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Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'What I learned from 59-year mental health career'
Rod Morris has spent 59 years working in mental health, the bulk of that time helping children and teenagers. As he finally retires, he reflects on the changes he has seen in his career, where things still need to improve and why he went back after his own near-death experience. The summer of 1966 was a busy one for the country. The Beatles released their album Revolver, anti-Vietnam War protests were raging and England were beating West Germany in the World Cup final at Wembley. For 16-year-old Rod Morris it was equally momentous - he was getting a job that would last him almost six decades. He did not have any particular desire to dedicate his life to mental health care, but his mother spotted an advert for a cadet nurse role in the local newspaper. "My parents told me I had to get a job or move out," he recalls. LISTEN: Rod Morris recalls 60 years of service The role was based at St Luke's Hospital in Middlesbrough, the forerunner to the modern-day Roseberry Park Hospital, working with adults with mental health needs. When he entered the profession, it was still the days of institutions and, in effect for many, incarceration. Patients were kept deliberately hidden away, some for decades, a line of poplar trees planted along the front of the building to prevent people peering in. "Every door was locked," Rod says. "There were people who had been there for years because of things like having a child out of wedlock, one woman had been there for 40 years. "They were there for society's reasons, not because they needed to be." But in the 1970s that all changed following major reviews, with the emphasis being shifted on to caring for people in the community. Every other tree outside the hospital was pulled up, a symbol of the new openness that was to be encouraged, and Rod was nearing 10 years in service when he was suddenly called into his manager's office one day. "He said to me 'right young man, you can swim, run, play football and cricket, you can start working with the teenagers," Rod says. He suddenly found himself working with children and teenagers with mental health troubles, ultimately with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team at the Tees, Esk and Wear Valley Trust. He had to adjust quickly. "With the adults what you see is what you get, but with the young people you had to do a lot more work to break through and see what was actually going on," Rod says. "We had all the forms and tick boxes but I found my biggest tool in my kitbag was me, the best way forward could not be found in a textbook. "I understood kids differently. "Many of these children had had bad experiences with authority already, I had to build a rapport with them and get them to trust me, see past the veneer to the person and what was actually driving their behaviour." His favourite tactic was to give his young patients activities to do, keep them busy with exercise as well as offering clinical support. "Some of them complained that I was running an outward-bound course," he says, recalling the daily football matches, camping expeditions and whatever-the-weather walks. "I still believe activity can relate to mental health improvement," he says. Other career highlights included a spell at a school for "troubled" girls in Newcastle and developing a course to help parents understand why their children self-harmed. His longevity was such that he started treating the children of previous youth patients he had worked with years earlier. He still sees some of his patients around, now in their 50s and 60s, and swaps pleasantries with them. "I have a pretty good memory but I can't remember everyone I have seen," he says, estimating he has dealt with "thousands" of young people over five decades. He helped develop a new team, a precursor of the modern crisis team that seeks to engage and divert those on the brink of self harm or worse. The biggest change has been a dramatic increase in awareness, with an "explosion" of people being referred for mental health issues and conditions such as autism and ADHD leading to a backlog of diagnoses, Rod says. "The number of people being referred has increased but staffing levels haven't," he says, adding the biggest need is for investment in more staff. There have always been different factors affecting youth mental health, today Rod's biggest concern is social media, an issued highlighted by the Netflix series Adolescence. "We can't not mention it," he says. "When I was at school we used to get bullied, now its on their phone. "It's relentless." He has been exposed to many traumas but says his enthusiasm to help people has never been hampered. "I'm not a flamboyant character," he replies when asked how he copes with what must incredibly emotional and stressful situations. "I think I have a typical Dutch personality in that I am very stoical and psychologically strong," he says, his mother having come from Amsterdam. That approach helped him with his own medical emergencies. In May 2020 Rod nearly died. He was found collapsed at his New Marske home, an abscess on his prostate leading to sepsis and six months in hospital. Rod returned to work but decided now was the time to retire, with the 75-year-old having seven children and 10 grandchildren to keep him busy. He also has two new lessons learned since his own illness that he abides by. "I have exorcised from my life anyone or anything that is negative," he says. "And I am living for now." Learning lessons is a lifelong endeavour and for him education is key to improving mental health care for children and young people. "Mental health challenges in children will never go away but our responses change," he says. "The knowledge we have has been improving massively but there is always more to learn." A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care praised Rod as a "shining example of a career dedicated to helping others". She said the government was making reforms to "raise the healthiest generation of children in our history" and "give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health". That included recruiting 8,500 mental health workers, providing mental health access in schools and hubs for people aged 11 to 24, she said. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here. Tom Grennan encourages mental health discussions 'Desperately needed' mental health hub opened Mental health conditions are overdiagnosed, Streeting says
