Nexus Family Healing
Restoring Hope. Reshaping Futures.
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Labor Day may signal the end of summer for many, but there are still a few weeks of warm weather left. If seasonal transitions feel difficult, these practices can help you find gratitude and ease into fall and winter more peacefully.
Some days feel full of doom and gloom, others are full of light and humor. As soon as we get used to what we think will become the “norm,” he reminds us that there is still a lot that he is silently dealing with. I have yet to find “normal” as a foster parent.
Sending your college student back to school? Send them a care package that boosts mental health! Check out our shopping list for ideas.
Do you ever struggle finding activities to clear your mind or cheer yourself up? Download or print these activity ideas for reference when you are looking to change your mindset.
When you are feeling stressed or anxious, it can be hard to remember what techniques work for you. Creating a plan when you’re calm ensures you are ready when mental health challenges arise. Fill out the wallet-size card to create your mental health readiness plan.
Often the fun activities in life get pushed to the bottom of the priority list. When this happens, I encourage caregivers to take a few minutes to complete the following activity adapted from the “Together Facing the Challenge” curriculum.
Over the years, I have noticed the increased worry, anxiousness, and what-if patterns among my loved ones when it comes to awaiting information from their healthcare provider. The reality is the degree of worrying we apply in our lives has never and will never impact the outcome—either for the better or worse.
Recommended Books about Foster Care and Adoption featuring books, workbooks, and resources for younger children and older children.
“Humans first, work second” is how I begin many meetings. I start with “How are you feeling?”—and often people need help naming emotions beyond “fine” or “good,” which is where a feelings wheel can be useful in check-ins.
With so many things competing for our attention these days, it is more important than ever to be intentional about nurturing your child’s wellbeing. Wellbeing consists of healthy physical, mental, cognitive, and social-emotional health and there are many ways to support it.
Managing stress takes work, but if done regularly, you will feel like the stress coming in your life is more manageable. The goal is not to eliminate stress, but to deal with it more effectively through small shifts in your thinking, actions, and behaviors.
Use this sheet as a self-check to track your day-to-day well-being habits. Pay attention to what went well and what can be improved for tomorrow. Look for trends in your week and find areas where you can develop healthy habits.
I am a foster parent. I love to learn, and I love putting new information into practice. I feel like I parent well. And yet on the toughest of days, there are times I wonder, “What are we doing? Are we even helping?” and, “What if nothing works?”
As a parent or caregiver, you anticipate and meet your child’s physical needs, such as hunger or tiredness, and are attuned to their mental and emotional needs. But how do you know when your child’s feelings won’t pass, and what meaningful actions can you take to help?
Caregivers may struggle with shifting from a “nurturer” role into becoming a “buddy.” While support is important, maintaining healthy boundaries is key. Youth in foster or residential settings often need guidance in forming safe attachments, making it essential for adults to model consistent, healthy relationships.
We fill up with sunshine when we see victory in our children’s lives, and the moment we start to let our shoulders drop in relaxation, another storm comes seemingly out of nowhere. But that does not mean healing isn’t happening. It means that it is layered and multifaceted and complex.
As Mental Health Awareness Month ends, it’s important to recognize progress in understanding and managing mental health. However, substance use disorder remains misunderstood, stigmatized, and undertreated—highlighting an ongoing barrier to truly effective, compassionate care.
If you have a family of your own and are inquiring to be a foster family, conversations with your partner and children are crucial. Below are some of the topics our foster parents discussed with their families and children before deciding to start their foster care journey.
Foster care is a term many families use with pride. Fostering is the opportunity to encourage growth, healing, and healthy relationships in hopes families will reach their full potential. As common as the term “care” is, it can be hard to achieve for many families.
Our President and CEO Dr. Michelle K. Murray joined KSTP's Minnesota Live to talk about how families can keep it simple in the new year by setting small, specific, and intentional goals.
As foster parents, the worries arise as they are preparing a room for the new child they received a brief description of. They ask themselves: how do we ensure they feel supported; what resources will they need on days like this; how do we create a welcoming environment and create a positive transition?
Welcoming a foster child into your home? Download our shopping list to help you prepare.
Test your foster care knowledge with this fact or fiction resource sheet.
While the words “employee recognition” and “employee appreciation” are often used interchangeably, they are very different. Don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place for both; however, it is important to understand their differences and apply them correctly for optimal outcomes.
Resources provided through our website are informational in nature and not meant to take the place of consulting your physician, mental health professional, or other qualified health providers regarding your well-being or the well-being of others.
