point in several prior middle-market growth platforms and grew those companies to considerable scale, such as Ranger International Services Group. Steve has served as a Board member across all of Ranger's multiple growth platforms over the past 27 years. Each of these platforms, taken from start to successful exit, was recognized for its high-performance culture and rapid expansion, a testament to Ranger's unwavering commitment to talent and an aggressive approach to business development. Steve is an engineering graduate of West Point and a 44-year veteran of the aerospace and defense industry. He is also the founding chairman and continuing board member of "SC Aerospace," a statewide public/private partnership in his home state where aerospace has become a burgeoning industry segment. About Essential Turbines Essential Turbines, headquartered in Montreal, with locations in Vancouver and Phoenix, is a leading aerospace maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider with a focus on helicopter and fixed-wing engines. ETI is a specialist in the Rolls Royce M250 and RR300 engines, as well as pure-thrust engines modules, components, and accessories. Visit ETI is actively seeking acquisition opportunities across aerospace MRO. About Swift Anchor Swift Anchor is a long-term oriented investment firm partnering with mission-critical businesses in healthcare, aerospace and defense, and business/industrial services. Swift Anchor seeks market-leading companies and takes an active ownership approach to drive value creation. Visit About Balance Point Balance Point is an alternative investment manager focused on the lower-middle market. With approximately $2.1 billion in assets under management, Balance Point invests debt and equity capital in select lower-middle market companies across a variety of investment vehicles. Balance Point takes a long-term partnership approach to investing. Balance Point is a registered investment advisor. Further information is available at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Essential Turbines Inc. View original content to download multimedia:
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dysentery cases on the rise in the Portland area: 40 new cases reported in January alone
An uptick in dysentery, the diarrhea-inducing disease often associated with frontier times past, is on the rise in the Portland, Oregon metro area, according to new health data. First reported by local outlets KOIN and The Oregonian, the increase in cases of the contagious gastrointestinal condition was reflected in new health data shared by the Multnomah County Health Department, which reported 40 cases in January. Portland is the county seat of Multnomah. Known best for causing stomach cramps, vomiting, bloody diarrhea and fever - and perhaps for killing off countless characters in the beloved video game "Oregon Trail" – dysentery has been consistently on the rise in the Portland region year-over-year since 2012, officials told KOIN. Data released by the health department showed several spikes in cases between 2017 and 2024, though last year's infection number of 158 in Multnomah County blew past years out of the water. That end-of-the-year number likewise represented a 62-case increase between 2024 and 2023 (96 infections.) The Multnomah County Health Department did not immediately respond to request for comment. The dysentery infection currently spreading most prominently among Multnomah County is shigellosis, the most common form of dysentery infection caused by the shigella bacteria. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in the U.S., approximately half a million people per year become infected with shigellosis. In the Portland area, health officials said 56% of cases were among people experiencing homelessness and 55% of cases reported methamphetamine and/or opiate usage. The spread is more prominent amongst drug users and men who have sexual contact with other men, as anal contact is more likely to spread the disease via infected fecal particles. The rising rate of people with unstable housing situations in the metro area – and therefore less access to plumbing and other hygiene needs – has likely been a major contributor to the spread, something the city previously tried to address by maintaining public toilets near areas with a high unhoused population. 'Housing is related to nearly all aspects of health, including infectious diseases,' the Multnomah County Health Department told KOIN in a statement. 'Lacking housing creates a context that can increase the risk of multiple kinds of infectious disease. When you don't have housing, it is harder to prevent infectious disease and harder to access care to treat disease compared to if you are housed." Dr. John Townes, medical director for infection prevention and control at Oregon Health & Science University, told The Oregonian the trend can be curbed by simple, increased access to public toilets and handwash stations year-round. 'If you want to stop an outbreak of shigella, you give people toilets and soap and water,' Townes told the outlet. 'And you train them in how to wash their hands.' The local health department is working to provide temporary housing for those who do test positive, both local outlets reported. Dysentery is a gastrointestinal disease caused by an infection that is most commonly recognized by the trademark symptom of bloody diarrhea. There are two main types, according to the Cleveland Clinic: Amoebic dysentery (amoebiasis), which is caused by a parasite, most commonly one called Entamoeba histolytica. People in the U.S. are more likely to become infected with this form of dysentery if they recently traveled to a country with poorer water sanitation. The second type, Bacillary dysentery, is caused by a bacterial infection and is the most common type of dysentery. Some of the most common bacteria that cause this form of dysentery include shigella, salmonella, campylobacter and E. coli. The most common form is dysentery caused by the shigella bacteria, in which case the infection is called shigellosis. Dysentery of any kind is most commonly spread via the ingestion of food or water that has been handled by an infected person. Because it spreads through trace fecal particles, unwashed hands can often be the culprit for the spread. Some major symptoms, like diarrhea, are consistent across infection types. Some dysentery symptoms, however, depend on if you have a parasitic or bacterial infection, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Most people who have amoebic dysentery don't have any symptoms, and they can take 2-4 weeks after infection to appear. However, mild symptoms may occur and include: Diarrhea High fever Nausea and vomiting Weight loss Upset stomach In rare cases, an abscess may form as a result of the parasite moving Dehydration Symptoms of bacillary dysentery often occur 1-3 days after infection and may include: Diarrhea containing blood or mucus High fever Nausea and vomiting Painful stomach cramps (abdominal pain) Dehydration In severe cases, it may cause extreme inflammation, widening (dilation) of your large intestine and acute kidney disease. While many of these symptoms may sound relatively common, dysentery is not only highly contagious but can and does result in death. In fact, diarrhoeal disease, which includes dysentery and cholera, is the third leading cause of death in children under 5 worldwide and is responsible for killing around 443,832 children every year, according to the World Health Organization. Most people can recover on their own with basic care like drinking plenty of water within 7-14 days. Certain groups of people are more prone to developing severe cases of dysentery, including: Young children People 50 years of age and older People who have dehydration or malnutrition Practicing good hygiene is the best way to prevent contracting or spreading dysentery. Thoroughly washing your hands with soap and running water after using the bathroom and before and after handling or eating food is the surest way to stay safe. Other ways to prevent dysentery, according to the Cleveland Clinic: Don't share personal items with other people, including toothbrushes, drinking glasses and towels. Don't use water unless you're sure it's sanitized or sterile (free of germs). This includes water for drinking, cooking and brushing your teeth. Stay away from people who have dysentery. Wash all fruits and vegetables with clean running water. Peel them before eating them. Thoroughly cook all food. If you're traveling to an area where dysentery is common, it's also a good idea to avoid ice cubes, fountain drinks, water or soft drinks that aren't in a sealed container and unpasteurized dairy and juice products. If you or a loved one do end up contracting dysentery, you can avoid spreading it to others: Avoid other people. Do not have sexual contact with anyone else. Don't prepare food for other people. Don't swim. Regularly clean toilets, sinks and door handles with disinfecting products. Wash your laundry in hot water at temperatures at least 130°F (60°C). If you end up with an amoebicinfection, a medical professional will prescribe your medication to treat it. Otherwise, supportive care is generally used such as IV fluids for dehydration, antibiotics to assist with infection symptoms, anti-nausea medications and if needed, blood transfusions. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dysentery cases are up in the Portland, Oregon area: Here's why