BBC News
27-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
New Marske mental health nurse retires after 59 years
Rod Morris has spent 59 years working in mental health, the bulk of that time helping children and teenagers. As he finally retires, he reflects on the changes he has seen in his career, where things still need to improve and why he went back after his own near-death experience. The summer of 1966 was a busy one for the Beatles released their album Revolver, anti-Vietnam War protests were raging and England were beating West Germany in the World Cup final at 16-year-old Rod Morris it was equally momentous - he was getting a job that would last him almost six did not have any particular desire to dedicate his life to mental health care, but his mother spotted an advert for a cadet nurse role in the local newspaper. "My parents told me I had to get a job or move out," he Rod Morris recalls 60 years of serviceThe role was based at St Luke's Hospital in Middlesbrough, the forerunner to the modern-day Roseberry Park Hospital, working with adults with mental health needs. When he entered the profession, it was still the days of institutions and, in effect for many, were kept deliberately hidden away, some for decades, a line of poplar trees planted along the front of the building to prevent people peering in."Every door was locked," Rod says. "There were people who had been there for years because of things like having a child out of wedlock, one woman had been there for 40 years."They were there for society's reasons, not because they needed to be."But in the 1970s that all changed following major reviews, with the emphasis being shifted on to caring for people in the community. Every other tree outside the hospital was pulled up, a symbol of the new openness that was to be encouraged, and Rod was nearing 10 years in service when he was suddenly called into his manager's office one day."He said to me 'right young man, you can swim, run, play football and cricket, you can start working with the teenagers," Rod suddenly found himself working with children and teenagers with mental health troubles, ultimately with the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) team at the Tees, Esk and Wear Valley Trust. He had to adjust quickly."With the adults what you see is what you get, but with the young people you had to do a lot more work to break through and see what was actually going on," Rod says."We had all the forms and tick boxes but I found my biggest tool in my kitbag was me, the best way forward could not be found in a textbook."I understood kids differently."Many of these children had had bad experiences with authority already, I had to build a rapport with them and get them to trust me, see past the veneer to the person and what was actually driving their behaviour."His favourite tactic was to give his young patients activities to do, keep them busy with exercise as well as offering clinical support. "Some of them complained that I was running an outward-bound course," he says, recalling the daily football matches, camping expeditions and whatever-the-weather walks."I still believe activity can relate to mental health improvement," he career highlights included a spell at a school for "troubled" girls in Newcastle and developing a course to help parents understand why their children longevity was such that he started treating the children of previous youth patients he had worked with years still sees some of his patients around, now in their 50s and 60s, and swaps pleasantries with them."I have a pretty good memory but I can't remember everyone I have seen," he says, estimating he has dealt with "thousands" of young people over five helped develop a new team, a precursor of the modern crisis team that seeks to engage and divert those on the brink of self harm or worse. The biggest change has been a dramatic increase in awareness, with an "explosion" of people being referred for mental health issues and conditions such as autism and ADHD leading to a backlog of diagnoses, Rod says."The number of people being referred has increased but staffing levels haven't," he says, adding the biggest need is for investment in more have always been different factors affecting youth mental health, today Rod's biggest concern is social media, an issued highlighted by the Netflix series Adolescence."We can't not mention it," he says. "When I was at school we used to get bullied, now its on their phone. "It's relentless." He has been exposed to many traumas but says his enthusiasm to help people has never been hampered. "I'm not a flamboyant character," he replies when asked how he copes with what must incredibly emotional and stressful situations. "I think I have a typical Dutch personality in that I am very stoical and psychologically strong," he says, his mother having come from approach helped him with his own medical emergencies. In May 2020 Rod nearly died. He was found collapsed at his New Marske home, an abscess on his prostate leading to sepsis and six months in returned to work but decided now was the time to retire, with the 75-year-old having seven children and 10 grandchildren to keep him also has two new lessons learned since his own illness that he abides by."I have exorcised from my life anyone or anything that is negative," he says. "And I am living for now." 'More to learn' Learning lessons is a lifelong endeavour and for him education is key to improving mental health care for children and young people."Mental health challenges in children will never go away but our responses change," he says. "The knowledge we have has been improving massively but there is always more to learn."A spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care praised Rod as a "shining example of a career dedicated to helping others".She said the government was making reforms to "raise the healthiest generation of children in our history" and "give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health".That included recruiting 8,500 mental health workers, providing mental health access in schools and hubs for people aged 11 to 24, she said. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The origins of Earth Day
Earth Day is observed each April 22. Though not an official holiday, the world began celebrating in 1970 as a response to environmental neglect, according to History. What started as a protest became a global celebration of green living and an appreciation of the beauty of our planet. It reminds us to protect the air we breathe, the water we drink and the beauty the Earth offers us daily. Earth Day was founded in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson, with the purpose to inform people about environmental problems that needed to be addressed, according to History. Nelson was inspired by the protests and call to attention to protecting the climate in the 1960s. In 1969 a fire on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland began when pollution floating down the river was ignited by a spark. The fire brought attention to America about the neglect of protecting the planets resources, according to History. There was no EPA, Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act set in place to protect Earth, according to United States Environmental Protection Agency. This meant factories could produce unlimited amounts of pollutants and dump debris and toxic waste without any legal restraints. Nelson wanted to raise awareness of the problem and bring a focus to protect the environment to the public. He decided 'to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda,' reported History. Nelson used the anti-Vietnam War 'teach-ins' that were being held on college campuses as inspiration for his own nationwide 'teach-ins' on the environment. He announced his idea of Earth Day at a conference in Seattle. 'The wire services carried the story from coast to coast. The response was electric. It took off like gangbusters,' he said, according to History. 'Telegrams, letters and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes and air—and they did so with spectacular exuberance.' A young activist, Denis Hayes, was hired to be the national coordinator of Earth Day. He gathered a staff of 85 people to promote the event, according to the Earth Day official website. On April 22, 1970, rallies in cities all throughout America gathered to listen to speeches and raise awareness about protecting the environment. Congress went into recess to allow the ability for members to speak at the nation wide event. The decade following the very first Earth Day were very effective. Environmental legislation was passed including the Water Quality Improvement Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, per History. 'Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level,' said Nelson, reported by History. We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself.' Earth Day has continued to grow. The Earth Day Network stated this year 550,000 trees will be planted by the Canopy Project, 7,500,000 pounds of garbage will be removed by The Great Global Cleanup and 1,000,000 schools will introduce climate education into their curriculum.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
When is Earth Day 2025? Here's the origin and where to celebrate the holiday in Texas
As the world celebrates Earth Day, communities across the globe are coming together to raise awareness about climate change, conservation and the urgent need for sustainable practices. From local clean-up events to global climate action initiatives, Earth Day serves as a reminder of the collective responsibility to protect and preserve our planet for future generations. Earth Day falls on April 22 each year but is not a federally recognized holiday, according to USA TODAY. The roots of Earth Day trace back to a rising wave of environmental awareness in the 1960s — a time when pollution was rampant, rivers caught fire and public health was paying the price. Many credit the spark of the modern environmental movement to Rachel Carson's groundbreaking 1962 book "Silent Spring", which exposed the devastating effects of DDT — a synthetic insecticide — on wildlife, ecosystems and human health. By the end of the decade, calls for action were growing louder. In 1969, students at the University of Michigan's Environmental Action for Survival Committee began selling buttons that read 'Give Earth a Chance,' borrowing language from the anti-Vietnam War protests that dominated the era, according to the Library of Congress. That same year, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson envisioned a national day of environmental activism that could harness the same passion and energy that fueled the antiwar movement. He urged students to channel their advocacy toward protecting the planet, and the idea of Earth Day was born. The very first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. About 20 million Americans joined rallies, cleanups and teach-ins across the country. Just a few months later, in July 1970, the U.S. government responded by establishing the Environmental Protection Agency. Texas is home to several major Earth Day celebrations, including large-scale events in Austin and Dallas that aim to inspire climate action, community engagement and sustainable innovation. This year's theme, "OUR POWER, OUR PLANET" invites individuals around the globe to support renewable energy initiatives and the goal to triple the global generation of clean electricity by 2030. Earthx2025 is a five-day conference that brings together global leaders from business, politics and environmental sectors. Designed to foster collaboration and forward-thinking solutions, the event will include keynote sessions, panel discussions and extensive networking opportunities aimed at building coalitions for the planet's future. When: April 21–25, 2025 Where: Hilton Anatole, Dallas, TX Time: Times vary by day and session The Texoma Earth Day Festival offers a community-wide, family-friendly event where attendees can learn practical ways to reduce their environmental footprint. Open to the public and free to attend, the festival combines education, entertainment and local engagement to promote sustainable living. When: Saturday, April 26, 2025 Where: Sherman, TX Time: 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Find the schedule and locations here. Planting trees, which also aligns with the upcoming Arbor Day on April 26 Growing native plants Spending time outdoors Visiting state parks and national parks (it's National Park Week!) This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: When is Earth Day 2025? Where to celebrate Earth Day in Texas
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
When is Earth Day 2025? Is the holiday observed in Texas? Why we celebrate the planet
At sunrise on a cool April morning, volunteers kneel in the dirt — hands muddy, spirits high — planting the seeds of a greener future, one sapling at a time. But for many, Earth Day is about more than just recycling and planting trees. As climate concerns continue to grow worldwide, communities across Texas are using the day as a rallying point to advocate for environmental policies and sustainable practices that protect the planet for future generations. So, what's the story behind Earth Day — and why do we celebrate it? Earth Day falls on April 22 each year but is not a federally recognized holiday, according to USA TODAY. The roots of Earth Day trace back to a rising wave of environmental awareness in the 1960s — a time when pollution was rampant, rivers caught fire and public health was paying the price. Many credit the spark of the modern environmental movement to Rachel Carson's groundbreaking 1962 book "Silent Spring", which exposed the devastating effects of DDT — a synthetic insecticide — on wildlife, ecosystems and human health. By the end of the decade, calls for action were growing louder. In 1969, students at the University of Michigan's Environmental Action for Survival Committee began selling buttons that read 'Give Earth a Chance,' borrowing language from the anti-Vietnam War protests that dominated the era, according to the Library of Congress. That same year, U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson envisioned a national day of environmental activism that could harness the same passion and energy that fueled the antiwar movement. He urged students to channel their advocacy toward protecting the planet, and the idea of Earth Day was born. The very first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970. About 20 million Americans joined rallies, cleanups and teach-ins across the country. Just a few months later, in July 1970, the U.S. government responded by establishing the Environmental Protection Agency. Texas is home to several major Earth Day celebrations, including large-scale events in Austin and Dallas that aim to inspire climate action, community engagement and sustainable innovation. This year's theme, "OUR POWER, OUR PLANET" invites individuals around the globe to support renewable energy initiatives and the goal to triple the global generation of clean electricity by 2030. Earth Day ATX 2025 is the annual Earth Day celebration in Austin. Themed "Rooted in Community," this year's event will focus on history, resilience and the strength found in collective environmental action. Attendees can expect local exhibits, educational programming, and family-friendly activities throughout the afternoon. When: Saturday, April 12, 2025 Where: Huston-Tillotson University, East Austin Time: Noon to 6 p.m. Earthx2025 is a five-day conference that brings together global leaders from business, politics and environmental sectors. Designed to foster collaboration and forward-thinking solutions, the event will include keynote sessions, panel discussions and extensive networking opportunities aimed at building coalitions for the planet's future. When: April 21–25, 2025 Where: Hilton Anatole, Dallas, TX Time: Times vary by day and session Visitors of the Green Mountain Energy Earth Day will explore solar, wind, and water energy through interactive art, live mural painting, music, and family-friendly activities. Exhibitors, crafts, food and performances will create a lively and engaging atmosphere. When: Saturday, April 12, 2025 Where: Discovery Green, Houston Time: Noon to 5 p.m. The Texoma Earth Day Festival offers a community-wide, family-friendly event where attendees can learn practical ways to reduce their environmental footprint. Open to the public and free to attend, the festival combines education, entertainment and local engagement to promote sustainable living. When: Saturday, April 26, 2025 Where: Sherman, TX Time: 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Find the schedule and locations here. Planting trees, which also aligns with the upcoming Arbor Day on April 26 Growing native plants Spending time outdoors Visiting state parks and national parks (all national parks are free April 19, while special events occur through April 26 for National Park Week!) This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: When is Earth Day? How to celebrate Earth Day in Texas
